October began for Philadelphia Yearly Meeting with the announcement that Chris Mohr will serve as the next General Secretary. Friends have come to know his work through the years, and the announcement invites tenderness across community of Friends as PYM continues through a time of transition. Christie Duncan-Tessmer’s final weeks in the role brought thoughtful messages and shared gratitude for her service; the month closed with thanks that her leadership has shaped how Friends move together in faith.
Friends gathered a few times through October. Young Adult Friends held their fall retreat at Haverford Meeting. Friends and community members met at Friends Center for a conversation about accompanying immigrant neighbors, Middle School Friends gathered online for a welcome session.
The month closed with m
ore than one hundred participants attending the Climate Witness: Let Our Actions Speak! Thread Gathering in person and online, and there was a hybrid book talk by Shodo Spring, hosted by the Eco-Justice Collaborative and Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting.
This past month also brought the release of the Climate Action Playbook for Schools, a new resource for teachers, meetings, and families. Its purpose reflects the welcome found in shared work: practical, open, and centered on care for the world we live in.
Several stories were published on Philadelphia Yearly Meeting website with collaborative help from staff, meetings, and governance. At the Home of Martha and Mary offers reflection from Joint Council on discernment and service. West Philadelphia Friends: A Community Is Valued and Valuable collected feelings from small meeting that continues its worship and fellowship within shared space. Shiela Sorkin, the Aging Support Coordinator for PYM was featured on Honestly Aging Podcast. She highlights companionship through aging. Knocking on Doors and Opening Theirs reports on outreach by Newtown Friends Meeting during Market Day.
Grants this fall supported many communities. On Indigenous Peoples Day in Philadelphia, the Lenape Dancers from Oklahoma, members of the Lenape Delaware Tribe, shared their history through song, dance, and storytelling at Shackamaxon, now known as Penn Treaty Park, supported by a $2,000 grant from the Quaker Fund for Indigenous Communities (QFIC). QFIC also supported The Kwek Society, a women-led Indigenous organization that provides period care items and education to indigenous students and communities across the United States.
Melinda Wenner Bradley and Matt Bradley traveled to Kenya to co-lead a four-day Playing in the Light training, supported by the Travel and Witness Granting Group’s Global Ministry, Witness, and Fellowship Fund. She shared with Friends there that the ability to make the trip and share ministry came through the support of our yearly meeting, whose grant covered Melinda’s travel, lodging, and the chapel rental at Friends Theological College.
The Quaker Education Granting Group awarded $49,197 to Friends Council on Education to support tuition aid of 103 PYM students enrolled in Friends’ Schools.
Fall Continuing Sessions are scheduled for November 7–9 at Arch Street Meeting House, with options to join online. Affinity Groups meet Friday, November 7. Saturday includes worship, business, and youth gatherings; Young Friends tour Old City and gather for Sharing Our Light Across Generations, a multigenerational activity. Sunday’s online meetings include All Together Worship at 9:00 a.m. and meeting for business after.
Two gatherings will continue Friends to the middle of November. The first, Fundraising Friends, meets online November 13 and offers conversation about stewardship and faithful participation. The second, Friends in Business, an affinity group, meets November 18 at Arch Street Meeting House, where business minded Friends meet in fellowship shaped by learning.
November 23 at Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting, Friends are invited to share in worship and fellowship honoring Christie Duncan-Tessmer and her many years of service to Philadelphia Yearly Meeting.
If you need more information on anything please reach out to communications@pym.org.
November Opportunities
Affinity Groups at Fall Continuing Sessions
November 7 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm / Zoom
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting will gather online to begin Fall Continuing Sessions with a special focus on Affinity Groups and worship. Friends will have five breakout rooms to choose from, each connected to one of five different Affinity Groups. All Friends will use the same Zoom link for these gatherings that will be used throughout Fall Continuing Sessions.
Learn More About Affinity Groups
Young Friends at Fall Continuing Sessions!
November 8 @ 8:30 am – 3:30 pm / Old City Philadelphia
All Young Friends (grades 9 to 12) are invited to PYM’s Fall Continuing Sessions on November 8th at Arch Street Meetinghouse! Young Friends will participate in a morning tour of Old City, during which we will visit several historic monuments and learn more about the history of Quakerism in Philadelphia.
