MINUTES

Minneapolis Friends Meeting

Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business
Feb. 12, 2012

 

 

1.       Approval of Minutes

December, January and February minutes will be reviewed for approval in March.

1. 2.      Monthly Reports

Director of Ministry – Pat Jones reported.  +Worship will be held at the home of Don Johnson and Pam Lipe on Friday afternoon.  Worship will also be held at the home of John and Sydney Campbell.  Friends were asked to tell Pat today if they want to attend.  +Monthly worship continues to be held in Bloomington at the home of Louise White on Tuesday evenings.    Pat encouraged Friends to attend, as Louise would love to see some new faces.

+A “Lectio Divina” will be held at Steve and Mary Snyder’s home at Kenwood Isles this Thursday at noon.  In these gatherings a small group reads a section of Faith & Practice or scripture, meeting in a worship-sharing style.  +Another meeting storytelling event is coming up.  +The Metro Friends winter gathering around jazz and poetry readings was held.  The music was great, reported Pat, and the poetry shared was thought-provoking, deep, and very interesting.  +Pat reminded Friends of the “Sounding the Divine” event on April 28 event at Twin Cities Friends Meeting, referring to the description in the bulletin of last week (Feb. 5).  She urged Friends to sign up soon.

+The American Friends Service Committee is considering opening its Healing Justice program here.  Michael Bischoff has been asked to  conduct a discernment process concerning this.  Clerk Jeannette Raymond gave some background, and reported that a gathering was held in which a Dakota elder offered a prayer.  An adult program will be held April 1 to address the proposal.  +Mayim Rabim held an event in which someone spoke on forgiveness.  Pat and others attended.  +A Friend wondered if others might want to help deliver food to Chester and Nancy.

Ministry & Counsel – David Woolley reported.  A written report was submitted; please see attached.    Judith James requested membership in the meeting.  A clearness committee met with her, and Ministry and Counsel recommends she be approved for membership.  Friends APPROVED.  Sue Kearns, Diane Barrett, John Kraft volunteered to form a welcoming committee.

Memorial minute for Anne Beth Sippel – Dan Jensen read the minute aloud.  Friends APPROVED the memorial minute.  Please see attached.

Stewardship Committee – report by John Kraft.  Written reports were submitted, see attached.  Regarding the Third Quarter Report and Preliminary Budget, John thanked Friends for good third quarter income.  39% of annual budget came in during the quarter.  John estimated that we’ll be able to cover our budget, including contributions.  $1,026.00 has been received for the White Envelope Gift and is ready to be distributed.  Reporting on the preliminary budget proposal, John pointed out that today we will not approve the budget; it is merely being presented today.  Next year’s total budget is $2,174 less than this year’s.  Meeting is becoming smaller.

Questions were invited.  Clerk asked whether the budget reflects the subscription to Pendle Hill pamphlets.  John replied, Yes.  Contributions are set at 10% of the budget, so they will go down as the overall budget goes down.  A question was asked about the lift inspection fee.  Clerk of Property Committee replied that the lift is frail; it was decided to double number of recommended inspections to two per year.  Gail McJunkin, Suzanne Ferguson, Zach White, Allen Gibas, and Jeff Naylor are also on Stewardship Committee; any of them can be contacted with comments or questions.

1. 3.      Other Reports

 

FNVW Holiday Fair – by Rae Cornelius.  A written report was submitted; please see attached.  $11,520.00 was earned.  Next year three people will organize the event as representatives of Minneapolis Friends Meeting, Twin Cities Friends Meeting and FNVW.  Rae was applauded for her work.

Nominating Committee—report by Tom Ward.  A written report was submitted; see attached.  Clerks are still needed for some committees; also needed are members for Ministry & Counsel.  The proposed Volunteer Coordinator position was discussed.  Peace & Social Concerns is proposed to continue in the form of projects, with people invited to make ad hoc commitments, instead of as a single ongoing committee with three-year memberships that might appear exclusive to non-members.  It is hoped that this will make participation more attractive to everyone, especially newcomers.  A convener would be selected for each project.  Clerk suggested Friends discuss but not decide today.

A Friend asked if P&SC was the only committee proposed to be laid down.  Tom replied that the committee would not laid down in the usual sense, but its structure would be changed.  A Friend asked how the new structure would work with, say, the marriage amendment issue?  A Friend responded that now two members of M&C have taken on coordinating the marriage amendment issue.  In the future Nominating Committee would not be seeking members for P&SC.  Only project conveners would be nominated for approval.  A Friend asked that Nominating Committee make the new change clear for next month.  Another Friend pointed out that the new structure would make it possible for individuals to participate in a single project without having to sign up for a three-year commitment to a committee.

Clerk thanked Nominating Committee and summarized two main points:  1) creation of a new position of volunteer coordinator (with special attention if children are involved), and 2) the proposed change in the structure of Peace & Social Concerns as set forth in the written report submitted by Nominating Committee.  Clerk requested examples of how the re-structured Peace & Social Concerns would then function.

Quaker Quest – by Sandy Olson.  A written report was submitted; see attached.  Questions: A Friend asked about budgeting.  The Seed Fund could be involved because of the purpose of Quaker Quest; it could double a separate meeting allocation from general funds, and this amount would be submitted to FGC for a matching grant.  Clerk asked if Friends are ready to approve moving forward, which would require a $700 commitment.  Friends APPROVED asking the Quaker Quest group to move forward.

1. 4.      Communications and Announcements

Correspondence with prisoner – Sigurd Hoppe, who had volunteered to reply to a letter received from a prison inmate, got a response back after writing to him, but it was not very cogent.

Northern Yearly Meeting State of Society Report – Clerk stated that NYM is requesting our State of Society report by March 16.  Clerk requested volunteers; no one volunteered.  Clerk will submit the request to the bulletin.

[Clerk comment re: FCNL?]

Use of Meeting Phone List – Clerk stated that a request has been made for use of our phone list for marriage amendment organizing.  [And?]

Nancy Peterson health concern – Chester McCoy provided an update on Nancy’s condition.  A tumor was found, possibly cancerous; tests are being done.  He asked Friends to hold them in the Light.

Friends closed meeting for worship with attention to business with a brief period of silent worship.

ATTACHMENTS

Ministry and Counsel report for February 2012

Memorial Minute for Anne Beth Sippel

Stewardship Committee reports

FNVW Holiday Fair report

Nominating Committee report

Quaker Quest report