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 November 2021 below.
Program and Ministry
Connect Friends and meetings to one another so that we may experience vibrant, Spirit-led faith community Broaden engagement and deepen relationships in our yearly meeting.
- We are hosting a Sunday Advent Series for adults. The 55 registrants come from PYM, 3 other yearly meetings in the US plus Australia.
- On December 3, we held a virtual religious education Conversation on Prayer with Children
- Giant Children’s Meeting programs continue on the third Sundays. In November the theme was Extending the Table and December’s theme is Celebrating the Light.
- Middle School Friends are gathering in a virtual hangout this month and High School age Friends will gather for a two day event at Arch Street Meeting House.
Business, Finance, and Communications
- We received a $30,000 grant from the Thomas H. and Mary Williams Shoemaker Fund! The grant will support our community with quality hybrid experiences. It will fund a consultant to provide expertise on hybrid programming and equipment for PYM. It also funds small grants to monthly and quarterly meetings for hybrid or outreach needs.
- Website traffic continues to grow. The number of users is up more than 30% compared to a year ago and the number of page views is up more than 10%. Web access is primarily by computer (rather than phone or tablet) and 89% of users are from the US. Faith & Practice continues to be the most visited set of pages.
- Read a story about our website and take a brief survey about its navigation.
Staff
- Staff DEI Team is continuing to develop a strategic plan for how PYM staff and teams can infuse equity, inclusion, and diversity consciousness into how we do the work. The end goal is a comprehensive plan that staff can weigh in on in February, with a finalized plan by March.
- Finance worked collaboratively with HR and General Secretary on staff health insurance offerings for 2022 open enrollment. The 2022 plans offer quality options for medical coverage. Guiding considerations included a generous employer contribution, economic equity, and affordable insurance for children, all while staying within budget.
- The new positions which support aging, young adults, pastoral care and inclusion have been posted, interviews will begin soon.
(photo courtesy of Photo by Ray Hennessy on Unsplash)
