While many meetings take a break in religious education programs during the summer months, there are opportunities during the summertime to connect with families and start to think ahead to next fall. Events and resource suggestions below! Later in June, watch for the Youth Programs staff to share activities for meeting and home in preparation for Annual Sessions, July 26-30. These will be shared for meetings to do over the summer, or send home to families. [Read more…] about Religious Education Resources & Events for Summer 2023
Resources for Meetings
Demystifying Planned Giving
Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
— 2 Corinthians 9:6-8
Many people enjoy giving, whether of their time or resources. Giving fosters a greater sense of community, connection, service, and philanthropy – plus it is an amazing feeling! Philadelphia Yearly Meeting believes anyone can give regardless of age, race, or income.
FarmerJawn Agriculture to Steward Westtown School Farm
On Earth Day, Saturday, April 22, 2023, Westtown School officially announced its partnership with Christa Barfield, owner, and operator of FarmerJawn Agriculture. Earlier this year, Barfield joined forces with Westtown School leasing 123 acres to create an organic farm. Westtown families and residents from the surrounding community celebrated the new partnership this past weekend on the school’s campus. Attendees witnessed a special blessing by Lenni Lenape elders and enjoyed tethered balloon rides, hayrides, and a host of family-friendly activities.
[Read more…] about FarmerJawn Agriculture to Steward Westtown School Farm
Earth Day Recommended Reads: Resources for Children, Youth & Families
Resources To Support Our Witness to Walking Gently on the Earth!
“We recognize that the well-being of the earth is a fundamental spiritual concern. From the beginning, it was through the wonders of nature that people saw God. How we treat the earth, and its creatures is a basic part of our relationship with God. Our planet as a whole, not just the small parts of it in our immediate custody, requires our responsible attention.” — Philadelphia Yearly Meeting Faith and Practice, 1997.
[Read more…] about Earth Day Recommended Reads: Resources for Children, Youth & Families
Religious Education Resources & Events for Spring 2023
Spring begins here in the northern hemisphere this week! We often talk about renewal in this time, and there is also a duality about springtime that can feel liminal. In March, the warmer sunlight belies the chill still in the air. Flowers pop up along the edges of lawns still covered in autumn leaves. Easter has the dual, entwined messages of death and loss with resurrection and joy. Resources and ideas are offered below for families and meetings as we move into the spring months! [Read more…] about Religious Education Resources & Events for Spring 2023
Lenape Voices: the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania
On January 15, 2023 Birmingham Meeting hosted a special program with guests Adam Waterbear DePaul and Grandmother Shelley DePaul, members of the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania. Adam is a member of the tribal council and is its Chief of Education and Tribal Storykeeper, and Grandmother Shelley is a Clan Mother and has also been a storykeeper and instrumental in preserving the Unami language of the Lenape. Both have worked in the university setting and helped bring the story of their people to the wider world through classes and exhibits in libraries and museums, public presentations like this one, and their involvement with the Lenape Nation Cultural Center in Easton, PA. [Read more…] about Lenape Voices: the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania
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
Electrical & Safety Upgrades in the Meetinghouse, Thanks to Yearly Meeting Support
Cropwell’s infrastructure got a big upgrade this week. Thanks to a generous gift from the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting’s Quaker Buildings & Programs Granting Group, the building’s electric was rewired, and fire safety upgrades and security lighting were installed. The work was done by Front Line Electric of Glendora, N.J., who were prompt, professional, and courteous. [Read more…] about Electrical & Safety Upgrades in the Meetinghouse, Thanks to Yearly Meeting Support
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.
[Read more…] about Gratitude & Next Steps for Outreach & Communications Resource Friends
Black History: Celebrate in February, Include All Year
This month is about honoring the radical, imaginative, provocative and gorgeous world Black Americans are bringing forth today as much as recognizing their efforts in the past. May we take this month to contemplate and celebrate the spiritual gifts and leadings Black Quakers have followed that continue to shape our community and encourage us all to come alive.
— Kimani Keaton, Community Engagement Associate for Special Projects
The resources below provide an opportunity to lift up Black voices and explore anti-racism with the young people in our care. Much has been written about the inclusion of Black History in mainstream education and how to teach this history both in terms of the Black American experience and children’s developmental levels. Some of the links to articles and resources below reflect these discussions and may be useful to consider in a religious education context. [Read more…] about Black History: Celebrate in February, Include All Year
