When I contacted Willistown to ask if I could come and visit, they said absolutely!! and by the way we have really good coffee! I didn’t need any more encouragement than that! I was warmly welcomed as some Friends were busy setting up the coffee hour for after meeting and others were busy filling out Birthday Cards. They have a practice of writing and mailing birthday cards to all the members and attenders that have a birthday that month. Meeting for Worship was set up as hybrid with Friends negotiating the challenges of technology. The worship was well attended and included a younger couple and their children. I found the messages very deep and supportive and felt a real sense of being gathered. There was time to chat after Meeting and I had a good visit over a really good cup of coffee and some sweats. They were right about their coffee and it was clear that their overall hospitality was just as good as their coffee!
Visit to Goshen on February 16th
This was my second visit to Goshen as I also attended the Quarterly Meeting there last October. Just like at Quarterly Meeting, it was so heartening to see the many families and children fully engaged in the Meeting and First Day School. The Meeting is clearly putting a lot of time and effort into supporting the needs of families with small children, and it is working! I spoke to one young couple after Meeting. They had been “shopping around for a Meeting with a good children’s program” and eventually found Goshen. They said that there was no need to look any further and they have been there ever since. The Meeting for Worship includes the children coming in for the last few minutes and it brightened the room when they all paraded in. The Meeting is gracefully adjusting to the added hustle and bustle and is very open to adjusting to meet the children’s needs. The Meeting for Worship was hybrid with two Friends attending via Zoom. It was a quiet, peaceful Meeting for Worship and by the end it was full of the added joy and energy of the youth. There was a delicious spread of snacks after Meeting as Friends of all ages needed some nourishment before their Monthly Meeting for Business. They also provide childcare during this added time. Even though I was not staying, I felt obligated to try out a few of the snacks myself. The cold grape and cheese kabobs were wonderful! .
Visit to West Chester Meeting on November 17th
I was invited to participate in West Chester Meeting’s Intergenerational Worship on the third Sunday. They asked me to share some songs (guitar) with them to open the worship time together. I chose three different style sing-along songs to share. The first was the African American Spiritual, “I’m Gon a Sing When The Spirit says Sing. The group gave me different words/actions to fill in. The kids made some fun suggestions. https://www.riseupandsing.org/songs/im-gonna-do-what-spirit-says
The second song was a tribute to trees and nature, as well as a fun memory game, “The Green Grass Grew All Around.” Again I asked the group to fill in some of the verses and they came up with some great ideas about things (we love) that grow on trees, including a banana. https://www.riseupandsing.org/songs/green-grass-grew-all-around
The third song, “Lead with Love.” was written (and is often performed) by an amazing Music Activist, Melanie DeMore. I introduced it by saying that this song gives us some really good advice when we find ourselves in a situation where we don’t know what to do. https://www.riseupandsing.org/songs/lead-love
I really appreciated being invited and being able to participate in this intergenerational worship time. The children stayed for a good portion of the Meeting for Worship and were engaged in cooperative coloring activities in a space in the middle of the Meeting Room. It is clear that a lot of thought and effort has gone into making the Meeting a space where children and tweens/teens feel welcome and valued.
Visit to Wilmington Meeting on November 3rd
Wilmington Meeting invited me to come and share in their “Quaker Conversations,” on the first Sunday of the month. Fortunately the time change (extra hour) helped me get there on time because the program started at 8:30am! I brought an original skit (The Big Ear) to share with the group. The different parts were handed out and we had a really nice impromptu performance together. I also shared some reflections from my memoir , “Who Turned On the Light.” There was a really deep sharing time and ministering to one another that came forth from the group. It was both a very fun and uplifting (early!) morning together. Thank you! It is clear that the Meeting is putting a lot of time and effort into helping new attenders (and old) learn more about the roots and practices of Friends.
Visiting Meetings Sign-up
Please use this form to schedule a visit from the Coordinator
Traveling to Quaker Spring in June
Click below for information about Quaker Spring
Embracing Spiritual Gifts with Adria Gulizia
Last night, November 8, 2022, I had the pleasure of attending a First Monday Series event hosted by Pendle Hill .
This lecture focused on the Spiritual Gifts of our members.
Forest Fridays with West Chester Friends School (An Update!)
In July 2022 Michelle Lozowski shared her intention to bring ‘Forest Fridays’ to West Chester Friends School as part of her Kindergarten curriculum. (The original article is shared below) I had the pleasure of following up with Michelle and receiving updates on the program.
2022 PYM Annual Session Resources
Our Coordinator served, for the second time, on the Epistle Committee.
The Approved Philadelphia Yearly Meeting Epistle can be found here.
Key Note Presentation with Epchez Yes
2022 Spiritual Formation Retreat with Clinton Pettus
Olivia Brangan shared the following communications:
“The Spiritual Formation Retreat seeks to ground and center participants in a deeper communion with Spirit while preparing individuals to participate, listen, and learn for the upcoming PYM Annual Sessions week together. The Sessions Retreat’s theme is ‘Getting There from Here’, based on PYM’s Sessions Coordinating Committee (SCC) theme of Across Generations’.
Growing Our Meetings: An ongoing journey with outreach
As time goes on ways to grow meetings evolves. This blog post hosts notes, resources and presentations to assist in understanding past methods and best practices across different meetings and quarters.
Frama-12 by Aud Supplee
Loving Kindness Meditation
On Tuesday, June 21, 2022 University of Pennsylvania’s Memory Center hosted an event on Loving Kindness Meditation. It was peace provoking and provided the space to experience love and kindness within my own being. In this day and age when self criticism seems to be very prevalent, it is good to take a moment and share kind words with yourself to maintain balance.
I share resources from that presentation and my Yoga Teacher Training below.
Try this exercise to create more positive space for yourself.
Juneteenth Celebration in the Quarter
Friends, you are invited to join in Celebrating Juneteenth in the Quarter!
Information is linked below.
Westtown Monthly Meeting:
On June 15 at 6 pm, the DEI Committee will host an in-person Juneteenth celebration with food, music, and games at the Lake House. RSVPs will be required for a head count for food. Please RSVP to Charlotte Feierman at cfeierma@aol.com. Children are welcome.
On June 19th, that actual date of Juneteenth, Tracy Charles and the Charles Family Singers will bring us Gospel songs and Spirituals at 10:10 a.m. for hymn sing before Meeting.
Concord Quarter Newsletter Word Find
Download the latest word find to share with Friends and Family.
Enjoy a new way to get Youth involved and learn new words.
Guidance for Gathering Workshop and Resources
On May 7, 2022 Philadelphia Yearly Meeting hosted a workshop featuring New York Yearly Meeting’s Emily Provance. Emily shared a document with helpful queries which prompted reflection and discussion. She encouraged us to bring this to our Meetings and work through its sections bit by bit over time, with no rush and ample attention to the deeper meaning as it pertains to each of us.
