Any special Friend in the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting has likely crossed paths with the prolific and indefatigable Dick Nurse at some point. Dick Nurse’s work has made him a known and appreciated figure among Friends. Dick is the immediate past Clerk of Aging Assistance Granting Group, which he stepped down from in 2022 after six years in that role.
Ministry & Care
PYM Youth Programs Welcomed Spring with a Series of Weekend Events
PYM Youth Programs welcomed Spring with a series of weekend events that included young people of all ages! We’re excited for our upcoming Annual Sessions July 26-30th. Be sure to stay connected for news about Fall programs for children, youth, and families!
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Care Package Challenge Met
We are so excited to share with you that we have now fully met – exceeded, in fact – the Worship & Care Package Challenge! Back in early November, we announced to you that a generous Philadelphia Yearly Meeting family had agreed to donate $30,000 if we could meet that amount through new and increased gifts. Because of Friends like you, we did it. Then, our generous PYM family extended the Challenge by $20,000.
Life Cycle of Meetings Series
Many Quaker meetings are changing. A lot of our numbers are smaller. What are some of the ways we might adjust? What does it look like to have faith and cherish our communities while also recognizing that our energy levels are getting low? An upcoming series of conversations explores the life cycles of meetings and offers support and resources for questions rising in meetings. [Read more…] about Life Cycle of Meetings Series
A Friend, A Life, & Spirituality
The more you get to know Alex Morisey, the more you become aware you are speaking with a spiritual giant. His path has woven through so much of our world of faith and through the lives of so many Friends that he has become part of the fabric of the Religious Society of Friends. Key to Alex’s approach to his spirituality is his intuitive connection with the world and people around him. Not inclined to regale listeners with his many noteworthy accomplishments, Alex seems happier sharing how he finds himself in the natural world that surrounds him and how valuable people of all walks of life are to him. As an avid writer, Alex loves to write essays that explore the meaning of all this, the meaning of his life and his faith. Alex is a member of the Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting. [Read more…] about A Friend, A Life, & Spirituality
Gratitude & Next Steps for Outreach & Communications Resource Friends
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Resource Friend program pivoted to accommodate the urgent needs in the yearly meeting about connectedness, technology, and spiritual guidance. John Marquette, a member of Lehigh Valley Meeting, served Philadelphia Yearly Meeting (PYM) as an Outreach and Communications Resource Friend in 2021 through December 2022. PYM received a generous grant from the Thomas H. & Mary Williams Shoemaker Fund which supported both the Resource Friend program in this area and grants for local and quarterly meetings in the yearly meeting interested in outreach and the caring work of connecting Friends in online and hybrid spaces.
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Winter Youth Programs: City & Camp!
PYM Youth Programs have been busy connecting in-person! Two recent programs included a trip to Washington DC for older youth and a Family Overnight for children and families.
The weekend of January 27-29, ten Young Friends (high school) and Middle School Friends from three local meetings traveled to Washington DC with Friendly Presences (adult volunteer chaperones) and Youth Program staff to spend the weekend building friendships, learning more about African American history, and reflecting on how to be agents of change in our world. The group stayed at Friends Place on Capitol Hill, a Quaker learning center and guesthouse. The trip was conceived by the youth from Lancaster Monthly Meeting, who wanted to visit DC and meet other Quaker youth. They collaborated with staff from the yearly meeting Youth Program to organize the itinerary, plan programming, and invite other youth from around the Yearly Meeting.
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A Friend, A Mission, A Life To Share
After hearing about Fred Melroy and his prolific work in the Quaker community for some time, at long last, I had the chance to meet with him for a conversation. Wanting not only to understand his role as Clerk for the Greenleaf Granting Group, but also what makes him tick, I asked him several questions about his faith. But the more I pushed, the more he talked about his work, until at last it became clear to me that for Fred, serving is at the very center of his beliefs. That is not to say he is some kind of uninspiring automaton—quite the opposite. When Fred speaks about his work, he welcomes you in with his no-nonsense humility and leaves you feeling that so long as there are people who love to serve and who love the people they serve as much as he does, there is a bright future ahead. [Read more…] about A Friend, A Mission, A Life To Share
Monthly & Quarterly Leadership Gatherings – January 2023
Three times a year, Christie Duncan-Tessmer, General Secretary, invites PYM Friends in monthly meeting and quarterly meeting leadership roles to attend gatherings on Zoom. Over 100 leaders attended one or both of the January 18 and January 25, 2023 events, gathering for sharing, listening, and learning. [Read more…] about Monthly & Quarterly Leadership Gatherings – January 2023
Hand in Hand: Religious Education & Outreach Thread Gathering
On Saturday, January 7, almost 30 Friends from 15 local meetings gathered at West Chester Meeting for a Thread Gathering to explore in community the connection between religious education and how a meeting welcomes and includes newcomers. Some came in pairs and groups from their meetings, bringing questions, examples of resources, and stories of experiences in meetings to the conversation together. The afternoon program included a presentation on welcome and belonging, small group conversations with queries, and threshing of the issues raised in the larger group. As we parted into the evening, overheard was the word, “hope.” [Read more…] about Hand in Hand: Religious Education & Outreach Thread Gathering
