Weekly Announcements
Wednesday, September 10
5:00 p.m. Midweek Meeting for Worship, in Meetinghouse
Sunday, September 14
9:45 a.m. Early Gathering for MFW, in Meetinghouse & on Zoom
10:00 a.m. Indoor Meeting for Worship, in Meetinghouse & on Zoom
10:00 a.m. Outdoor Meeting for Worship, behind Meetinghouse
11:00 a.m. Coffee Break & Fellowship, Hosted by our Hospitality Committee
11:30 a.m. Meeting for Worship to Attend to Business, in the Meetinghouse and on Zoom
Click Here for Info about Programming for Children and Teens
World Quaker Day: October 5
Friends and Neighbors are warmly invited to join us at Abington Friends Meeting on Sunday, October 5, 2025 for our celebration of World Quaker Day with the international theme Love Your Neighbor! If you've wondered what Quakers are all about, this is your chance to visit and experience Quaker worship and fellowship. Our building is accessible, and parking is available along the curb of our driveway, just off our Greenwood Avenue entrance, in our lower parking lot or across Greenwood Avenue at the Triangle Building. We will gather in our main meetinghouse (the largest building, with a porch) at 10 AM. Following worship, all are welcome to join for lunch and fellowship just across the hall in our John Barnes Room social area. We will have music and conversation, and Friends will be glad to answer your questions about Quakers and show you around! Please join us, and feel free to bring your friends, family and questions! All are welcome!
For our Meeting community: Please sign up to help or to bring a dish to share using the link below. Follow these 3 easy steps:
1) Click this link to see our SignUp on SignUp:
https://signup.com/go/KjMEMax
2) Review the options listed and choose the spot(s) you like.
3) Sign up! It's Easy - you will NOT need to register an account or keep a password on SignUp.
Note: SignUp does not share your email address with anyone. If you prefer not to use your email address, please contact John Flak, who can sign you up manually.
Custom Quaker Apparel: Abington Meeting & World Quaker Day
Abington Monthly Meeting is thrilled to host our Friends & Neighbors for World Quaker Day on Sunday, October 5th. To commemorate the occasion, some creative Members have collaborated to design some limited edition Quaker apparel! Note that there are designs on the front and back, including the theme of the day Love Your Neighbor.
Place your order by September 15 to get your items shipped directly to your home in time for the event. We'll have a few on hand that day (at a higher price), but if you want to choose your design and size and get the reduced price, use this link:
https://www.customink.com/g/rdc0-00cz-s3d0
Order one for yourself and another for a loved one!
Special thanks go to J.Wray who captured our wonderful maple tree under which we sit for Outdoor Meeting for Worship in the summers. (And thanks to Veronica Scarpellino, who did the overall design.)
Questions? Contact Veronica Scarpellino. But don't delay, as soon as we have 75 orders, they ship!
First Day School Opening Program: Children & Adults!
Please join the Family Programming & Adult Education committees on September 21st, when we will welcome everyone back to adult education and youth and family programming for the year. Our opening program will be held at 11:30 am in the John Barnes Room. Please join us for some intergenerational fun and getting to know one another! We will also take this time to explain a bit about the plans for each committee for the year and introduce our childcare staff. If you haven't already, please complete the
registration form to enroll your child(ren) in First Day School and youth programming this year, prior to any child(ren)'s participation in any of these programs.
Important Letter from our Finance Committee:
August, 2025
Greetings Friends,
In what has become an annual tradition, like Labor Day and the first day of school, I’m writing to remind you to please financially support Abington Meeting to the extent you are able.
Overall, the state of our Meeting is robust. We have dedicated Members and Attenders who join in Worship on Sundays and dedicate their time and effort through membership on Committees. Our community provides a wonderful foundation of support and comfort in a world that is fraught with uncertainty, and I know that I personally value the opportunity to look inward to search for peace and tranquility. For all of us, our Meeting is an oasis of hope and possibility.
Many of us are struggling to sit with the news and noise that we encounter through headlines, social media posts, and the other ways we encounter current events. I think it is important to remind ourselves that supporting our Meeting with financial contributions is an important way to put some positivity back into the world. All of the things our Meeting does, big and small, local and national, personal and social, are a way of standing up for testimonies like Equality, Peace, and Integrity.
Please take the time today to contribute to our Meeting. All Members and Attenders need to do their part - each of us needs to contribute around $550 a year for us to meet our goal - and those who can afford to give more are encouraged to do so. There are a lot of ways you can make your contribution!
~ Send a check made out to Abington Monthly Meeting to the Meeting Office.
~ Visit our website https://www.abingtonquakers.org/ and click on the “How to Donate” link.
