On Saturday, January 10, the three councils that support Philadelphia Yearly Meeting—Quaker Life Council, Administrative Council, and Nominating Council—held their meeting in the joint format. In this structure, all three councils meet together as one Joint Council to worship, discern, and conduct business collaboratively. Their practice is to share the minutes in a news story with the PYM community in the weeks following the meeting.
Climate Justice
December 2025 | Joint Council Update
On Saturday, December 13, the three councils that support Philadelphia Yearly Meeting—Quaker Life Council, Administrative Council, and Nominating Council—held their meeting in the joint format. In this structure, all three councils meet together as one Joint Council to worship, discern, and conduct business collaboratively. Their practice is to share the minutes in a news story with the PYM community in the weeks following the meeting.
October 2025 | Joint Council Update
On Saturday, October 11, the three councils that support Philadelphia Yearly Meeting—Quaker Life Council, Administrative Council, and Nominating Council—held their meeting in the joint format. In this structure, all three councils meet together as one Joint Council to worship, discern, and conduct business collaboratively. Their practice is to share the minutes in a news story with the PYM community in the week following the meeting.
A New Resource for Schools: Creating a Playbook for Climate Action in Schools
Ahead of the upcoming climate witness thread gathering, a new resource is now available for Friends working in or with schools. Creating a Playbook for Climate Action in Schools helps educators, students, and trustees plan faithful, coordinated steps toward environmental responsibility. [Read more…] about A New Resource for Schools: Creating a Playbook for Climate Action in Schools
October Opportunities That Invite PYM Friends Of Every Age
As Fall begins, the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting community gathers again, with different opportunities to be together at Haverford Friends Meeting, Friends Center, Arch Street Meeting House, and online.
These opportunities invite Friends of every age and group, from families and Middle School Friends to whole committees, to gather in fellowship, discernment, and learning as a faith community, continuing connection through time spent as Members One of Another. [Read more…] about October Opportunities That Invite PYM Friends Of Every Age
Learning and Action in Five Areas of Climate Care
Creating a Playbook for Climate Action is a tool for Friends and meetings to work in five areas: activism, education, reducing our carbon footprint, finances, and mourning loss & instilling hope. The playbook gives a framework to set goals, share ideas, and track progress.
The playbook connects with Climate Witness: Let Our Actions Speak! Thread Gathering on Saturday, October 25, at Arch Street Meeting House with participation also available online. The day is intergenerational, with workshops and activities for children, youth, and adults. The playbook may not be named in every workshop, however Friends will find that each workshop touches one or more of the five action areas and can be carried into their own planning for themselves or their meeting. [Read more…] about Learning and Action in Five Areas of Climate Care
July 2025 | Joint Council Update
On Saturday, July 12, the three councils that support Philadelphia Yearly Meeting—the Quaker Life Council, Administrative Council, and Nominating Council—held their meeting in the joint format. In this structure, all three councils meet together as one Joint Council to worship, discern, and conduct business collaboratively. This allows the Joint Council to share the minutes in a news story with the PYM community following the meeting.
Minutes from the Joint Council meeting this past Saturday are forthcoming. However the council wanted to share the following key updates prior to sessions.
As Philadelphia Yearly Meeting prepares to gather for Annual Sessions, the yearly meeting councils want to particularly highlight two items of their work that will be advancing to the Sessions agenda: the Future of Sessions survey results and an update on evaluating the yearly meeting’s carbon footprint.
The Work of PYM Collaboratives
Last Saturday, June 28, Friends gathered to learn how Friends in our yearly meeting work together through collaboratives. Collaboratives engage individuals across local meetings in the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting region. Members generally hold a concern for a joy, social justice issues, or perhaps spiritual formation; these ministries can transform and engage our yearly meeting into an interconnected, community organized space.
This gathering was one way to stay connected before Annual Sessions, which will take place July 23 to 27.
Old Haverford Friends Meeting Reimagining Land to Be a Mini Forest
At Old Haverford Friends Meeting, over April 12 and 13, volunteers planted 20 trees on the meeting’s grounds. The planting is a continuation of an ongoing effort to reimagine the land as a mini forest—one that can offer environmental benefits, habitat for wildlife, and a space for reflection. [Read more…] about Old Haverford Friends Meeting Reimagining Land to Be a Mini Forest
PYM Connect Launches Addressing Climate Change Channel
The yearly meeting-wide witness on climate change began when Friends with care for the environment asked that all of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting be part of this concern. In March 2021, PYM agreed to carry climate change as a shared witness. This past weekend, PYM Connect launched a new channel that helps PYM Friends stay connected, share ideas, and support each other to continue this work in Addressing Climate Change.
JOIN PYM CONNECT!
[Read more…] about PYM Connect Launches Addressing Climate Change Channel
