Glossary of common terms

Advices and Queries
Is included in Quaker Faith and Practice (QF&P) as the first chapter.  Advices and Queries is also published as a separate booklet, and is frequently used in meetings for worship as a means of reminding Quakers to reflect on their spiritual lives and ethical responsibilities.
After-thoughts
Some local meetings have a period of about ten minutes following meeting but before any general conversation and refreshments, in which to share anything which seems important but not suitable for a spoken contribution during meeting for worship. 
Attender
Anyone who regularly attends a meeting for worship, but hasn't’t yet become a formal member of the Religious Society of Friends.
Bible
Two books usually bound as one. The Old Testament tells the story of the people of Israel (the Jews), their journey to find a home land and their struggle to find God. The New Testament focuses almost solely on one such Jew, Jesus of Nazareth. The books are collections of stories, poetry, history, letters and argument written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek, and in English translation. Quakers consider them inspirational books, but tend not accept them as literally true.
Britain Yearly Meeting (BYM)
Two meanings: a) The whole body of Quakers in Britain; b) the biggest and most authoritative gathering of Friends in Britain, held annually, often at Friends House. See also 'Meeting for Sufferings' (MfS)
Centring down
The spiritual discipline of approaching worship is often described as a process of 'centring down', peeling away the distractions of the mind, and opening the heart to the leadings of the Spirit. 
Christocentric Friends
Friends for whom Christ is the centre of their worship (in contrast to Universalist Friends).
Clerk
Quakers do not reach decisions by voting.  The clerk, the servant of the meeting, helps the meeting find a common voice, and records decisions in the minutes.  There are often assistant clerks, and (rarely) co-clerks with different but complementary abilities.
Elder
A member of a meeting appointed by the area meeting, entrusted with ensuring the spiritual well-being and proper conduct of the meeting.
Friend
Formal name for a Quaker. The term Friends is often used these days to include regular attenders.
Friends Meeting House
Where Friends meet for worship.
Friends of Truth
A name that early Friends gave themselves about 300 years ago. Before that, they called themselves Children of the Light.
Friends House
Central offices of Britain Yearly Meeting in Euston Road, London.
Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC)
The umbrella organisation for 400,000+ Friends around the world. It encourages communication and fellowship between all the branches of the Religious Society of Friends, and includes the Europe and Middle East Section.
Liberal Quakers
Meetings are unprogrammed and belief is varied. Personal experience, values and way of life come before belief or theology. In this tradition it is possible to be both (say) a Buddhist and a Quaker. Liberal Quakers describe themselves as 'rooted in Christianity'.
Local Meeting
An established local meeting for worship, conducting its own regular business meeting, usually called a Preparative Meeting.
Meetings: general, area, local.
Under Britain Yearly Meeting, Quakers in Britain are organised and divided into area meetings that take place monthly, and below them into local meetings. Representatives of area meetings take part in general meetings with limited powers, which cover larger areas.
Meeting for Sufferings (MfS)
Originally set up to keep track of those who were in prison and to organize support for them and their dependents. Later this large and regular meeting guided the Britain Yearly Meeting. Representatives from each area meeting attend this at Friends House.
Member
Someone who has formally joined Britain Yearly Meeting (or another yearly meeting) of the Religious Society of Friends. An application for membership usually leads to a visit from two members, followed by a monthly meeting decision, to ensure as far as possible that the applicant is a Quaker at heart.
Ministry
a) Participation in meetings for worship, whether vocal or not;
b) service to others.
Outreach
The process of making information available to enquirers for their own decision, not to be confused with proselytising or converting, a practice foreign to Friends.
Overseer
Members appointed by a monthly meeting to ensure the care of individuals in local meetings, including newcomers. Whereas eldership involves responsibility for fostering the meeting’s spiritual life, oversight ensures the pastoral care of individuals and the community.
Quaker
Informal name for a member of the Religious Society of Friends. Quakers try to bear witness or testify to their beliefs in their every-day life - an expression of 'spirituality in action'.
Quaker Faith and Practice (or QF&P or The Red Book)
The inspirational collection of Quaker thoughts and words. It includes guidelines and instructions for Quaker institutions (such as meetings for worship or marriage ceremonies). Recommended reading for Quakers.
Quaker Peace and Social Witness (QPSW)
is one of the committees of Britain Yearly Meeting. It works to promote British Quakers' testimonies of equality, justice, peace, simplicity and truth.
Religious Society of Friends
is a worldwide spiritual movement, members of which are formally known as Friends or informally known as Quakers. It is based on the idea that individuals can have a personal relationship with Truth or the divine without the need for intermediaries, such as priests, rituals or sacraments.
Testimonies
Quaker testimonies (or Friends testimonies) are not a set of words, but an expression of our spirituality in action. In attempting to live out our testimonies, we are holding up an alternative vision of humanity and society, centred on meeting real needs rather than ever changing desires. The best known of our testimonies is the Peace Testimony. The shared view that there is ‘that of God’ in everyone leads Quakers to witness against war and killing, and to work positively to remove the causes of conflict and injustice.
Universalist Friends
Friends who consider that spiritual awareness is accessible to everyone, of any religion or none, and that no one faith can claim to have a final revelation or monopoly of truth.
Worship
Silent 'waiting in the Light', in which everyone present can, in response to the promptings of Spirit / Inner Light, share their thoughts aloud. Meetings for worship are held regularly - usually weekly - by all Local Meetings.