Young Adult Friends (YAF) is a community of Quakers, age 18-35ish, throughout the PYM area and beyond.
We are at different places on our journeys, and we come together for fellowship, rejuvenation, and to deepen our connection to one another & the Spirit.
Young Adult Friends Spring Retreat
Of Earth, Of Spirit: Quaker Stewardship & Eco-Justice
Friday, May 24- Sunday, May 26 at Haddonfield Friends Meeting
Join Young Adult Friends (YAF) age 18-35ish from across the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting region and beyond for our annual spring retreat, organized by the PYM YAF Working Group. Expect worship sharing, workshops, games, and fellowship as our time is centered around exploring how environmental issues and & social justice intersect with our spirituality. YAFs are at different places on our journeys, and we come together for rejuvenation, relaxation, and to deepen our connection to one another & the Spirit. Good food and fun are also assured!
Welcome to the Young Adult Friends Program
The Young Adult Friends (YAF) Working Group supports the spiritual vitality and community of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting (PYM) by creating programming specifically for young adult Friends (age 18-35-ish), as well as strengthening commitment and involvement of young adult Friends in PYM’s multigenerational community. We advocate for young adults within PYM and Quakerism, provide vision for programming that fosters spiritual fellowship, provide resources to young adults, and support to meetings engaging with young adults. We serve as an anchor for those transitioning into and out of our age range, as well as those living outside PYM’s geographic area who wish to remain connected.
Our weekend Young Adult Friends retreats are for young adults (age 18-35ish) in the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting area and beyond. The gatherings are held quarterly – fall, winter, spring, and a YAF community at PYM Annual Sessions in the summer. Retreats are usually held at a meetinghouse and centered around a theme.
The William Penn Lecture is a Philadelphia Yearly Meeting tradition under the care of Young Adult Friends. On a Saturday evening in late March, the whole Yearly Meeting community is invited to come to Arch Street Meeting House for the lecture. In 2013, the lecture was March 23rd and featured Michael Gagné speaking to “Towards a Great Turning: Love, Truth, Soulforce and the Future of the Religious Society of Friends.”
There are lots of ways to get involved to help the Young Adult Friends program run – from leading a workshop or cooking a meal at a retreat, to serving on the YAF Working Group, to letting YAFs in your meeting know about YAF events & resources. More info is on our Volunteers page.
