Philadelphia Yearly Meeting

of the Religious Society of Friends

Communications & Outreach

Zenaida Peterson Leads A Poetry Project for All

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Philadelphia Yearly Meeting Poem 2020

Our Annual Sessions poet-in-residence, Zenaida Peterson, will weave
together a yearly meeting POEM based on your reflections!

All ages are invited to participate and Families with children can work together. You can assist younger children in writing their lines of poetry, or scribe for them. We hope everyone in a household will share as they are led!

Here are the queries:

  • How do we find Spirit in the shadows during this time?
  • What does it mean to be Faithful now?

Begin your poetry experience:

Pick one of the queries to reflect upon. Set a timer for 15 minutes.

Reflect. Discern. Write!

Tease out your favorite lines.

Email those lines to poetry@pym.org

OR mail them:

Philadelphia Yearly Meeting
Attn: Annual Sessions
1515 Cherry Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102

The Poem will be revealed at Annual Sessions

Zenaida will receive the reflections, and weave together all the lines Friends of our yearly meeting have submitted to create a Yearly Meeting Poem 2020. This will be revealed during the week of Annual Sessions, July 29-August 2.

2020 Poor People’s Campaign: A 52 Year History Renewed

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In 1968, the Poor People’s Campaign (PPC) was first named as a key concern of Friends in America. American Friends Service Committee’s (AFSC) Associate Executive Secretary, Stephen Cary,  remarked that the PPC “…has made poverty in America visible, and never again will it be possible to pretend that it is not real.”

52 years later, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting (PYM) recognizes that we need to work together as a community to continue to make poverty and all the injustices that contribute to it more visible.  As part of that process, PYM’s Quaker Life Council recently minuted an endorsement of the PPC, as has PYM’s Young Adult Friends community, Trenton Meeting of Friends and Haddonfield Quarter. PYM has also offered youth programming (described later in this story) around this initiative and will continue to support the community’s energy on addressing the causes and consequences of poverty in America today.

[Read more…] about 2020 Poor People’s Campaign: A 52 Year History Renewed

Friends Emily and Julia Visit the Friends International Bilingual Center in La Paz, Bolivia

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The Friends International Bilingual Center (FIBC) is a Bolivian program that offers educational programs for children, young people, and adults in la Paz, Bolivia. Their programming is focused around human value and Quaker principles, and participants experience spiritual and intellectual growth centered in the belief that there is that of God in everyone.

[Read more…] about Friends Emily and Julia Visit the Friends International Bilingual Center in La Paz, Bolivia

Trenton Meeting of Friends Approves a Minute in Support of the 2020 Poor People’s Campaign

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Philadelphia Yearly Meeting has partnered with the American Friends Service Committee to support local community organizing around the Poor People’s Campaign. The Quaker Life Council minuted an endorsement of the Poor People’s Campaign alongside our Young Adult Friends community. Both bodies invited monthly meetings to endorse the campaign as well. Trenton Meeting of Friends has recently approved an endorsement, which was forwarded to us recently:

[Read more…] about Trenton Meeting of Friends Approves a Minute in Support of the 2020 Poor People’s Campaign

Navigating Zoom Safely

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PYM staff have witnessed the overnight growth of Zoom within our community. To keep everyone safe we’ve researched and assembled some  Zoom best practices.

The COVID-19 Pandemic has catalyzed a collective transition into virtual spaces for social, spiritual and work-related activities. Some in our world are using this moment as an opportunity to spread hateful rhetoric. Zoom Trolling (or Zoom Bombing) is a term to describe any disturbing interruption to the proceedings of a video conference. [Read more…] about Navigating Zoom Safely

Annual Sessions 2020 Goes Virtual

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Dear Friends,

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and after careful discernment, the Sessions Coordinating Committee and the yearly meeting clerking team have thoughtfully and carefully decided that this year’s Annual Sessions (July 29 – August 2, 2020) will move to a virtual space in order to preserve the care and well-being of our community.

Although sadly we will not be together in a physical sense, there are many exciting opportunities before us for a spirit-led, fellowship-filled, and fun Annual Sessions. With blessings and support from the Sessions Coordinating Committee, members of the Community Engagement Team have begun looking at our options and capabilities to offer workshops as interactive video ‘gatherings’ online or at future events.

We will have more to share in the coming weeks. Be well and be safe, Friends.

Questions?