~ If you are interested in gifting shares of stock or other securities, please contact:
Ben Hoyle at hoylebt@gmail.com
~ Reach out to any of us to find out more.
In peace,
Jeremy Sullivan, Clerk, Finance Committee
Allison Boyle, Ben Hoyle, Jon Farquharson, Members, Finance Committee
Ed Jennings, Treasurer of AMM
Daniel Woodlin, Assistant Treasurer of AMM
Hank Hallowell, Clerk of Property Committee
Mat Clark, Clerk of Care of Members Committee
Deborra Sines Pancoe, Clerk of Meeting
T-Shirt Memorial - Your Help Needed!
On Saturday September 20 at 10 AM, we will be putting up a T-shirt memorial in the Triangle area at the intersection of Greenwood Ave and Meetinghouse Rd.
The AMM community in collaboration with our Peace and Social Justice Committee and Heeding God's Call, an interfaith nonprofit addressing gun violence prevention, will be erecting the structure consisting of PVC pipes for foundation and to hold the t-shirts.
These t-shirts have the names of people killed by gun violence in Montgomery County. The PS&J Committee has requested and been approved to add 3 t-shirts in remembrance of those who died by suicide and our neighbors in Philadelphia (without a name) and a t-shirt to honor Dunia Tuhenya. We only need at least 5 to 10 people to help. Work is not hard but could use some people who like to hammer down the pipe. All are welcome including children. There will be a small dedication following the construction. We have an interfaith community wide Violence Prevention Day scheduled for November 2 with more info to follow. Please contact Lynne Siqueland or Sherry Justus to let us know if you can help.
AUDIO-VISUAL GROUP
Abington Meeting is looking for a few individuals who have interest and ability in setting up audio-visual equipment on a rotating basis. We regularly use a laptop computer with a video monitor and an Owl on Sundays so we can have hybrid worship. On occasion, our adult religious education committee needs to use this equipment as well. We also have a few microphones and an amplifier that help with hearing assistance.
Do you have these valuable A-V skills? Would you be willing to assist others in setting up?
If you are interested, please let our Deborra Sines Pancoe, Clerk of Meeting, know
dspancoe@gmail.com
Thee Quaker Podcast about Benjamin Lay featuring Marcus Rediker, Mark Povinelli & Loretta Fox
Thee Quaker Podcast brings stories of spiritual courage to your ears. Hosted by Zack Jackson, a recent episode presents the story of Benjamin Lay, and the guests who are interviewed throughout the podcast are author Marcus Rediker, actor Mark Povinelli and Meeting Administrator Loretta Fox. The episode includes some information about Abington Monthly Meeting's role in Benjamin Lay's story. It's about 34 minutes in total, including a break in the middle with an inspiring story from a newer Quaker. Give a listen!
Benjamin Lay: The Quaker Abolitionist That History Forgot
Supporting Clearness: Abington Meeting Half-Day Retreat
Saturday, November 8, 2025, facilitated by Marcelle Martin, hosted by our Adult Education Committee
10 am to 12:30 pm Morning session: Support for the Spiritual Journey
We will explore how we experience the Spirit and how we can support each other in attending to the subtle ways we receive guidance and inspiration. We’ll learn about Evoking questions and practice them in pairs. We will discuss Clearness Committees and Faithfulness groups and other ways community can support us in staying centered, grounded, and energized for speaking and acting from a place of clarity and authenticity and courage.
1:30 to 3:30 pm Afternoon session : Helping Each Other Hear the Guide
In small groups of three, participants will engage in Discernment Trios, in which each person will have the opportunity to be the focus of the group and receive and respond to evoking questions. Afterwards, as a whole group, we will share our experiences of giving and receiving support for clearness and authenticity.
First Impressions Matter: Communications that Welcome and Connect
Tuesday, September 23, 2025
7:00 PM 8:15 PM
On Zoom. Registration is suggested
The Zoom link will be sent after registration.
Register here.
Your website, flyers, signage, and social media are often the first introduction someone has to your meeting. This workshop will explore how to make those first impressions clear, welcoming, and consistent. Together we’ll look at both the bigger picture – who you are, who you’re trying to connect with, and how ready you are to welcome new people – and the practical tools you need, like fonts, logos, layouts, and design basics. You’ll come away with principles and tips for creating communications that are both honest to your meeting’s spirit and attractive to the world outside your doors.
