Philadelphia Yearly Meeting

of the Religious Society of Friends

Communications & Outreach

Quaker Call to Protect Our Elections and Save Democracy

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In February, 2022, Bruce Birchard, Sam Caldwell and Michael Wajda, all members of meetings in Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, initiated what became “An Urgent Call to the Religious Society of Friends.”  This was a call to Friends and meetings to join in an effort to protect the integrity of the 2022 elections.  Many other Friends joined in drafting the call, which was released in June of 2022.  Philadelphia Yearly Meeting and many individual PYM members endorsed the Call.

We formed a “steering committee” of eight experienced Friends who have guided this work.  We are an ad hoc group, not a formal organization, no tax exempt status, etc.  Our mission is to bring Friends (and Friends meetings) together to take action to protect our federal, state and local elections, save and strengthen our democracy, and stand up for truth and integrity in our American political life. [Read more…] about Quaker Call to Protect Our Elections and Save Democracy

Death Café at Arch Street Meeting (MMFP)

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The Care and Funeral and Interment committees at Arch Street (Monthly Meeting of Friends of Philadelphia) recently organized a two-part Death Café series for our members and attenders. Its purpose was to talk openly about death, facing our own mortality and how to make the most our lives going forward, as well as to provide useful information on end of life planning. The first session was modeled on the popular “Death Café” concept which began in France and England. Similar to worship sharing, this is a safe and confidential space to express fears, hopes and misgivings about death and dying. The topics of community, family dynamics, end of life planning, financial and legal issues were touched on during this session. In addition, Friends learned much about each other and about how our beliefs and traditions can honor our wishes and preferences for a memorial service in the manner of Friends.

In the second part of the series, useful information and forms were shared. Most importantly, Friends were urged to write a will. (PYM’s website provides a very useful resource from Faith and Practice: A Checklist for the Settlement of All Outward Affairs.) MMFP has a form called “Planning for Death and Burial Arrangements” which meeting members can fill out and file at home and have another copy stored at the meeting house in the care of the Funerals and Interments committee. This document is a vital part of leaving our affairs in order so that family members do not have to struggle to make decisions for their departed loved one and they can find all the pertinent details in one place. Other forms such as a medical directive, power of attorney, medical durable power of attorney were made available. Lastly, the clerk of Funerals and Interments gave a short presentation on the Friends Southwestern Burial Ground, which is available for green burials and welcomes all faiths in its park-like setting.

Friends who attended one or both Death Café sessions were grateful for the opportunity to learn and share with other members and attenders about this important topic. MMFP hopes to make this effort every few years and encourages other monthly meetings to do so. If your monthly meeting would like a copy of our planning document, or would like to know more about how we organized our two-part series, please be in touch.

Submitted by Sandra Williams, Clerk of Care committee, MMFP and Mike Kachur, Clerk of Funerals and Interments, MMFP

Creating a Roadmap for Addressing Climate Change!

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A yearly meeting tool for Friends and meetings  seeking to live out our yearly meeting-wide commitment to address climate change is now available! The booklet Creating a Playbook for Climate Action helps Friends develop personalized plans for how to address climate change – in their meetings and in their homes.  Because frankly, great intentions sometimes need a path forward to arrive at the destination. 

[Read more…] about Creating a Roadmap for Addressing Climate Change!

Monthly and Quarterly Meeting Leadership Gatherings

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Three times each year, Friends in local and quarterly meeting leadership (clerks, assistant clerks, treasurers, committee clerks) gather online with the presiding clerk and General Secretary. The gatherings include timely announcements and shared conversation, and are one way that we connect across meetings in the yearly meeting. The January 2024 gatherings included several announcements to share back to meetings, and small group discussions around topics of interest. [Read more…] about Monthly and Quarterly Meeting Leadership Gatherings

​​​​Spiritual State of the Meeting Report Invitation

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NOTE: The deadline to submit reports has been extended to April 29, 2024

Warm greetings from the Ministry and Care Committee of Quaker Life Council. We trust this communication finds you well, grounded in Spirit and in your community of faith. All meetings are invited to submit their Spiritual State of the Meeting Reports for 2023 no later than April 15, 2024. We look forward to learning about your meeting and having the opportunity to share that learning more widely. Reports will be carefully read by members of M&C to guide our work in the next year and inform the Spiritual State of the Meeting Report for Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. To learn more about how these reports are used and how they are typically composed, see these advices. If you have further questions, please contact us at ministryandcare@pym.org. [Read more…] about ​​​​Spiritual State of the Meeting Report Invitation

Ramallah Friends School Christmas Song

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A message from Plymouth Meeting

During Eleventh Month Business Meeting, our Monthly Meeting united in sending in a letter conveying our love and concern for Ramallah Friends Meeting, Friends School and all people of Palestine during this time of violence against the people of Palestine and Israel that has escalated to war in Gaza and continual random violence in the rest of Palestine and Israel. The letters and reply can be found on our website. [Read more…] about Ramallah Friends School Christmas Song

ASMH Preservation Trust Minute of Appreciation for Wally Evans

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Originally minuted on November 15, 2023

Wally Evans has served as a tour guide at Arch Street Meeting House for many years, coming on a weekly basis to share his knowledge about the building, Quakers and history with visitors.  This outreach is at the heart of the mission of the Arch Street Meeting House Preservation Trust.  Tourists who meet Wally likely realize that they encountered an expert tour guide.  What they don’t know is that they just met the person who worked the hardest over the past decade to welcome them to the property, given to Quakers by William Penn, which tells the story of Quakerism to visitors from around the world.

Wally Evans is a founding member of the Board of the Arch Street Meeting House Preservation Trust, which held its first meeting on June 18, 2013.  Because initial terms were staggered, ASMHPT has been able to benefit from Wally’s leadership on the Board for ten years.  According to the by-laws, it is now time for him to rotate off the Board.

The Trust is successful today in large part to Wally’s thoughtful planning and implementation.  At the Trust’s second meeting on July 16, 2013, Wally was appointed Clerk of the Board, a position he held until two years ago.  He guided the Trust through the initial Strategic Plan, the Resource Development Plan, the Interpretive Plan, the Marketing and Communications Plan, and the Master Space Plan.  For this work, he engaged with the SNAVE Foundation which provided substantial financial support.  The installation of outdoor exhibits in 2021 was a high priority for Wally.  New signage welcomes people onto the property and into the meetinghouse when it is open for visitors.  Wally championed the idea that even when the building is closed, people who stroll the grounds can learn something about Quakers from the well-designed exterior exhibits.

For the past two years, Wally has served as Treasurer and a member of the Executive and Resource Development Committees.  As Treasurer, Wally was instrumental in improving the budgeting and reporting process.

Wally guided the Trust in planning for a capital campaign that will preserve the National Historic Landmark building, including a modern electric HVAC system and a fire suppression system.  Design for new interior exhibits is underway to further improve the visitor experience.  Wally helped to select the campaign consultants, Partners for Sacred Places, who work with religious properties nationwide to help preserve buildings and strengthen service to their communities.  Wally now co-clerks the Steering Committee for the capital campaign, a position he will continue after he concludes his board service.

The Board of the Arch Street Meeting House Preservation Trust minutes its deep appreciation to Wally Evans for his sustained support for the mission of the Trust.

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