Western Friend Themes for 2026

Hey there,

Below you will find the upcoming themes for 2026. Please search your heart and see if you have something to share on these topices. You may have noticed, but your editor loves personal essays and interviews of Friends who let their lives speak. Please recommend people for me to interview on any of these topics:

Jan/Feb - Sacred Resistance (Due Dec 1, 2025) For this edition of the magazine I'm looking for ways in which Friends have used nonviolent resistance in accordance with their beliefs, such as being conscientious objectors, opposition to the genocide in Gaza, war tax resistance and other movements. Stories of historical Quaker opposition are also welcome here.

March/April – Spiritual Gifts (Due Feb 1, 2026) How do Friends notice and identify Spiritual Gifts in themselves and others? Are you sharing your Gifts or are there roadblocks to doing so? Do you know of a Western Friend who is skilled at naming Gifts in others? I would like to interview them, please reach out with recommendations.

May/June – Experiences of Youth (Due March 1, 2026) In this edition I'm hoping to lift up the experiences of Quaker youth in the West. What did you experience as a Quaker youth, or what are experiencing now as a Quaker youth? How are you currently uplifting and supporting youth? I will also focus on Quaker nonprofits that work with youth and offer them an opportunity to explain the spiritual underpinnings of their programs.

July/August - Fire (Due June 1, 2026) For "Fire" I'd like to explore how fire has impacted the life of Friends, both the increased fires of climate change and the internal fire of life force. How have Quakers have connected to their spiritual Fire? Have you experienced changes in your life as a result of fire? How do you kindle the flame of your connection to the divine? Was there an experience in your life that lit you up, what happened in the aftermath?

Sept/October - Weaving (Due August 1, 2026) For "Weaving" I envision discussions of how the threads of community connect us and also focus on the handcrafts of Friend's who knit and weave. Are you a community weaver who helps hold groups of people together? Do you love to knit, spin or weave and how has that impacted your spiritual life?

Nov/Dec - Right Relationship (Due Sept 1, 2026) Finally - for "Right Relationship" I hope to explore the many ways that Friends are seeking Right Relationship with the earth and her peoples. This edition will showcase the good work of Friends in their aims to live in balance.