Every Sunday, starting Oct 4 through Nov 1, 2026 from 7:30 PM – to 9:00 PM – registration link

Do our meetings truly reflect all the faces of God among our members and attenders? FGC has heard from many of you that the answer to that question is often no. We have heard that many meetings wonder why their newcomers stop coming after a few visits– especially LGBTQ folks, families with young children and People of Color. In this eRetreat, we will explore how newcomers experience welcome, mistakes meetings make with newcomers, and what approaches to welcoming have worked in FGC meetings. Friends are encouraged to take the eRetreat with at least one other person from their meeting if possible, and are also welcome as solo attenders.

In this eRetreat you will learn:
– Why people don’t come back and why people choose to engage.
– Ways meetings can shift their culture to become more newcomer-friendly
– Effective ways to better reach newcomers, with a special focus on seekers of Color, LGBTQ folks, and families with young children. Spoiler alert: what is enriching for newcomers also benefits longtimers!

eRetreat Details:

• Offered October 4 through November 1, 2026
• Five weeks, $50 pay-as-led** participation fee
• People of all ages are invited to participate
• Weekly readings, queries, resources, and activities available on FGC’s eRetreat website
• Community Building Calls: Sundays from 7:30-9pm Eastern / 4:30-6pm Pacific starting October 4.

**Pay-as-Led is a method of offering sliding scale pricing so that paid events are more accessible for people with a wide range of abilities to pay. Participants choose how much to pay for the registration fee.