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Woodbrooke
@woodbrooke.bsky.social
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Woodbrooke provides opportunities for Quaker learning, research and worship across the world - offering adult education since 1903.

www.woodbrooke.org.uk
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George Gorman, 1973
Quaker Faith & Practice 2.74
Children have an uncanny knack of knowing the difference between living ministry, as opposed to words that are injected into the meeting for their good. This is why I feel Friends should at any time avoid deliberately speaking to children, for it usually means speaking down to them. In fact it is an excellent discipline for anyone who speaks in meeting to try to use words and ideas that can be understood by children, and yet speak to the condition of all present, because they arise from the profound depths which, in fact, produce things that are truly simple. George Gorman, 1973 Quaker Faith & Practice 2.74
December 7, 2025 at 6:00 PM
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Begin the new year by exploring spirituality with Woodbrooke!

Whether you’re seeking joy, reflection, connection or creative expression, our January Spirituality courses offer a gentle invitation to go deeper.
December 5, 2025 at 5:43 PM
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What led Quakers to solidarity with lesbian, gay, and bisexual people ahead of other religious groups in the twentieth century? Explore the history of Quaker support for gay rights and look at the present and future of Quaker affirmation of LGBTQ+ people.

Find out more: https://ow.ly/SONa50Xz7ML
A rainbow drawn on a road in chalk The History, Present, and Future of LGBTQIA+ People in Quakerism 3 February - 10 March £60
December 5, 2025 at 3:30 PM
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In his poem Postscript, Seamus Heaney writes of an experience that can ‘catch the heart off guard and blow it open.’ Poetry holds this same power, to surprise, transform, and awaken. This session invites you to explore how poetry can deepen the spiritual journey.
https://ow.ly/RehJ50XyBz4
Person holding a lit lantern while reading, Poetry for Spiritual Deepening and Reflection Wednesday 21 January 19:00-21:00 (UK time) Pay as Led
December 4, 2025 at 2:01 PM
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Whether you are a new or experienced clerk for a Quaker Meeting, Group, or Committee, this one-day course provides clear guidance on Quaker clerkship and practical tips for becoming a more effective clerk.
For more information visit https://ow.ly/QnUn50XyBv5
Open notebook with a pencil resting on its pages, with text Quaker Clerking in a Nutshell Saturday 31 January 10:00-16:00 (UK time) £45
December 3, 2025 at 4:00 PM
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What calls us forth? In this 90-minute session, we’ll explore the spiritual roots of Quaker witness, how Friends have been moved by the Spirit to shape a testimony of peace, equality, social justice, and care for our earth, and how these guide us in faithful action today.
https://ow.ly/Hh2g50XyBlE
Young green plant sprouting from a tree stump with text The Spiritual Roots of Quaker Witness Thursday 29 January 19:00-20:30 (UK time) Pay as Led.
December 2, 2025 at 2:01 PM
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Janet Scott, 1994
Quaker Faith and Practice 27.42
Many of the testimonies and practices established by early Friends have survived only in part. One which has almost died out in Britain is the naming of days and months by number instead of by names of pagan origin. It is rare now to hear ‘first day’ instead of ‘Sunday’ or ‘third month’ instead of ‘March’, though the practice is still acceptable. Another testimony held by early Friends was that against the keeping of ‘times and seasons’. We might understand this as part of the conviction that all of life is sacramental; that since all times are therefore holy, no time should be marked out as more holy; that what God has done for us should always be remembered and not only on the occasions named Christmas, Easter and Pentecost. This is a testimony which seems to be dying of neglect. Many Friends, involved with family and the wider society, keep Christmas; in some meetings, Easter and its meaning is neglected, not only at the calendar time but throughout the year. What I would hope for is neither that we let the testimony die, nor that we keep it mechanically. I hope for a rediscovery of its truth, that we should remember and celebrate the work of God in us and for us whenever God by the Spirit calls us to this remembrance and this joy. Janet Scott, 1994 Quaker Faith and Practice 27.42
November 30, 2025 at 6:00 PM
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Can we respond better to the Quaker Light by seeing, looking and understanding Nature’s light? View photographs as a form of visual ministry discovering how the world around us can serve as illuminations of our faith.

