Philadelphia Yearly Meeting

of the Religious Society of Friends

Quaker Life Council

Friends Prepare for World Quaker Day

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The picture above shows Friends at Newtown Meeting as they assembled in 2018 to honor World Quaker Day. While the meeting has been gathering virtually during the pandemic, they are still planning to celebrate this ‘special day’ of Friends’ activities around the world.

World Quaker Day is an annual event sponsored by Friends World Committee on Consultation (FWCC). This year they have designed an interactive way for Friends Meetings in the Americas and elsewhere to engage in shared celebration. [Read more…] about Friends Prepare for World Quaker Day

Assist Afghan Refugee Resettlement

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PYM Quaker communities and individuals have asked how to help!

The recent events in Afghanistan have led to a dramatic uptick in the number of refugees who will need resettlement — a number that has reached crisis levels and requires unprecedented response.

Many meetings have contacted PYM for information about how they can collaborate with churches and communities to help. Resources and a video can be found below. [Read more…] about Assist Afghan Refugee Resettlement

Meeting For Business – Minutes of Friday July 30

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With 102 Friends in attendance,  Meeting for Business in Worship was held virtually from just before 1:00 to about 4:15 PM during the afternoon of July 30th. The agenda offered the following items of business: Introductions, Quaker Life Council Report, Nominating  Council Report, Ujima Friends Meeting Declaration, and the Membership and Belonging Sprint Report.  Minutes follow with thanks to the PYM recording clerk, Jim Herr. [Read more…] about Meeting For Business – Minutes of Friday July 30

Meeting For Business – Minutes of Thursday July 29

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With 82 Friends in attendance,  Meeting for Business in Worship was held virtually from just before 1:00 to just past 4:00 PM during the afternoon of July 29th. The agenda offered the following items of business: Introductions, Epistle Writing Committee, Administrative Council and Treasurer’s reports, the 2022 PYM Budget presentation, and the Diversity Equity and Inclusion Sprint Report and work.  Minutes follow with thanks to the PYM recording clerks, Jim Herr and Kri Burkander. [Read more…] about Meeting For Business – Minutes of Thursday July 29

State of the Meeting Reports 2020

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Each year at Annual Sessions there is a thick book with printouts of the prior year’s collected ‘State of the Meeting’ reports. Last year we were unable to share in the special joy of leafing through those printed reports. People missed learning about each meeting’s activities.

This year we have compensated for that loss by creating a virtual “book” of all of the reports. You can access them  in this news story and they will also be in the Annual Sessions Advance Documents. [Read more…] about State of the Meeting Reports 2020

Ujima Friends Peace Center – Freedom Summer 2021

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Ujima Friends Peace Center is a worshipping Quaker community of people of African Descent who have committed themselves to the village with residents of North Philadelphia to decrease various forms of violence that arise from systems of oppression. The Center can be contacted at admin@ujimafriends.org. Below is a story about their summer plans.

[Read more…] about Ujima Friends Peace Center – Freedom Summer 2021

On Belonging: Quakers Can be More Inviting

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Young Adult Friends wrote a 2019 Epistle on Membership asking the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting to reconsider how membership is defined. They made the point that “a simple model of monthly meeting membership, in which one belongs to a singular community for life, is no longer useful.” This question has sparked reflection and has now risen to one of the three big initiatives of the Yearly Meeting in 2021.

Johanna Jackson, who is 31, came to March 2021 Continuing Sessions at the invitation of our Rising Clerk,  Melissa Rycroft. During Spring Continuing Sessions Melissa led PYM through a PowerPoint on the question of belonging and membership in the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, and welcomed Johanna’s thoughts on what other kinds of Quaker community could be envisioned for our community.

Inspired by their powerful vocal ministry that day, here follows a deeper conversation about belonging with the two of them. [Read more…] about On Belonging: Quakers Can be More Inviting

Reminder – Spiritual Life of the Meeting Reports

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Warm greetings from the Ministry and Care Committee of Quaker Life Council!

We trust this communication finds you well, grounded in Spirit and in your community of faith. This a reminder that if you haven’t already sent yours, we would like to receive the Spiritual Life of the Meeting report from your meeting by May 1, 2021. This will give the Ministry and Care Committee ample time to receive and read what you share, and to craft a document describing the Spiritual State of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting and send it to the Quaker Life Council in advance of PYM’s summer sessions, July 27-August 1. [Read more…] about Reminder – Spiritual Life of the Meeting Reports

Quaker Life Council and Eco Justice: Pathways to Climate Change Action

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Philadelphia Yearly Meeting hosted an evening question and answer session with the Eco Justice Collaborative in preparation for the Saturday March 24th Continuing Sessions work on the topic of Climate Change.  Here follows an interview with Pat Finley and Ruth Darlington of the Eco Justice Collaborative (EJC) and Anthony Stover, Clerk of Quaker Life Council. 

The interview explains how the Quaker Life Council will form a Sprint (a nimble, short-term committee convened around a Yearly Meeting initiative of importance) and the Eco Justice Collaborative will support the PYM community in climate justice work. 
[Read more…] about Quaker Life Council and Eco Justice: Pathways to Climate Change Action

Share Your Meeting’s Spiritual Self-Assessment

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Dearest Friends in PYM Monthly and Quarterly Meetings and other PYM Quaker Groups,

We trust this finds you seeking to be grounded in Spirit and in your community of faith. 2020 has certainly been a year filled with both opportunities and challenges! The Ministry and Care Committee of Quaker Life Council is once again asking for your help as we look to better understand the spiritual state of our yearly meeting through this past year.

To accomplish this, we are asking meetings to consider responding to the following queries: [Read more…] about Share Your Meeting’s Spiritual Self-Assessment