On Saturday, September 19, our yearly meeting hosted Finding Friends: Outreach and Faithful Sharing.
Friends spent the day connecting virtually around welcoming those who choose to visit their meeting, what happens when they arrive, and what might help them come back.
Friends shared ideas that could be used next week and challenges that have been around for some time.
The following resources are available for Friends who want to access something from the day or for those who could not attend.
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting Outreach page is a place for meetings to find ideas and resources to help with their outreach. There are outreach tips, templates that Friends can use for inspiration, and resources from other Quaker organizations.
Each week, PYM shares a new outreach tip in the newsletter. Friends can read past tips on the Outreach page and send in ideas from their own meetings.
Friends Reaching F/friends is an ongoing Philadelphia Yearly Meeting-led virtual series where Friends can connect, share resources, and consider how their meetings approach outreach with people in their communities and inreach with Friends already involved in their meetings.
Starting in October, Friends will gather virtually nearly every month on the third Thursday at 5:30 pm. Each gathering will include worship and group planning around a hypothetical outreach or inreach situation connected to that month’s theme. Friends will consider the situation together, develop possible approaches, and share resources that meetings can adapt for their own communities.
Three shorter gatherings will offer another way to participate. These gatherings will be held from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm on Tuesday, January 19; Tuesday, April 20; and Tuesday, July 20. They will give Friends time to reconnect, consider what arose from previous gatherings, and share what they have tried in their own meetings.
The shorter gatherings offer another time for Friends whose schedules make the Thursday evening gatherings difficult to attend.
Friends do not need to attend every gathering. Friends are welcome to participate when a theme, conversation, or schedule works for them.
