First Friends Meeting Information

First Friends (Whitewater Monthly Meeting) dates from 1809, founded by Quakers who were among the initial white settlers of Richmond. It is the oldest local Friends congregation and an active supporter of Indiana Yearly Meeting, Earlham College, and the Earlham School of Religion. Members of First Friends are active in a variety of other community organizations as well. The membership of the meeting is about 160, with attendance in worship often around 100, including a good mix of long-term and newer Friends. There is a warm, friendly, affirmative feeling to the meeting's worship and other activities. The congregation aims to be a welcoming, listening community while also nurturing personal growth and depth in the spiritual tradition of Quaker Christianity. Quaker faith and practice are built upon our personal experiences and shared convictions, rather than doctrinal creeds. We believe in baptism and communion as inward, spiritual realities, rather than outward rites. While our worship includes familiar elements of prayer, singing, Scripture and preaching, it culminates with a mostly silent "open worship", usually 10-15 minutes. We are Christ-centered as a meeting, but open to the religious experiences and convictions of all individuals, believing that direct knowledge of God is available to all people everywhere, whatever their religious or cultural background. We believe that children have a special connection to the life of the Spirit; we work to be a warm, nurturing community for children, young people, and their families. Adult spiritual enrichment opportunities include Bible study, book discussions, communication workshops, etc., nurturing individual lives and group dynamics in a vital faith for the twenty-first century. Meals, celebrations, and other fun events also help us enjoy one another.