THE FRIDAY BEE July 17, 2026
SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY, JULY 19
10:20am
Greeter
TBD
10:30am
Child Care
Starts in kindergarten building across the driveway
10:30am
Meeting for Worship
In-person in the meeting house, or remote (on Zoom).
10:50am
First Day School
During the summer months, our First Day School class takes a pause.
Children of all ages may join together for play in the kindergarten.
Children are always welcome to join their families in Meeting for Worship. Those wanting more activity may go to the kindergarten after a period of worship with their families, or go to the kindergarten from the start.
Our standard First Day School will resume in September!
Questions about First Day School at GMM?
Please contact Carla Childs.
11:30am
Introductions & Announcements
Caroline Davidson
11:35am
Zoom Social Time
Zoom attendees, please stay online to join in a Zoom social time after Meeting for Worship!
11:40am
Refreshments
TBD
PROTOCOL FOR MEETING FOR WORSHIP (Zoom, hybrid, in-person)
Please maintain silence as you enter the Zoom meeting or the meetinghouse so Friends can center and settle into worship. Masks are optional in the meetinghouse. Feel free to wear one if you wish. We have a supply if you’ve forgotten yours. If you have a fever or are feeling unwell, please stay home and join our worship on Zoom.
MEETING NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! Food Distribution in front of GMM
When? This Sunday, July 19 (& every 3rd Sunday)
- 9:30am for set-up & 12:00-3:00pm for distribution
Where? In front of Germantown Meetinghouse on Coulter Street
The Center for Returning Citizens (TCRC) Community Healing Center Food Distribution takes place every 3rd Sunday out on Coulter Street, in front of the Meetinghouse. Helping hands are needed and always appreciated!
Questions? Contact Jondhi Harrell
GMM WORSHIPS WITH GREEN STREET MEETING IN JULY & AUGUST!
We are happy to resume our summer tradition of worshiping together with Green Street Friends Meeting.
- During July, Green Street members & attenders will join us in our meetinghouse for Sunday worship.
- During August, we will worship at Green Street meetinghouse (just a block away).
Our meetinghouse will be closed during August, to allow for the Property Committee to complete annual maintenance & repairs.
QUAKER NEWS & EVENTS
REGISTER NOW: PHILADELPHIA QUARTERLY MEETING - Summer Meeting
- Theme: Helping Our Neighbors: Immigration, Solidarity, and Action
When? This Sunday, July 19, 10:30am - 4:00pm
Where? Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting (20 Mermaid Lane)
Philadelphia Quarterly Meeting invites Friends to a day of worship, fellowship, and reflection. The session will begin by helping Friends understand current realities facing immigrant neighbors and how allies across the city, including Monthly Meetings in our Quarter, are responding.
REGISTER NOW: PHILADELPHIA YEARLY MEETING (PYM) ANNUAL SESSIONS
When? July 22 - 26
Where? Cheyney University & on Zoom
Annual Sessions is when a PYM gathers as a community for our shared commitment to each other and our faith. Friends can expect keynote speakers, worship, opportunities for fellowship, and a return to the community-led workshops around outreach, property, sustainability, and more!
Theme: Members One of Another, reminds Friends that our faith is not only about the ways we join together, but also about the relationships we care for across the yearly meeting and our communities.
PHILADELPHIA YEARLY MEETING (PYM)
- PYM Weekly Update
- PYM Events Calendar: Check out upcoming and ongoing programs promoted by PYM
GERMANTOWN FRIENDS SCHOOL (GFS) NEWS & EVENTS
THE GAPS MAKE US HUMAN – ANOTHER GFS STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Joey Szpilczak's ’27 artwork and accompanying essay was one of 35 submissions from across the globe to win The New York Times multimedia challenge.
TAKE ACTION!
RALLY DEMANDING ICE OUT OF PHILLY COURTS
When? Wednesday, July 22, 8:00am - 12:00noon
Where? Criminal Justice Center (1301 Filbert St)
As ICE targets immigrants showing up for court dates, Sheriff Bilal and other members of Philly's judicial system are avoiding accountability.
