Philadelphia Yearly Meeting

of the Religious Society of Friends

Governance & Stewardship

Shannon Isaacs on Growing Quaker Community

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Shannon Isaacs, Director of Advancement at Pendle Hill, is concerned about addressing growth of the Quaker faith. Her upcoming workshop Using Your Power: Changemaking and the Future of Quakerism shares ideas on how to appeal to and engage next generations.  As Friends discuss what has worked for those meetings that have successfully engaged younger generations, Janaki Spickard Keeler, PYM’s Friends Counseling Service Coordinator, is supporting the workshop as an Elder.  Together they have resources, tools, and strategies to share.

[Read more…] about Shannon Isaacs on Growing Quaker Community

The Story of How a Film Intersects with PYM Youth Programs

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As part of Runway to Annual Sessions, ‘We Are the Radical Monarchs’ is a two-part event for all ages (10-100!). The first event will be a community viewing of the documentary on June 11, followed by a facilitated discussion on June 13. Friends unable to join on June 11 can register and receive the link to view the film on their own time June 12-13 and join the conversation on Sunday! 

This documentary film tells the story of a different kind of “scout troop” — a group of BIPOC girls in Oakland, CA who coalesce personal leadership around environmental, LGBTQ+, and disability issues of their time and community. The Radical Monarchs co-founders and leaders, two queer women of color, shape and motivate their work. Below is an interview with Melinda Wenner Bradley, PYM’s Youth Religious Life Coordinator, who describes “fierce sisterhood” and “multigenerational joy” as motivations to host these events. 

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Quaker Buildings & Programs Grant Report: Takeaways from Installing a New Roof

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Picture of the new roof on Greenwich Friends Meeting’s upper meetinghouse

On March 27th, 2021, Greenwich Friends Meeting successfully completed a four-month project to remove and replace the cedar shingle roof on their upper meetinghouse. PYM’s Quaker Buildings & Programs granting group and Friends Fiduciary’s Tyson Memorial Fund provided grants to support Greenwich Friends Meeting’s undertaking. [Read more…] about Quaker Buildings & Programs Grant Report: Takeaways from Installing a New Roof

Report on Quarterly Meeting Leaders Gathering

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On Tuesday, May 11, 2021, approximately 30 leaders from our quarterly meetings met for the second of three annual gatherings. At this gathering, our Co-Presiding Clerks, Jean-Marie Prestwidge Barch and Frank Barch, shared some thoughts on the relevance and importance of quarterly meetings. They noted that quarterly meetings have, “more intimate connection with their members and simultaneously can have greater perspective on the gifts and talents of members as those attributes fit into the large whole of the yearly meeting and beyond.” [Read more…] about Report on Quarterly Meeting Leaders Gathering

PYM Community Gathering: Reopening Our Meetings

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The Runway to Annual Sessions launched on May 4th. Our first gathering engaged 80 participants who convened virtually to share concerns and hopes regarding the process of re-opening to in-person gatherings by the end of 2021.  The evening was facilitated by Philadelphia Yearly Meeting’s (PYM) Associate Secretary for Program and Religious Life, Zachary Dutton, and supported by General Secretary Christie Duncan-Tessmer.

[Read more…] about PYM Community Gathering: Reopening Our Meetings

Ujima Friends Peace Center – Freedom Summer 2021

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Ujima Friends Peace Center is a worshipping Quaker community of people of African Descent who have committed themselves to the village with residents of North Philadelphia to decrease various forms of violence that arise from systems of oppression. The Center can be contacted at admin@ujimafriends.org. Below is a story about their summer plans.

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Runway to Annual Sessions 2021: Gathering on Reopening Our Meetings

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The Runway to Annual Sessions 2021 begins on 4th May with the Gathering on Reopening Our Meetings. All Friends are warmly welcomed to be present.

We invite you to share concerns, learnings, and hopes regarding how our religious society may begin a process of re-opening to in-person gatherings by the end of 2021. During the gathering, we will revisit the notes of our January 26th meeting about hybrid gatherings and explore the possibility of developing guidance to meetings and other local Quaker communities on re-opening.

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Mullica Hill Meeting – A New Membership Type for a New Need

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On April 19, 2021 Mullica Hill business meeting approved a new membership category for long distance attender/members within their community: Affiliate Membership. Philadelphia Yearly Meeting’s Faith and Practice specifies that “the monthly meeting is the final authority in all matters concerning membership, and all membership occurs in the monthly meeting.” As a faith of continuing revelation, Friends can and do review and alter their practices over time to meet current needs, as is exemplified in Mullica Hill’s decision. 

[Read more…] about Mullica Hill Meeting – A New Membership Type for a New Need

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