Young Adult Friends Conference (Formerly YALD Program)

Continuing Rev_l_tion: Be Brought Low and Back to the Root

Young Adult Friends Conference on Simplicity

June 14 - 19, 2013 at Pendle Hill

All young adult Friends (18-35) in the US and Canada are invited to be part of an intensive six-day conference focused on the simplicity testimony. The Continuing Rev_l_tion conference in 2012 was a resounding success, and we are responding to the call from those 30 participants to provide an annual opportunity for young adult Quakers to come together for a powerful spiritual and educational thematic program dedicated to joyful fellowship, deep worship and reflection around our witness in the world, and practical trainings designed to challenge and transform.

Young adults are particularly well poised to become the inspired and effective change agents that are needed in the world, and at its core, this conference is about providing the foundational skills and training to inspire revelation – or revolution – as we strive to live in Spirit-led relationship with ourselves, our communities, and the earth.

Program Description

The full program is now available! Check it out here. Just to give a snapshot of the exciting workshops planned for the conference, here are a few highlights:

• Shane Claiborne, visionary leader of The Simple Way, a community based on living out the often radical intersection of faith and justice, will deliver our public keynote address on Saturday evening, June 15. Shane writes and travels extensively, speaking about peacemaking, social justice, and Jesus. His work speaks so powerfully around the world because he strikes at the heart of consumer culture disconnection, and inequity and human marginalization. You can learn more about Shane here.
• Will O'Brien from the Alternative Seminary in Philadelphia will speak to us about the application of the Biblical Sabbath to modern socio-economics. Sabbath Economics focuses on a voluntary redistribution of wealth, and utilizes a foundation of abundance, as opposed to scarcity. Will has spent years working with Project H.O.M.E., a nationally recognized nonprofit organization that develops solutions to homelessness and poverty in Philadelphia.
• Tai Amri Spann Wilson, a young adult from Oakland, CA but with deep roots in Philadelphia, ignites a fire in those around him with his messages about radical change, the edges of poverty, racism, spiritual depth and transformation, and the remarkable grace of humanity. Tai Amri received a B.A. in Writing and Poetics from the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics at Naropa University in Boulder, CO, and is a Masters of Divinity candidate at the Pacific School of Religion. Tai Amri currently serves as co-pastor of the First Christian Church of Oakland.
• Greg Elliott is a writer, facilitator, and change maker. He founded "Shake Loose the Empire," a project about the empire we are living in, how we are affected by it, how we perpetuate it, and how we can heal from it — individually, collectively, and cosmically.
• Michael Gagné uses his background in grassroots organizing and experiential education to train (and inspire and mobilize) others in nonviolent direct action and change-making strategies related to sustainability and eco-justice. Michael is the Executive Director of the Envision Peace Museum, and recently delivered the William Penn Lecture for Philadelphia Yearly Meeting.
• Amanda Kemp is a lifelong poet-performer and advocate of racial justice and equality. She is the founder of the Theater for Transformation, a performance method and theatre company whose mission is to create a world of forgiveness, abundance, and peace. She teaches at Franklin & Marshall College, using all her work — from teaching, to publishing, to performance — to show that we all have personal power and responsibility, regardless of our access to institutional power.
• Valerie Brown is a skilled mindfulness teacher, offering powerful experiential workshops at Pendle Hill since 2001. She is a leadership coach for school teachers. In 2003, Valerie was ordained by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh as a lay member of the Tiep Hien Order. Valerie's newest publication, The Road that Teaches, explores some of the world's great pilgrimages, and the transformational nature of the journey. She is a passionate volunteer advocate for the Quaker organization, Right Sharing of World Resources, which provides micro-credit loans to women in Africa, India and South America.

In addition to the workshops/talks given by these program leaders, we will have daily opportunities for reclaiming basic skills like canning, making salves and lotions, seed saving, and farm-to-table lessons. The program will also include workshops with the Friends Committee for National Legislation, ProNica, the American Friends Service Committee, and more! We'll have opportunities for fellowship, different kinds of worship, and spiritual exploration.

Program Cost

*** Program fees are $300 per participant. This year, we have a special “Bring a Buddy” discount for individuals who register before April 1, 2013!! Apply now, and encourage a F(f)riend to apply too – if they apply, you will receive $50 off your conference cost. This discount only applies to full-time participants; more details can be found on the application. Please note: there will be scholarships available for participants who need support, and interested individuals should consider asking their monthly/yearly meetings or communities for financial assistance. ***

Bring A Buddy

This year Pendle Hill is offering a special discount to applicants who successfully encourage another young adult to apply for this conference. If you AND your buddy apply before April 1, 2013, you will receive $50 off the program cost if you are a full-time participant. Your buddy will not receive the discount automatically, but they too can convince another friend to apply to be eligible for their own $50 reduction. We hope you will spread the word about this conference far and wide, but please note that you are only eligible to receive the buddy discount once. Be creative in picking your buddy, and help us welcome in first-time participants and young adults from around North America!

Revelation or Revolution?

More details about this conference will be available soon, but in the meantime, please save the date and contact Emily Higgs at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with any questions.

If you consider yourself an ally to young adults and wish to support this important gathering, please consider giving a financial gift to enable the participation of more young adults in this program. Donations can be made to Pendle Hill (338 Plush Mill Rd, Wallingford PA 19086) with "YAF Conference Financial Assistance" in the memo line.