Quaker Self Portrait

These families gathered at Middletown Friends Meeting on a recent fall evening for Stone Soup, a beloved annual tradition at our meeting. Everyone brought vegetables to add to the soup. While some Friends were in the kitchen chopping veggies and stirring the soup pots, the young people were busy making pumpkin and apple pies. We shared fellowship and a simple meal and then posed for this picture, taken by David DiMicco.

A selection of happenings at Downingtown Friends Meeting. Meeting for worship in November Presentation on their service trip to West Virginia by young Friends. The Cake Walk at the 43rd annual Friends Fall Festival October 2019

A big project currently being worked on at Abington Friends Meeting is centered around accessibility, safety, and inclusion. Our meetinghouse was originally built in the 17th century with the John Barnes Room (Fellowship room) being added in 1929, so as you can imagine our buildings were not meant to accommodate people with physical or mobility disabilities, people who are blind or visually impaired, or people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. At that time, they were generally home-bound and not welcomed into society. As we began discussing our meetinghouse in these terms, we quickly realized that besides accessibility and safety, some pointed out that improvements needed to be done to make our buildings more welcoming to all new people as well. We love the historical nature of our buildings but wish to be more than a museum. We want to make all people feel welcome into our vibrant growing community.

Through the many discussions about the renovations at adult classes, called threshing sessions, meeting for worship to attend to business, within spiritual nurture groups, and so on, there arose some themes. One such theme is our intended focus on the testimonies of equality, community, stewardship, and integrity. We hold these in common and see this renovation as a way to live them, not just hold them as an idea. We want to walk the walk, not just talk the talk.

The attached image captured World Quaker Day at Newtown Monthly Meeting. Missing from the image are Norval Reece and Rich Richardson, who were capturing the image for posterity…

Friends gathered at West Chester Meeting on November 10 for “Community Sunday.” Friends of all ages in our meeting — and guests from West Chester Friends School, the Hickman, Goshen Friends School, Goshen Meeting, Downingtown Meeting, and our Concord Quarter Coordinator, Lynne Piersol —  joined for a semi-programmed, multigenerational meeting for worship. We sang, heard a story, and settled into waiting worship together for the rest of the hour; on benches, laps, and a quilt on the floor. Messages were shared about welcome, connection in nature and to one another, and gratitude for being together.

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This is the group of Friends who gathered for Meeting for Business this Eleventh month, after a well-attended 11 o’clock worship. Today’s was an abbreviated business meeting so that we could break bread with members of the Princeton Friends School Committee before a clearness committee to help build community between the two bodies. We are so blessed to have such a faithful group of Friends willing to spend important time nurturing our community in this way.

See how to share it at www.pym.org/census

Appoquinimink preparative meeting Participated in the PYM Quaker Self Portrait project by sharing this snapshot. It is an ancient and tiny meeting that worships together on the first and third first days each month. The photo features the clerk, outside the meetinghouse with the tree planted recently in memory of her son.

All PYM meetings and other groups are encouraged to be part of showing who we are. Take a selfie, write a poem, tell a story… whatever way you want to express yourself. See how to share it at www.pym.org/census