If you’d like to be more involved but you’re not sure how, perhaps the best thing to do is to express this feeling to the clerk, nominations committee, Ministry & Counsel member, or just ask around. Sometimes we are simply unaware of your wish. Here are a couple of other suggestions:
- Inquire about our crafts or first day school.
- Add our meeting calendar to your calendar (instructions).
- Often after meeting we stay and chat and go out for lunch. Join us, or invite someone you like for coffee to chat more.
- Volunteer with us. Some of our members have been volunteering at:
- Homeless shelters
- Teaching art to refugee children
- With community groups such as Solidarity Across Borders and non-profits such as Council of Canadians
- Joining a committee is a great way to know us better and contribute to the life of the meeting community.
- If one of the committees might interest you, feel free to inquire.
- If you don’t see a role that might interest you, perhaps ask anyway: there are many fascinating ways to join and serve Quakers in Canada, at interfaith groups, in North America, the UN, and the world. That list is only the beginning.
- Do you know about larger Quaker gatherings?
Asking vs. being asked
If you’ve been with us for a while, hopefully someone has discussed many of these items with you. If we haven’t approached you, it may be because:
- We’re a volunteer organization; we may not be as pro-active as some places with paid staff due to limited volunteer energy.
- It is completely against our values to pressure people into serving on committees or membership. We are leery — sometimes too leery — of arm-twisting, sometimes hesitating quite a bit before bringing up some of these topics, particularly membership.
- We want the Spirit of love, and not a sense of obligation, to guide decisions.
We know it’s awkward to ask. We hope you’ll be patient with us. Knowing your interests helps us welcome you better, so thank you.