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The first in a series of workshops sponsored by Abington Quarterly Meeting that focus on inreach/outreach and engagement strategies to grow your meeting. This workshop is a collaboration between Bucks Quarter and Abington Quarterly Meeting. This first workshop will be facilitated by Wendy Kane. She was co-owner of EnForm Graphic Productions, a professional print buying service, and has 25 years of experience in the printing and graphics industry. She has worked most modes of communication, including written, digital, and print. She currently serves as the Bucks Quarter Coordinator, a full-time position unique among monthly meetings and quarters, where she brings her design expertise in service to the wider Quaker community. Wendy has a well-rounded understanding of Quaker organizations, having also served for many years with Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, working with both data and Meeting engagement. She is a long-time member of Newtown Friends Meeting, where she served as clerk of the Inreach/Outreach Committee. Communications design is a particular area of interest for her, and she brings both practical know-how and a deep sensitivity to the needs of Quaker meetings.
An Invitation for YOU:
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Are you interested in getting more involved at Abington Friends Meeting, but not sure where to begin?
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Would you like to try something new?
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Would you like to meet more people in the Meeting community?
If you answered "yes" to any of the above, please consider joining one or more of our committees! Committee work is a great way to meet people and to use your skills in service to others. Our beloved Meeting thrives because we have wonderful Friends (like YOU!) sharing their time and talents. The committees are varied, and some require less time commitment. Several of our committees welcome newcomers as well as seasoned Friends, which means that Attenders are welcome on many committees. You can read committee descriptions for all of our committees in our
Abington Meeting Handbook. A list of who is currently serving on each committee can also be found on our website:
Committee Members List.
If you'd like to learn more or to be nominated to a committee, please speak with any of our Nominating Committee members: Katie Maher (clerk), Gail Post, Sharon Eastburn, Allen Reeder, Ahashta Johnson, and Loretta Fox.
Meeting for Worship to Attend to Business
All are welcome and encouraged to attend our next meeting for worship to attend to business on Sunday, September 14 at 11:30 AM in the meetinghouse and on our regular Sunday Zoom link. Please join us!
Midweek Meeting for Worship at Abington Beginning in September
Beginning Wednesday September 10th, a Meeting for Worship will be held in the meetinghouse from 5:00 to 6:00 pm.
The Midweek Meeting for Worship will occur every Wednesday thereafter from 5:00 to 6:00 through the end of the year. It will include silent worship and opportunities for worship sharing in the manner of Friends.
For more information, please contact George Schaefer.
Book Signing & Sale: November 16, 2025
All are welcome to our first Book Signing and Sale! All of the authors are Quakers (or Quaker-adjacent!), but the books are on a wide variety of subjects and for different age levels. Come and browse, and meet the authors! If you'd like to arrive by 10 AM, you are welcome to join us for meeting for worship, or just plan to arrive between 11 AM and 1 PM for the Book Signing.
PYM - Department Homeland Security Lawsuit Webpage
Our Philadelphia Yearly Meeting (PYM) has set up
this webpage that can be utilized by Friends for updates from general secretary, minutes, press coverage, resources, information on how monthly meetings are responding, and more.
Ongoing Connections for Friends of Color, hosted by Friends General Conference (FGC)
Virtual Worship for Friends of Color:
Evening Weekly Worship
Event Details - every Weds evening at 7pm.
In 2018, Friends General Conference began hosting virtual worship for People of Color. FGC established this practice as a result of a request by Friends of Color who participated in a retreat that summer. This is an opportunity for Friends of Color to connect across the United States and Canada. For more information and the link to participate:
Click Here
LGBTQIA+ Resources | PYM
A few provided resources that Friends may choose utilize, learn, and share when connecting with the LGBTQIA+ community members and Friends.
Click Here for resources.
Neurodivergent Friends Discussion Group
Join our Neurodivergent Friends gathering! This is an online gathering. We worship together, build community, and share our experiences of the gifts and challenges of being neurodiverse folks among Friends. Over time we may explore what we need to fully engage in the life of our meetings; how to communicate our needs to our communities; ways that we experience the Divine; openings and blocks in meeting for worship; how to support Friends with other kinds of disabilities; and probably many other topics.
The discussion group will be held on Second Tuesdays at 7pm EST/ 4pm PT/ 1pm HT for 1.5 hours.
Please
sign up here if you’re interested in participating. Drop in when you are able.
There is no registration fee required to attend this Spiritual Deepening offering.
For more information:
https://www.fgcquaker.org/event/neurodivergent-friends-discussion-group
Time to Share our Joys!
Especially now, Friends need news of joy. If you have a new job, a new family member, a life event of any kind, a new endeavor or milestone or accomplishment (big or small), please share your happiness with Friends! The "News of Friends" section of our monthly newsletter is the perfect place to do this, so please bring a smile to others in the Meeting community by sharing your joy! Please email a few sentences about your joy to Loretta at AMM@abingtonfriends.net.