https://ow.ly/qt3p50XuCqN
Sunlight filtering through dense forest trees with text Seeing the Light: Reflections Through Images Wednesday 14 January 14:30-16:30 (UK time) Pay as Led
November 29, 2025 at 1:00 PM
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Being a Quaker elder can be inspiring but also challenging. This is a monthly space for those with eldership responsibilities to come together to consider and learn how to serve as an effective elder in your Quaker community.
https://www.woodbrooke.org.uk/courses/essentials-of-quaker-eldership-3/
Close-up of a red book titled 'Quaker faith & practice' with text Essentials of Quaker Eldership Monday 12 January 19:30-21:00 (UK time) Pay as Led
November 28, 2025 at 5:00 PM
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Have you ever wished that you had greater clarity about how you are called to minister in the world? In this course, you will experience a variety of Quaker spiritual practices to help you discern your calling and sustain you in service and witness.

Book your place today: https://ow.ly/FC8Y50XygEP
Water falling into hands Spiritual Practices to Guide and Nurture 30 January - 1 February £54
November 27, 2025 at 4:02 PM
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What wisdom does Epiphany hold for us today? In this two-part course Friends will have the chance to engage with the stories, symbolism and ritual of Epiphany as found in liturgical traditions.
To book your place visit https://www.woodbrooke.org.uk/courses/the-wisdom-of-epiphany/
Silhouettes of three crowned figures against a yellow background with text The Wisdom of Epiphany 1 January - 8 January £30.
November 26, 2025 at 4:01 PM
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What is your path to spiritual wholeness? How can you strengthen your connection with the Divine, yourself, and others? Explore how building and nurturing these connections can guide us toward a more complete and fulfilling spiritual life.
https://www.woodbrooke.org.uk/courses/spiritual-wholeness/
Wooden triangular structure overlooking a calm sea under a partly cloudy sky with text Spiritual Wholeness 28 January - 18 February £54
November 25, 2025 at 2:05 PM
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Explore the meaning of Quaker membership using the P4C method. Together we’ll reflect on belonging, commitment, and responsibility, and how membership shapes life in the Quaker community.
To book your place visit https://www.woodbrooke.org.uk/courses/enquiring-into-quaker-membership/
A peaceful dirt path lined with green bushes and white flowers with text Enquiring Into: Quaker Membership Thursday 15 January 19:00-21:00 (UK time) Pay as Led
November 25, 2025 at 2:01 PM
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Whether you have specific issues in your Meetings for Worship for Business as a role-holder or would like to explore the Quaker Business Method more generally, you are welcome to join this friendly space for Q&A.
https://www.woodbrooke.org.uk/courses/quaker-business-method-surgery/
A mixed up Rubik's cube with text Quaker Business Method Surgery Tuesday 6 January 10:00-11:30 (UK time) Pay as Led
November 24, 2025 at 8:00 AM
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Kathleen Lonsdale, 1967
Quaker Faith and Practice 20.26
To me, being a Christian is a particular way of life, not the unquestioning acceptance of a particular system of theology, not belief in the literal truth of the Virgin birth, or the Resurrection and Ascension, but being the kind of person that Jesus wanted his followers to be and doing the things he told them to do… Nor, it seems to me, can you live a Christian life unless, like Jesus, you believe in the power of goodness, of justice, of mercy and of love; unless you believe in these so strongly that you are prepared to put them to the acid test of experiment; unless these constitute the real meaning of life for you, more important than life itself, as they were for Jesus. Kathleen Lonsdale, 1967 Quaker Faith and Practice 20.26
November 23, 2025 at 6:00 PM
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We live in urgent times. This course explores pausing as both spiritual attentiveness and political action. Together, we’ll examine what stops us from stopping, and how stillness might change the way we meet crisis, complexity and each other.

Book your place: https://ow.ly/fCaP50XqCxr
Footprints on a beach Why Pause? The Radical Politics of Stillness 13 January - 10 February £54
November 21, 2025 at 4:00 PM
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Explore creative writing as a tool for spiritual reflection and development through a range of reflective writing activities. Writing prompts and exercises will guide you to write from the heart rather than the head.

