Children

Children’s meeting is suspended during the current emergency.

Children’s meeting is held on the first three Sundays of the month during term time from 10.30 to 11.30 a.m. (see below). To find out more about children’s meeting (and to check whether there are changes to the dates) please contact the children’s convener by emailing children@ealingquakers.org.uk

Children aged 3 years or over are invited to stay without a caregiver provided you and your child are both happy with this. Children under 3 years old need to be accompanied. Please note that you are most welcome to bring your small baby into the main meeting for worship with you.

Arriving: Children attend a separate meeting, which is usually held in the Garden Room. It’s a good idea to arrive at 10.20 to give your child (or children) time to settle before you join meeting for worship (held in the main meeting room). Some parents feel more comfortable staying with their children in children’s meeting for one or more sessions to help them settle.

Format: Usually, there is a gathering ‘go round’, then the children respond to a theme or topic – this may involve discussion, a craft activity, a game, etc. Examples of recent themes are ‘Caring for our world’, ‘The Cadburys and chocolate’ and ‘Peace’. Underlying all the children’s activities are the Quaker values of respect, equality, truth, simplicity and peace. At 11.20 the children join the adult meeting for worship for the last ten minutes.

All-Age: An ‘all-age’ meeting for worship is held a few times per year. On these occasions meeting for worship takes a different form, with the children and the adults joining together for a combined meeting in the main room. Often there is a theme, and the children may have worked on topics around the theme in the preceding weeks; younger children can draw or play quietly during this time.

Safety: We ask parents/guardians to be present in the meeting house during meeting for worship, or to delegate another adult to take responsibility for their child. Volunteer helpers are DBS checked and abide by Ealing Meeting’s child protection policy and its code of good practice for volunteer helpers.