Athens Friends* Meeting

*Quakers, also known as the Religious Society of Friends

Athens Meeting Map

Location
22 Birge Drive, Chauncey, Ohio
(Get Directions)

Mailing address
P.O. Box 17
Athens, Ohio 45701

Telephone at Meeting House
740-797-4636
(message system checked regularly)

Meeting for worship
Athens Friends Meeting is an "unprogrammed" meeting. There is no ceremony, ordained minister, or pre-arranged service. Literature about the Quakers is available at the meeting house, and Ministry and Counsel members are available to answer questions about Quakers and our meeting.

If you have questions:
Ted Bernard and Donna Lofgren (Co-Clerks): 740-662-2304 donnalofgren@hotmail.com

Meeting times
9:45 am: Singing
10:00 am: Meeting for worship
11:00 am: Announcements, introductions, break
11:30 am-12:15 pm: Forum, adult education, meeting for business, or potluck

  • 1st and 5th Sundays-Adult education
  • 2nd Sunday-Meeting for business
  • 3rd Sunday-Forum
  • 4th Sunday-Potluck
  • 5th Sunday-Spiritual Journeys

Directions to the Friends Meeting House
From Athens, take route 33 West toward Columbus. Take the 550/Columbus Road exit. At the bottom of the ramp, go straight onto route 13. Go 2.9 miles. Just past the "Chauncey Corp Limit" sign, turn right on Birge Drive. The Friends Meeting House is the second building on the right.

From The Plains, Nelsonville or other points north of Athens, take Route 33 East toward Athens. Take the 550/Columbus Road exit. At the end of the exit ramp, turn left onto Columbus Road and proceed under the Route 33 overpass. At the first traffic light, turn left onto Route 13. Go 2.9 miles. Just past the "Chauncey Corp Limit" sign, turn right on Birge Drive. The Friends Meeting House is the second building on the right.

Childcare/First Day School for children
Childcare is provided for children 5 years and under from 10 am until 12:15 pm. We encourage children 6 years and older to sit in meeting with parents until 10:15 am. From 10:15 am to 11:00 am, an age group lesson or activity is provided. All children are welcome for group activities from 11:00 am to 12:15 pm.

Our teenagers are active in many social and service activities and are happy to include visiting teens in their activities.

Junior meeting, a special interactive Quaker meeting experience for children ages 6 and above (including teens), starts at 10 am on the second Sunday of each month for an hour, followed by a group activity.

Inclusiveness
The Athens Friends Meeting welcomes all, regardless of sexual orientation, race, age, or religious background. We warmly welcome gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people.

Newsletter
Our monthly newsletter entitled "Among Friends" is available in printed or electronic form. Extra hard copies are always on hand in the meeting house.

Interest groups
Members and attenders of the Athens Friends Meeting enjoy a diverse array of opportunities and activities based on their eclectic interests and leadings. Examples include a Peace and Social Concerns committee, a Quaker Earthcare group, the Inner Journey Writing Group, Quaker Writers and Artists, Seeker Sessions, Bible study clusters, discussion groups on life transitions, sing-along gatherings, a Fall Campout, a Spring retreat, and Christmas caroling.

Adult education
Adult education topics vary widely. We have recently focused on inner simplicity, humor, joy and gratitude, spirit-led service, contemplative listening, leadings, death and dying, grief, forgiveness and reconciliation, every day mysticism, work, and aging.

Forums
Forums are special concerns or topics suggested by members and attenders. Like adult education sessions, forum discussions are highly interactive.

Clearness committees
A clearness committee may be called if a person needs help to work through a problem. In a spirit of love and confidentiality, a small group sits prayerfully with the person, asking questions to help him or her reach clarity.

Meeting for business
On the second Sunday of each month, we consider the business of the meeting. This begins after meeting for worship and is conducted in a worshipful way. All are invited to attend. Decisions are reached by arriving at "a sense of the meeting", a form of consensus. With no pastor or administrative staff, we participate in reaching this "sense of the meeting" for decisions, large and small.