9:00 AM unprogrammed meeting for worship: Judy Sausen on the facing bench
10:15 AM Al Wolfram will present Moses: The Real Facts
11:15 AM semi-programmed meeting for worship: Connie Jacobs, speaker; Nancy Lichtenstein, musician; Mary Leikvold on the facing bench

“Prayer, then, is communion, whether it take the form of petition, intercession, thanksgiving, or whether it be just the quiet unveiling of the heart to a trusted friend, the out-pouring of the soul to the one who is nearest of all.” William Littleboy
“Do you make a place in your daily life for inward retirement and waiting upon God, that you may learn the full meaning of prayer and the joy of communion with God?” Query 8, 1928
– Christian Faith and Practice London Yearly Meeting

TODAY

A meeting of Peace and Social Concerns will be downstairs today at 10:15. Agenda items include discussion of a proposed marriage equality banner for the meetinghouse property and discussion of the Peace and Social Concerns recommended MN Arms Spending Alternatives Project Resolution.

HOLD IN THE LIGHT

Friends World Committee for Consultation World Gathering in Kenya, those presenting it, and all attending it including MFMers, Connie Archbald, Mary and Steve Snyder and Annette Smith.
Friends may follow the Friends World Committee for Consultation’s Sixth World Conference in Kenya by going to saltandlight2012.org . Click on the “follow the conference” tab for texts of speeches, videos, photos and blogs.

MEETING MATTERS / CALENDAR

Lunch Bunch will meet this Wednesday, April 25th, at The Commons, 10030 Newton Avenue South, 11:30. Call Louise White, 952-948-2672, by Tuesday to make a reservation.

MFM will host special meetings for worship for healing around the marriage amendment on the fourth Thurs of each month between now and Nov 2012 when the amendment comes to the ballot. Unprogrammed worship at 7:00 p.m. followed by worship-sharing. Discussion and social time with refreshments begins at 8:45. The next worship will be this Thurs, April 26th. All are welcome.

“Sounding the Divine” workshop next Sat. April 28th, at Twin Cities Friends Meeting (1725 Grand Ave. St. Paul) – a day-long workshop to explore non-verbal forms of creative expression and sensory experiences which can be doorways to deeper union with the Spirit and may be the most effective way to defy violence and build peace. Pre-registration is required: 715-220-3212 or sharonwoods(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)dishup.us . Sponsored by Metro Friends and NYM’s A and O. Potluck supper at 5:30 and family folkdance at 6:30. Come for the whole day or come for the evening! See flyers for more.

Volunteers needed for Loaves and Fishes: our next commitment is Mon, April 30th – Holy Rosary Church, 2424 – 18th Ave So. The shifts: 2:30-4:30, cooking; 4:45-6:45, serving; 5:30-7:00, clean-up. Also needed, 20 batches of cookies (4 dozen to a batch), delivered to the meetinghouse today, or brought to Holy Rosary by 5:00 on the 30th. (Fruit / cookies or bars on the healthier side encouraged!) We need help in all areas! Sign up on the sheet by the bulletins.

Linda Harding is in this video about frac sand mining in Maidenrock, WI:

The next NYM High School retreat will be at Duluth Superior Friends meetinghouse next weekend, April 27-29th. The retreat will focus on exploring spirituality through self-expression. For more, email a request for details: nymhighschool(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)gmail.com . Friendly adult presences are being sought as well!

Offering boxes are located on small tables near the meetingroom doors. Our new fiscal year begins today. Our approved budget for this new fiscal year (April 1 – March 31) is $114,624.00. To meet our budget obligations, we need to average $2,204.00 in donations per week. Thank you to Friends who generously support the Meeting in all manner of ways.

OUR WIDER COMMUNITY

Have you ever thought about traveling to Central America? Are you interested in learning about other forms of Quakerism? The El Salvador Committee of Northern Yearly Meeting is sponsoring a trip to visit El Salvador Yearly Meeting in August, 2012. Open to Friends ages 15 and up – teens, adult young Friends, adults and physically fit elders. Interested or more: Ruby Steigerwald at 612-721-7040 by 01-31-2012.

Nightingales Spring Gathering at Beaver Creek Reserve, Fall Creek, WI, Fri, April 27th – Sun, April 29th. Nightingales are mostly Quakers from WI and MN who gather to sing over a weekend three times a year – sharing circle, hiking, work shifts, visiting, eating, and singing all included. Anyone who likes to sing is welcome. Come for all or part of the weekend. Contact Janet for more: 651-642-1371.

Friends School of Minnesota’s plant sale will be at the MN State Fair Grandstand Fri-Sun, May 11-13. The catalog is available online: FriendsSchoolPlantSale.com . Hard copies can be found around the meetinghouse.

Westminster Presbyterian Church is offering The Four Gospels and the Early Church Bible study at 6:30 on Weds, April 25th, May 2nd, and 9th as part of their series Ancient Texts for New Times. A panel of four Luther Seminary Professors who will lead a lively exploration of the impact and importance of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John on the growing church in the First and Second Century. Judith James highly recommends the series. There is a dinner served from 5:15 – 6:15 for $7.00. For more, go to ewestminster.org/adult_education (page 8 of the Education for Faith and Life catalogue.)

Dining Out for Life is this Thurs, April 26th. 180 restaurants across MN are participating, donating a portion of their proceeds from the 26th to The Aliveness Project and Rural AIDS Action Network who offer programs to HIV-positive individuals and their families including food shelf, hot meals, HIV testing, holiday baskets, integrative therapies, case management, nutritional counseling, support groups, transportation assistance and workshops. Participating restaurants can be found at: aliveness.org. DO GOOD. DINE OUT April 26th.

OFFICE HOURS
Pat Jones will be in the office Wednesday from 2:00-5:00 and other times Wed, Thurs, Fri. and Sat.
Carolyn Sherer VandenDolder, the Administrative Assistant, will be in Wed. afternoon and Fri. Bulletin deadline, noon Thur. Bulletin items can be phoned in to the office, emailed or written and put in the bulletin file of the blue box.