Boone Friends Meeting

08/26/2026

"I try to find the God light in everybody, and I try to let mine shine extra hard."

Dolly Parton says that growing up around "all kinds of people" helped shape her belief in acceptance, compassion, and staying true to herself.

"There's a whole lot of reasons for me being the way that I am. First of all, I grew up in a family of 12 kids. I got six brothers and I got my five sisters. So, I've had every personality around me. And I've often said I've got some of everybody in my own immediate family, and in my family of employees. I've got g**s, I've got le****ns, I've got trans, I've got alcoholics, I've got drug addicts. I've got some of everybody in my own family, so I naturally love them, accept them.

"And I also have a spiritual background and think that it's not my place to judge. I'm not God. There is a God piece in all of us, and I try to find that in everybody – even the worst people, there's something good in there. Maybe they didn't get a chance to be it. I understand that people that hate so much usually are the people that have never been loved enough.

"Or people that feel like they have to make a stand about something, whether it's right or wrong, they want to feel strong enough to be able to stand for something. But also you can't just get into things with other people just to be a follower.

"In my own self, I just try to love people. I try to find the God light in everybody, and I try to let mine shine extra hard when I run up against that. But I have to be careful what I say. You know, whether it's good or bad or indifferent, I'm a pretty honest, open person. I can tell you where to put it if I don't like where you got it. That's when I say I often use my temper, but I seldom lose it.

"Like they say, there's never an excuse to be rude, but sometimes there's a reason... I've been in this business for 60-plus years. I've seen a lot, been through a lot, but I've still maintained. I've just tried to be myself. I was me, and me had to be what I drew from."

Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin / FilmMagic

08/22/2026

From our Friends in Asheville. Love thy neighbor. All of them.

A reminder from a Friend that persecution of immigrants continues with reckless abandon. This week at Meeting we will be sending postcards to our elected officials demanding an end to these wanton, lawless acts. Let us do everything we can to protect and defend our immigrant neighbors!

"As of 9/9/26, the guvmint will end [Temporary Protected Status] for Salvadorans. Also, reports of recent immigration detention have been related to holding drivers for traffic infractions in Hendersonville (such as worn tires or errors on the registration). The newest regulation charges all variety of police to notify immigration when they stop someone or get someone in the jail that they *think* could be undocumented.

"There are families who are not or won’t be well enough prepared if they have a family member sent to detention. FYI.

"Currently, passengers in a car are not required to answer any questions about where they’re from, etc.

"A reminder to friends to put on their hazard blinkers and find a safe place to stop if they’re pulled over. Hands on the steering wheel, no sudden movements, all the things many other of our friends already know about. "

08/18/2026

Welcome back to all students! Never forget that you deserve sunshine!

Back to school is more than the start of a new semester—it's a homecoming. It's a chance to reconnect with friends, meet new people, and find the communities where you can truly belong.

For LGBTQ+ students, having a welcoming and affirming space can make all the difference. This school year, we're celebrating the power of coming home to a community that sees you, supports you, and celebrates you exactly as you are. Whether you're joining us for the first time or returning to familiar faces, there's a place for you here. Together, we'll build connections, create lasting memories, and remind one another that home isn't just a place—it's the people who make you feel like you belong.

Stay tuned throughout the next few weeks as we share tips from students, for students, resources, and helpful information that will help you start the year our right.

08/13/2026

Our Friends over at North Carolina Friends Disaster Service have been hard at work in Spruce Pine for the past few days. Follow their progress, and reach out to them if you are interested in volunteering on future relief efforts!

08/11/2026

We will be at the App State Spiritual Life Fair Sunday, August 16th from 9am-10:30am on the 1st floor in the Grandfather Mountain Ballroom. If you are a Seeker, come find us... and join us for silent, unprogrammed Meeting for Worship every Sunday, 10am-11am, at 132 Appalachian St in Boone (just off King St.)

Come join us each Sunday (First Day) at 10am at 3rd Place, 132 Appalachian St, Boone, NC for unprogrammed silent worship in the tradition of the Society of Friends (Quakers).

08/10/2026

As we say in the mountains, y’all means ALL.

What does it mean for Quakerism to be multiracial? What could liberation look like for Friends? What stories and testimony tend to be under-told in Quaker spaces?

FGC's Spiritual Deepening Library may provide grounding for these questions. Read reflections from Vanessa Julye, Patricia McBee, Bill Brown, and Barrington Dunbar. Learn about steps that a meeting can take to become more antiracist. The activity page is called "Listening to Friends of Color," and it includes testaments to many Friends' experiences.

https://www.fgcquaker.org/exercises/listening-to-friends-of-color/

08/07/2026

“Our relationship with silence is often tentative, guarded, and ambiguous: we welcome it and resist it at the same time.”

Reflections in three movements.

08/04/2026

Are you Quaker-Curious? Join us at 10am every Sunday at 3rd Place, 132 Appalachian St in Boone for unprogrammed, silent worship in the tradition of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). ALL are welcome!

08/04/2026

Join National Peace Walk organizer and filmmaker ross brubeck for a candid conversation on sacrifice, support, and "The Loneliness of the Pilgrim." Registration link in the comments

04/25/2026

What does it mean to hold someone in the light?

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