Find Out How to Participate in the Tour
Fall Continuing Sessions 2025
Worship, Discernment, and Programing
November 8 @ 8:30 am – November 9 @ 1:00 pm / Arch Street Meeting House and Zoom
All PYM Friends everywhere are invited to join Fall Continuing Sessions at Arch Street Meeting House or online. Our theme Members One of Another reminds us that each individual is a necessary part of the whole Body, with important gifts to share.
Business agenda items include: Addressing Climate Change, Addressing Racism, the Minute on Solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ Community, and Update on the Draft Guidance for Advocacy and Lobbying.
Register for Fall Continuing Sessions
Sharing Our Light Across Generations Workshop
November 8 @ 1:30 am – 3:30 pm / Arch Street Meeting House and Zoom
Friends of all ages will reflect on our experiences of faith and community in small groups in a multigenerational workshop during Fall Continuing Sessions
Register for Fall Continuing Sessions
Memorial to the Lost Dedication
November 8 @ 3:30 pm / Arch Street Meeting House
The Friends Ending Gun Violence Collaborative, in partnership with Heeding God’s Call to End Gun Violence, will host a Memorial to the Lost® installation at Arch Street Meeting House from November 8th to November 9th, 2025. Friends are invited to gather for a dedication event on Saturday, November 8th, at 3:30 PM.
Learn More About Friends Ending Gun Violence
All Together Worship
November 9 @ 9:00 am – 10:00 am / Multiple Locations and Zoom
Whether a local meeting gathers together in their meetinghouse to join virtually or individuals log in from home, All Together Worship offers a shared experience of unity, where every person’s presence and ministry are part of the whole. The Zoom link for All Together Worship is the same one used for all of the Fall Continuing Sessions online and hybrid gatherings, and participants will receive the link when they register.
Learn More About All Together Worship
Fundraising Friends
November 13 @ 12:00 pm / Zoom (Second Thursday of Each Month)
Strong and stable monthly meetings are the shared foundation of a thriving Quaker community. This is why PYM staff are hosting monthly virtual gatherings of Friends who carry stewardship or fundraising work for their PYM meetings called Fundraising Friends!
Register for Fundraising Friends
Friends in Business: Jeanes’ Vision is Temple’s Mission
November 18 @ 5:30 – 9:00 pm / Arch Street Meeting House
Join Philadelphia Yearly Meeting’s Fall Friends in Business Gathering for an evening of food and fellowship. Speakers from Temple Health will share about Quaker engagement in board service through the Anna T. Jeanes Foundation, Temple University Hospital, and Temple University Health System, offering a case study of how Friends contribute to their communities through nonprofit leadership.
Learn More and Register for Friends in Business
Meeting for Worship to Honor Christie Duncan-Tessmer
November 23 @ 1:30 – 3:45 pm / Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting
Friends are invited to gather for a meeting for worship honoring Christie Duncan-Tessmer and her many years of service to PYM at Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting, with time for fellowship to follow. Please RSVP by November 19. Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting is also home to the Sky Space light installation; those attending worship may stay for the evening Sky Space opening, though a ticket is required.
Grant Opportunities
Granting Groups Dates:
- Aging Grants: Apply by Nov 1 or May 1
- Quaker Education Granting Group: Apply by May 1
- Fund for Sufferings: Applications accepted on a rolling basis
- Quaker Fund for Indigenous Communities: Applications accepted on a rolling basis
- Membership Development: March 1, June 1, September 1, and December 1.
- Quaker Buildings & Programs: Apply by October 1 or April 1
- Travel and Witness: Apply by March 1, June 1, September 1, or December 1
Learn More about Grants Access Grants Portal.
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Philadelphia Yearly Meeting continues to be a place where seekers and Friends are welcomed through faith, fellowship, and action. Financial giving helps sustain this work by supporting gatherings, care, and communication across our meetings.
Through this giving and shared faith, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting remains a community active in peace and inclusion.
