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.
Friday, November 7
Friday evening, Friends met online for affinity groups. Starting with worship, Friends were able to center and remember that the Light moves through each individual and the identities they carry.
Each group reviewed an agreement to be respectful, speak for oneself experiences, share time fairly, and keep stories in confidence.
Friends had the opportunity speak about how their identities shape daily life, how they are recognized within their meetings, and how inclusion might grow across the yearly meeting.
One query from the evening asked, “How does it feel to hold this part of your identity in the world today? Has this feeling changed in recent years?”
Saturday, November 8th
On Saturday, November 8th, Friends gathered for worship online and at Arch Street Meeting House. Friends who gathered in person were able to donate to the food pantry at their location.
Friends began the day in worship and included a land acknowledgment for the Lenape people, whose ancestral land includes Arch Street Meeting House and much of the region where Friends joined online. The land acknowledgment shared who lived on this land first and why that history matters. Friends were provided a few queries, one included: “What do you know about the Indigenous people where you live, and how are you learning to live responsibly there?”
Meeting for worship with attention to business included a welcome for Chris Mohr (Green Street Meeting) as Philadelphia Yearly Meeting’s new General Secretary. Friends then turned to PYM’s corporate witnesses on climate action and racism, each, in its own period of worship and reflection. These times allowed Friends to speak from their individual experiences and listen to Spirit around each concern. Friends participated both online and in the room.
A complete record of what happened during business meeting will be available in the minutes when they are posted on the PYM website (pym.org/sessions/fall-continuing-sessions).
While the adults were in discernment, the Young Friends who were high-school aged took part in a Quaker history walking tour of the Old City neighborhood that was led by Michael Stahler, who is a local educator and also works in the performing arts. After the tour, the Young Friends who came together held their own meeting for worship with attention to business to talk about upcoming plans, and they celebrated their facilitator, Ember Eldridge, who is moving into a new career in social work and therapy.
During this time, our youngest Friends spent time making crafts and listening to a story, The Invisible Web by Patrice Karst, which focused on how all people are connected by an “invisible web” of love. The children spent the rest of the morning playing at the nearby playground.
After business for both the Adults and Young Friends, Friends online and in person shared lunch in fellowship, gathered in the communal care of their chosen spaces, before moving into the afternoon workshop, which had in person and online options.
As part of the in person Sharing Our Light Across Generations workshop, Friends passed a soft beach ball around the room. Each side had a straight forward prompt, like “Go stand near someone wearing the same color shirt as you.” The beach ball kept moving, and the laughters and conversations that moved with it.
Sharing Our Light Across Generations continued as Friends gathered around Arch Street Meeting House in small groups of three or four, each group made up of people from different age ranges. Every Friend spoke from their own experience within the different spaces of the meetinghouse. Young Friends were part of the small groups and the littlest Friends created pinwheels and other crafts while sitting among the small groups.
Each small group had queries to read and consider together. Individuals in each group shared what they knew in their small groups, what they believed, and what they were still thinking about. The groups each had their own stories, reflections and collections.
When Friends in person came back as a large group, those who felt led to share their perspective on the opportunity said the time felt spiritual, helpful, and most importantly without hierarchy. One Friend reflected that they had spoken with someone they had known for years but never in this way. Another Friend found it good to give words to thoughts that had been quiet. Someone else mentioned learning from a younger Friend whose ideas will stay with them to find reflection and encouragement.
Online Friends also participated in their own virtual Sharing Our Light Across Generations workshop. Friends over zoom began with a one-word check-in about how they were showing up. A few then introduced themselves, sharing their life stage and the age they felt reflected who they were.
Virtual breakout rooms followed for discussion of the queries. Since there wasn’t a wide range of ages, Friends were randomly assigned and asked to consider how they might have answered queries but at different points in their lives.
When everyone returned to the main Zoom, the larger conversation opened on techniques for multigenerational worship.
Friends can follow this link to access the queries and learn more about the afternoon workshop: pym.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Queries-for-Multigeneration-Sharing.pdf
In the late afternoon, Friends who chose to participate gathered for the Memorial to the Lost at Arch Street Meeting House, honoring those lost by gun violence. The Friends Ending Gun Violence Collaborative (FEGV) and Heeding God’s Call to End Gun Violence organized the memorial and the dedication.
FEGV co-clerk Pam Yaller (Upper Dublin Meeting) welcomed Friends and introduced Brian Miller from Heeding God’s Call to End Gun Violence. Brian explained how the Memorial to the Lost began in Philadelphia and expanded to other counties. Brian also shared how each shirt represents a person killed by an illegal gun and how many faith communities have joined together to bring attention to gun violence.
Following Brian, Molly-Grace Hicks (Old Haverford Meeting) performed her song Transformation and shared on using music to process grief. FEGV Co-clerk Martha Bryan, (Downingtown Meeting) welcomed Chris Mohr who shared responsibility and Friends’ continued work toward peace. Bagpiper Bob McAllister (Monthly Meeting of Friends of Philadelphia) shared Amazing Grace on bagpipe, to offer music for reflection. Later, Movita Johnson-Harrell shared her family’s experiences with gun violence and her work through The Charles Foundation.
Martha again shared but on different organizations such as One Voice, CeaseFirePA, and the Soul Shot Portrait Project. Martha also introduced Emiliano Rodriguez of Unite Here Local 274 who spoke about how gun violence and economic hardship affect workers in Philadelphia’s hospitality industry, and offered insight on a protest that was happening near the meetinghouse. Martha then closed the program, and Bob played again on the bagpipes.
Sunday, November 9
Today, Sunday, All Together Worship opened with Bethann Morgan (Buckingham Monthly Meeting), who read the poem Belonging by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer to add centering before Friends settled.
The piece includes the lines:
“Sometimes I feel it,
the green fuse that ignites us, the wild thrum that unites us,
an inner hum that reminds us of
our shared humanity.”
After All Together Worship and a short break, meeting for worship with attention to business continued from Saturday.
Business opened with greetings from the clerks and the General Secretary. Young Adult Friends shared a statement on pastoral care. Friends then received an update on the LGBTQIA+ minute, followed by a report on advocacy work. The Nominating Council offered updates on current service and continuing roles. Friends can view to the minutes, when shared, for the full record of discernment and and next steps.
Fall Continuing Sessions concluded. Thank you to every Friend who took part, whether online, in person, or in spirit. Please take a moment to share your experience by completing the survey, helping our community continue to learn and grow together.
Miscellaneous Photos From Continuing Sessions
