Schuylkill Friends Meeting (SFM) is a small Meeting with Friends seeking meaning and spirit in their daily lives. We are concerned with our spiritual growth, replacing the roofs of the Meeting House and First Day School buildings, our finances, and the possibility of a “Super” Wawa being built across the street.
Since the pandemic, we have not had children in Meeting, and we are glad to report that slowly, young families are returning. We held a parents meeting and determined what kind of program would fit their needs. We are now planning a once a month First Day School program that focuses on younger children playing together and getting to know each other as well as the Friends of our Meeting.
We continue to offer zoom connectivity for those who are not able to physically come to Meeting. We have welcomed two new members to our community this past year.
We offer weekly Peace meditation sessions and a weekly Prayer meeting, both over zoom. A newsletter is sent to Friends 2 – 3 times a month via mailchimp. It is sent to 103 people, and usually 60-70 people read it. At the rise of Meeting for Worship, the clerk invites Friends to share messages that did not surface during Meeting, and many rich messages are offered at this time.
Outreach to neighbors and organizations/movements focused on racism or climate change has not occurred this year. However, some of our members are active organizers of a local Green movement. As a Meeting, we have united in support of Back from the Brink, a grassroots coalition working on a campaign to rid the world of nuclear weapons. A lot of energy and time has been spent, recently, on trying to ascertain what we can do to prevent the “Super” Wawa from being built across the street from the SFM property. We have a few members doing much of the heavy lifting of keeping the Meeting going, leaving little time and energy for deepening connections with each other and the Spirit.
We are grateful for the addition of new members and new families and are hopeful that more members and attendees of SFM will return to Meeting. We have lost Friends due to illness, divorce, children becoming teenagers, and possibly not meeting Friends’ spiritual needs. Is this something that PYM can help us with?
Respectful submitted,
Megan Connolly, Care & Counsel
Schuylkill Friends Meeting
