Philadelphia Yearly Meeting

of the Religious Society of Friends

Philadelphia Yearly Meeting

Introducing Jean-Marie Prestwidge Barch and Frank Barch, PYM’s Co-Clerks

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Redefined clerking roles filled by some new faces

Annual Sessions 2020 saw some important changes in leadership. First, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting’s (PYM) clerking roles were re-adjusted to be better aligned with volunteer capacities and PYM’s needs, and Nominating Council then proposed a roster of skilled Friends to fill these redefined roles.

Jean-Marie Prestwidge Barch and Frank Barch, members of Schuylkill Monthly Meeting, were appointed to a two-year non-renewable term as Co-Clerks of PYM. Our Alternate Clerk, Jonathon Rhoads, was released from his stewardship role clerking for the community with much gratitude. Melissa Rycroft, formerly clerk of Nominating Council, and a member from Upper Susquehanna Quarter, accepted the position of Rising Clerk. James (Jim) Waddington was appointed Clerk of the Administrative Council.

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Interview with Janaki Spickard Keeler, FCS Coordinator

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PYM’s Friends Counseling Service (FCS) brings forward a spiritually sensitive, clinical expertise to care for the mental health and wellness of individuals in the wider Quaker community.

Janaki Spickard Keeler was recently appointed as the FCS Coordinator.  As part of her daily job, she interacts with local Quaker communities, supports present counselors, recruits new counselors, helps promote the service, and attends events throughout the yearly meeting to speak on matters related to mental health and wellness.

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YAF At-Home Spring Retreat 2020: In Light Together, Apart Week 5

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This series titled, “In Light Together, Apart” shares artwork of the attenders from the Young Adult Friend (YAF) retreat on May 15-16, 2020. The idea behind the retreat was to collaboratively create something that speaks to where young adult friends were at that time. The themes that emerged were: time, place, people, loss, change, searching, and reflection. The stories and art shared in this series reflect the feelings and opinions of the people who made them. YAF’s have been hosting weekly YAF worship services, and this week it will be on Sunday the 28th.

This week we feature art by Jen Schrandt of Haddonfield Monthly Meeting and Meg Rose of Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting. Meg also serves PYM as our YAF Coordinator. This week’s story comes from Naomi Madaras.

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Zenaida Peterson Leads A Poetry Project for All

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Philadelphia Yearly Meeting Poem 2020

Our Annual Sessions poet-in-residence, Zenaida Peterson, will weave
together a yearly meeting POEM based on your reflections!

All ages are invited to participate and Families with children can work together. You can assist younger children in writing their lines of poetry, or scribe for them. We hope everyone in a household will share as they are led!

The queries

How do we find Spirit in the shadows during this time?

What does it mean to be Faithful now?

  • Begin your poetry experience:
  • Pick one of the queries to reflect upon. Set a timer for 15 minutes.
  • Reflect. Discern. Write!
  • Tease out your favorite lines.
  • Email those lines to poetry@pym.org

Mail your poetry

Philadelphia Yearly Meeting
Attn: Annual Sessions
1515 Cherry Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102

The poem will be revealed at Annual Sessions

Zenaida will receive the reflections, and weave together all the lines Friends of our yearly meeting have submitted to create a Yearly Meeting Poem 2020. This will be revealed during the week of Annual Sessions, July 29-August 2.

YAF At-Home Spring Retreat 2020: In Light Together, Apart Week 4

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This series titled, “In Light Together, Apart” shares artwork of the attenders from the Young Adult Friend (YAF) retreat on May 15-16, 2020. The idea behind the retreat was to collaboratively create something that speaks to where young adult friends were at that time. The themes that emerged were: time, place, people, loss, change, searching, and reflection. The stories and art shared in this series reflect the feelings and opinions of the people who made them.

[Read more…] about YAF At-Home Spring Retreat 2020: In Light Together, Apart Week 4

YAF At-Home Spring Retreat 2020: In Light Together, Apart Week 3

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This series titled, “In Light Together, Apart” shares artwork of the attenders from the Young Adult Friend (YAF) retreat on May 15-16, 2020. The idea behind the retreat was to collaboratively create something that speaks to where young adult friends were at that time. The themes that emerged were: time, place, people, loss, change, searching, and reflection.

[Read more…] about YAF At-Home Spring Retreat 2020: In Light Together, Apart Week 3

Black Lives Matter: Quaker Schools Share Powerful Messages and Resources

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Over the past week, people have been assembling in peace to express grief and voice concern over police brutality and racism in the killings of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota; Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky; and Ahmaud Arbery in Southeastern Georgia.

Like many monthly meetings, Friends School communities were deeply affected by these issues. As a result, school administrations and trustees at schools in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware published powerful messages on their websites that were centered in the Quaker belief that there is that of God in everyone and Friends’ testimony of Equality. These have been basic tenets of the faith since the time of Margaret Fell and George Fox.

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