Cropwell’s infrastructure got a big upgrade this week. Thanks to a generous gift from the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting’s Quaker Buildings & Programs Granting Group, the building’s electric was rewired, and fire safety upgrades and security lighting were installed. The work was done by Front Line Electric of Glendora, N.J., who were prompt, professional, and courteous. [Read more…] about Electrical & Safety Upgrades in the Meetinghouse, Thanks to Yearly Meeting Support
News
A Friend, A Life, & Spirituality
The more you get to know Alex Morisey, the more you become aware you are speaking with a spiritual giant. His path has woven through so much of our world of faith and through the lives of so many Friends that he has become part of the fabric of the Religious Society of Friends. Key to Alex’s approach to his spirituality is his intuitive connection with the world and people around him. Not inclined to regale listeners with his many noteworthy accomplishments, Alex seems happier sharing how he finds himself in the natural world that surrounds him and how valuable people of all walks of life are to him. As an avid writer, Alex loves to write essays that explore the meaning of all this, the meaning of his life and his faith. Alex is a member of the Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting. [Read more…] about A Friend, A Life, & Spirituality
Gratitude & Next Steps for Outreach & Communications Resource Friends
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Resource Friend program pivoted to accommodate the urgent needs in the yearly meeting about connectedness, technology, and spiritual guidance. John Marquette, a member of Lehigh Valley Meeting, served Philadelphia Yearly Meeting (PYM) as an Outreach and Communications Resource Friend in 2021 through December 2022. PYM received a generous grant from the Thomas H. & Mary Williams Shoemaker Fund which supported both the Resource Friend program in this area and grants for local and quarterly meetings in the yearly meeting interested in outreach and the caring work of connecting Friends in online and hybrid spaces.
[Read more…] about Gratitude & Next Steps for Outreach & Communications Resource Friends
Winter Youth Programs: City & Camp!
PYM Youth Programs have been busy connecting in-person! Two recent programs included a trip to Washington DC for older youth and a Family Overnight for children and families.
The weekend of January 27-29, ten Young Friends (high school) and Middle School Friends from three local meetings traveled to Washington DC with Friendly Presences (adult volunteer chaperones) and Youth Program staff to spend the weekend building friendships, learning more about African American history, and reflecting on how to be agents of change in our world. The group stayed at Friends Place on Capitol Hill, a Quaker learning center and guesthouse. The trip was conceived by the youth from Lancaster Monthly Meeting, who wanted to visit DC and meet other Quaker youth. They collaborated with staff from the yearly meeting Youth Program to organize the itinerary, plan programming, and invite other youth from around the Yearly Meeting.
[Read more…] about Winter Youth Programs: City & Camp!
A Friend, A Mission, A Life To Share
After hearing about Fred Melroy and his prolific work in the Quaker community for some time, at long last, I had the chance to meet with him for a conversation. Wanting not only to understand his role as Clerk for the Greenleaf Granting Group, but also what makes him tick, I asked him several questions about his faith. But the more I pushed, the more he talked about his work, until at last it became clear to me that for Fred, serving is at the very center of his beliefs. That is not to say he is some kind of uninspiring automaton—quite the opposite. When Fred speaks about his work, he welcomes you in with his no-nonsense humility and leaves you feeling that so long as there are people who love to serve and who love the people they serve as much as he does, there is a bright future ahead. [Read more…] about A Friend, A Mission, A Life To Share
Black History: Celebrate in February, Include All Year
This month is about honoring the radical, imaginative, provocative and gorgeous world Black Americans are bringing forth today as much as recognizing their efforts in the past. May we take this month to contemplate and celebrate the spiritual gifts and leadings Black Quakers have followed that continue to shape our community and encourage us all to come alive.
— Kimani Keaton, Community Engagement Associate for Special Projects
The resources below provide an opportunity to lift up Black voices and explore anti-racism with the young people in our care. Much has been written about the inclusion of Black History in mainstream education and how to teach this history both in terms of the Black American experience and children’s developmental levels. Some of the links to articles and resources below reflect these discussions and may be useful to consider in a religious education context. [Read more…] about Black History: Celebrate in February, Include All Year
Monthly & Quarterly Leadership Gatherings – January 2023
Three times a year, Christie Duncan-Tessmer, General Secretary, invites PYM Friends in monthly meeting and quarterly meeting leadership roles to attend gatherings on Zoom. Over 100 leaders attended one or both of the January 18 and January 25, 2023 events, gathering for sharing, listening, and learning. [Read more…] about Monthly & Quarterly Leadership Gatherings – January 2023
Hand in Hand: Religious Education & Outreach Thread Gathering
On Saturday, January 7, almost 30 Friends from 15 local meetings gathered at West Chester Meeting for a Thread Gathering to explore in community the connection between religious education and how a meeting welcomes and includes newcomers. Some came in pairs and groups from their meetings, bringing questions, examples of resources, and stories of experiences in meetings to the conversation together. The afternoon program included a presentation on welcome and belonging, small group conversations with queries, and threshing of the issues raised in the larger group. As we parted into the evening, overheard was the word, “hope.” [Read more…] about Hand in Hand: Religious Education & Outreach Thread Gathering
How We Gather: Hybrid, Virtual, or In-Person?
We are again in a time of shift.
This time, we are asking how, when, and why our gatherings are hybrid, virtual, or in-person. We have much to learn about the needs in our community and we hope Friends will unite in seeing this as a time of experimentation and learning. At this year’s Spring Continuing Sessions, the morning Meeting for Business will be hybrid (more details below) and our regional afternoon program will be in-person only.
[Read more…] about How We Gather: Hybrid, Virtual, or In-Person?
Young Adult Friends 2023 Winter Retreat Recap
During the weekend of January 13th-15th, young adult Friends gathered online and in person for the 2023 winter retreat themed Love Thy Neighbor. In connection to the 2023 PYM theme “living with neighbors, growing into beloved community,” the theme of this retreat is a continuation of the call for us to come together in the joyful work of reweaving our connections after three years of the pandemic. [Read more…] about Young Adult Friends 2023 Winter Retreat Recap
