Adult and Children's Activities
2025 Schedule of Special Events
Sunday, Oct 20, 2024, 9:45am to 10:45am
QuakerSpeak: The Transformative Quaker Practice of Being
QuakerSpeak: The Transformative Quaker Practice of Being by Carrie Newcomer, Quaker songwriter/musician. Worship-sharing will follow watching this QuakerSpeak video. Query: How do my Quaker worship experiences impact my ways of being in the world? What choices/lived experiences reveal my Quaker beliefs? The Transformative Quaker Practice of Being
Wednesday, October 23, 2024, 6pm to 8 pm
An Invitation: Demystifying the Dying Process; A Conversation
You are invited to a time of informal sharing (in person or via Zoom) about the dying process and what supportive resources might be available for navigating this journey.We will be sharing a brief video clip followed by sharing/questions/offering of resources. Cheryl Spicer, RN and former hospice nurse will be on hand for the discussion. "The more we talk about dying and normalize it, the more we can be better at living, I hope. The dying process itself can be a time of living." Here is a trailer to the 24 minute video that will be shared:.
6PM: Optional light supper potluck - downstairs
7 to 8 PM : Program - Upstairs
Please feel free to attend the potluck and the program or just the program!
Zoom link: (available at 6:45 but program starts at 7) This is different from our usual Zoom link.
Sunday, Oct 27, 2024, 9:45am to 10:45am
The Yoga of Ahimsa by Susan Kiskis (Jyoti Ma Devi)
Yoga is viewed as an exercise practice in the West. Sometimes it’s referred to as a philosophy. In India, it’s known as the science of life. Through its evolution over thousands of years, this indigenous practice became codified, with its first step being “ahimsa,” non-violence. This discussion will focus on this first step in yoga, its greater understanding on what it means to be a yoga practitioner, and how ahimsa is closely related to the core peace testimony of Quakers/Friends.
Susan Kiskis (Jyoti Ma Devi) is a 300 hour RYT and has taught yoga and meditation for over twenty years. She holds an MS in Global Health and is currently pursuing her MS Sustainable Food Systems. She was named Changemaker in 2023 by the Clinton Global Initiative University and runs The Ahimsa Project, an organization seeking to alleviate suffering through climate change mitigation. She is a volunteer and guest teacher at Kula Kamala Foundation and Yoga Ashram, where she supports the work of her Guruji, Swamini Shraddhananada Saraswati ji.
Sunday, Nov 17, 2024, 9:45am to 10:45am
Friendly Singing with Marci Pickering
Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024, 7 to 8pm
Human Trafficking/Hidden in Plain Sight - Public Meeting, Free and open to all
Human Trafficking/Hidden In Plain Sight - Public Meeting Free and open to all.
Speakers: Rhonda Hendrickson, COO Harrisburg YWCA and Rachel Beatty, Peace Promise Director of Economic Empowerment. Event will be offered in-person and on Zoom using our usual worship link. Flyer
Sunday, Nov 24, 2024, 9:45am to 10:45am
The Values of Our Indigenous Peoples
The Values of Our Indigenous Peoples by Worship & Spiritual Growth Committee
Archeological finds reveal actual ways of indigenous peoples.These material resources
give us more authentic data than descriptions of Europeans who came to Pennsylvania
during the Contact Period (1500-1700). The values of the people living along our rivers
and streams hold radical wisdom for saving our earth and ourselves.
Sunday, December 15, 2024, 9:45am to 10:45am
A Celebratory Season
A Celebratory Season Worship-sharing will follow viewing the QuakerSpeak video titled “Do Quakers Celebrate Christmas?”. Query: Is there a part of the Christmas story that strikes a chord in my heartspace? How will I express love as we enter the season of winter?
Sunday, December 15, 2024, 8:30am to 8:30pm
Fair-trade Holiday Craft Sale to Benefit Amazon Artisans
Harrisburg Friends Meeting will sponsor a sale of fair-trade crafts on Sunday, Dec. 15 next to the social room. The crafts are made by artisans who work in cooperation with the non-profit organization Amazon Ecology led by HFM member Campbell Plowden. The crafts include a wide variety of hand-made Christmas tree ornaments featuring birds and other animals, baskets, bags, jewelry, instruments, and many other decorative and practical items. Purchases help artisan families make a living without harming the forest and support health, education and conservation needs in their communities. For more information about Amazon Ecology, visit www.AmazonEcology.org. See the latest report of their work – Building bonds between artisans and neighbors in the Ampiyacu.
Sunday, December 22, 2024, 9:20am to 11am
Carol Singing at Homeland Center
Carol Singing at Homeland Center 1901 N 5th St Harrisburg (entrance is on 6th Street) Street parking in addition to angle parking inside entranceway. Meet at Quaker Meetinghouse 1100 N. 6th St at 9:20am. Singing at 10am until 10:40. Return to Meetinghouse for 11am Meeting for Worship.
Sunday, Jan 5, 2025, 9:45am to 10:45am
Being an Ally to the LGBTQ+ Community
Being an Ally to the LGBTQ+ Community by Amber Roadcap, Executive Director, LGBTQ
Center of Central PA. The director of the newly purchased hub for LGBTQ folks in Central PA will share how they serve individuals and how Quakers can be a faith ally. Ms. Roadcap will also give an overview on inclusive pronouns and answer any questions attendees may have around the LGBTQIA+ community.
Sunday, Jan 26, 2025, 9:45am to 10:45am
Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP): Transforming Conflicts and Lives in Post-War Palestine and Israel
Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP): Transforming Conflicts and Lives in Post-War Palestine and Israel by Joe DiGarbo and Steve Alderfer These Lancaster Quakers helped to introduce AVP in Palestine and Israel during a military occupation which involved periods of military violence in Gaza and the West Bank.Israelis and Palestinians who have lived both a separated yet integrated existence welcomed AVP workshops.The extenuated war on Gaza
has halted this effort.
A grassroots worldwide movement dedicated to building peace in ourselves and our homes and communities, AVP provides a clear vision and path to living that brings out the best in people. Starting in 2013, Joe and Steve introduced AVP to Israeli organizations as well as Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. They will discuss AVP’s potential for both groups since Gaza has been largely destroyed and the social fabric of both heavily imprinted by violence.
A potluck including Middle Eastern foods will be at 12:15pm.
Sunday, Feb 23, 2025, 9:45am to 10:45am
Quakers and Anti-Slavery Efforts in Central Pennsylvania
Quakers and Anti-Slavery Efforts in Central Pennsylvania by Matt Green
Exploring the 19th century struggle to free enslaved persons, particularly through organizations such as the Pennsylvania Abolition Society and the Underground Railroad, provides valuable insights into the intersection of values and activism. Quaker principles, often summarized by the acronym SPICES (Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality, and Stewardship), guided their anti-slavery efforts, emphasizing equality and community responsibility. By examining
their actions, we can see the importance of community collaboration, steadfast integrity, and a commitment to peace and equality - all vital in transformative activism.
A Quaker from Exeter Meeting in Douglassville PA, Matt has expressed his lifelong passion for history as a volunteer researcher for Pottsgrove Manor, a colonial home of ironmaster John Potts, founder of Pottstown and for the “Bound To Serve” Black History program. He worked as an interpretive Park Ranger at Valley Forge National Park and currently as a tour guide at the Peter Wentz Homestead in Montgomery County. Matt focuses on the American Colonial period and the development of the iron industry in southeastern Pennsylvania.
Sunday, March 16, 2025, 9:45am to 10:45am
Friendly Singing with Marci Pickering
