206 S. Oak St,
Traverse City, Michigan 49684
Directions
ACTIVITIES AND PROGRAMS
Alcoholics Anonymous
Community meal (weekly free lunch)
Narcotics Anonymous
Worship times
Sunday
9:00-10:00 a.m. Unprogrammed worship
10:00-11:00 a.m. Semi-programmed worship
Origins
Friends of the Light's history is of two worship groups that came together.
In 1986 Joe Kelly, a member of Long Lake Friends Church, heard a call to be a minister. He and others from Long Lake Friends Church began meeting on Sunday afternoons in St. Rita's Church, the former Maple City Friends meetinghouse. They took the name Pleasant Grove Worship Group, which was the historic name of Maple City Friends Meeting. The worship group was under the care of Long Lake Friends.
Joe also started a worship group at Munson Medical Center in Traverse City for people in recovery and/or with mental health challenges. After learning about the history of early Friends, the group named itself Friends of the Light.
In 1990, at the invitation of Indiana Yearly Meeting, Friends of the Light relocated into the empty Traverse City Friends meetinghouse and began caring for it. Twelve-step groups started using the property and other community groups and churches followed.
In 1994 the Pleasant Grove Worship Group relocated from Maple City to the Traverse City Friends meetinghouse. They were known at "the ten o'clock group," and Friends of the Light were known at "the four o'clock group." Later that year, Friends of the Light and Pleasant Grove Worship Group merged as one monthly meeting under the name Friends of the Light.
In 2003 several Friends began an unprogrammed meeting for worship, which continues to meet at 9:00 a.m. The unprogrammed worship group later joined Friends of the Light Monthly Meeting.
In 2009 the State of Michigan awarded the Traverse City Friends meetinghouse, which was built in 1893, Historic Building status.