Who We Are
We are part of the Religious Society of Friends, a group with Christian roots dating back to the 1600s. Friends, more commonly known as “Quakers”, come from varied backgrounds and have a range of beliefs. Some, but not all, of us consider ourselves Christians. Many of us have found meaning and value in the teachings of other faiths.
Common among Friends, however, is the trust that everyone is known by God and can know God in a direct, inward relationship without intermediaries. Some terms for God used by Quakers are Divine Presence, the Light Within, The Spirit, Inward Teacher, and others.
Spiritual practice for Quakers does not depend on the acceptance of doctrine or the observance of ritual. We have no dogma or creed. We seek religious truth through deep listening and attention to an inward spiritual guidance.
Our individual spiritual journeys are enhanced by insights we share with others. This may come from casual conversation, various planned group discussions and, sometimes, meeting for worship.
Quakers are perhaps best known for their commitment to peace and nonviolence. We are also guided by the values of simplicity, integrity, equality, stewardship, and community. These values inform our life choices, service outreach, programs of education, and action. For, as Pamela Haines notes, “It is in the doing — in the action that grows from paying attention and listening deeply — that we grow into our full spiritual being.” (Friends Journal, December 2025)
We invite you to come and sit with us in worship as we listen quietly together for the guiding voice of the Spirit.
What to Expect on Sundays
We gather at 10 a.m. each Sunday for an hour of worship. We enter the meetinghouse quietly and sit wherever we choose. In silence, we still our minds and bodies to more fully center our spiritual awareness. Some people find that prayer, a breathing technique, or reading the Bible or other devotional literature helps them to reach a deeper level of worship.
Our meeting is unprogrammed, meaning it is without clergy and it is largely silent. Anyone who feels led by the Spirit may stand and share a message. Quakers refer to this as vocal ministry. This is not a planned or prepared message for presentation. It is often described as coming from the sense of an upwelling of the spirit and a conviction that words must be shared. There is no verbal response to such messages and silence follows. Often, messages bring comfort, insight, or a sense of divine guidance to those present. Any given meeting for worship may be completely silent or one or more messages may be shared.
A few minutes before the end of worship a designated Friend invites the sharing of concerns, sorrows, or joys. The end of meeting for worship is signaled when that Friend rises and we greet each other by shaking hands. We introduce ourselves, announcements are made, and everyone is invited to share in conversation and hospitality.
Dress is casual. During winter months, we are warmed by a wood stove so, if the weather is very cold, dress accordingly. When warm weather arrives, we open the windows and lift the partitions that separate the meeting rooms and both sides can be used.
You are welcome to join us!
Where and When We Meet
When: We worship in person Sundays at 10:00 a.m. and via Zoom Thursdays at 10:30 a.m.
Driving instructions: Click on the map below to get driving information.
Accessibility: Our meetinghouse can be accessed by ramp, but the museum is only accessible by stairs.
Children: Children are always welcome!
The East Sandwich Meetinghouse, Museum, and Burial Ground are located at 6 Quaker Road in East Sandwich, MA. Parking is on the grass across from the meetinghouse.
Learn More
Click on the images to learn about:
- The history of our meeting and meetinghouse.
- The Sandwich Friends Meetinghouse Museum.
- Our newsletter, The Gazette.
- Accounts of what our meeting is doing together to try to make our community and the world a better, more just place.
- Our 2 burial grounds.
- Other Quaker resources.
We are part of a larger grouping of Quakers on Cape Cod and the Islands called the Sandwich Monthly Meeting. You may be interested in the other meetings in this group at South Yarmouth, West Falmouth and, during summer only, Nantucket.
Special Events in East Sandwich
Annual Events — for all 3 meetings in Sandwich Monthly Meeting, held at East Sandwich meetinghouse:
New Year’s Eve — December 31. We have a potluck dinner at 5:30 and worship at 7.
Summer Picnic — The date varies, usually in September. Check with us to find out the details.
You Are Welcome at our Special Events!
