This week has brought many changes our country, including ones that are out of alignment with Friends testimonies and the way we walk in the world. The PYM community and governance are actively listening and responding.
[Read more…] about PYM’s Response to the Political Reality
Intergenerational
Youth Programs at Fall Continuing Sessions!
During the weekend of November 8 to 10, children and families are invited to participate in PYM’s Fall Continuing Sessions! In-person youth programs will be held all day on Saturday, November 9th at Arch Street Meeting House. Meeting for Worship begins at 9 AM, followed by youth programming at 9:30 AM.
Young Friends (grades 8 through 12) will participate in activities and continue to build community as they reflect on our theme of “Called to Healing”.
Younger Friends (grade 7 and younger) will have the opportunity to get to know one another better and build friendships. There will be time for crafts and games, a walk to the playground, and cookie-baking for our potluck dinner!
All ages are welcome and encouraged to attend. Please register soon!
Questions about Youth Programs at Fall Sessions?
Please contact Kristin Simmons, Youth Engagement Coordinator, ksimmons@pym.org
We hope to see you there!
Nikki Mosgrove Begins as Presiding Clerk of PYM
On August 1, 2024, Nikki Mosgrove stepped into the role of Presiding Clerk of the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting (a collection of 105 Quaker congregations in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania). She is tasked with facilitating business among as . Among unprogrammed Friends, who eschews religious hierarchy, a clerk is the first among equals. Her discernment process in accepting this role involved 30 days of prayer and reflection with people of many different spiritual practices: Presbyterians, Baptists, Nontheists, Pentecostals, and Quakers.
[Read more…] about Nikki Mosgrove Begins as Presiding Clerk of PYM
Exploring Thoughtful Planning with Compassion and Care
Discussing the stages of life is never easy, but it still remains one of the most essential acts we can offer both ourselves, our loved ones, and members of our meeting. The upcoming workshop, Creating Your Advance Directives and End of Life Plan, which will be one of the three at the Grief, Loss & Bereavement: A Pastoral Care Thread Gathering On October 19th, will provide a welcoming space for Friends to navigate this delicate subject. Participants will gain insight into critical documents, such as living wills and healthcare directives, that help ensure their values and wishes are honored. The facilitators, Susan W. Hoskins (Newtown Friends Meeting) and Susan K. Garrison (Media Friends Meeting), will lead a discussion on completing important materials, offering peace of mind to us and those we care for.
[Read more…] about Exploring Thoughtful Planning with Compassion and Care
Be the First to Shape A Virtual Platform for PYM Friends | PYM Connect
A ministry of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting is to keep the body interconnected, and the virtual tools available allow Friends to share their messages and connect faster. PYM staff are finding and providing new resources across the yearly meeting community to help keep connected. Friends no longer have to wait for an event or session; they will be able to connect anytime and anywhere, and PYM is looking for participants to provide input on an online platform.
[Read more…] about Be the First to Shape A Virtual Platform for PYM Friends | PYM Connect
Ways to Connect Before Sessions
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting has multiple October events that will provide ways to engage within our community before Fall Continuing Sessions. Three opportunities include fellowship of the thread gathering, a family-centered peace-building event, or the collective discernment over climate during a virtual threshing session. Each of these events offers a unique opportunity to engage with the PYM community and prepare ourselves spiritually for the work ahead. Whether you are seeking fellowship, family engagement, or discernment on critical issues, these events will help ground us as we come together as a faith community:
Talking about the Election with Children and Youth
Authorship is credited to Melinda Wenner Bradley (West Chester Meeting), Quaker Religious Education Collaborative
The intensity of the election cycle is an experience both for adults and for the children and youth in our families and communities. Depending on their age, preschoolers to teens may be aware of the anxiety in the adults around them — and experiencing their own anxiety about the outcome of the election in November.
[Read more…] about Talking about the Election with Children and Youth
Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting on “Going Veggie” and Using “Creating a Playbook for Climate Action”
Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting has embraced a new initiative to support climate action by “going veggie” on the third Sunday of each month. This meeting-wide project is the result of collaboration between the Climate Action and Hospitality Committees, reflecting a shared commitment to addressing climate change.
Sarah Whitman, a member of both committees at Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting, shared her perspective and the behind-the-scenes on this new initiative. “Last spring, we started a Climate Action Committee to help the meeting address climate change,” Sarah shared. “There have been individual leadings and practices related to climate change, but not a project that the whole meeting does together. I happen to be a member of both Hospitality and the Climate Action Committee, so I felt like this was an opportunity for synergy between those two committees.”
Making Spaces for Children In Worship
A rising interest in intergenerational worship in the yearly meeting has also led to meetings creating spaces for children in the places where they worship. This is more than putting a “children’s area” in the places where we worship — It is a visible message to any newcomer, including families with children: “Children are welcome here.” [Read more…] about Making Spaces for Children In Worship
Asma’s First FGC Gathering Story
May 19, 2023
by Joan Botto, (first published on the Friends General Conference website)
Asma arrived at her first Gathering in 2022 after driving 10 hours with Friends from her monthly meeting in Florida to Radford University in Virginia. [Read more…] about Asma’s First FGC Gathering Story
