Rekindling Our Fires (SJQ)

Quickening in thee Pines? Spring into a Journey for new Way Opening to Meet, Sing, Play and Potluck!

Dear Friends, Neighbors, Families, and Seekers,

There are moments in the life of a community when something quiet but unmistakable begins to stir. Something you may try and write down but it comes out as jibberish. Not a to do list. Not too specific. A longing – Not a program. Not a committee report. Not even a fully formed plan. Rather, it is warmth—an ember—glowing beneath a surface of our shared life, waiting for breath, for presence, for people willing to gather close and to tend our Way together.

Since last autumn’s 40th + annual Tri-Quarter Gathering, a small circle of Friends has been holding such an ember in the Light. It appeared in diverse spaces between—between sessions, between generations, between chasiing down the kids or in the slow, formal, emergent rhythms of our beloved Meetings together. It lived in laughter over shared meals, in a gentle hum of conversation, in the stillness that settles over us as we slow our pace over piney paths and quiet corners. Many of us felt it: a longing not simply to do Quakerism, but to be Friends together; being full, joyfully, across ages or experiences.

From that shared sense, we now extend an invitation.

We invite Friends of Burlington, Haddonfield, and Salem Quarters—all who feel drawn—to help shape participate in a Spring 2026 Meeting for Worship Weekend for music and song: a soft-launch, lightly held: rooted in gathering centered in intergenerational community, music, song, and Spirit-led presence.

This is not a conference. It is not a replacement for our Quarterly or Yearly Meeting structures. It is not Tri-Quarter. But, it can be an unveiling. It is a NEW gifted promise; something already here, tender, experimental, and perhaps more essential: a reawakening of the relational communities that sustains us.

A NEWLY Gentle Beginning: What We Are Proposing

We imagine a spring weekend, perhaps a Saturday into Sunday, or a single extended day; hosted by one Quarter and supported by Friends across all three.

The structure will be intentionally light. The Spirit, we know; we trust, we are practiced in accepting. Spirit will provide the depth.

At the heart of this proposed weekend, we envision:

• Intergenerational Meeting for Worship with Attention to Music and Song
  Rooted in our traditions, yet open to expanded expression—holding silence, vocal ministry, and gathered attentiveness to welcomes all kinds/ages.
• Meeting for Worship in Acceptance of Spirit with Attention to Silence, Music, and Song
  A space where voices rise together. Where traditional Quaker stillness meets our living currents that have touched us in song. The Holding of Space. Space that holds our hearts; spirituals, folk songs, hymns, contemporary expressions. A place where Divine presence is felt in harmony and in silence.
• Shared Meals and Potluck Fellowship
  Tables filled not only with food but with story, laughter, and reconnection. No agenda beyond nourishment—of body and spirit.
• Simple, Optional Activities
  Storytelling circles. Nature walks. Games. Creative ministry. Spaces for reflection and play, held without pressure.
• Overnight Hospitality (Optional)
  For those led, we are exploring the possibility of simple overnight stays—sleeping bags on meetinghouse floors, shared quiet, the sacred gift of sitting outside together, Of taking in the stars and planets. Camping out and waking together. We are excited by possibility of gathering at the historic
  Woodbury Friends Meetinghouse where generations of Friends have worshiped before us.

This is a pilot, a first step. A way to gently test what is possible when we gather not out of obligation, but out of joy.

Why Now?

We live in times of fragmentating speed. We feel stretched thin by commitments, by uncertainty, by quiet erosion of spaces where we can simply be known.

Within our Meetings, we see both deep faithfulness and real longing:

• Young Friends seeking spaces where they are not only welcomed, but centered as part of the present life of the Meeting
• Families yearning for gatherings where children can play freely while also growing into the spiritual rhythms of community
• Young adults searching for belonging, connection, and shared purpose
• Seasoned Friends carrying wisdom, stories, and a desire to share them in settings of warmth and openness

This gathering is an offering toward all of these conditions.

It is a chance to remember that our faith is not only practiced in an hour of silence, but lived in relationship—in meals shared, songs sung, fires tended, and stories told.

Imagining this Weekend Together

Picture arriving on a soft spring afternoon.

Meetinghouse doors are opening. Someone is arranging flowers. A few children are already running across the green grass. In the kitchen, laughter rises with the scent of soup and fresh bread.

Friends greet one another—not hurriedly, but with time. With presence.

As evening falls, a circle forms. Perhaps a simple meal. Perhaps a fire outside. Someone brings a guitar. Another offers a song—tentatively at first, then joined by others. Voices find one another.

