Philadelphia Yearly Meeting

of the Religious Society of Friends

Ministry & Care

PYM Explained

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This book explains how Philadelphia Yearly Meeting functions as a community of Friends, meetings, and ministries. It describes Sessions, the warp and weft framework, governance, staff roles, collaboratives, programs, grants, and the many ways meetings stay connected across four states.

PYM Explained supports the many ways Friends and meetings take part in the work of weaving our community together. If you notice a typo or formatting issue, please email communication@pym.org. Your care helps us strengthen this shared resource; if there is an error, please keep using this publication while we work toward future updates. Each message is read and appreciated.

LGBTQIA+ Resources | PYM

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During Fall Continuing Sessions, Friends were provided with a minute from Philadelphia Quarterly Meeting standing in solidarity with LGBTQIA+ people. This minute, adapted from one shared by Germantown Monthly Meeting, connects to the ongoing threats to the safety and well-being of the LGBTQIA+ community and reaffirms the shared commitment to stand beside them.

Minute of Solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ Community

Below are a few provided resources that Friends may choose utilize, learn, and share when connecting with the LGBTQIA+ community members and Friends. The following resources were compiled by Karen Lightner of Germantown Monthly Meeting, There is hope that this list will continue to grow, if you have additional resources to share, we invite you to send them to communications@pym.org.

[Read more…] about LGBTQIA+ Resources | PYM

Friends Memorial Meeting for Worship

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Text to use in memorial meeting bulletins (also see scanned version here, which may be copied)

The Religious Society of Friends holds as the basis of its faith the belief that every human being is endowed with a measure of the Divine Spirit which may be directly experienced. Our manner of worship is an outgrowth of this belief. We gather in quiet assemblies, mindful of the words: “Be still, and know that I am God.” We come together in reverent silence with the desire to draw nearer to God and to understand God’s will.

For Friends a memorial meeting is similar in many ways to a meeting for worship. It is not only a time for sharing feelings of loss, but a time of gratitude for the life of the departed person. We reflect on the value of that life as it relates to the lives of all of us.

All present share in this. We sit quietly; at times an individual may be moved to speak, to offer a prayer or a message that has come out of the silence. All are welcome to do this.

The responsibility for the spiritual depth of the meeting rests with each attender. Those who keep silence as well as those who give a vocal message do their part when they yield their minds and hearts to the guidance of the Spirit. The close of the meeting is signaled by handshakes among those in attendance.

Friends hope that in the meeting for worship a consciousness of the Divine Presence will come to every attender, to be a source of direction, strength and comfort after leaving the meeting.

Originally printed with permission of Wooster (Ohio) Monthly Meeting, Religious Society of Friends.

Revised by Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, Religious Society of Friends

Plain Talk about Dying: The Spiritual Effects of Taking My Father off Life Support

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Pendle Hill Pamphlet #479 by Shulamith Clearbridge (Swarthmore Meeting)

From the Pendle Hill website:

In this essay, Shulamith recounts the story of having to decide for another person whether they will live or die. Understanding the spiritual repercussions of such decisions may enable us to prepare for or prevent such situations – or, when that is not possible, help us to better support each other through such extremely hard times.

Available from Pendle Hill Pamphlets
Also available as an eBook for Kindle (Amazon) and <coming soon!> Nook (Barnes & Noble) e-readers. To see a complete list of all electronically available Pendle Hill pamphlets, please visit the Amazon or B&N websites.

Quaker Quicks

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Quaker Quicks: Short paperbacks very useful for outreach and religious education for adults.

  • Quaker Quicks – The Guided Life
  • Quaker Quicks – In STEP with Quaker Testimony
  • Quaker Quicks – Practical Mystics
  • Quaker Quicks – Telling the Truth About God

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