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 the first two months of 2021 below.
I’m trying out two new things this month. One is to apply relevant strategic directions to category headings. The other is to list, with links, the past month’s news stories and the upcoming events. There are too many events to list more than two weeks’ worth. — Christie
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
- Practice of Worship: A four-part series that is an exploration of our practices. Each week a presenter shares the very practical and concrete ways in which they worship. Then Friends settle into worship together with encouragement to try out what they just heard about. Following worship participants reflect on the practice together. 50-70 Friends have been participating in this series and in response to its success it is being extended into March.
- The Grants Consultants Program hit its midway mark. 8 young adult friends continue to participate in 5 of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting’s 9 granting groups as part of their collective effort to bear witness to the grant making of the yearly meeting. Staff facilitators met with all consultants in the New Year to check-in and structure the second half of the program
- Two Thread Gatherings took place this month:
-
- Addressing Anti-Blackness included approximately 120 participants who shared in small and large groups in ways that included head, heart and senses.
- Seasons in the Life of a Meeting invited the 65 participants to consider the changes meetings go through and how to prepare for and address them so that they serve the meeting community.
- Youth-led Meeting for Worship was a pilot program on a Sunday evening that was for teen Friends only. Similar to the Practice of Worship event, participants both worshiped and reflected on the experience of worship. More than half of those present were first-time attenders to a PYM youth program.
- Friends gathered to explore practices for making hybrid meetings work. A report as well as a recording of the meeting are available online. Follow-up conversations are expected.
- The Care & Aging and Youth Religious Life Coordinators facilitated several programs at meetings including
- Conducted a workshop on Conflict Among Friends at Yardley
- Advised State College Meeting on issues related to pastoral care and retirement planning for staff.
- Concluded Quakerism 101 course for Upper Dublin & Byberry meetings.
- Conducted a workshop on Quaker Eldership for Bucks Quarterly Meeting.
- Facilitated Community Worship program for Concord Quarterly Meeting.
- Consulted with two meetings on conflict resolution.
- The General Secretary represented PYM and Quakers at several regional and national Quaker and interfaith events. She:
- Hosted the winter meeting of the Religious Leaders Council of Greater Philadelphia
Led the Prayers of the People in the Pennsylvania Council of Church’s service in observance of black history month and leadership installation. - Recorded opening worship in the manner of Friends for a National Council of Church’s video Words of Comfort and Prayers of the People to be released on reaching the milestone of 500,000 deaths due to COVID-19.
- Facilitated the business conversation of an interim meeting of the General Secretaries and General Superintendents of yearly meetings across all branches and North America (and Britain).
- Attended a gathering of clerks and General Secretaries hosted by FGC (with our presiding co-clerks)
- Hosted the winter meeting of the Religious Leaders Council of Greater Philadelphia
- Additional Events:
- Giant Children’s Meeting “Sharing Winter with Friends” (1/24).
- Middle School Friends Winter Hangout: MSF is having fun with cooking and craft activities when they gather. The cooking is thanks to program Assistant Alix Vallery being a trained chef, and the crafts are thanks to the funding we received from D’Olier to support programs.
- Chocolate & Beer, a Valentine’s event “at” Arch Street Meeting House
Inclusion and Anti Racism
Ensure our communities are welcoming and safe for all people
- Addressing Anti-Blackness Thread Gathering (see details above)
- Administrative Council approved a new HR policy addressing the way in which we hire short-term staff. This policy is a long time in the making as staff explored and experienced the way in which interim and short-term staffing can limit opportunities for diversity.
- As a follow-up to the approved policy, staff brainstormed ways in which we can develop broader networking relationships that will allow PYM to reach deeper, with attention to inclusivity and equity, when seeking people to fill short-term and temporary positions.
- The January staff meeting for Learning focused on a dialogue about addressing micro-aggressions. The DEI team role-played scenarios that staff could experience and then staff engaged in the unpacking of those scenarios for group analysis and learning.
- Staff also recently put together a staff-working group that will meet to develop a policy and procedure document for Professional Development funds with attention to equity.
- The General Secretary participated in the discernment on raising up a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion committee of the Friends Fiduciary Board.
Communications and Technology
Connect Friends across the yearly meeting through effective communications and technologies Simplify and focus governance and administration
- An Instagram post that was cross posted on Facebook had a particularly high impact for us, reaching 1225 people.
- Designed tested, refined and launched Meeting Leadership Form which collects information about who is serving in specific roles in monthly meetings. The form maps directly to our database so the information is updated within 24 hours.
- Automated the data entry from online donations to our database.
- Redesigned Membership Statistics Form to collect and collate information about changes in membership in monthly meetings.
Business and Finances
- Woohoo! The FY 2020 audited financial statements were issued. The audit resulted in another “clean” opinion with no findings and not a single adjustment.
- The beautifully designed appeal that was mailed in December timed to arrive before Christmas was a victim of the USPS delays. It began landing in mailboxes in the last week.
- Consolidated end of year gift acknowledgments were sent to donors who gave multiple gifts totaling $250 +
Administration
- The Children and Family Program Facilitator position is vacant and was just posted.
- Long-awaited kitchen renovations at Arch Street Meeting House have started. By mid-May, the downstairs kitchen off the East Room will be fully remodeled and the outdated second floor kitchen will become new office space for Arch Street staff.
- Friends Center and Friends Select School signed an agreement of sale for the 1520 Race Street building. This means that Friends Center is reaching its goal of ensuring that building is renovated and accessible and Friends Select will have the space it needs. The Friends Child Care Center will relocate to an expanded and updated space within Friends Center. PYM offices won’t be affected.
- The John Martin Fund Trust (JMFT) at Monthly Meeting of Friends of Philadelphia provides the funding for PYM to offer emergency grants to Friends through their meetings. The number of requests has increased under Covid-19. In response to our request the JMFT agreed to increase the minimum amount of each grant.
(photo courtesy of Ray Hennessy on Unsplash)
