About
227 Edgewood Road
Near the University of North Carolina at Asheville
See Street View of the Meeting House Entrance
Coming Up At Meeting: Forum on Simplicity
This coming First Day, after rise of meeting for worship, Friends will have an opportunity to share and learn about how we practice the testimony of simplicity. Susan Carlyle, formerly an attender at Asheville Meeting now living in Barnardsville, will facilitate the discussion. In preparation for the gathering, Friends are asked to consider the following queries:
All are invited to attend and share in this discussion, whether or not you are a regular attender at Asheville Friends Meeting.
A Visitor Reflects On Her Experience AT AFM
Click here to read Michelle Smith’s moving essay on her recent visit to our Meeting
Asheville Friends Public Statements
Almost all of the worship and discernment of meetings for worship with attention to business concern the spiritual and temporal life of the meeting community only, but every once in a great while, the Meeting is moved to broadcast its discovered truth to a wider audience, or as the Friendly expression goes, “speak truth to power.” Friends refer to such statements of discovered truth as “minutes”. Our Meeting has been led to publish the following “minutes”:
Statement on the 9/11 Attacks
Statement concerning war against Iraq
Statements on sexual identity and sexual orientation
Statement in support of religious freedom for Muslims in America
Meeting for Worship
- Every First Day (Sunday)
- 9:30 a.m. Singing
- 9:50 a.m. Transition to silent worship
- 10:00 a.m. Silent worship
- 10:15 a.m. First Day School for children
- Intergenerational worship on Third First Days — no First Day School
- 11:00 a.m. Sharing of joys & sorrows
- 11:15 a.m. First Day School ends
- 11:30 a.m. Fellowship
Meeting for Worship with Attention to Our Business
- Each Second First Day (Sunday) of the month
- Supervised play for children
- Begins at 12 noon
- Ends by 2 p.m.
Sandwich Sunday
- Each Fourth First Day (Sunday) of the month
- Begins after rise of Meeting
- “Loaves, fishes, and fellowship” – everyone welcome!
- Healthful, homemade dishes encouraged
- Be mindful of dietary restrictions and list ingredients of your offerings
- Ends when cleanup is completed
Adult Spiritual Enrichment
- First, third, and fifth First Day (Sunday) of the month
- Begins at 12 noon
- Supervised play for children
- Ends by 2 p.m.
Pastoral Care
- Looks after Friends with special needs
- Click here for more information
The Asheville Friends Meeting is an unprogrammed meeting.
Unprogrammed Worship
Unprogrammed worship is the more traditional style of worship among Friends and remains the norm in Britain, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and parts of the United States and Canada. During an unprogrammed meeting for worship, Friends gather together in “expectant waiting” for divine leadings. Sometimes a meeting is entirely silent, sometimes quite a few people speak. Meeting for Worship generally lasts about an hour.
A member will rise and share a message (give “ministry”) with the gathered meeting when they feel they are led by the spirit. Typically, messages, testimonies, ministry, or other speech are unprepared, and members are expected by the community to discern the source of their inspiration—whether divine or self.
Unprogrammed worship is generally deemed to start as soon as the first participant is seated, the others entering the room in silence. The Meeting for Worship ends when one person (usually predetermined) shakes the hand of his or her neighbor. All the members of the assembly then shake hands with their neighbors, after which one member usually rises and extends greetings and makes announcements. Many meetings serve coffee or tea after meeting, which gives everyone an opportunity to catch up with friends and chat with visitors.
Taken from the Wikipedia entry on the Religious Society of Friends.
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Singing
We sing many traditional hymns (with some wording adjustments for inclusiveness and universality) as well as contemporary. All a cappella of course! We use the well-known green hardcover Quaker Hymnal, as well as “Rise Up Singing” and our own little booklet of favorite hymns.
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Meeting for Worship
Our Meeting practices “unprogrammed worship”, meaning that we gather together in silence, waiting expectantly with open minds to feel the presence of Divine spirit. Occasionally a meeting for worship is entirely silent, but more commonly one or more Friends will feel moved to rise and speak. At the eed of silent worship, a Friend will rise and invite all present to share their “joys and sorrows” so we may hold one another in the Light and come to know a little about our individual trials and triumphs.
Meeting for Worship generally ends around 11:15. A brief period of Meeting-related announcements follows.
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Midweek Meeting for Worship
Midweek Meeting is held at the home of a Friend, and focuses specifically on Peacemaking, with a half hour of worship with the intention of praying for peace, followed by a half hour of worship sharing on the query “What has been your experience as a Peacemaker in the preceding week?” For more information and directions to the meeting place, contact Steve L.
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Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business
There is a saying among Friends that we did not abolish the clergy, we abolished the laity. Join us after rise of Meeting for Worship to experience the aspect of Quaker practice that most sets us apart from other religious faiths, as we seek to discern Divine leadings in our work and discover Divine truth for our community.
