How Are the Children?: Plain Speaking about Quaker Meetings and Families in Post-Pandemic Times

In conversation, Melinda and Emily will reflect on their experiences with all-age Quaker communities in pandemic times, including family devotionals, giant children’s meeting, parent support groups, and more.  Building on this past year’s learnings and experience from years past, they’ll name some of what’s happened in Quaker communities and what may be needed next.  What kind of community are Friends called to be in 2021 and beyond? What will it actually take for us to get there?

Workshop facilitator Melinda Wenner Bradley is an accredited Godly Play® trainer who works with Quaker meetings and Friends schools around the country. A founding member and the convener of the Faith & Play Group, she is a co-author of the Faith & Play™ stories. Melinda serves Philadelphia Yearly Meeting as their Youth Religious Life Coordinator.

Emily Provance is a member of Fifteenth Street Meeting and thinks of New York City as home, though she now travels in the ministry full time. She came to Friends after seventeen years of searching for a faith community. She understands the Religious Society of Friends to be a covenant community and has spent time with Friends from various branches of the tradition in Kenya, Belize, Britain, Ireland, Tanzania, Palestine, Mexico, Peru, and the United States.  She is an associate of Good News Associates.