What to expect at Quaker worship

We gather together in person at 10 a.m. on Sunday mornings. We’re a small but growing meeting and usually have 10-20 people in attendance.

Meeting regulars and visitors at the “rise of meeting” when we end the worship.

There’s a door marked “Entrance” along the front of the building that brings you right into the worship space, but you can also come into the kitchen on the north side facing Old Marlton Pike. Sit wherever you like, and no worries if you’re running a little late: just come in and find a bench. In summer months, open screen doors bring in outside wildlife sounds; on cool mornings, the wood stove crackles with a welcoming warmth.

At 10 a.m. we settle into expectant silence, attentive to what Friends call the Inward Christ. There is no minister or priest. Some people close their eyes, others look out the windows or around the room; some fidget quietly, while others read a book. When prompted by the Holy Spirit, a worshiper will rise to give a few minutes of spontaneous ministry: they might read out of a book of Quaker writings or the Bible, share a personal struggle or spiritual insight, ask for prayers, or talk about a Quaker testimony or belief. Sometimes we have a lot of these messages and sometimes we go the entire worship in silence. No worship experience is ever the same!

We generally sit for about an hour, at which point we exchange handshakes and greetings (feel free to introduce yourself!). A few announcements might be given; sometimes discussions spontaneously start. There’s often coffee and a light snack.

If we are having an event, we adjourn for a few minutes, then come back together. A speaker will typically talk for about half a hour, followed by discussion. We usually have a potluck lunch afterwards, which is a great time to get to know us. There’s always plenty of food to share so don’t worry if you didn’t bring anything!

Once a month we have Meeting for Business after the rise worship, in which we discuss everything from finances to property needs to upcoming events. Visitors are welcome to stay and participate.

You can see our extended calendar of events here.

A recent presentation on the Quaker history of the game Monopoly.

Facilities

While our building dates from 1809 and maintains much of its historic character, it is fully modern: electricity, heat, with a bathroom and a small kitchen. It is handicap accessible but be aware that we have a gravel driveway. If you have any specific needs, let us know.

In-person worship

We do not have any Zoom-based worship options at Cropwell. There are Quaker online worship opportunities elsewhere, including a wonderful daily hybrid worship hosted by the Pendle Hill retreat center.

Childcare

Children are always welcome at our worship. We have a corner of the meetinghouse set aside for quiet play. At this point we are not offering a children’s program or childcare. We know this is not ideal and are considering our options. In the meantime, bring the family! Kid noises will not disrupt the worship.

The children’s corner of the meetingroom.

How to dress

Come as you are: Quakers largely gave up our distinctive clothing over a hundred years ago. There is no dress code or expectations.

Will I be welcome?

We come from all sorts of backgrounds at Cropwell. A few members come from old Marlton-area Quaker families and grew up in the meeting (it’s fun to get them to tell stories!) but most of us are newer to Friends, attracted by Quaker beliefs or worship or our history of social change activism. Some of our regulars have been involved with Friends for decades, while others have only been coming for a few years or even months. We’re curious about newcomers’ spiritual journeys and welcome you to join us and see if Quaker beliefs speak to your condition.

We have regular members and attenders in their 20s and 30s and up through their 80s, along with some kids. Our branch of Friends has been LGBTQ-friendly for decades. Cropwell isn’t very stuffy and we don’t care about job titles or salaries or academic degrees. We want to get to know one other in the ways that are important and to help each other grow in the Spirit.

We don’t make a big distinction between members and non-members. Casual attenders are welcome to worship, to minister when led, and to participate in our monthly Meeting for Business. That said, there’s seems to be something special going on at Cropwell these days and you can become part of that by joining! The first step is to talk to or email a letter requesting membership to the meeting clerk. In the email you might want to share your spiritual or life history but if that feels too onerous then just let us know you want to apply for membership and we’ll start from there.

Donations

You can learn about supporting Cropwell on our Donate page. You can send a check or set up recurring donations from your bank account or credit card. Our 2023 fundraising appeal wrapped up the year’s accomplishments and shared some of our ambitious programs for sharing the good news we’ve found at Cropwell with even more of our South Jersey neighbors.

What to expect at Cropwell