Book your place: https://www.woodbrooke.org.uk/courses/write-from-the-heart/
Pen and paper Write From the Heart 12 January - 2 February £60
November 20, 2025 at 4:00 PM
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How does the social structure of patriarchy, in which men and masculinity are valued above women and femininity, affect our religion and spirituality? Explore this question with ideas from Christian, Jewish, and Pagan feminist and womanist theologians.

Book your place: https://ow.ly/yEKQ50XqCqQ
Feminist spelled out in scrabble letters Feminist Theology for Quakers 12 January - 9 February £75
November 18, 2025 at 4:00 PM
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Thinking of postgraduate study? Meet one of our graduates to hear what doing a PhD is like. In this live interview, Paul Harris shares his experience of studying the nineteenth-century Quaker theologian Joseph John Gurney as a Woodbrooke research student.

https://youtube.com/live/f1cN6ifenlY
Meet the Students: Paul Harris
Thinking of postgraduate study? Meet one of our graduates to hear what doing a PhD is like. In this live interview, Paul Harris will share his experience of...
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November 18, 2025 at 2:56 PM
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Keith Helmuth, 1990
Quaker Faith & Practice 25.14
Challenging market economics with a Biblical sense of the goodness of God in creation is to join a spiritual struggle. Faith in God, solidarity with the suffering poor and all other forms of life demands that we take a stand and say, ‘This destruction must stop.’ We must be perfectly clear about the implications of undertaking this responsibility. It is more than just setting up household recycling bins, growing organic vegetables or riding a bike to work. It is more than a talking job. It is a renovation which will change everything: the way we do business, the way we eat, the way we travel, the houses we build, the products and services we can expect and the prices we pay for them, the way we feel about trees and the way we worship God. Keith Helmuth, 1990 Quaker Faith & Practice 25.14
November 16, 2025 at 6:00 PM
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Parenting can be one of life’s deepest spiritual journeys. How do we “take heed of love and truth” with the young humans in our care? This course is for parents who wish to be more present and compassionate with themselves and their families.

Book your place: https://ow.ly/Z6xt50XqCnm
Image of a parent and child walking in a wood Parenting: A Spiritual Quest 8 January - 12 February £60
November 15, 2025 at 2:00 PM
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Perhaps joy is a gift, a grace, as well as something to be cultivated? How can we put ourselves in the way of joy? Over four sessions across four months, we will create a shared space together to reflect on joy and engage in joyful practices.

Book your place: https://ow.ly/O3s350XqCi6
Illustration of flowers Space for Joy 10 January - 11 April £48
November 14, 2025 at 4:00 PM
woodbrooke.bsky.social
All Quaker communities experience change, whether small or significant. Change can open up new possibilities, but it can also bring challenge. In this course, we will create a supportive space to share experiences and explore ways forward together.

Book your place: https://ow.ly/VEng50XqBh3
Image of a compass Navigating Change Well as Quaker Communities 7 January - 28 January £54
November 12, 2025 at 4:27 PM
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S Jocelyn Burnell, 1989
Quaker Faith & Practice 22.50
Some situations which cause pain or suffering are avoidable, so part of our learning must be to analyse the situation and see if this is such a case. If it is, we must try to prevent it happening again. But perhaps the most painful situations are those that are apparently beyond our control. Another part of our learning is to recognise that there is unfairness, uncertainty, fear, loneliness and hurt in this world; learning to accept that this is the nature of the world can, of itself, be painful. Initially we may be able to do little, bound up in an acute, self-centred pain. As we try to cope with the anger, the pain and grief that come through some unhappy experience, we can learn a lot about the less-well-articulated, darker sides of our personality. These darker aspects should not be ignored. Although we tend to equate evil with darkness, we should remember that in the plant world roots grow in the dark. Darkness (and shadows) are as much a part of the natural order as light. S Jocelyn Burnell, 1989 Quaker Faith & Practice 22.50
November 9, 2025 at 6:00 PM
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It's Trustees Week across the UK! If you are a new Quaker Trustee who is looking to increase confidence in your role join us next Saturday to explore the role of Trustee with a focus on both its spiritual grounding and practical responsibilities.

Find out more: https://ow.ly/zKMq50XnPKi
Quaker Trusteeship in a Nutshell £40 Saturday 15 November 10:00-16:00 Chairs and tables in a room
November 6, 2025 at 2:59 PM