Philadelphia Yearly Meeting

of the Religious Society of Friends

Governance & Stewardship

We Can Do This! Virtual Sessions Begins

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Some drawings from the “Build a Team” activity during the PYM Staff Huddle on Monday, July 27.

Each year as we get close to the end of July, staff makes a pilgrimage to the event site for that year’s Annual Sessions.

This is the moment when everything becomes real. We pace out how our five days together will feel, think about tech support, negotiate better cafeteria food or ice cream parties, and plan the welcome tables and our most essential events. We investigate the places and spaces that hold and gather family and youth, or support the Young Adult Friends (YAFs), and nurture us in plenary. [Read more…] about We Can Do This! Virtual Sessions Begins

Spiritual Formation Retreat Launches our 340th Annual Sessions

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At 6:45 Tuesday evening our 340th Annual Sessions launched with a Spiritual Formation Retreat guided by Marcelle Martin.

There were 76 participants of all ages. Marcelle grounded the retreat by connecting the lived experience of early Friends and their longing for God with our spiritual feelings and practices today. [Read more…] about Spiritual Formation Retreat Launches our 340th Annual Sessions

Plenary Session on Addressing Racism – Minutes

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Friends gathered for the Saturday, July 25, Plenary on Addressing Racism. The last of five Plenary meetings in preparation for Annual Sessions July 28-August 2, the meeting began with worship at 10:00 AM, followed by S. Boone O’Scheyichbi offering a prayerful acknowledgment that we meet on “traditional territory of the Lenni-Lenape People, a vast land supporting the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting region.” This was followed by the reading of minutes (noted in full below), a Poor People’s Campaign presentation, a discussion, a group photo for those who wished to participate, and breakout groups. The breakout groups met to discuss queries and gave verbal and emailed reports on their discussions. The meeting ended at 1:00. [Read more…] about Plenary Session on Addressing Racism – Minutes

Report on Budget Plenary – A Steady, Familiar Budget

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At 7:30 PM on July 21, participants gathered for a Plenary Session on PYM’s FY 2021 budget. Alternate Clerk Jonathan Rhoads opened the meeting with worship. S. Boone O’Scheyichbi offered a land acknowledgement that named the four historical Lenape Nations and spoke to “inclusion in a place of truth with diversity and equity.” General Secretary Christie Duncan-Tessmer briefed the 34 participants on technology. [Read more…] about Report on Budget Plenary – A Steady, Familiar Budget

A Report on July 19 Plenary Session on Membership & Belonging

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The third in a series of five plenaries on the “Runway to Sessions” took place on Sunday July 19 from 2:00-5:00 PM. Very brief formal minutes are below, followed by additional notes offered by recording clerk Kri Burkander.  A January 26, 2020 Threshing Session on Membership Report, PYM’s July 2020 panel discussion video and the 2019 Young Adult Friends Epistle on Membership informed the conversation. The plenary opened with worship and a land acknowledgement offered by S. Boone O’Scheyichbi, of PYM’s First Contact Reconciliation Collaborative.

Minutes from PYM’s recording clerk Kri Burkander – Saturday July 19

69 Friends gathered via Zoom this afternoon to discuss issues of membership, belonging, and commitment in our community. We expressed our appreciation for the Friends who gathered for a Threshing Session on Membership held on January 26, 2020 at Haddonfield Friends Meeting and received the report from that Gathering. [Read more…] about A Report on July 19 Plenary Session on Membership & Belonging

A Report on the July 11 Plenary Session on Climate Change

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Please stay connected with the PYM community on climate action by filling out the form at the end of this page.

Saturday, July 11, 2020, 70 people gathered in Philadelphia Yearly Meeting’s Plenary Session on Climate Change to share minutes and discuss yearly-meeting-wide witness for climate action. [Read more…] about A Report on the July 11 Plenary Session on Climate Change

Our Workshops are Ending and Annual Sessions is Around the Corner

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It has been an exciting and engaging seven weeks since we started Annual Sessions programming on May 28th, and we’ve noticed that all the work to assemble an interesting set of workshops for our community has yielded a great turnout. Friends have joined from PYM, Monteverde, Costa Rica, Britain Yearly Meeting, plus many other yearly meetings and Quaker organizations. We hope to see you too!
[Read more…] about Our Workshops are Ending and Annual Sessions is Around the Corner

Re-imagining Our Relationship with the Planet

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Re-imagining Our Relationship with the Planet

There are many ways to connect to our planet: environmental projects, trails, management of our carbon footprint, decisions around what we use, purchase, eat, or invest in, considerations about what we plant in our backyards, how we build our homes or get from place to place. All are important, but most important is to be informed.

As we prepare to address climate change during Annual Sessions 2020 it is helpful for Friends in our community to ground  themselves with advance preparation.

[Read more…] about Re-imagining Our Relationship with the Planet

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