Information for families with children
Rejoice in the presence of children and young people in your meeting and recognise the gifts they bring….
We cater for children of all ages. Children’s meeting is held at the Meeting House on the first and third Sundays of the month also there is also a teenage meeting at the Meeting House every first Sunday.
At the Meeting House children join the adults for the first fifteen minutes of meeting for worship, then have separate activities in the children’s room , or outside in garden, for the rest of the hour.
Children’s meeting is organised by a committee, with support from a group of adult volunteers who are all DBS checked.
There is always a minimum of two of these adult volunteers leading the children’s meeting, though parents are welcome to stay as long as their children need them. The volunteers are responsible for supervising children during this time. Parents resume responsibility after their meeting has finished.
Each term there is a theme linked to Quaker beliefs and values. We aim to support our young people on their spiritual journeys through discussion, questioning and exploration. Recent themes have included “Ways into Stillness” and “Our Fellow Creatures”. Adult volunteers are encouraged to make activities engaging and interactive. They may draw inspiration from, and use, Quaker writings, Bible stories and other sources of material.
All Age Worship is held several times a year. This is an opportunity for children and adults to worship together in a semi-programmed meeting for worship.
Children’s committee also organises social events for children and parents. These help our young people and parents to get to know each other better and provide opportunities to have fun together.
Our local meeting is part of Luton and Leighton area meeting, which consists of nine Quaker meetings from the wider geographical area.
The area meeting organises all-age workshops to explore a Quaker theme.
Luton and Leighton area meeting camp is held every summer for ten days. This is an opportunity to live simply by camping together on a field, in a mixed age Quaker community. It is particularly popular with families with children. For more information, see llquakers.org.uk/quakercamps
Luton and Leighton area meeting link group is a Quaker youth group for young people between the ages of 11 and 18, organised by a committee of volunteers. All adult leaders have DBS checks. Link group is a weekend residential event held in local Quaker meeting houses, for one weekend a term. Events and activities are planned around a theme.
There are also a number of national Quaker residential events organised for children and young people. These provide them with opportunities to learn about Quakerism and develop their spiritual lives.