The 2020 PYM Annual Sessions poem has been created and it’s fabulous! Make sure you are there Thursday (from 7-9 PM) when our Poet in Residence, Zenaida Peterson (they/them), presents it as part of their Keynote presentation. [Read more…] about Poet in Residence to Share 2020 Annual Sessions Poem Thursday
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting
Report on Budget Plenary – A Steady, Familiar Budget
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
Willits Book Trust Participates in A Community Reading of Frederick Douglass’ July 4 Speech
As a representative of the Willits Book Trust Committee, a grantmaking group of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, Lisa Stewart Garrison, a member of Greenwich Friends Meeting in Salem Quarter, was invited to take part in a community reading of Frederick Douglass’ “4th of July Speech” sponsored by the National Park Service and the Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.
Pendle Hill’s Hybrid Worship Experiment
As many Friends know, Pendle Hill has been hosting daily meeting for worship – both ‘in-person worship’ in Pendle Hill’s Barn, and with Zoom. It’s a spiritual and community wide success that we believe many meetings will want to replicate as they find it’s possible to reopen monthly meeting buildings.
We are grateful to Traci and Walter Hjelt Sullivan and the team at Pendle Hill for sharing their suggestions on how to manage a ‘Hybrid Worship Experiment’.
A Report on July 19 Plenary Session on Membership & Belonging
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
Quaker Life Council Annual Report for 2020 Sessions
The following article introduces the Quaker Life Council’s 2019-2020 work since July 2019. The full 14 page QLC report and all appendixes and minutes received are posted with Annual Sessions advance documents. We recommend reading the full report.
[Read more…] about Quaker Life Council Annual Report for 2020 Sessions
What Do We Talk About, When We Talk About God? – Personal Reflection on a Workshop
As part of our Runway to Annual Sessions we’ve been featuring more than two dozen workshops, plenary, or wellness events. Shelly Xia is a young professional who works with PYM on organizing membership information in our new database. In addition to being knowledgeable about data and excel sheets, she is passionate about bridging people from different parts of the world to work together on protecting the environment and addressing climate change. She enjoys martial arts, photography, and Argentine tango in her spare time.
Many people come to Quakerism without growing up in the faith. We wondered what it might be like for someone to experience Annual Sessions programming for the first time, so we asked Shelly if she’d be interested in describing her ‘first time’ experience of a PYM workshop for our web readers. [Read more…] about What Do We Talk About, When We Talk About God? – Personal Reflection on a Workshop
Quaker Organizations Oppose Potential West Bank Annexation by Israel
PYM’s Middle East Collaborative members, meeting on Sunday, July 5, 2020, welcomed and endorsed a joint statement by the American Friends Service Committee (USA), Friends Committee on National Legislation (USA), and Quaker Peace and Social Witness (England). The statement notes Friends’ long-term connection with the Middle East region, decries the proposed annexation, and lists serious outcomes which might arise should Israel act unilaterally to annex sections of the West Bank. The three organizations encourage Friends to: [Read more…] about Quaker Organizations Oppose Potential West Bank Annexation by Israel
Youth & Families at Annual Sessions
You’re invited!
Families and young people are a vital part of our PYM community and when we gather for Sessions it is to be an all-ages spiritual community. The time of Covid-19 has changed the shape of our gathering this year — and the shape of this summer for many families. We hope PYM programs will support parents and children at home who are seeking experiences of online camp and community this summer.
Travel and Witness Grant: Elom Tettey-Tamaklo’s Travel to Ramallah, Palestine
PYM’s Travel and Witness Granting Group makes grants to support active service and witness by individuals following leadings of the Spirit. Recent grants help illustrate the types of travel and projects that bear witness to the overall granting mission of the Travel and Witness Granting Group. We write about one particular grant recipient today – to Elom Tettey-Tamaklo. Elom has been awarded two travel grants to visit the Isreal – Palestine region.
[Read more…] about Travel and Witness Grant: Elom Tettey-Tamaklo’s Travel to Ramallah, Palestine