Later, a few remain in quiet conversation. Others drift toward rest—unrolling sleeping bags in shared spaces, settling into the deep peace of a place held in care.

Morning arrives gently. Some rise early for a walk among trees or along a nearby path. Others linger over coffee.

And then, we gather.

Not because it is scheduled, but because something calls us together.

A Meeting for Worship emerges—rooted, attentive, alive. Out of the silence, perhaps a voice rises. Then another. Then a song, carried not by performance but by shared Spirit.

This is the kind of gathering we are hoping to explore.

Activities We Hope to Include

While we intend to keep the structure light, we also recognize the joy that comes from shared activities. Some possibilities include:

• Potluck Meals
  Bring a favorite dish, a family recipe, or something simple to share. Food as ministry.
• Community Singing Circles
  Folk songs, spirituals, hymns, and new music. Acoustic instruments welcome.
  Send us your favorite songs so musicians can prepare!
• Games for All Ages
  Board games, cooperative games, outdoor play.
  Bring your favorites to share.
• Storytelling & Quaker History Moments
  Elders sharing memories. Youth sharing experiences. Stories as bridges.
• Creative Ministry Spaces
  Poetry, art, journaling, music-making.
• Nature Walks & Quiet Reflection
  Guided or spontaneous walks—attuning to the land and one another.
• Late-Night Fellowship
  Puzzles, conversation, laughter, and quiet companionship.
• Campfire (where possible)
  S’mores, stories, and song under the open sky.
• Simple Overnight Stay
  Shared sleeping spaces in the meetinghouse—returning to a rhythm many remember and many have yet to experience.

This is not an exhaustive list. It is a beginning point from which we set intentions for how we manifest community, peace, simplicity..

Queries for Reflection

As we consider this invitation together, we offer these queries:

• What does it mean, in seasons, to become and Be in a planted community of Friends? Nurture our seeds not only in worship, but in shared life?
• How might music and song simplify and Sink us down into our belonging. How has community sought to deepen or expand experiences of Spirit?
• What do our young people, families, and newcomers need from us—and what might they already be offering that we have yet to fully receive?
• Where do we feel joy in our Meetings, and how might we make more space for it? Does music, song, and togetherness need our community?
• What “kindling” am I led to bring—time, presence, creativity, hospitality, or simply openness?
• How can we create spaces that are welcoming not only to long-time Friends, but to seekers and those still finding their way?

We encourage Meetings to hold these queries in worship and conversation.

A South Jersey Call to Co-Create

This gathering will only take shape through shared care.

We are not looking to build a large or burdensome structure. Instead, we are seeking:

• A small, intergenerational planning group
• A host Quarter or Meeting willing to open its doors
• Friends willing to offer music, hospitality, coordination, or simple presence
• Individuals and families who feel drawn to help shape the tone and spirit of the weekend

The South Jersey Quaker Project (SJQ) is glad to help coordinate, but not to “own” this effort. We hope it will remain rooted in the life of the Quarters themselves.

How to Get Involved and Shape our First Spring Music and Song Weekend

If this invitation stirs something in you—curiosity, excitement, a quiet “yes,” or even a wondering—we warmly invite you to respond.

Ways to participate:

• Express interest in attending the Spring 2026 weekend
• Volunteer to help with planning or logistics
• Offer to host or help coordinate at a Meetinghouse
• Share your musical gifts (voice or instrument)
• Send song suggestions for the community to learn
• Bring games, art supplies, or creative ideas
• Help with outreach to younger Friends, families, and seekers

We especially welcome:

• Youth and Young Adult Friends
• Families and children
• Newcomers and seekers
• Friends who have felt on the margins and are looking for reconnection

Send Us Your Ideas

This is a living invitation, not a finished plan.

We want to hear from you:

• What would make this gathering meaningful for you?
• What activities or traditions would you love to see included?
• What concerns or hopes do you carry?
• What gifts are you excited to share?

Your voice matters in shaping this.

To South Jersey Quakers. We yearn to harvest our musicians, childrens glee, potwashers and cooks!

Friends, these embers are warm.

The air is turning. The ground is softening. The time of singing birds is returning.

We have within our reach the possibility of something simple and beautiful: a weekend of shared presence, of laughter and song, of deepening connection across generations and Meetings.

Not perfect. Not polished. But real.

Let us gather the kindling together.
Let us breathe gently on what is already alive among us.
Let us see what the Spirit might grow.

In peace, fellowship, and hopeful song,

Nathan Shroyer & Carleton Crispín
On behalf of the South Jersey Quaker Project (SJQ)

Send us ideas! Sign up! Help outreach! Bring your organizing, your favorite games and songbooks. Share any songs you love so we learn them together.