9:00 AM unprogrammed meeting for worship: care of meeting, Mary Gochnauer

10:15 AM Give input to Friends Committee on National Legislation’s priority process for the biennium. FCNL, an education and lobbying organization, acts to promote Quaker values in the work of the U.S. Congress. It offers respected resources to senators and congressional representatives as they consider issues. This is an all-Meeting Peace and Social Concerns event. Please come!

11:15 AM semi-programmed meeting for worship: Kyle Johnson, speaker; Nancy Lichtenstein, musician; care of meeting, Carolyn VandenDolder

TODAY

New World Rising Up: Terry will speak today from 12:30-2:30 downstairs. He has just returned from the demonstration in D.C. against the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline and will talk about his experience. We will discuss our concerns about climate change and about developing a sane, local response.

HOLD IN THE LIGHT

Kenyan elections coming up on March 4th. Kenya, home of the largest group of Quakers in any single country in the world, will hold a presidential election on March 4 and a possible run-off in April. Kenyan Friends have been working on violence prevention and creating integrity in the election. The last election (2008) was followed by a great degree of violence, property destruction and people forced from their homes. Quakers were active in peacemaking and relief work. There is a special web site set up by The African Great Lakes Initiative (a Quaker sponsored organization) to give reports on the progress of the projects they are working on and news of what’s going on: kenyanelections2013.org.

MEETING MATTERS / CALENDAR

T’is the season of snow and ice. Friends are reminded, if you can, to leave closer parking for those who need it.

Next week, all are welcome to the monthly Sunday potluck lunch. Please label your pot-luck item/s with ingredients or your name so those with allergies, vegetarians, etc can participate.

Lunch Bunch will meet this Wed, February 27th at The Commons, 10030 Newton Avenue South, 11:30. Call Barbara by Tuesday to make a reservation.

Liaison and Review is preparing for the annual review of our Director of Ministry, Patricia Jones. Any and all comments, suggestions or observations about Pat’s ministry may be shared with the members of the Liaison and Review Committee. Please make comments by Feb 27. Thank you!

Adult program on March 3rd at 10:15: Joseph Flores will offer his story and reflections on race in the meetingroom. Lisa First will offer yoga to prepare for worship in the conference room.

Ministry and Counsel proposes we experiment with having only one worship time on summer Sundays, a whole Meeting worship at 10AM. This would give us a good chance to get to know MFM members and attenders that we might not ordinarily meet, promoting community and unity in the Meeting as we head into Quaker Quest in October. PLEASE READ the proposal on the bright pink sheet. This will be brought to monthly meeting in March (10th) for a decision.

The George and Elizabeth Watson Memorial Discussion Group will meet Wed, March 13th. Open to everyone, we will read, on the spot, from the book adopted by Philadelphia Yearly Meeting as the 2013 “one book”. It’s fabulous! No need for advance preparation.

Congratulations to Nancy Peterson and Judith James who will celebrate the release of their new book, White Women Getting Real About Race, at a book launch at Open Book, 1011 Washington Ave S, Mpls Thurs, March 7th, 6:30 PM. Readings by authors and refreshments. Please come!

Offering boxes are located on small tables near the meetingroom doors. At the third quarter’s end, Friends had contributed $79,106.21 toward our budgeted annual expenditures of $114,625. Our weekly contribution average in 2013 has been $1,640. To meet our budget, our weekly contribution average for the rest of our fiscal year (until March 31, 2013) needs to be about $3,668. If you would like to automate your contributions, please talk to Suzanne, receiving treasurer. Thank you, Friends, for your generous support of the Meeting in all manner of ways.

OUR WIDER COMMUNITY

Friends for a Non-Violent World will host an event with award winning journalist Reese Erlich, “The Arab Spring in Syria, Egypt and Gaza,” Feb 25, 6:30 PM at Twin Cities Friends meetinghouse. More at fnvw.org .

