On March 27, Lehigh Valley Monthly Meeting opened its doors and welcomed Friends back to the Bethlehem, Pennsylvania meetinghouse after months of Zoom hybrid worship. Over 50 returned to benches from long-laid-down meetings in the 62-year-old mid-century meetinghouse. Twenty-five more Friends joined via Zoom, arriving from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Mexico, and Ireland, all of whom have become a familiar, beloved presence. Older and younger Friends alike greeted children and young people in the restored First Day School. After worship, Friends gathered outdoors and continued fellowship amid late-March chill and flurries. [Read more…] about Lehigh Valley Monthly Meeting Reopens
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting
What Happened at 2022 Spring Continuing Sessions
On the weekend of March 25 – 27, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting convened our 2022 Spring Continuing Sessions. The weekend began with a powerful and moving performance from Molly Hicks on Friday evening. On Saturday, Francisco Burgos delivered a keynote address, after which, we held PYM’s meeting for worship for business. During meeting for business, Green Street Meeting’s Reparations Committee presented on their work. This included a touching message from Kimberly Jones about the George Floyd murder in Minneapolis.
[Read more…] about What Happened at 2022 Spring Continuing Sessions
iPad Grant Enriches Residents’ Lives
The past couple of years revealed the importance of connecting with others to reduce social isolation. A report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) noted that more than one third of adults over 45 feel lonely and nearly one quarter of adults over 65 are thought to experience social isolation. Staff in long term care communities began using technology such as teaching residents how to utilize items such as an iPad which brought opportunities for residents to connect with friends and family
Christian Leaders Send Open Letter to Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill
General Secretary, Christie Duncan-Tessmer, in consultation with Presiding Co-Clerks, Jean-Marie Prestwidge Barch and Frank Barch, joined over 100 Christian leaders of the governing board of the National Council of Churches in Christ in signing an open letter to Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, asking him to speak out against his country’s invasion of Ukraine.
The letter, sent to Kirill today, March 11, laments the “tragic and terrible loss of innocent civilian life” and includes an “earnest plea that you use your voice and profound influence to call for an end to the hostilities and war in Ukraine and intervene with authorities in your nation to do so.” [Read more…] about Christian Leaders Send Open Letter to Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill
“Together” Sunday of Spring Sessions
On Sunday of Spring Continuing Sessions weekend, we encourage meetings to “create your own” intergenerational gathering of Friends. While the pandemic has opened the possibility to join together from across the PYM region without travel, which we’ll do on Saturday online, our local meetings are where we gather most often across generations for fellowship, worship, learning, and business. Let’s continue the energy of being together at Sessions in the time after worship on Sunday morning, March 27. Shared here are resources and suggestions to plan simple opportunities for togetherness!
Religious Education Resources for March & April 2022
A parent in my meeting shared with me that they were not sure how to talk to their children about Russia’s war on Ukraine. I recalled a line in an article that had resonated for me as a parent and educator: We don’t have to protect children from difficult feelings, but we must not leave them alone with them. The Tote Bag newsletter for March/April has many resources and events to share with meetings and families, but these ideas for supporting one another and talking about ways to create peace are perhaps the most important. [Read more…] about Religious Education Resources for March & April 2022
Stories of Faith on the Road to Easter
We are a people full of stories. Stories help us create meaning, make sense of our world, and develop identity. Stories are how some of the greatest teachers, including Jesus of Nazareth, shared their message and showed the path of a faithful life. This series of Godly Play and Faith & Play stories about the life and ministry of Jesus can be used during the time leading up to Easter, and are for viewing with meeting communities or sharing at home. While the style of this storytelling is often associated with programs for children, we all need and yearn for stories. These are for all of us at any age! [Read more…] about Stories of Faith on the Road to Easter
Ways to Enter the Season of Lent as Friends
[Read more…] about Ways to Enter the Season of Lent as Friends
Friends Committee on National Legislation Priorities Process
Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) will again determine its legislative priorities by asking Meetings and Churches to discern their own lists for work in Washington. During January and February, each monthly meeting in PYM will receive an invitation from FCNL to discern what issues should be the focus of FCNL’s work in Washington over the next Congress.
[Read more…] about Friends Committee on National Legislation Priorities Process
Quaker Educators: Ayesha Imani, PhD, and Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter School – Part 2
Ayesha Imani, Ph.D., is a Quaker educator who serves as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Sankofa Freedom Academy. She is also one of the founders. This is part two of a two-part interview with Ayesha about community energy, spiritual focus, Quaker educational ideas, and the creation of the Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter school. [Read more…] about Quaker Educators: Ayesha Imani, PhD, and Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter School – Part 2