Our official title is the Religious Society of Friends though we normally refer to ourselves Friends or Quakers. The Society has 450 meetings in Britain and covers a third of a million Quakers throughout the World.
Quakers share a way of life, not a set of beliefs. We seek to experience God directly, within ourselves and in our relationships with others and the world around us. We believe each person is uniquely valuable and there is something of God in everyone. We meet together for worship in local meetings which are inclusive and open to all.
Our focus is on our experience rather than in written statements of belief. Our community is based on sharing a powerful form of silent worship, and on our core values of truth, equality, simplicity and peace. This leads us to translate our faith into action by working for social justice, supporting peacemakers and caring for the environment.
OUR VALUES
Truth and integrity
Quakers try to live according to the deepest truth we know, which we believe comes from God. This means speaking the truth to all, including people in positions of power. As we are guided by integrity, so we expect to see it in public life.
Equality
Quakers believe everyone is equal. This means working to change the systems that cause injustice and hinder true community. It also means working with people who suffer injustice, such as prisoners and those seeking asylum. Our fundamental commitment to inclusion means we welcome the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT+) community.
Simplicity and sustainability
Quakers are concerned about the excesses and unfairness of our consumer society and the unsustainable use of natural resources. We try to live simply and to find space for the things that really matter: the people around us, the natural world, our experience of God.
Peace
Quakers are perhaps best known for our peace testimony, which comes from our belief that love is at the centre of existence and all humans are equal in God's eyes. It has led Quakers to refuse military service and become involved in a variety of peace activities. These range from practical work in areas affected by violent conflict to developing alternatives to violence at all levels - from the personal to the international.
Quakers also find meaning and value in the teachings of other faiths; we acknowledge that ours is not the only way.
HISTORY OF BALBY FRIENDS
Balby (Doncaster) Quaker Meeting
We are one of the oldest Quaker Meetings in the world. There is a 1656 letter from Balby Elders in the introduction to 'Quaker Faith and Practice', a book that sits alongside the Bible in our meetings and contains guidance, questions and thoughts from individual Quakers over the centuries. The Balby letter encourages the reader to see the writings 'not as a rule or form to walk by' but to be 'fulfilled in the Spirit ... for the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life'. The original 1706 Quaker Meeting House is now a private home. Quakers have been an active part of Doncaster life ever since, including four Mayors and the first female Councillor.
We now meet in a modern, renovated building that is intended to serve not just our needs but those of the local community.
SHEFFIELD AND BALBY AREA MEETING
The Religious Society is a democratic structure managed by volunteers with no paid clergy. Whilst Balby and other local meetings have a fixed-term Clerk (chair), Elders (spiritual leadership) and Pastoral Carers (support for members and attenders), the key level of management and membership is the Area Meeting. Sheffield and Balby Area Meeting (Registered Charity No 1134536) covers Sheffield Central Meeting (the largest meeting in this area), Nether Edge and Hope Valley as well as Friends and Attenders in the Balby/Doncaster area.
QUAKERS IN BRITAIN
Central work of Britain's Quakers is managed through Britain Yearly Meeting and administratively through Friends House, opposite Euston Station in London. More information is available through the Britain Yearly Meeting website www.quaker.org.uk
A Welcome for All
We seek to welcome everyone in our meeting, being sensitive to the needs of each and "offering nurturing spaces for all" .
We believe that 'each one of us is unique, precious, a child of God'. We uphold everyone in their journeys in understanding and offer acceptance and respect that is safe from judgements and assumptions.
We affirm people's right to self-identify, recognising that none of our identities are fixed and that we evolve and change over time. We extend an open and receptive spirit and a listening ear to what is in our hearts, knowing that the heart has no gender.
We encourage everyone to use words with care and sensitivity, recognising that words have the power to hurt others. We commit to raising our awareness and consciousness of people we might be excluding, bringing our fears and prejudices into the Light. We recognise that this requires a willingness to face our fears and grow in truth, doing what love requires of us (Advices and Queries* 1.02:28).
(Statement agreed by Area Meeting on 12th January 2020)
*Advices and Queries is a booklet often referred to for guidance by Quakers.
Please contact us or better still visit us, if you want to know more.