Philadelphia Yearly Meeting

of the Religious Society of Friends

Quakers

Selden Smith’s Call to Serve as Rising Clerk

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Selden Smith has been a part of the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting community for his whole life, bringing care, humor, and dedication to his work among Friends. Selden shared his reflections on his journey with Quakerism, his unexpected call to serve as Rising Clerk, and his hopes for the future of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. He highlights the importance of recognizing the gifts and talents within our community—both in ourselves and in others—and how these contributions sustain and strengthen the work we share as Friends.

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Friends in Business to Welcome Sara M. Lomax

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Friends in business – or retired from it – join together through PYM twice a year to share ideas, nurture their network, and explore perspectives. These times together provide a space to reflect on the intersection of faith and professional life. Each event features a talk, often by a someone who shares their experience of integrating important values into their professional career.

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Radnor Monthly Meeting’s Engagement in Outreach

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Many meetings across Philadelphia Yearly Meeting participated in local fall festivals this year, engaging with communities through outreach. Hosting booths with inviting displays, they shared information about Quaker values, answered questions, and extended warm invitations to explore Quaker worship and practices. These events were wonderful opportunities for meetings to connect with neighbors and build bridges. If your meeting participated in a fall festival, we’d love to hear your story. Please send it to communications@pym.org.

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Aging Assistance For PYM Friends: What is Available and a Family Thank You

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How to Apply: Aging Funds Available at Philadelphia Yearly Meeting

AAGG and Greenleaf Granting Group clerks sat down Aging Support Coordinator, Sheila Sorkin, and Director of Grantmaking and Data, Joey Leroux to discuss the application process for funds to support Friends in need of financial assistance with their basic needs or to make it possible to live in retirement facilities, or to remain in their own homes.

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Partnership with Church World Service

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In October, PYM announced a new partnership with Church World Service (CWS) as a covenant member. During the recent Joint Council meeting, Clerk Nikki Mosgrove led a discussion on PYM’s new relationship with CWS, a national faith-based organization focused on just and sustainable responses to hunger, poverty, displacement, and disaster. This partnership allows PYM to nominate board members and collaborate closely on CWS’s work, although it holds no voting rights. CWS extended this invitation to deepen the connection, reflecting their commitment to building impactful relationships. The council plans to review this partnership at a future session to assess its impact.
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Collaborate with Friends to Build PYM Connect

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As some may know, PYM Connect is already running in test mode, utilizing volunteers from the PYM community. We invite you to collaborate with us in building PYM Connect, shaping it into a meaningful space that reflects the needs and spirit of Friends.

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Nikki Mosgrove Begins as Presiding Clerk of PYM

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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.

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October 2024 | Joint Council Update

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On Saturday, October 12th, the three councils that support Philadelphia Yearly Meeting—Quaker Life Council, Administrative Council, and Nominating Council—held their first meeting in a new joint format. In this structure, all three councils meet together as one Joint Council to worship, discern, and conduct business collaboratively. A key feature in the joint format is the approval of minutes during the meeting. This allows the Joint Council to share the minutes in a news story with the PYM community in the week following the meeting.

October Minutes →

[Read more…] about October 2024 | Joint Council Update

Neurodivergent Friends Discussion Group

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Join our Neurodivergent Friends gathering! We will worship together, build community, and share our experiences of the gifts and challenges of being neurodiverse folks among Friends. Over time we may explore what we need to fully engage in the life of our meetings; how to communicate our needs to our communities; ways that we experience the Divine; openings and blocks in meeting for worship; how to support Friends with other kinds of disabilities; and probably many other topics.

The gatherings will be led by Mary Linda McKinney. Drop in when you are able.

Meets on Zoom at 7pm Eastern / 4pm Pacific on the Second Tuesday of each Month for 1.5 hours

This offering is free and repeats monthly.

Neurodivergent Friends Discussion Group

Written on:

Join our Neurodivergent Friends gathering! We will worship together, build community, and share our experiences of the gifts and challenges of being neurodiverse folks among Friends. Over time we may explore what we need to fully engage in the life of our meetings; how to communicate our needs to our communities; ways that we experience the Divine; openings and blocks in meeting for worship; how to support Friends with other kinds of disabilities; and probably many other topics.

The gatherings will be led by Mary Linda McKinney. Drop in when you are able.

Meets on Zoom at 7pm Eastern / 4pm Pacific on the Second Tuesday of each Month for 1.5 hours

This offering is free and repeats monthly.

Update your contact & Meeting information at pym.org/updates

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