Philadelphia Yearly Meeting

of the Religious Society of Friends

Yearly Meeting News

New Case Management Services for PYM Friends

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A new resource is available for Friends in our yearly meeting!

Thanks to a generous need-based grant, members and regular attenders of PYM may be eligible to receive up to 10 hours of professional case management services through Living Care Home Services (LCHS). Eligibility is determined by individual need. LCHS, though based in Pennsylvania, serves the entire PYM region.

Case management can connect Friends with long term care, health care referrals, mental health resources, debt management and debt consolidation counseling, support with housing, help applying for social services, and help securing in-home care.

[Read more…] about New Case Management Services for PYM Friends

Insights from Recording Clerks Training: Ministry, Accountability, Community

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A recent virtual Recording Clerks Training hosted by Philadelphia Yearly Meeting shared helpful insights for those interested in becoming a recording clerk. Led by Deborah Haines and Becka Haines Rosenberg of Baltimore Yearly Meeting, the session showed how recording minutes can be more than just keeping track of decisions. Recording is a way to serve the community with care and attention, guided by the Spirit moving through the meeting. Here are key points from the training:

[Read more…] about Insights from Recording Clerks Training: Ministry, Accountability, Community

Partnership with Church World Service

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In October, PYM announced a new partnership with Church World Service (CWS) as a covenant member. During the recent Joint Council meeting, Clerk Nikki Mosgrove led a discussion on PYM’s new relationship with CWS, a national faith-based organization focused on just and sustainable responses to hunger, poverty, displacement, and disaster. This partnership allows PYM to nominate board members and collaborate closely on CWS’s work, although it holds no voting rights. CWS extended this invitation to deepen the connection, reflecting their commitment to building impactful relationships. The council plans to review this partnership at a future session to assess its impact.
[Read more…] about Partnership with Church World Service

Building Connections Through Grief, Loss, and Pastoral Care

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On October 19th, Friends gathered at Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting for a Thread Gathering focused on grief, loss, and pastoral care. The day provided space for conversations about how meetings offer support during life’s difficult moments. Participants shared their experiences, noting that strong relationships help meetings respond when members are going through challenges.

[Read more…] about Building Connections Through Grief, Loss, and Pastoral Care

Nikki Mosgrove Begins as Presiding Clerk of PYM

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On August 1, 2024, Nikki Mosgrove stepped into the role of Presiding Clerk of the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting (a collection of 105 Quaker congregations in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania). She is tasked with facilitating business among as . Among unprogrammed Friends, who eschews religious hierarchy, a clerk is the first among equals. Her discernment process in accepting this role involved 30 days of prayer and reflection with people of many different spiritual practices: Presbyterians, Baptists, Nontheists, Pentecostals, and Quakers.

[Read more…] about Nikki Mosgrove Begins as Presiding Clerk of PYM

Upcoming Grant Deadlines: December 1, 2024 – March 31, 2025

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Funds are available for outreach, traveling for interfaith dialog, service, or ministry, Indigenous people and communities, and more. Apply today!
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October 2024 | Joint Council Update

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On Saturday, October 12th, the three councils that support Philadelphia Yearly Meeting—Quaker Life Council, Administrative Council, and Nominating Council—held their first meeting in a new joint format. In this structure, all three councils meet together as one Joint Council to worship, discern, and conduct business collaboratively. A key feature in the joint format is the approval of minutes during the meeting. This allows the Joint Council to share the minutes in a news story with the PYM community in the week following the meeting.

October Minutes →

[Read more…] about October 2024 | Joint Council Update

Be the First to Shape A Virtual Platform for PYM Friends | PYM Connect

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A ministry of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting is to keep the body interconnected, and the virtual tools available allow Friends to share their messages and connect faster.  PYM staff are finding and providing new resources across the yearly meeting community to help keep connected. Friends no longer have to wait for an event or session; they will be able to connect anytime and anywhere, and PYM is looking for participants to provide input on an online platform.

[Read more…] about Be the First to Shape A Virtual Platform for PYM Friends | PYM Connect

Attending The Gathering From Childhood Reinforced Lifelong Connections with Friends

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Attending the Gathering from Childhood Reinforced Lifelong Connections with Friends

When I was nine, my family’s move brought us to a different unprogrammed meeting in a new state. My newly- made friend’s warm, cheerful mother invited me to go to the Cape May, New Jersey, Conference (not called the Gathering yet) with her and my friend, since my family was not able to attend. I eagerly accepted. [Read more…] about Attending The Gathering From Childhood Reinforced Lifelong Connections with Friends

Friends Fiduciary Welcomes New Executive Director

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Last month Friends Fiduciary named a new Executive Director: Ethan Birchard.  PYM, as well as many meetings, Friends schools, retirement communities, and other Quaker organizations trusts Fiduciary to invest funds and advocate for change in a way that is in alignment with Quaker testimonies. The announcement letter from Bennett Lomax (Doylestown Meeting), board chair for Fiduciary, shares some information about Ethan and welcomes him to the role.
[Read more…] about Friends Fiduciary Welcomes New Executive Director

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