Philadelphia Yearly Meeting

of the Religious Society of Friends

Families

All Together Worship

Written on:

A true sense of community across meetings and generations, which I found enriching and uplifting.

It was so inspiring and renewing to see such a large community of Meetings gathered together.

A sense of PYM unity I had not before experienced. The Zoom opportunity allowed those of us who would otherwise not be able to participate to be a part of the whole. Seeing people joined from some Meetinghouse settings I knew from the past was particularly meaningful.

On July 31, 2022, more than 300 Friends came together from across the geography of our Yearly Meeting on Zoom for an intergenerational, cross-state meeting for worship. During All Together Worship, we were blessed with vocal ministry shared in song and messages, and with the sight of more than 20 meetinghouses onscreen along with individuals and families in homes. The feedback that Sessions Coordinating Committee received was overwhelmingly positive — and Friends asked to repeat the experience!

A New Sessions Tradition

  • On Sunday, March 12, we will gather all together again on Zoom — from meeting houses and from homes for those who join their meeting for worship online.
  • 10:00-11:00 AM is All Together Worship time. Recognizing that this will be a different worship time for some meetings, we hope you will join this hour all together as the Yearly Meeting.
  • The Zoom link for All Together Worship will be shared with everyone who registers for Spring Continuing Sessions, and also with Clerks of meetings to share with Friends who join your Sunday worship online. There will be a password. 
  • 10:00-10:15 will be lightly programmed with greetings and readings to support all ages entering into worship together.
  • How will vocal ministry work? Participants will be asked to raise their “electronic hand” on Zoom, and PYM Elders will call upon people to minister. Discipline is required of everyone, and expectations will be shared at the beginning of worship. 
  • As with any meeting on Zoom, Friends are welcome to keep their video turned off, and we ask that you not take screen shots to follow our practices for online gatherings where youth are attending.

Intergenerational = for All Ages

All Together Worship is a great time to gather as an all ages meeting community for worship! The first 15 minutes of our time together on March 12 will include greetings and readings to help all of us gather as Friends and neighbors. Meetings are encouraged to set up a quilt on the floor, baskets of quiet things to help everyone center and listen, and welcome children to stay in worship with their family and Friends. Learn more about intergenerational worship.

Questions? Reach out to Director of Programs, Melinda Wenner Bradley, at mwennerbradley@pym.org.

All Together Worship

Written on:

A true sense of community across meetings and generations, which I found enriching and uplifting.

It was so inspiring and renewing to see such a large community of Meetings gathered together.

A sense of PYM unity I had not before experienced. The Zoom opportunity allowed those of us who would otherwise not be able to participate to be a part of the whole. Seeing people joined from some Meetinghouse settings I knew from the past was particularly meaningful.

On July 31, 2022, more than 300 Friends came together from across the geography of our Yearly Meeting on Zoom for an intergenerational, cross-state meeting for worship. During All Together Worship, we were blessed with vocal ministry shared in song and messages, and with the sight of more than 20 meetinghouses onscreen along with individuals and families in homes. The feedback that Sessions Coordinating Committee received was overwhelmingly positive — and Friends asked to repeat the experience!

A New Sessions Tradition

  • On Sunday, November 6, we will gather all together again on Zoom — from meeting houses and from homes for those who join their meeting for worship online.
  • 10:00-11:00 AM is All Together Worship time. We heard from some Friends that 45 minutes was too brief in July! Recognizing that this will be a different worship time for some meetings, we hope you will join this hour all together as the Yearly Meeting.
  • The Zoom link for All Together Worship will be shared with everyone who registers for Fall Continuing Sessions, and also with Clerks of meetings to share with Friends who join your Sunday worship online. There will be a password. 
  • 10:00-10:15 will be lightly programmed with greetings and readings to support all ages entering into worship together.
  • How will vocal ministry work? Participants will be asked to raise their “electronic hand” on Zoom, and PYM Elders will call upon people to minister. Discipline is required of everyone, and expectations will be shared at the beginning of worship. 
  • As with any meeting on Zoom, Friends are welcome to keep their video turned off, and we ask that you not take screen shots to follow our practices for online gatherings where youth are attending.

Intergenerational = for All Ages

All Together Worship is a great time to gather as an all ages meeting community for worship! The first 15 minutes of our time together on November 6 will include greetings and readings to help all of us gather as Friends and neighbors. Meetings are encouraged to set up a quilt on the floor, baskets of quiet things to help everyone center and listen, and welcome children to stay in worship with their family and Friends. Learn more about intergenerational worship.

All Together Worship “Tech Check”

Anyone interested in talking through how this will work from your meetinghouse can register to join a check-in on Wednesday, October 26, 7-8pm. Register here to join the Tech Check.  After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing the Zoom link to join the meeting. Feel free to come anytime between 7-8pm with questions!

Questions? Reach out to Director of Programs, Melinda Wenner Bradley, at mwennerbradley@pym.org.

Supporting Children and Teens After Violent News

Written on:

In the last two weeks we have been repeatedly confronted with the legacy of gun violence and ongoing, communal trauma in this country. The three events in recent days have happened in the kinds of everyday places that should be safe — the grocery store, church, and school. How do we talk to children and adolescents about gun violence, racialized violence, and senseless tragedy? Parents and caregivers are helping their children process their feelings alongside their own, and signs of anxiety are different in children and adolescents when compared with adults. Pastoral care for children begins with pastoral care for their caregivers, and the resources below are offered to support parents and families—please share. 

[Read more…] about Supporting Children and Teens After Violent News

How Do We Pray with Children?