WE MAKE PHILLY LAUNCH PARTY –
When? Saturday, July 25, 2026 3:00 - 6:00pm
Where? Unitarian Society of Germantown (6511 Lincoln Drive)
Help us celebrate the people who make Philly home!
Philadelphia has always been shaped by the people who live here: the neighbors who show up for one another, the families building roots, the faith communities serving their blocks, and the everyday people who keep this city moving. Join in as we celebrate the launch of this campaign with a true Philly-style block party: food, music, community, and the people who are building a future where every neighborhood can thrive.
WRITE GET OUT THE VOTE POSTCARDS!
Sign up to write Get Out the Vote postcards to some key states for the November 3 midterm elections –
– Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio & Wisconsin.
These postcards are proven to boost Democratic turnout by up to 1.3%, which can be enough to tip the scales!
TRYING TO FIND SOCIAL JUSTICE EVENTS?
Mobilize is a central posting site with opportunities for local actions for protest and in support of social justice.
- See more here, and bookmark their site!
➤ LIST OF ONGOING/WEEKLY SOCIAL JUSTICE EVENTS
CLICK HERE for a list of ongoing, weekly/regularly scheduled vigils & protests supporting immigrants, Palestine, peace, Constitutional rights, etc.
- Includes standing events such as — Fridays @ Fettermans, Mondays @ McCormicks, We the People Wednesdays, etc.
(These used to be listed every week in the Friday Bee, but we are consolidating them into their own linked document.)
Have more ongoing protests and vigils to include?
Send them to the GMM Office (gmm@germantownfriends.org)
GERMANTOWN & NEARBY
RETREAT FROM THE POOR AIR QUALITY – GO TO LOCAL THEATER!
Old Academy Players: Summer One-Act Bonanza
When? Friday & Saturday, July 17 & 18 @ 8:00pm; Sunday, July 19 at 2:00pm
Where? Old Academy Players (3544 Indian Queen Lane)
A showcase of 7 quick comedies for your delight! This year’s playwrights will keep you laughing with short plays both hilarious and poignant.
SUMMER WITH CINDY: FREE CONCERTS IN THE PARK
When & Where?
- Tuesday, July 21, 5:00 - 7:00pm, at Morris Estate Recreation Center (1610 W. Chelten Ave)
- Wednesday, July 22, 5:00 - 7:00pm, in Vernon Park (5800 Germantown Ave)
Come experience family friendly events with Councilmember Cindy Bass – laugh, dance and create memories at our public parks.
WRESTLING WITH JUSTICE: QUAKERS AND NORTHERN SLAVERY LECTURE –
A Promise Made in Philadelphia: Charles and Molly Logan and the Case of Pleasants v. Pleasants
When? Wednesday, July 22, 6:00 - 7:00pm
Where? Stenton Museum (4601 N. 18th Street) OR on Zoom
Join Early American Historian, William Fernandez Hardin, whose work centers the legal experiences of enslaved people in the Revolutionary and early national periods. Hardin’s research focuses on recasting an historic, landmark case “Pleasants v Pleasants,” from the perspectives of enslaved people involved, as a story of their own agency, rather than solely of Quaker antislavery activism.
QUAKER RESOURCES
OTHER (VIRTUAL) WORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
- Pendle Hill – Daily Zoom meeting for worship online from 8:30-9:10 am
- Friends Council on National Legislation (FCNL) Witness Wednesdays: Weekly worship at 5:15pm (ET)
- Friends General Conference’s (FGC) has many options for worship & discussion, including Newcomers & Seekers, Friends of Color Monthly worship, BIPOC Womxn’s space, White Friends Confronting Racism, Gen X Friends (new), Neurodivergent Friends (new). The offerings keep growing! Click here for the calendar
- Quaker Voluntary Service (QVS) Worship with Attention to Gaza/Palestine: Tuesdays, 12:00noon (ET)
FOR QUAKER NEWCOMERS: Friends General Conference New Quaker Hub
QUAKER ORGANIZATIONS
Stay connected with news, work and resources of various Friends groups. Bookmark them for easy reference
Philadelphia Quarterly Meeting (PQM)
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting (PYM)
Friends General Conference (FGC)
Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL)