Philadelphia Yearly Meeting

of the Religious Society of Friends

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EVENT REWIND-Swarthmore Friends Meeting Hosts Recent Forum on Estate Planning

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…to turn all the treasures we possess into the channel of universal love becomes the business of our lives.

— John Woolman, 1763

This past Sunday, February 4, PYM’s Director of Development, Merri Brown, joined Mimi Blackwell, Director of Philanthropic Services at Friends Fiduciary, Rob Vosburgh, Executive Director of Planned Giving for Penn Medicine and member of West Chester Friends Meeting at Swarthmore Friends Meeting to discuss estate planning matters important to Friends. [Read more…] about EVENT REWIND-Swarthmore Friends Meeting Hosts Recent Forum on Estate Planning

Young People and the Gathering

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Mom & Dad, how many sponsors must I have to go to Gathering by myself?

Our 9-year-old son kept asking us this after we attended our first Gathering (Live Love!) in New York in 1992. We had told our sons that the 19933 Gathering in Oklahoma (Riding the Wind of Spirit) was too far away. His persistence made us recognize what an important event just one Gathering had been in his young life. He led us all to go to Oklahoma! Such is the power and the draw for young Friends to attend Gathering. It is a life-changing experience!

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Thread Gathering Rewind: Burial grounds, old meetinghouses, property issues, oh my!

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Burial grounds, old meetinghouses, property issues, oh my!  

Quakers know a thing or two about the joys and challenges of caring for our sacred spaces. The Governance and Stewardship Thread Gathering this past Saturday gave Friends from local meetings an opportunity to connect, share resources and learn from each other. The morning panel and afternoon workshops offered many resources and tools.   [Read more…] about Thread Gathering Rewind: Burial grounds, old meetinghouses, property issues, oh my!

Monthly and Quarterly Meeting Leadership Gatherings

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Three times each year, Friends in local and quarterly meeting leadership (clerks, assistant clerks, treasurers, committee clerks) gather online with the presiding clerk and General Secretary. The gatherings include timely announcements and shared conversation, and are one way that we connect across meetings in the yearly meeting. The January 2024 gatherings included several announcements to share back to meetings, and small group discussions around topics of interest. [Read more…] about Monthly and Quarterly Meeting Leadership Gatherings

​​​​Spiritual State of the Meeting Report Invitation

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NOTE: The deadline to submit reports has been extended to April 29, 2024

Warm greetings from the Ministry and Care Committee of Quaker Life Council. We trust this communication finds you well, grounded in Spirit and in your community of faith. All meetings are invited to submit their Spiritual State of the Meeting Reports for 2023 no later than April 15, 2024. We look forward to learning about your meeting and having the opportunity to share that learning more widely. Reports will be carefully read by members of M&C to guide our work in the next year and inform the Spiritual State of the Meeting Report for Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. To learn more about how these reports are used and how they are typically composed, see these advices. If you have further questions, please contact us at ministryandcare@pym.org. [Read more…] about ​​​​Spiritual State of the Meeting Report Invitation

Third Haven Helps Members and Attenders Navigate Life Stages as Friends

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A meeting with Lorraine Claggett, member of the Third Haven Friends Meeting Pastoral Care Committee, during fellowship at Philadelphia Yearly Meeting Annual Sessions opened many doors to learning about dedication, creativity, and outreach to the meeting’s aging Friends. Connecting with Dona Sorce, past Clerk of the Pastoral Care Committee was also enlightening. Several years ago, the meeting recognized many members were over the age of 50.  Subsequently, the group invited George Schaefer, a member of Abington Meeting who previously served Philadelphia Yearly Meeting from 2009 to 2022 as Care and Aging Coordinator, to discuss PYM’s resources for aging Friends.  We recently connected with Pastoral Care Committee members Bill Schauer, Terry Thomas-Primer, and Dee Rein to learn more about their efforts. [Read more…] about Third Haven Helps Members and Attenders Navigate Life Stages as Friends

The Friendly Seniors of Haddonfield Monthly Meeting

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On November 17, 2023, Judy Owens and Patricia Williams from Haddonfield Monthly Meeting met with PYM’s Aging Support Coordinator, Sheila Sorkin, and Senior Content Manager, Tiffanie McKinnon, to discuss the life and community of HMM’s aging Friends. [Read more…] about The Friendly Seniors of Haddonfield Monthly Meeting

Middle East Collaborative Shares Peace Resource

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As we approach the time of remembering Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Middle East Collaborative shares this timely resource from the Fellowship of Reconciliation: “Continuing to Break the Silence: Learning and Reflection on Vietnam, Palestine, and Beyond.” A winter series of programs on Why Palestine Matters is being planned by Middle East Collaborative members Deb Wood, Sandy Rea, and Joan Broadfield; watch the website calendar and the Collaborative’s webpage for details and registration. 

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Concord Quarter Working Group Offers Resources and Support for Aging Friends

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Concord Quarterly Meeting of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting consists of 8 Meetings: Birmingham, Concord, Goshen, Middletown, West Chester, Westtown, Willistown and Wilmington. Included in Concord’s October 2016 newsletter was an article authored by Pam Leland, the executive director of The Hickman who wrote about the New York Yearly Meeting program – ARCH (Aging, Resources, Consultation, Help). The article inspired members of Concord Quarterly Meeting to create their own group meeting around mutual interest in aging issues. The initial group of 11 began meeting in May of 2017. By June of 2017, the group was led by their first Clerk, Rich Ailes and officially became known as the Concord Quarter Working Group on Aging. [Read more…] about Concord Quarter Working Group Offers Resources and Support for Aging Friends

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