Peak fall colors are coming up in Friends Center’s courtyard in Center City Philly! Our Quaker meetinghouse and nonprofit office building are in the background.

The Philadelphia premiere of the film “Free Exercise” will be on 10/29, 6:00-8:30 pm, at the Museum of the American Revolution.

According to the filmmakers, it “focuses primarily on 6 American faith communities with deep roots in Philadelphia—Quakers, Baptists, Black churches, Catholics, Mormons and Jews.”

As shown below, the trailer includes footage shot at our sibling site, the Arch Street Meeting House.

The screening is free. Registration is required. See https://freeexercisemovie.com for link to register.

It’s the Tri-College Philly program of Bryn Mawr College, Haverford College, and Swarthmore College! (They were all founded by Quakers.)

The program’s classes are held here at Friends Center, in the heart of #CenterCity #Philly.

Credit: @tricophilly on Instagram

Just announced: Night 2 of the Red Letter Revival will be here at Friends Center on the evening of October 19, 2024.

Red Letter Christians says the gathering will offer “an alternative vision where Christians creatively dissent to make justice real.”

They describe Red Letter Revival as “a dynamic gathering bringing together hundreds of faith and community leaders, students, and people of faith to celebrate – and cultivate – a new vision of Christianity – one with love at its core.”

We’ll add more details as they become available.

Read the full event overview: Red Letter Revival Philadelphia.

TBTL podcast recorded an episode in front of a live audience in the Race Street Meetinghouse on 9/25/2024

TBTL describes itself as a daily show hosted by two longtime friends goofing their way through the world the best they can. Join Luke Burbank and Andrew Walsh as they cover the most important topics of the day, from 25 year-old film reviews to whether or not Andrew’s neighbors are secretly using his garbage bins.

TBTL invites listeners to “hang out with your imaginary friendos, in person, live from the Friends Center in Philadelphia for a night of fun with fellow Tens.” (Their “tens of listeners,” that is.)

UPDATE: The episode is now online: https://www.tbtl.net/episodes/4304

Quote: Quakers were “very boisterous when they started out… Then somebody got embarrassed & they entered a period known as Quietism. They would have long silent periods during their meetings. Basically the thing Andrew & I are most scared of during an episode of TBTL is even a moment of silence!”

The #Philly premiere of “Citizen George” here last Thursday was a success!

The film is a documentary about the life and activism of George Lakey, a member of the Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), here at Friends Center.

Learn more about the film and watch the trailer at georgelakeyfilm.com.

Congratulations to the film committee, shown here. Filmmaker Glenn Holsten is on the left. George is the third from right, wearing his Earth Quaker Action Team’s (EQAT) Vanguard campaign t-shirt.

The Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO) recently shared their presentation to the World Plenary of Friends in South Africa in August 2024.

QUNO-New York is a partnership of the American Friends Service Committee, one of our equity partners, and the Friends World Committee, Section of the Americas.

QUNO-Geneva is a partnership of the Friends World Committee and Britain Yearly Meeting of Friends.

Find the report here: https://quno.org/timeline/2024/9/quno-world-gathering-quakers

Singing City Fall Concert, 10/27/2024, 3 pm

Our tenant Singing City’s fall concert will be here at Friends Center on Sun., 10/27, 3 pm.

Titled “Democracy in Song,” it will feature songs that helped shape U.S. democracy, including songs of protest, from the Civil Rights movement & of gathering/meeting.

Singing City promises a stirring choral performance that brings to life the anthems of the abolitionist/anti-slavery movement, the women’s suffrage movement, the Civil Rights movement, and the peace movement. Each piece tells a story of courage, resilience, and hope. Hear evocative works by composers Melissa Dunphy, Bernice Johnson Reagon, and Zanaida Robles. Their compositions, alongside powerful arrangements of iconic songs, will transport you to pivotal moments in history.

The audience will be invited to join in.

Info and registration: Click here.

September 17 is National Voter Registration Day and Constitution Day.

The Committee of 70 has lots of election resources for voters in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania: register, find your polling place, learn your rights, and more.

Learn more at seventy.org/voting-101.

The annual World Quaker Day is the first “Firstday,” or Sunday, of October.

In 2024, World Quaker Day is October 6.

Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC), Section of the Americas, invites Friends to share the epistle, tapestry, & prayer from their World Plenary held in August in South Africa.

Learn more at www.fwccamericas.org/events.

There is also information about how Friends have celebrated World Quaker Day in the past at worldquakerday.org. Schedule an event at your Friends meeting or Friends church, and share photos and stories there!