Written on:

How do you pray? What personal practices do you have that bring you into relationship and conversation with the Spirit? How do prayer practices nurture your spiritual life and anchor your experience of gathering with others for meeting for worship? In my experience, we don’t talk a lot about prayer in Quaker religious education — how to pray with children, teach prayers to children, or why we might offer this as a practice for their “spiritual toolbox.” I’ve been collecting ideas and resources over time, hoping to bring together interested Friends to talk about prayer with children. On December 2, several Friends gathered for an online Religious Education Conversation on “Prayer with Children,” and what is shared below is from a presentation, participant sharing, and group reflections. [Read more…] about How Do We Pray with Children?

Giant Children’s Meeting on 3rd Sundays

Written on:

Giant Children’s Meeting continues on 3rd Sundays in 2022!

Join Friends and Families from across the Yearly Meeting for a monthly religious education program. It’s “giant” because everyone is invited! It’s “children’s meeting” because we’re making a space to nurture the spiritual lives and Quaker identity of young people.

We hope this online community will support families and the Friends offering children’s programs in their meeting; the 9:00 start is intended to allow folks to attend worship in their own meeting later that morning.

Each 30-45 minute program is for preschool and elementary-age children and their families. Each time will feature a theme and seasoned facilitators leading us through grounding, exploring, wondering, and creating. Our program will connect with the Youth Programs theme for this year,  “Building the Quaker Community We Want to Be” and HOPE! 

  • May 15: Growing Feelings

Register below to receive the Zoom link to join! A welcome email with Zoom link will be sent on the Thursday before each Sunday program.

*If a meeting would like to share the Zoom information directly to families in your meeting, please contact the Youth Religious Life Coordinator, Melinda, directly: mwennerbradley@pym.org

Giant Children’s Meeting Registration

Giant Children’s Meeting on 3rd Sundays

Written on:

Giant Children’s Meeting continues on 3rd Sundays in 2022!

Join Friends and Families from across the Yearly Meeting for a monthly religious education program. It’s “giant” because everyone is invited! It’s “children’s meeting” because we’re making a space to nurture the spiritual lives and Quaker identity of young people.

We hope this online community will support families and the Friends offering children’s programs in their meeting; the 9:00 start is intended to allow folks to attend worship in their own meeting later that morning.

Each 30-45 minute program is for preschool and elementary-age children and their families. Each time will feature a theme and seasoned facilitators leading us through grounding, exploring, wondering, and creating. Our program will connect with the Youth Programs theme for this year,  “Building the Quaker Community We Want to Be” and HOPE! 

  • May 15: Growing Feelings

Register below to receive the Zoom link to join! A welcome email with Zoom link will be sent on the Thursday before each Sunday program.

*If a meeting would like to share the Zoom information directly to families in your meeting, please contact the Youth Religious Life Coordinator, Melinda, directly: mwennerbradley@pym.org

Giant Children’s Meeting Registration

Giant Children’s Meeting on 3rd Sundays

Written on:

Giant Children’s Meeting continues on 3rd Sundays in 2022!

Join Friends and Families from across the Yearly Meeting for a monthly religious education program. It’s “giant” because everyone is invited! It’s “children’s meeting” because we’re making a space to nurture the spiritual lives and Quaker identity of young people.

We hope this online community will support families and the Friends offering children’s programs in their meeting; the 9:00 start is intended to allow folks to attend worship in their own meeting later that morning.

Each 30-45 minute program is for preschool and elementary-age children and their families. Each time will feature a theme and seasoned facilitators leading us through grounding, exploring, wondering, and creating. Our program will connect with the Youth Programs theme for this year,  “Building the Quaker Community We Want to Be” and HOPE! 

  • May 15: Growing Feelings

Register below to receive the Zoom link to join! A welcome email with Zoom link will be sent on the Thursday before each Sunday program.

*If a meeting would like to share the Zoom information directly to families in your meeting, please contact the Youth Religious Life Coordinator, Melinda, directly: mwennerbradley@pym.org

Giant Children’s Meeting Registration

Giant Children’s Meeting on 3rd Sundays

Written on:

Giant Children’s Meeting continues on 3rd Sundays in 2022!

Join Friends and Families from across the Yearly Meeting for a monthly religious education program. It’s “giant” because everyone is invited! It’s “children’s meeting” because we’re making a space to nurture the spiritual lives and Quaker identity of young people.

We hope this online community will support families and the Friends offering children’s programs in their meeting; the 9:00 start is intended to allow folks to attend worship in their own meeting later that morning.

Each 30-45 minute program is for preschool and elementary-age children and their families. Each time will feature a theme and seasoned facilitators leading us through grounding, exploring, wondering, and creating. Our program will connect with the Youth Programs theme for this year,  “Building the Quaker Community We Want to Be” and HOPE! 

  • May 15: Growing Feelings

Register below to receive the Zoom link to join! A welcome email with Zoom link will be sent on the Thursday before each Sunday program.

*If a meeting would like to share the Zoom information directly to families in your meeting, please contact the Youth Religious Life Coordinator, Melinda, directly: mwennerbradley@pym.org

Giant Children’s Meeting Registration

Part 2: Where are we going? Supporting Families and Religious Education

Written on:

Queries from PYM Faith and Practice are read at the beginning of worship each month at my meeting; one of the youth in our Young People’s Group is the reader.  In May, they were the ones about religious education: Nurturing Our Community: Religious Education in the Home and Meeting. As we think about returning to weekly programs for our children and youth, what guidance do these queries offer? This summer is a moment to pause and consider the experiences and lessons of these past months and how they might shape our programs and support for young Friends and families in our meetings. The PYM queries ask us is place in the center of our religious education programs preparation, formation, and belonging.
 [Read more…] about Part 2: Where are we going? Supporting Families and Religious Education

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