Northern Yearly Meeting’s El Salvador Committee announces two opportunities for El Salvador travel in 2013: An intergenerational trip for Friends ages 15 and older with an equal emphasis on teens and adults. Scholarship assistance available, need dependent; AND a month-long Intercambio to San Ignacio and Soyopango Friends Schools adult Friends, 18 and older. Friends would assist with instruction in conversational English. Application deadline for both is mid-March. More is posted.

Public Forum on Climate Change, Thurs, March 14th, 5:30 – 9 p.m. Mayflower Church, 106 East Diamond Lake Road. Many devastating events have occurred in the recent past, including hurricanes with major flooding, droughts affecting food production, oppressive heat and wildfires, threats to oceans and marine life, sea level rise affecting low lying land masses, and more. The Mpls League of Women Voters will present a free forum on climate change and its world-wide impact. Explore reasons for climate change and measures to consider in dealing with it. Presenters include U of MN climatologist Mark Seeley, Science Policy Director at Fresh Energy, J. Drake Hamilton, Mpls City Councilperson Elizabeth Glidden, City of Mpls Sustainability Coordinator Gayle Prest, and Rev Gretchen Deeg of Mayflower Church.

Growing Closer to the Divine: Alone and Together, a retreat sponsored by the Northern Yearly Meeting Spiritual Nurture Committee will be offered April 26-28 at the Christine Center, (40 miles north of Black River Falls.) This is a stand-alone retreat – no groups will be formed to meet after the retreat ends. A contemplative weekend retreat grounded in silence and deep listening to the Divine and to one another, this is an opportunity to set aside daily routine and to retreat for personal reflection and spiritual nurturing. Fri night (7:00) through Sunday brunch. Vegetarian meals. Registration and $100 deposit due March 15th. Send registration form and deposit (checks made out to ‘NYM’) to Elizabeth Evans, 3945 N Maryland Ave, Milwaukee WI 53211.Reg. and more: northernyearlymeeting.org/article /2013-spiritual-nurture-retreat

Mayim Rabim is hosting Trusting the Heart of the World: A Soulful Evening of Sacred Stories and Music from Around the World with storytellers Carla Vogel and Barry Nienstadt and musicians Judith Eisner and Doug Cole on Sat, March 16th, here at the meetinghouse. 6:30 – global desserts and socializing; 7:30 – stories and music, Havdalah service, silent auction; $18 suggested donation.

Healing Justice conversation with American Friends Service Committee: Tues, April 23rd, refreshments at 5:30 pm and group conversation from 6 – 8:30 pm at the Minneapolis Urban League (2100 Plymouth Ave. N). Open forum, review of last year’s ideas and recommendations, an update on the work of the AFSC, and strategizing how to work in partnership and prioritize next steps. Healing justice encompasses both healing from harm and the transformation from harm to wholeness. Its focus is on achieving fundamental balance and fairness for all communities. The principles of healing justice are responsibility, mutuality and love. Healing justice calls us to reject violence, domination and exploitation. In preparation for the April meeting, please consider these questions: How can we build on what’s already happening in MN? What updates would you like to share with the group? How can we support each other? How can we work together to achieve a shared vision? The event is free but pre-registration is required: sgoens(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)afsc.org or 651-789-3852.

Friends Committee on National Legislation is now accepting applications for intern slots in its Washington, D.C. office. Applicants must be college graduates or have equivalent work or life experience. The internships last from the beginning of Sept to the end of the July. Interns receive a subsistence salary, health care, a public transportation subsidy, and paid vacation. Interns work with senior staff on issue priorities and the vital activities of FCNL. For more, go to www.fcnl.org where the intern application form can be downloaded. Official transcripts are required, reference forms are included on the web site. They should be filled out and returned directly to the FCNL office. Apps accepted Jan 1 – March 15.

OFFICE HOURS
Pat Jones will be on vacation after today. She will return to the office Wednesday, March 6.
Carolyn VandenDolder, the Administrative Assistant, will be in Mon, 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.