As we continue our Yearly Meeting journey through this time of staying connected while being apart, Annual Sessions is another opportunity to employ what we’ve learned in new ways. For meetings who are gathering for hybrid worship, how can you bring Annual Sessions into the meetinghouse, and also bring your community gathered to join the body at Sessions? There is an opportunity to explore these possibilities together, July 28th to August 1st! [Read more…] about We’re Joining Annual Sessions from the Meetinghouse
Governance & Stewardship
New Quaker Communities: Johanna Jackson
Johanna Jackson (she) is a member of State College Friends Meeting. She travels in the ministry with JT Dorr-Bremme, a Friend with a gift for eldering. They formed the Listening Project, a series of creative conversations rooted in love. Johanna writes about the spiritual community that sustains her, imagining how similar groups could help sustain others, too.
Shannon Isaacs on Growing Quaker Community
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
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.
[Read more…] about The Story of How a Film Intersects with PYM Youth Programs
Quaker Buildings & Programs Grant Report: Takeaways from Installing a New Roof
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
General Secretary Report, May 2021
On a regular schedule PYM’s General Secretary, Christie Duncan-Tessmer, publishes a report to PYM Councils detailing work that PYM Staff has completed. You can read a full archive of reports to councils or read her report for May 2021 below. [Read more…] about General Secretary Report, May 2021
Report on Quarterly Meeting Leaders Gathering
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
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
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.
[Read more…] about Ujima Friends Peace Center – Freedom Summer 2021
Help Us Address Racism
A sprint (a goal-oriented short-term team that tackles a project and does the work quickly) has formed under the care of PYM’s Administrative Council to propose ways for our yearly meeting community to intentionally hold the work of anti-racism and anti-oppression.
[Read more…] about Help Us Address Racism
