Erin Lehman serves on the planning committee for the Learning for Life – A Religious Education Thread Gathering. She is a member of Haverford Friends Meeting and is involved in religious education there, including Faith & Play.
“I want people to know the Thread Gathering is not just for families with kids,” Erin said. “It’s about all of us learning more about Quakerism.”
“It’s even more interesting if we’re talking about adults or intergenerational,” Erin continued, “or, you know, ways that we come together, ways that we model Quakerism.” She added, “Not lesson planning for first day school, but how we as a meeting are approaching the history and current practice of Quakerism.”
The Thread Gathering will take place on January 24, 2026, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Friends will gather at the same time at three regional locations: Haverford Friends Meeting in Haverford, PA; Unami Meeting in Pennsburg, PA; and Wicomico River Meeting in Salisbury, MD.
“So I think more intergenerational stuff, and seeing how that works in other places and how we might approach it, just felt like a really useful thing,” she continued. “How do adults come to Quakerism? How do the kids come to Quakerism?”
Those questions connect to what Erin feels about Faith & Play and how those stories offers words for what Friends are doing together.
“The Faith & Play stories have really helped me distill what it is that we’re doing,” Erin said. “You have to say the quiet part out loud.” She continued, “What are grownups doing in meeting? They’re not just sitting there staring into the void.”
“I saw Faith & Play stories at Annual Sessions, and it’s so quiet and so contemplative,” she said. “You think kids these days wouldn’t be able to focus on it.” She added, “My kids were just so drawn in to the quiet contemplation of the story.”
“One of my favorite stories is about queries,” Erin said. “It explains to kids what the original purpose of queries were.” She continued, “Originally they were practical, like who’s in jail, who needs food, who needs legal representation.” She continued, “Now we use them more as reflection, how we’re approaching our lives through the lens of Quaker faith.”
“Having it laid out like that just felt so clear,” she said. “It made the bench statements much more understandable.”
At the Thread Gathering, Erin said, that opportunity presents itself into shared learning:
“I think it’s about learning from each other,” Erin said. “It’s about understanding what we are doing, and seeing what other meetings are doing to help all Friends, new and old, youth and adult, work and learn and worship together in a way that feels spiritually fulfilling, empowering, and connected, as individuals and as a body.”
To learn more and register for the Learning for Life – A Religious Education Thread Gathering, follow this link: https://www.pym.org/event/winter-thread-gathering-2026/
