On Saturday, December 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
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting
How We Gather: Hybrid, Virtual, or In-Person?
We are again in a time of shift.
This time, we are asking how, when, and why our gatherings are hybrid, virtual, or in-person. We have much to learn about the needs in our community and we hope Friends will unite in seeing this as a time of experimentation and learning. At this year’s Spring Continuing Sessions, the morning Meeting for Business will be hybrid (more details below) and our regional afternoon program will be in-person only.
[Read more…] about How We Gather: Hybrid, Virtual, or In-Person?
Spiritual Life of the Meeting, We Invite You to Submit a Report
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 April 15, 2023. 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 26-30. [Read more…] about Spiritual Life of the Meeting, We Invite You to Submit a Report
Bolivian Friend Visits Philadelphia Area
Emma Condori Mamani is a Bolivian Friend who travels in the ministry frequently. She is a founder and current Executive Director of El Centro Bilingüe Internacional Amigos (Friends International Bilingual Center or FBIC for short) and has hosted PYM Friends in La Paz as well as visiting and speaking at our Annual Sessions in 2019. [Read more…] about Bolivian Friend Visits Philadelphia Area
Religious Education Resources & Events for Winter 2023
Onward into the new year and new opportunities to learn and grow together in our Yearly Meeting in 2023! Two of those opportunities focus on intergenerational worship and Bible study. We have so much to learn from one another in our approaches to these topics, and the PYM “Worship & Care Package” is one way we will explore new possibilities together. Friends who support religious education in our meetings are a community of practice; let’s consider about how we might accompany one another in the next year, sharing the ways that children, young people, and their families are part of our meeting communities. [Read more…] about Religious Education Resources & Events for Winter 2023
New Youth Engagement Coordinator
It’s a joy to announce that Kristin Simmons has accepted the position of Youth Engagement Coordinator for Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. She will begin serving in this full-time position in mid-January. Many Friends will know Kristin in her current position as Middle School Friends Co-Facilitator. This shift in roles allows her to expand opportunities to be in relationship with meetings and support the ministry of children, youth, and family programs alongside colleagues on the Community Engagement staff.
A Care Package for Bible Study
The “Worship & Care Package” for PYM, a recently announced endeavor to support worship and pastoral care in our yearly meeting, includes two worship paths for Friends to walk together as we seek to deepen our experiences in faith community. One path is support for intergenerational worship, and the other is Bible study in the manner of Friends. Both practices are present in the roots of Quakerism and would have been familiar to early Friends. Today, we have an opportunity to explore intersections between Bible study and continuing revelation, generational experiences of the stories, and listening for how ancient texts can speak to our condition and witness in the world. Always, we can wonder together. [Read more…] about A Care Package for Bible Study
Tuition Aid for Quaker Children in PYM Friends Schools
The Yearly Meeting’s Quaker Education Granting Group reminds meetings and families that local meeting members’ children who are applying to or attending Friends schools are eligible to apply for educational support for the 2023-24 school year. Funding for all grants comes from the National Friends Education Fund and Philadelphia Yearly Meeting endowment income from the Jonathan Rhoads Fund and other PYM education endowments. [Read more…] about Tuition Aid for Quaker Children in PYM Friends Schools
PYM Explores Training for Pastoral Care Committees
The ministry of pastoral care is about sustaining a caring and loving meeting community. It includes caring for both the individuals and for the meeting community through a huge range of activities including: [Read more…] about PYM Explores Training for Pastoral Care Committees
Invitation to Submit Spiritual State of the Meeting Reports
All monthly meetings, quarterly meetings, and other local Quaker communities within the PYM area are invited and encouraged to submit Spiritual State of the Meeting Reports. Known leaders of monthly and quarterly meetings have been sent this request and guidance on how to conduct the spiritual self-assessment of your community that would lead to composing a report. See the “Guidelines for a Spiritual Self-assessment of the Meeting” section of our Faith & Practice for more information, and read answers to “Frequently Asked Questions” about the Spiritual State of the Meeting reports. The reports are due April 15, 2023. [Read more…] about Invitation to Submit Spiritual State of the Meeting Reports