Children’s Religious Education

Nursery Care

At Annapolis Friends Meeting, we recognize our youngest Friends as a blessing to our community. Members and attenders truly enjoy seeing them playing inside the meetinghouse or outside on the playground. Parents are welcome to bring even their youngest children and babies with them to Meeting for Worship, but we ask that parents be mindful that our meeting practices silent worship. This means that we sit in silence unless someone feels moved by the Light to speak out of that silence. Babies and toddlers who struggle with sitting still or quietly for long periods are welcome to enjoy themselves in the nursery.

While parents center themselves in silent worship during the 11:00 am Meeting for Worship, our nursery care team of two adults will play with, read to, and tend to the needs of the children just down the hall. In cold weather, young Friends have an ample supply of books to read, paper and coloring materials to draw with, a variety of toys to engage in imaginary play with, and puzzles and blocks to build with indoors. In fine weather, they may decide to go outside and enjoy playing in our spacious meadow and gardens full of flowers, have a snack in a shady area with picnic tables, or enjoy time on the swing set and playground. All babies and children in the nursery and First Day School will rejoin their parents in the final 5 to 15 minutes of Meeting for Worship.

All childcare at Annapolis Friends Meeting is provided by our community. This may include Young Friends (those who are 13 and older) in conjunction with parents and other adult Friends who enjoy spending time with our youngest Friends. Any of our members or attenders who are interested in volunteering to help in the nursery – be it every week or just once or twice a month – are welcome and encouraged to contact our Children’s Religious Education Committee to volunteer, but this is not required.

First Day School (Sunday School)

The First Day School (commonly known as Sunday School, for those unfamiliar with Quaker traditions and vocabulary) program provides more formal guidance and education for Young Friends from kindergarten age up. The First Day School classroom sits right across the hall from the nursery in our meetinghouse. First Day School care providers and teachers are well qualified to teach Young Friends the fundamentals of Quaker history and practices in addition to Bible studies, introduction to other faiths, and other topics that we are led to explore (an example of this would be a recent curriculum based around climate change and how we can care for the earth). These engaging lessons can be tailored to the ages of the Young Friends in attendance.

Friends feel strongly that specific instruction in religious topics is vital in the preparation of the human spirit for a whole life. Our primary goals are:

• To lovingly promote Young Friends’ spiritual growth. To that end, we strive to strengthen their awareness of the presence of God (also called the Light, Inward Teacher, Spirit, and many other names) and encourage them to follow the Light within themselves and others.
• To give Young Friends experience in Quaker practices, which fosters fellowship among their Young Friend peers as well as with adult Friends and Meeting attenders.

Young Friends are also invited to attend Meeting with their parents, but are encouraged to be mindful of the importance of silence during Meeting for Worship. They, as well as children in the Nursery, will rejoin the parents in the final 5 to 15 minutes of Meeting.

Resources for Families

First Day School Library

We have a great Young Friends’ library with books in both the nursery and classrooms, in addition to the adult Friends library just down the hall. Our libraries carry books on a wide variety of topics, including Quakerism, information about other religions and beliefs, families, diversity, and nature in addition to fiction books for Friends of all ages. Children and their families are welcome and encouraged to check books out of these libraries for home study and enjoyment.

Play Area and Meadow

Our meetinghouse sits on a beautiful patch of land at the end of a safe cul-de-sac that sees very little traffic, and well back from the street. The Play Area on our land provides ample opportunities for fun supervised play and includes a climbing structure, swings, sandbox, bench, and picnic tables with plenty of shaded space for everyone to enjoy themselves in fine weather. During some family events, we may even follow the trail behind our meetinghouse to further explore the land and discuss ways of continuing to care for and improve it.