This past weekend, November 7-9, our Fall Continuing Sessions at Arch Street Meeting House, and online, gathered us into a community for worship, fellowship, and discernment as we continued our theme of Members One of Another, which will continue through all of 2026’s sessions. In the spirit of Lucretia Mott, this Mott Memo captures a reflection of our time together. The minutes from these sessions will soon be available on the PYM website under Session Minutes, so Friends can read and reflect on the work and joy we shared. [Read more…] about Fall Continuing Sessions • Mott Memo • 2025
Faith & Practice
Celebrating Christie Duncan-Tessmer
After more than two decades of service to Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, including ten years as General Secretary, Christie Duncan-Tessmer has stepped down from her role. Please join us and other Friends across our community in pausing to reflect with deep gratitude for her leadership, creativity, and commitment to the health and vitality of our yearly meeting.
West Philadelphia Friends: A Community Is Valued and Valuable
In West Philadelphia, on Baltimore and 48th, there’s a building where Friends gather to meet. It is not a meetinghouse, but inside those walls, a small community keeps a meeting thriving.
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Key Points on the Quaker Suit Against the Department of Homeland Security
Below is essential information about the lawsuit. This may be helpful to Friends in PYM for their own understanding and for discussing the case with others, including local media.
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What’s your Gift? | Sharing Skills in Our Community of Friends
Quaker communities thrive when members share their unique gifts and skills. The Gifts & Skills Collection is a PYM initiative designed to highlight the range of Friends’ contributions and talents. This initiative invites Friends to share their gifts and connect with others who have similar interests or experiences. The goal is to build community by matching gifts, skills, or area of interest with opportunities to collaborate and support shared work.
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Mott Memo – Fall Continuing Sessions 2024
This past weekend, November 8-10, our Fall Continuing Sessions at Arch Street Meeting House, and online, gathered us into a shared journey of worship, fellowship, and reflection as we closed our theme of “Called to Healing”. In the spirit of Lucretia Mott, this Mott Memo captures the essence of our time together. The Minutes from these sessions will soon be available on the PYM website under Session Minutes, so Friends can read and reflect on the work and joy we shared.
[Read more…] about Mott Memo – Fall Continuing Sessions 2024
Insights from Recording Clerks Training: Ministry, Accountability, Community
A recent virtual Recording Clerks Training hosted by Philadelphia Yearly Meeting shared helpful insights for those interested in becoming a recording clerk. Led by Deborah Haines and Becka Haines Rosenberg of Baltimore Yearly Meeting, the session showed how recording minutes can be more than just keeping track of decisions. Recording is a way to serve the community with care and attention, guided by the Spirit moving through the meeting. Here are key points from the training:
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Building Connections Through Grief, Loss, and Pastoral Care
On October 19th, Friends gathered at Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting for a Thread Gathering focused on grief, loss, and pastoral care. The day provided space for conversations about how meetings offer support during life’s difficult moments. Participants shared their experiences, noting that strong relationships help meetings respond when members are going through challenges.
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Collaborate with Friends to Build PYM Connect
As some may know, PYM Connect is already running in test mode, utilizing volunteers from the PYM community. We invite you to collaborate with us in building PYM Connect, shaping it into a meaningful space that reflects the needs and spirit of Friends.
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October 2024 | Joint Council Update
On Saturday, October 12th, the three councils that support Philadelphia Yearly Meeting—Quaker Life Council, Administrative Council, and Nominating Council—held their first meeting in a new joint format. In this structure, all three councils meet together as one Joint Council to worship, discern, and conduct business collaboratively. A key feature in the joint format is the approval of minutes during the meeting. This allows the Joint Council to share the minutes in a news story with the PYM community in the week following the meeting.
