Since the beginning of 2026, The weekly newsletter Philadelphia Yearly Meeting sends each Thursday afternoon includes an “Outreach Tip of the Week.” The tip is a short note Friends can use right away or hold in discernment. The tip is also meant to be one practical idea for welcoming seekers into meeting life, pulled from tips, sample wording, and submissions from Friends through an online form.
January 8, 2026
“Outreach for a meeting involves being visible in the community—through effective signage, website and social media presence, and other publicity—and inviting all to worship.”
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting – Faith and Practice
January 15, 2026
“[Outreach] includes sharing the unique message of Friends through informational and educational events the meeting hosts for the community, through printed and online material, through public witness and service projects in the community, and through collaboration with other faith groups on projects of common interest.”
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting – Faith and Practice
January 22, 2026
“Effective outreach involves the willingness of individuals to identify themselves as Friends and use accessible language in spoken and written communication.”
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting – Faith and Practice
January 29, 2026
“Friends can become more comfortable and confident in speaking about the Quaker way by periodically taking time in their meetings to share stories of their faith journeys, to study and discuss materials that invite deep reflection, and to seek common language that describes these experiences and the core beliefs and practices of Friends.”
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting – Faith and Practice
February 5, 2026
Explore the Outreach and Communications Resources on the yearly meeting website. Friends can utilize these resources when exploring best practices around outreach.
February 12, 2026
This information originally appeared on the Friends General Conference website:
“Outreach is the sharing of Quaker spiritual journeys, values, and practices with people who are seeking. It invites care, solidarity, and an open door rather than conversion. It also means making Quaker meetings and communities visible. This includes posting clear information about when and where worship occurs, how to contact the meeting, and what newcomers can expect. Outreach is both a quiet message and an open invitation that says: ‘You are welcome here.’”
February 19, 2026
Apply for a Membership Development Grant from PYM. These grants provide support to meetings who wish to enhance the visibility and outreach in their communities.
February 26, 2026
Create a plan for welcoming new attenders. When a new individual joins your meeting for First Day, it can make it more likely they will return and become engaged if Friends from the meeting deliberately reach out to them to welcome them and invite them into the life of the meeting. Some meetings host small dinners with long-time members and newcomers, while others send letters and make phone calls, whatever works best and is sustainable for your meeting!
March 5, 2026
Monthly meetings can take part in community events as a simple way to be present where their neighbors already gather. Participation in community gatherings, either by doing an open house of the meeting or by hosting a table can be a natural path for the meeting to connect with their surrounding community.
March 12, 2026
Have a guest/visitor book available at your meeting. The book allows visitors to share their name, contact information, and how they found your meeting. Keeping a guest book helps the meeting understand how people are finding their way there, provides a way to stay in contact with visitors, and creates a record of how people first connect with the meeting.
March 19, 2026
Host a meeting homecoming event. A homecoming event is an opportunitiy that brings together current and former members and attenders to be together in fellowship. Friends can use this time as a way to reflect on the meetings journey and connect with those who helped shape its story.
March 26, 2026
Your meeting can organize a trash pick-up day. Be clear that participation is for all ages, making space for families to be involved. Your meeting can place a sign along the area you are cleaning to share that the event is taking place and make sure your neighbors are aware they can join. You can also invite your neighbors by handing out flyers or doing door knocking to invite them to the opportunity to clean the community.
April 2, 2026
A small ad in a weekly paper brought them to Arch Street one day. They had been unhappy with parts of the service at the church they attended and had read a little about Quakers, so one day they kept walking past that church and went to the Monthly Meeting of Friends of Philadelphia instead. They found they valued the silence in worship and the people they met that day. They became a regular attender, later joined the meeting, and have served on several committees and worship boards. All of this began with a small ad in a weekly paper.
April 9, 2026
Collaborate with a local painter or photographer to host an exhibit in your meeting space. Set times and share them through community message boards, online calendars, and local news outlets so the public knows when the exhibit will be open, and invite visitors into the space. This can also be a time to prepare and share a press release. When the exhibit is open, Friends can be present to speak about the artwork, the meeting, and Quaker worship.
April 16, 2026
If your meetinghouse or property has open parking during the week, make that space available to neighbors Monday through Saturday. Let people know they are welcome to use it.
This form of outreach opens the meetinghouse property as a shared resource and creates opportunities for connection with people who may not yet know the meeting.
April 23, 2026
Plan and host summer day camps at meetinghouses for youth of different ages. One focus could be peace; youth practice naming personal feelings and learn skills for handling conflict. Another theme could center on conservation, with hands-on time spent saving seeds and starting them for future planting. A third possibility is simplicity, where youth learn how to can food and store what they prepare.
Schedule the camp during a week when other community organizations or religious groups are not hosting similar programs, and share the dates with those groups so they can pass the information along to families. Hosting a day camp helps identify which children are part of the local community and introduces your meeting to parents and caregivers who are looking for options. Also let other meetings near by know you are hosting a camp so they can send children and families looking for the opportunity.
April 27, 2026
Install clear exterior signage at your meetinghouse so people passing by know it is a Quaker place of worship. If your meeting is in need of funding for this project, apply for a grant through a Philadelphia Yearly Meeting granting group.
