Three times each year, Friends in local and quarterly meeting leadership (clerks, assistant clerks, treasurers, committee clerks) gather online with the presiding clerk and General Secretary. The gatherings include timely announcements and shared conversation, and are one way that we connect across meetings in the yearly meeting. The May 2024 gatherings included several announcements to share back to meetings, and small group discussions around topics of interest.
At both events this month, the General Secretary shared a presentation about the PYM Strategic Directions. Reflections from the small groups are shared below, followed by the announcements. As always, it was a time of sharing and learning from one another across our Quarters and local meetings. The Leadership Gathering dates for 2024-25 are listed below — please mark your calendars, and if there are changes in clerk, treasurer, committee clerks, etc. for your meeting, please visit the “Meeting Updates” section of the website to update for communications from the yearly meeting.
- September 2024: (Thursdays) Quarterly Meetings on September 12, and Monthly Meetings on September 19
- January 2025 : (Wednesdays) Quarterly Meetings on January 8, and Monthly Meetings on January 15
- May 2025: (Tuesdays) Quarterly Meetings on May 13, and Monthly Meetings on May 20
Quarterly Meetings — Breakout Groups Conversation Recap
The group who gathered on May 15 explored a query from the agenda: “Is there a Quarterly Meeting role in addressing the threads – the concerns that are common to most meetings, such as ministry or peace & concerns – across the Quarter and in the local meetings?” The conversation included wonderful sharing from Friends about the ways that the Quarterly Meeting can play a role in supporting meetings, including examples of in-reach and outreach that have been effective and models for how Quarters gather.
Monthly Meetings — Breakout Groups Conversation Recap
Friends chose two of the topics on the agenda to discuss, and reported back to the whole group:
What are ways we weave together spiritual community, fellowship, and the business of the meeting?
Friends shared expansively, and held up times when it has been a struggle to maintain spiritual wholeness in conflict. The group reported that smaller meetings may benefit from a structured process to support handling potential strife. Friends considered the interconnectedness of respecting everyone’s voice and upholding respect for the Friends Way, especially in times of conflict.
There was a sense that joy that can be found in Friends’ stewardship of process. The discussion illuminated the range of skills and responses that build the capacity for the healthy functioning of a meeting; centering into worship, eldering, conflict transformation, limit setting & accountability, and, always, caring for the community as a whole as well as individuals. A Friend noted that in meeting for worship with attention to business, it is necessary at times to stop business when it becomes clear more worship is needed. This group noted that they “had a very good session.”
“Who do we say we are?” In our outreach and community relationships, and for seekers, how we do share what Quakerism offers?
Friends wondered about “who do we say we are,” and how they communicate their witness to neighbors through different platforms like social media or physical displays. There was a discussion on avenues for meetings outreach. Friends shared about “bringing people in” to their witness through programming open to anyone in their communities. Some such events included piano lessons, summer camp, and beekeeping programs!
Announcements for Meetings:
Staff announcements included introducing and welcoming Claire Kinnel, Community Engagement Coordinator. Read more here about Claire, and Larry Tiblis, who also joined staff this spring as the Web and Digital Manager.
Registration is open for the following events that are part of our PYM Annual Sessions this summer. They are shared with the encouragement to pass them along in meetings!
- June 5, 12, 18, 26 (online) — Summer Bible Study Series: “Called to Healing”
- June 29 at Arch Street Meeting House — Celebration of George Fox’s 400th Birthday and the Future of Quakerism
- July 6-7, PYM’s 344th Annual Sessions — Online and at Haverford College