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Friends General Conference, with Divine guidance, nurtures the spiritual vitality of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) by providing programs and services for Friends, meetings, and seekers. We envision a vital and growing Religious Society of Friends—a faith that deepens spiritually, welcomes newcomers, builds supportive and inclusive community, and provides loving service and witness in the world.

Through Friends General Conference, we see Quakers led by the Spirit joining together in ministry to offer services that help Friends, meetings, and seekers explore, deepen, connect, serve and witness within the context of our living faith. 

At the core of the Quaker faith is our trust that all people can have direct, inward experience of divine love, healing and guidance. We have learned that through responding to this guidance, we can be changed—even transformed—coming to live lives reflecting the Light and Love of God. This is the hope, the invitation and the promise that gathers us as the people called "Friends."

We worship as a community with the understanding that all share the responsibility for ministry. We know that we need one another's help to be faithful. We gather in stillness to listen for how the Holy Spirit might speak within us or through the words of another. While most FGC Yearly Meetings practice what we call waiting worship—in which we expectantly wait together in silence for inspired speaking or insight to arise—some of us also worship in ways similar to Protestant churches, with hymn singing, spoken prayer, reflection on Scripture, or a brief prepared message. We seek to embody a practical spirituality in our daily lives, where every interaction can be sacred, and where every person can be a teacher and friend.

We work together with our neighbors to help build a more just, peaceful and sustainable world, where all people are honored as beloved children of God, regardless of nationality, class, race, creed, age, ability, family status, sexual orientation or gender identity, and where humanity lives as a humble, blessed part of the commonwealth of all life.

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