Each part of PYM Explained provides how the yearly meeting lives as one connected body and leads into what comes next. This virtual version is shared so Friends are able to interact with it for easy research and finding.
A Written Resource on the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting Community and the Structures that Support It
Using the imagery of warp threads that carry long-term structure, and the weft threads that are our daily interactions across our region. PYM Explained contains the different areas that help our communities shared work continue. PYM Explained was prepared to offer a view at how our community connects, from Faith and Practice, Sessions, grants, property, youth work, and other forms of connection to help Friends and seekers learn how they intertwine with one another. A Friends may choose to read it to follow how a decision travels through the yearly meeting, to understand how different groups support the work, or how to get involved. These pages help people new to our community, as well as those who have been part of it for many years, see how meetings relate to the wider body and how their experiences fit within that shared life.
The document also points to ways people can take part in this work. It gives a sense of where support can be provided, opportunities to serve, and how each Friend is held within a larger circle of care. This edition includes a note from Selden Smith, Rising Clerk, on page 9, and a closing note from Christie Duncan-Tessmer on the back cover written near the end of her service as general secretary.
The Tyson Memorial Fund supported this publication and helped make it available to Friends across the yearly meeting.
PYM Explained supports the many ways Friends and meetings take part in the work of weaving our community together. Some copies of an earlier edition were provided during Fall Continuing Sessions; an updated edition will be printed based on what Friends and meetings need. If you notice a typo or a formatting issue, please email communication@pym.org. Your care helps us keep this publication in good shape, and each message is read and appreciated.
