Religious Education at
Stony Run
The Religious Education (RE) Committee provides year-round activities for infants and children through a variety of programs.
Meeting for Worship is always open to children of all ages. Stony Run uses traditional Quaker language (calling Sunday "First Day") in naming our First Day School program. It meets during the later service on Sundays.
Typically, children attend silent worship with adults for the first twenty minutes. At 11:20 they leave with their instructors for class. The early Meeting has childcare in the nursery but does not offer religious education programming.
In the summers and near high-travel-holidays, children ages five and up gather in one group for an assembly.
Children five years and younger are served in the nursery. Babies in arms are welcome in Meeting for Worship or in the nursery (or a combination). Nursing is welcome anywhere in the Meetinghouse, including during Worship. If parents need a quiet space to feed a baby, please see an usher or one of the staff for assistance.
As students get older, the Religious Education program transitions from mostly teacher-planned lessons to programming planned and largely led by the students.
The RE Committee hosts monthly get-togethers for families and Friends of all ages. Sometimes we hike along the Stony Run Trail. Sometimes we play board games in the dining room. We always have fun, eat good food, and nurture ourselves and our community.
For more information, please read our Religious Education Handbook for the 2024-2025 school year.
Child Safety Policy
The Stony Run Child Safety Policy is a document that states our policy on child safety, our procedures for ensuring that safety, and the process for reporting and investigating any instance of suspected abuse.
Service Learning
Stony Run Friends Meeting has an active service-learning program, developed at the request of youth and families in our community. It is a way to demonstrate our Quaker values in action:
- Justice
- Community
- Equality
- Peace
- Stewardship
Some of our projects are open to all ages, as we recognize the value of community service and conversations about why we do this, for everyone. Other projects are for teens (and their advisors or chaperones) only.
Students must meet certain service-learning requirements to earn a Maryland high school diploma. Those requirements vary by school or school district.
Service learning is a teaching method that combines meaningful service to the community with curriculum-based learning. In addition to interpersonal and social skill development, students improve their academic skills by applying what they learn in school to the real world; they then reflect on their experience to reinforce the link between their service and their learning.
The Stony Run Religious Education program works with our teens to identify and develop service-learning projects that will match their areas of interest and help them explore new things. Some of our teens need service-learning opportunities to meet their school's requirements. Others have already met their graduation requirements and wish to do more. Either way, the facilitator and teacher(s) are here to support our community.
Other resources for Quaker families
Baltimore Yearly Meeting (BYM)
Youth Programs and conferences
BYM is the regional group for Quakers in Maryland, Virginia, DC, West Virginia and south central PA. Their affirming and fun youth programs have been important to many generations of Friends.
BYM Camps
Many people learn about Quakers through our vibrant summer camps. Learn more here, or ask at Meeting, to hear lots of people share the positive impact BYM Camps had on their lives.
Questions?
Contact the Religious Education Committee.