Urbana-Champaign Friends Meeting is a Quaker Meeting located in East-Central Illinois. Quakers are organized as the Religious Society of Friends, which was founded by George Fox, Margaret Fell, and others in mid-17th century England.
The basis of the faith of the Religious Society of Friends is the belief that every human being is endowed with the divine spirit which may be directly experienced. Therefore we worship in reverent silence with the desire to draw nearer to the spirit and to each other. All present sit expectantly in the silence, seeking the light. Any individual may be moved by the spirit to speak out of the silence and share ministry with the gathered community. Out of our Quaker belief in the inner light grows what has come to be called the Quaker “Testimonies” — our deep commitment to Peace, Equality, Integrity, Simplicity, Community, and Stewardship.
These testimonies are the basis for how Quaker Meetings govern themselves and for the fierce social activism that Quakers often undertake in the community at large. Urbana-Champaign Friends Meeting belongs to these wider Quaker organizations: Blue River Quarterly Meeting and Illinois Yearly Meeting, and is associated with Friends General Conference.
We welcome all our neighbors, young and old, of all genders or no gender, those with few resources or many, those from all places and all races, to join with us.
Urbana-Champaign Friends Meeting holds Meeting for Worship every Sunday from 10:30 to 11:30am at our meetinghouse at 1904 E. Main St., Urbana, Illinois and via Zoom. The two worship services are joined together. Please contact the clerk if you would like to join worship via Zoom: ucfriendsmeeting.clerk@gmail.com.
During Meeting for Worship, we sit in communal silence with spoken ministry given as those present feel led by the Spirit to share. Following worship, we introduce ourselves and share announcements.
We welcome children to our First Day School Program (Sunday School). Generally, children sit with their family during the first fifteen minutes of worship, and then they attend their own class.
For more information, please contact the Clerk: ucfriendsmeeting.clerk@gmail.com
