In 2000 I attended my first FGC Gathering in Rochester, NY. My daughter had been campaigning to go, and it was the last year she could be in the High School Program (which got rave reviews from her PYM friends), AND I had grown up in the Rochester Friends Meeting. I took a workshop on spiritual growth where we had prayer partners and shared deeply with each other. I felt so nurtured that I was able to take a big step in my personal life. We planned to go back the following year. [Read more…] about Why I go to Friends General Conference (FGC) Gathering
News
Light Up the Night: Tacos and Lanterns at Birmingham Meeting
The Fellowship Committee of Birmingham Meeting plans an evening, intergenerational event of fun and good food once each winter to brighten the season of long nights. [Read more…] about Light Up the Night: Tacos and Lanterns at Birmingham Meeting
Plastics—What’s the Big Deal?
Friends Take Steps to Address the Climate Crisis
We know that many Friends throughout the yearly meeting and around the world are following their leadings to work on climate change, environmental justice, and habitat and biodiversity protection. The Eco-Justice Collaborative’s monthly newsletter often includes stories of action, and this month we hear from Ray Elberson, an attender at Medford Monthly Meeting, about the work of the Plastics Committee of the South Jersey GreenFaith Circle to which he and his wife, Carla, belong. Visit the Eco-Justice Collaborative’s website here, and subscribe here to the EJC newsletter by choosing “Peace & Social Justice.”
EVENT REWIND-Swarthmore Friends Meeting Hosts Recent Forum on Estate Planning
…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
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!
Thread Gathering Rewind: Burial grounds, old meetinghouses, property issues, oh my!
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
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
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
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
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
