Being a Quaker

Putting faith into action

by Brian Radcliffe

Suitable for Whole School (Pri)

Aims

To explore Quaker beliefs, and how we might adopt them in our own lives.

Preparation and materials

• You will need the PowerPoint slides that accompany this assembly (Being a Quaker) and the means to display them.

Assembly

1. Ask the children if they can think of any nearby churches.
   
   Listen to a range of responses.
   
   
2. Point out that cities, towns and villages in the UK have many Christian churches. Often, the most prominent is a Church of England building, with a tower or spire that rises above the surrounding shops and houses.
   
   Many of these churches are historical monuments, with their origins deep in the past. More recent are the Methodist, Baptist, Pentecostal and URC chapels, and by now, most branches of Christianity have built worship and community centres.
   
   
3. Show Slide 1.
   
   Sometimes, religious meeting places are small churches or chapels that are off the main street, so they are not easily seen. This is often true for Quaker meeting houses.
   
   
4. Show Slide 2.
   
   Quaker meeting houses are not usually grand at all. The buildings are often functional, quite old and easy to overlook. Yet the Quakers are a force that we shouldn’t ignore.
   
   
5. Ask the children how they think Quakers got their name.
   
   Listen to a range of responses.
   
   Point out that there are various possible answers, even among Quakers themselves.
   
   One idea is that Quakers put the fear of God into the authorities when they protested against corruption and injustice. They made judges and members of the local council tremble at the word of God.
   
   However, others believe the opposite. They say that it was the Quakers themselves who trembled when they got in trouble with the authorities during their protests.
   
   A third idea relates to how Quakers worship. Throughout history, people have spoken of being so absorbed in worshipping God that they shook from head to toe. It happened in the Bible, and it happens today in certain churches. It was also said to have happened during the early years of Quakerism.
   
   
6. So, what contribution do Quakers make to church history? In the Bible, James, who was one of the early Christian saints, writes that faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. Quakers believe in putting their faith into action.
   
   
7. Show Slide 3.
   
   For example, Quakers founded some of the earliest banks so that people could use their wealth in the most efficient way. Barclays, Lloyds and Friends Provident were all founded by Quakers.
   
   
8. Show Slide 4.
   
   The shoe retailer Clarks is a Quaker firm.
   
   
9. Show Slide 5.
   
   Quakers also have a thing about chocolate! Cadbury’s, Fry’s and Rowntree’s were all founded by Quakers, who created an industry where the workers were given not only a job, but also communities in which to live.
   
   
10. Show Slide 6.
    
    Quakers have also been involved in abolishing slavery and changing prisons for the better. Women have always had a prominent role in their church organization too. Humanitarian organizations like Amnesty International, Oxfam and Greenpeace have Quakers at the heart of their activities.
    
    
11. Show Slide 7.
    
    During the First and Second World Wars, many Quakers registered as conscientious objectors, stating that they were unwilling to break God’s commandment not to kill.
    
    However, they didn’t sit back and hide. Instead, they formed the Friends’ Ambulance Unit and rescued many wounded soldiers, often at great risk to themselves. The Quaker slant on Christian faith has always been to put their faith into action.

Time for reflection

The Quakers believe that they should put their beliefs into action.

Ask the children, ‘What do we believe? What are the things that matter most to us?’

Explain that what we believe does not just affect us; it also affects how we respond to others, in terms of the respect and support that we grant them.

Encourage the children to think of examples of how what they do and how they respond affects other people.

Listen to a range of responses.

Prayer
Dear God,
Please help us to live our lives in a way that is helpful to others.
Please help us to consider the needs of those around us.
Please help us to act with kindness and respect.
Thank you for your love for each of us.
Amen.