At January’s council meeting, council members reflected on the “Joint Council Experiment”, the new format in which all three councils meet together with a single agenda. The councils have now met three times in this new format and Friends have begun to elucidate, in various ways, how the new format works & how they feel about it.
Continuing Sessions
LGBTQIA+ Resources | PYM
During Fall Continuing Sessions, Friends were provided with a minute from Philadelphia Quarterly Meeting standing in solidarity with LGBTQIA+ people. This minute, adapted from one shared by Germantown Monthly Meeting, connects to the ongoing threats to the safety and well-being of the LGBTQIA+ community and reaffirms the shared commitment to stand beside them.
Minute of Solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ Community
Below are a few provided resources that Friends may choose utilize, learn, and share when connecting with the LGBTQIA+ community members and Friends. The following resources were compiled by Karen Lightner of Germantown Monthly Meeting, There is hope that this list will continue to grow, if you have additional resources to share, we invite you to send them to communications@pym.org.
Net Zero Consultant | Request for Proposals
For decades, PYM has set benchmarks to guide our shared witness on critical issues. With the Creating a Playbook for Climate Action, this tool provides meetings with practical resources and ideas for planning, taking action, and staying accountable in areas like activism, education, and reducing carbon footprints.
[Read more…] about Net Zero Consultant | Request for Proposals
Quaker Fund for Indigenous Communities | Annual Report – October 1, 2023 through September 30, 2024
Members were Tom Armstrong, Cherie Clark, Miriam Fisher Schaefer, Tom Grave, Carol Ann Gray, Winnie Hope, Lois Kuter, and Fran O’Neill. We welcomed attender Edie Paige for her insights at our meetings. New group members: Winnie Hope began attending in February 2024. We welcomed Terry Cooke in August 2024 as an ex-officio member from the Granting Committee.
Program & Religious Life | A Year in Review
Hello Friends,
How has spirit moved among us in 2024? As we, the staff of PYM’s Program and Religious Life Department, reflect on this question, we have many joyful tidings to share.
The Big Picture
This year we saw many examples on how being a part of the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting community gives Friends a place to share their gifts and ask for support in times of need. This flow of sharing and receiving is a core part of what it means to be “part of the body.” Our PYM programs create spaces of joy, learning, spiritual nurture, and concrete resources. And none of it would be possible without Friends like you sharing their gifts, showing up, participating, and building community together. Thank you!
Read on to hear more about the programs and events we’re proud of this year.
[Read more…] about Program & Religious Life | A Year in Review
Selden Smith’s Call to Serve as Rising Clerk
Selden Smith has been a part of the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting community for his whole life, bringing care, humor, and dedication to his work among Friends. Selden shared his reflections on his journey with Quakerism, his unexpected call to serve as Rising Clerk, and his hopes for the future of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. He highlights the importance of recognizing the gifts and talents within our community—both in ourselves and in others—and how these contributions sustain and strengthen the work we share as Friends.
[Read more…] about Selden Smith’s Call to Serve as Rising Clerk
December 2024 | Joint Council Update
The three councils that guide Philadelphia Yearly Meeting—Quaker Life Council, Administrative Council, and Nominating Council—recently gathered for their second meeting in a newly adopted joint format. In this structure, the councils come together as one Joint Council to worship, discern, and conduct business collaboratively. in an article written about this experiment this summer, this practice ensures that the Joint Council can promptly share its minutes with the PYM community after the meeting.
Strengthening Connections Across Philadelphia Yearly Meeting | PYM Connect
During Fall Continuing Sessions, Christie Duncan-Tessner, General Secretary, and Claire Kinnel, Community Engagement Coordinator, Had the opportunity to present on PYM Connect. This online community platform, set to launch in January 2025. PYM Connect is designed to support a more interconnected yearly meeting. Built as a secure, supportive space, PYM Connect will offer Friends a way to engage and share resources with one another across shared ministries and leadings.
[Read more…] about Strengthening Connections Across Philadelphia Yearly Meeting | PYM Connect
Mott Memo – Fall Continuing Sessions 2024
This past weekend, November 8-10, our Fall Continuing Sessions at Arch Street Meeting House, and online, gathered us into a shared journey of worship, fellowship, and reflection as we closed our theme of “Called to Healing”. In the spirit of Lucretia Mott, this Mott Memo captures the essence of our time together. The Minutes from these sessions will soon be available on the PYM website under Session Minutes, so Friends can read and reflect on the work and joy we shared.
[Read more…] about Mott Memo – Fall Continuing Sessions 2024
Insights from Recording Clerks Training: Ministry, Accountability, Community
A recent virtual Recording Clerks Training hosted by Philadelphia Yearly Meeting shared helpful insights for those interested in becoming a recording clerk. Led by Deborah Haines and Becka Haines Rosenberg of Baltimore Yearly Meeting, the session showed how recording minutes can be more than just keeping track of decisions. Recording is a way to serve the community with care and attention, guided by the Spirit moving through the meeting. Here are key points from the training:
[Read more…] about Insights from Recording Clerks Training: Ministry, Accountability, Community
