The Young Adult Friends (YAF) community (ages 18-35) have been exploring ways they can live their testimonies in alignment with their Quaker values. During February, they will gather to visit The Time is Always Now special exhibition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in honor of Black History Month. This exhibition features 28 Black and African diasporic contemporary artists who celebrate the nuance and richness of Black contemporary life. YAFs will commemorate the legacies of Black artists and histories while reflecting on how they can carry their work forward in their daily lives, in community with Friends around them.
This event follows the YAF retreat, In late January, YAFs gathered at Green Street Friends Meeting for their winter retreat with the theme of Navigating Loss and Grief. With nearly 20 YAFs, these Friends’ gathered in fellowship throughout the weekend, they explored their personal relationship with grief, both specific and ambiguous. Along with cooking their meals together and staying up late to play games, they found spiritual nourishment through worship sharing and ended the retreat with worship at Green Street Friends on Sunday morning.
Another opportunity available the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting region, including YAFs, is provided by the Travel and Witness Granting Group. This granting group supports Friends traveling internationally for peace, PYM members in Quaker service or under a recognized concern, Friends School students traveling on Friends concerns, and YAFs putting Quaker values into action. More information can be found here by following this link: https://www.pym.org/grants/travel-witness/
Those interested in upcoming YAF programming or have any questions can connect with Inaara Shiraz, Inclusion & Belonging Coordinator of PYM, at ishiraz@pym.org.
