As an authorized International Baccalaureate School, Ramallah Friends School strives to maintain quality delivery of its three IB programs—the primary years program (PYP), middle years program (MYP), and the diploma program (DP). The International Baccalaureate organization evaluates the standards and practices of each IB school every five years. This month, RFS successfully passed the evaluations of the MYP and PYP programs. As part of the process, the School engaged in a self-study for each of the programs. This has helped all those involved to reflect and further understand the philosophy and the practices of the program and its alignment with the Schools’ mission and values as a Quaker school. The evaluation process was an opportunity to identify successes, celebrate them, highlight challenges, and create an action plan.
Read MoreFriends United Meeting wants to express its gratitude to Western Yearly Meeting for their generous donation to FUM for new computer equipment at Friends Theological College, the Africa Ministries Office, and to Belize Friends Ministries. In a technology-dependent world, these tools will be extremely valuable in FUM’s work of equipping and connecting Friends. The grant has already made a big difference in the work of its recipients. This is a gift that has global impact!
Read MoreThe story reminds us that we can be the drivers of the bus, or passengers in the bus: drivers because we have leadership positions to help steer the congregations or meetings; passengers because we could be part of those being directed by the leadership...
Read MoreEmily Provance writes about how Quaker communities might begin to think about caring for parents and families, based on the second year of the Quaker parent mutual support groups co-sponsored by Friends United Meeting, New York Yearly Meeting, and Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. Chief among her findings: Quaker parents feel profoundly isolated. "Some parents are literally alone...Other parents feel isolated despite not being literally alone. Parents in the group talked about the isolation of being the only Quaker in their geographic area or the only Quaker family in their meeting. They talked about the difficulty of developing deep friendships in modern society. They talked about their hunger for connections with parents in similar circumstances: other disabled parents, other single parents, other foster parents, other parents with shared custody arrangements. Facilitators heard it repeated again and again: 'I feel so alone.'"
Read MoreThroughout our history, the people known as Friends (or Quakers) keep rediscovering an essential and enduring truth: There is one who speaks to our most basic needs and most significant hopes—Christ Jesus the Lord. Both individually and communally, we are learning to know and follow the Voice that guides us in the way we should go. Together, we seek to understand and obey that truth which sets us free. As a people, we share in the experience of that powerful life which makes all things new. Maybe you are searching for an authentic and transforming faith and community to call home—if so, come in and join us as we seek to know and follow Christ.
Friends United Meeting commits itself to energize and equip Friends through the power of the Holy Spirit to gather people into fellowships where Jesus Christ is known, loved, and obeyed as Teacher and Lord.