Coffee Break Hosts Needed
Friends are encouraged to sign up to host a coffee break following our meeting for worship. Committees, families or individuals are welcome to sign up to host. If you'd like to work with someone else, feel free to find a Friend and sign up together.
Click here for our Coffee Break Sign Up Sheet.
Donations of Non-Perishable Food and Goods Needed!
Due to the recent cuts to federal aid for many local food banks, your help is needed more than ever. Please drop off your items in the vestibule of the meetinghouse.
WiFi at Abington Meeting
When you are on site at Abington Friends Meeting, members and attenders are welcome and encouraged to use our Meeting WiFi.
Search for it on your device as: Verizon_PSCC43
The password is: talk-mufti6-dna
Some Friendly Reminders...
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Our First Aid Kit for the meetinghouse is kept on the kitchen counter in full view for easy access. It is important that it is replaced there if moved.
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Food and beverages are not permitted in the meetinghouse. Please enjoy your refreshments in the John Barnes Room or on the porch.
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If you are meeting after First Day Worship or any other time when Cathy/Mike/Bob are not immediately available, please remember to lock both Short Stables doors and/or the meetinghouse (whichever you have used) when you leave. All clerks with codes should also remember to set the alarm after using the meetinghouse. Otherwise, the buildings may be open for a substantial period of time before Mike or Bob or Cathy return to the property. Thank you for your ongoing cooperation.
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When you are present at the meetinghouse, please remember to wear your nametag. If you need a nametag, please sign up on the list just below the nametag shelf in the John Barnes Room.
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When you visit our meetinghouse property on Sundays or for special events at other times, please do not park on the grass. Thank you!
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Please remember that our meetinghouse driveway is One Way. We have had some near-misses recently with cars exiting the property the wrong way. Please remember to enter by Greenwood Avenue, and exit only onto Meetinghouse Road. One Way signs are posted along the driveway.
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Many of us consider our meetinghouse to be a second home, so as a friendly reminder, please treat the Meeting property as though it really is your home: Pick up trash, wash and dry your dishes, turn off the lights, and lock doors on your way out. Please remember that we do not have a Caretaker to clean up, so we all share this responsibility. Thank you, Friends!
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Please rinse all items before putting them in the recycling bin. Please remember that ALL items with recycling codes (such as plastic cups) go in the recycling bins - there has been some tendency to put some recyclables in the trash, and then the trash has to be sorted.
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The sections of the meetinghouse closest to the East Wing have been designated as an area to be used ONLY for Friends who choose to wear masks. We ask that Friends who wish to be unmasked kindly sit elsewhere in the meetinghouse. Friends wearing masks are still welcome to sit anywhere, but we acknowledge that some Friends prefer to sit only near others with masks on. Please maintain safe distancing, because comfort levels vary among Friends, and some Friends are higher risk.
As Friends, we are called to be ministers to one another...
If you are struggling or wish to be held in the Light, or if you’re concerned for another member or attender who is struggling, please tell anyone on Care of Members Committee. For concerns about meeting for worship or its vocal ministry, please talk to anyone on Worship & Ministry Committee.
Clearness committees are offered by both Care of Members and Worship & Ministry for different issues:
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Care of Members arranges clearness committees for membership, marriage, and for help in resolving conflict. We can provide assistance on identifying resources to help address personal or financial challenges.
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Worship & Ministry arranges clearness committees to help anyone with a strong leading or concern that is especially spiritual and potentially a called ministry, with the goal of helping the Friend achieve clarity regarding: the nature of the concern or leading; next steps; and potential future support for faithfulness to that leading.
Your Help is Needed
If you believe in the good work that we do at our beloved Abington Friends Meeting, please give regularly so that we can continue our work within our community and the wider world. This is a friendly reminder that donations of any amount are needed to continue this work. Please click on the
How to Donate tab for specific ways to donate, including credit card, ACH and Venmo. Checks should be payable to Abington Monthly Meeting. Thank you for your generosity!
Daily Worship with Pendle Hill
In need of more frequent Quaker connection? You are invited to join the Pendle Hill community for worship, which takes place in the Barn and online from 8:30am to 9:10am every day, Monday through Sunday.
Our daily Meeting for Worship, a gathering based in silence, is central to life at Pendle Hill and has been held every day since Pendle Hill first opened its doors in 1930. We invite you to join us, whatever your beliefs, convictions, and experiences.
Learning Opportunities at Pendle Hill
Pendle Hill offers many interesting and enlightening programs all year long. For complete information about what's coming up,
click here.