MINUTES
Minneapolis Friends Meeting
Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business, October 9, 2011

Attending:  Jane Furnas (acting clerk), Terry Hokenson (recording clerk) [Further names redacted for online version]

1. Approve September 2011 Minutes
September minutes were APPROVED.  Gayle McJunkin was not filling in, as stated in the September minutes, but reporting for Pat Jones during her absence.  With this change, minutes were approved.
2. Monthly Reports
Director of Ministry – Pat Jones reported.  +Pat said minutes should reflect the death of Shirley Magraw on Sept. 29, 2011.  +Pat has become aware in the past month that Friends have been having some difficulty giving and receiving communications in the meeting.  She encourages Friends to use direct communication with those whose receipt of a message is important. +Sue Murray would like to retire as the meeting’s gardener.  A Friend stated that he felt that it has been good to have a designated gardener, a “go to” person.  Another Friend expressed a desire to acknowledge Sue Murray’s contribution as gardener.  +David Woolley, Phena Shimaka and Nancy Peterson will be traveling to Oskaloosa, Iowa, in pursuit of organizing a continuing meeting for worship in the manner of Kenyan Friends.  +Pat will lead discussions related to her sabbatical.
Ministry & Counsel – David Woolley gave an oral monthly report.  +Sandy Olsen and Nancy Peterson have been the two main organizers of an effort to consider undertaking Quaker Quest.  Saturday November 12 there will be an all day workshop exploring whether we as meeting want to go forward with the Quaker Quest process.  +Last week a threshing session was held on the topic of same sex marriage.
3. Reports
Quarterly Stewardship Report—presented by John Kraft.  John gave a brief preliminary report.  The budget for this year is approximately $116,000, and so far we have received 35% or $41,000.   We are behind.  Our average receipts are $6,000.00.  A more complete report will be available at the November meeting.
Ministry and Counsel Annual Report – by David Woolley.   A written report was submitted; please see attached.
Winds of Change – Zach White reported on action taken to date and possible next steps.  A written report was submitted; please see attached.  Much has happened in the past year.  Zach expressed gratitude for the experiences provided by Winds of Change.   Work has been getting done for about a year; a core group has facilitated the work.  Racial justice and foreclosure prevention has been a primary focus.  Nine meeting members went through the training for this work; 26 were involved overall.  Spirit was at work in this process in the making of connections between persons and communities.  Discernment of the way forward continues.  Zach reported a number of queries and suggestions from the core group.  The group suggests interweaving the work and concerns of the Winds of Change process with the Quaker Quest process.  It suggests a “barn raising” type effort be made with respect to the counter-foreclosure work by members for a defined period of time.  Nettie Smith, a member of the core group, reported that George Watson told her that meetings vary as to their practice of making public statements or actions as a corporate entity.
4. Discussion
We have had two social justice/human rights issues come up to the level of Monthly Meeting this year – racial justice and the marriage amendment.  How should the meeting proceed regarding taking collective action?  Is this something Minneapolis Meeting or Friends have done historically? Or has this been left to Friends organizations?  How would something come to the level of a statement of the meeting as opposed to offering opportunities for action for individuals in the meeting? Are there other questions we want to consider?  Friends discussed these questions.
5. Communications and Announcements
Fall Camp is next weekend.

Friends closed meeting with a brief period of silent worship.

ATTACHMENTS (Not included in online version)
Ministry and Counsel Annual Report
Winds of Change report