Quakers Today Friends Publishing Corporation

In this episode of Quakers Today, we ask, “What does it mean to be welcomed in a space?”
Peterson Toscano (he/him) and Miche McCall (they/them) discuss the concept of feeling welcome. Miche describes their sense of safety under a blanket while podcasting from Logrono, Spain, during their Camino de Santiago pilgrimage. They explore how welcoming spaces can be challenging for individuals with unique identities, especially in religious settings, and emphasize that genuine inclusivity often differs from mere proclamations of welcome.
To see our full show notes and transcript visit www.quakerstoday.org
Rhiannon Grant 
"If the Quaker community were a household, who would be the owners and who would be the guests?"
Peterson Toscano chats with Rhiannon Grant (she/her) from Woodbrooke Quaker Learning and Research Centre about her article, “A Family of Friends,” which explores the importance of creating welcoming spaces within Quaker communities. Rhiannon, a lifelong Quaker and member of various faith communities, uses the metaphor of a household to explore the roles and feelings of welcome within Quaker meetings. She also discusses how implicit signals can create exclusion and emphasizes the significance of creating spaces where diverse theological beliefs are openly discussed and valued.
Learn more about Rhiannon Grant
Rhiannon Grant is Woodbrooke’s Deputy Programme Leader for Research and Programme Coordinator for Modern Quaker Thought. Rhiannon’s work at Woodbrooke spans academic and practice-based approaches to Quakerism. She teaches in Woodbrooke’s short course program, supervises research, and teaches postgraduate students within the Centre for Research in Quaker Studies. Outside Woodbrooke, she researches and writes about Quakers for both academic and general audiences, as well as writing fiction and poetry.
Her interests center on British Quakerism in the 20th and 21st centuries, especially Quaker theology, ways of speaking about God, and the developments in practice and religious diversity. 
You can follow Rhiannon as @bookgeekrelng on X and on Facebook. Watch a YouTube video of her keynote address about Deep Hospitality. Read her Pendle Hill pamphlet Telling the Truth About God: Quaker Approaches to Theology, and look out for a new one entitled Deep Hospitality.  
Lisa Graustein on What is a Welcoming Space?
Lisa Graustein (she/her), a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) facilitator, discusses creating truly welcoming spaces in Quaker meetings by ensuring physical accessibility and accommodating diverse needs. She emphasizes the importance of inclusivity, recognizing varied contributions, and continually evaluating if all voices are being heard and needs met. This approach requires ongoing effort and reflection to foster genuine inclusivity.
This is a short excerpt from a QuakerSpeak video featuring a variety of voices. The video is entitled What’s the Difference Between a Welcoming and an Inclusive Space? See more videos like this on the QuakerSpeak YouTube channel or at QuakerSpeak.org.
Learn more about Lisa Graustein.
Lisa Graustein is a teacher, facilitator, and artist who holds an MEd in racial justice education. For 20 years, she taught in public middle and high schools. Currently, Lisa works as a DEI facilitator and trainer with schools and nonprofits throughout the northeast. She has been a facilitator for Beyond Diversity 101. A Univeralist Friend, she is part of a group of Quakers founding Three Rivers Meeting, a Queer, Christian Quaker meeting. A solo mom and potter, Lisa lives in an intentional community on the unceded Neponset Band of the Massachusetts land.
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