Warm Greetings!
Two dates to highlight for Friends this month are opportunities to widen our lens on Quaker history and Friends today . . .
October 6 is World Quaker Day
, brought to us by Friends World Committee for Consultation each year to celebrate our World Family of Friends. Read more below about resources to help meetings celebrate and participate. One place to start is the
FWCC map of Quakers in the world
, and the
reports from WQD 2018
which include pictures of Friends gathered across the globe -- starting early on Sunday morning in New Zealand! Last year, three PYM meetings contributed photos to the WQD report -- let's see how many of us can
share our story
as part of "where are the Quakers" 2019!
October 24 is William Penn's 375th birthday
, and the "REsource Sharing" section this month lists some existing materials Friends might use to explore and celebrate Penn's life. It is also important for us to consider and hold up for examination the parts of Penn's story that do not appear in many of these resources, namely his participation in slaveholding. More below.
This issue also includes lots of news about events for religious educators, youth, parents and families, and open positions on the PYM Youth Programs team.
Read on!
In service and joy,
Melinda Wenner Bradley
Youth Religious Life Coordinator
Recipients are subscribed to the PYM Religious Education Thread List and the Youth Programs Thread List.
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We will gather from 10am-4pm with our
Community of Practice
to explore the ways in which our meetings can support children, youth, and families, and we can support one another in this ministry.
The morning session will include worship and introductions, sharing emergent work and growing edges, and lifting up the questions we're holding. Following brown bag lunch and fellowship, we'll break into small groups holding a concern for a particular topic, and share those discussions back to the whole group. If you have a particular topic of interest in mind, please share in advance using the online registration form linked above.
Thanks to Wilmington Meeting for hosting!
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Programs for Youth & Families
Please share in your meeting!
Most programs have registration on the event pages linked below.
Next up . . .
Saturday, October 12 for Families
:
Apple picking, cider donuts, Friends & Families coming together!
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REsource Sharing:
Happy 375th birthday, William Penn!
*It is suggested that older curricula be read with a concern for outdated assumptions and implicit bias.
As we consider Penn's legacy, the ongoing work for Native Justice, and upcoming holidays which include the the history of relationship between Native people and colonizers, two additional resources to share for October and November --
The beautiful book,
Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message
by Jake Swamp, is a special children's version of the Thanksgiving Address, a message of gratitude that originated with the Native people of upstate New York and Canada and that is still spoken at ceremonial gatherings held by the Iroquois, or Six Nations. The message "is based on the belief that the natural world is a precious and rare gift - from the moon and the stars to the tiniest blade of grass." An opportunity to center the Native American voice in Thanksgiving celebrations at meeting and in homes.
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"FWCC invites you to join Quakers around the world to celebrate the 6th annual World Quaker Day. The theme,
Sustainability: Planting Seeds of Renewal for the World We Love
draws us into our shared experience of earth care and the spiritual imperative to sustain life on earth."
World Quaker Day
Lesson Plans
for children, youth, and multigenerational groups on the QREC website.
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Invitation to Join a Virtual Quaker Parent Discussion Group
As Quakers have you ever wondered:
How your Quaker faith can give support and guidance to your parenting?
How your parenting is part of your spiritual journey?
What guidance does Quakerism give to knowing how to deal with behavior challenges, from toddlers to teens?
The Quaker Parenting Initiative, with support from New England and New York yearly meetings, is offering an opportunity to explore these questions in a
5-week online series starting on October 17.
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Join the Young Programs Team!
PYM is Hiring!
We're currently seeking two new members to join the Youth Programs Staff Team:
Children and Families Program Assistant
, and
Middle School Friends Assistant.
The Youth Programs team centers five areas in our work with youth and their families:
- Quaker Community
- Creative Spirituality
- Building Relationships
- Play and Joy
- Stretch and Surrender (how we learn!)
Does this resonate with you? Are you interested in a part-time position with a collaborative, supportive group of colleagues and wonderful young people?
Learn more on the
PYM website
where the job descriptions
and application information are posted!
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"I still have a question about resources, programs . . .
or a great idea to share!"
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Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends
1515 Cherry Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102
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