9:00 AM open worship

9:45 AM worship with attention to business: Ranae Hanson, clerk; Terry Hokenson, recording clerk

11:15 AM open worship: care of meeting, Clifford Goltz

MEETING MATTERS / CALENDAR

The end of March is the close of the Meeting’s business and fiscal year. If you have requests for reimbursement for this fiscal year, please submit them promptly to the reimbursement file of the blue box.

Friends are invited and welcome at an informal, unprogrammed worship at the home of Louise White this Tues, March 12th, at 7:00 AND to a Good Friday semi-programmed worship: 6:00 here at the meetinghouse. Bible reading and music.

In his book, Letters to a Fellow Seeker, Steve Chase recognizes that we are “not all paragons of the faithful life” and may get “caught up in denial and despair.” Come to the George and Elizabeth Watson Memorial Discussion Group on Wed, March 13th at 7pm at the meetinghouse to read from Letters to a Fellow Seeker – selected as Philadelphia Yearly Meeting’s 2013 One Book. An excellent place to start when preparing for Quaker Quest! Open to everyone.

Every Church a Peace Church’s next potluck gathering is tomorrow, Mon, March 11th, 6:30 p.m. at: St. Luke Presbyterian Church, 3121 Groveland School Rd; Minnetonka. MFM’s Tom White will speak on “The Economics of Militarism: Financial and Spiritual Bankruptcy.” Tom will explore how our spirituality must be a key component of our vigorous opposition to the obscene disparity between military spending and all other domestic and humanitarian needs.

Next Sunday, March 17th, adult program at 10:15: worship sharing around several biblical quotes that spoke to early Friends. Do these quotes still speak to us today? Is there anything we find disturbing? This deep listening and speaking from the silence around a reading is sometimes called lexio divina. Everyone from first grade on up is encouraged to participate in this potentially faith-deepening experience.

The Quaker women’s group (formerly known as Crones) meets the third Wed of each month; the next time, Wed, March 20th, gather after lunch, 12:30 PM, at Twin Cities Friends Meeting for tea and coffee. Please bring cookies or fruit to share. We will take time to go around the circle and get caught up with each other then plan programs for the coming year. We will be considering how to simplify our meetings, making it easier to enjoy each other with less stress and fuss.

Adult Program at 10:15 on March 24th: Open time for committees to meet.
~Death and Memorial Committee presentation, Caring for Yourself, Caring for Loved Ones, in the meetingroom: Reflect on your hopes, fears, values and choices related to medical procedures, pain management and your emotional/ spiritual well-being at end of life. Capture your thoughts and feelings on paper using a health care directive that is becoming the state standard so your loved ones and medical personnel will understand your wishes, (this is different from a living will.) Lin learned these steps during his chaplain residency at Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital. He continues to do volunteer work with Pathways, Twin Cities Medical Society, and the MN Council of Churches’ Graceful Journey.
~Quaker Quest brainstorming session in the conference room: Are you media savvy? Do you enjoy social media? Would you like more people at Minneapolis Friends Meeting? If so, please come!

Tom Ward will speak on “The Disaster and Disruption of Hurricane Sandy: Is This Our Future?” here on Sun, March 24th, 12:30-2:30. Tom volunteered last fall with the American Red Cross working with Sandy victims and will talk about his experiences. Bring a bag lunch, a mug, and a cloth napkin.

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 Jan and Feb was $1,365. To meet our budget, we need to contribute $23,000 in March – about $4,602 per week. Last week, $3,702 was contributed. Thank you! 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

Cannon Valley Friends plan to build a meetinghouse on property they purchased a year ago. You can see the architect’s designs and financial planning at cannonvalleyfriends.org under “Meetinghouse Project.” Betsy would also be happy to talk with potential donors.

Friends School is seeking teachers for next year. Applications due by April 1. More posted.

Northern Yearly Meeting’s Executive Committee has changed its name to “Fall and Spring Interim Sessions,” welcoming everyone interested in gathering in Divine-led worship and discernment – making decisions and seasoning issues prior to annual session. NYM Spring Interim Session: at Madison Meeting, Fri, March 22, 7-9 PM and Sat, March 23, 9-5. If you would like to stay with local Friends, please send your requests to Doug by Sat March 16.

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.), a contemplative weekend retreat grounded in silence and deep listening to the Divine and to one another. Fri night (7:00) through Sun 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

Two opportunities for El Salvador travel in 2013: An inter-generational trip for Friends ages 15 and older through Northern Yearly Meeting. Scholarship assistance available, need dependent; AND a month-long Intercambio to San Ignacio and Soyopango Friends Schools for adult Friends, 18 and older, assisting with instruction in conversational English. Application deadline for both is mid-March. Get application and job description from Ruby Steigerwald, steigerlily(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)gmail.com, 612- 721-7040. 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.

Song Circle will meet on Sat, March 16th. Call Marilyn or Dave to learn more or with questions.

Leah Bolger from Women Against Military Madness will speak about her recent travels to Pakistan where she observed the affects of living with drones. Sun, March 24, 4 PM, at Twin Cities Friends Meeting in St. Paul.

Northern Yearly Meeting is searching for someone with a leading to provide guidance and help with programs, activities and coordination for Quaker High School Friends in the upper Mid-West including: leading retreats; helping youth to find/participate in new experiences related to spiritual development, service, and leadership; being sensitive and intentional in recognizing the need for some issues to be referred to pastoral or professional care. A stipend is offered. A detailed job description is posted. Work would begin during the summer of 2013.

Mayim Rabim is hosting Trusting the Heart of the World: A Soulful Evening of Sacred Stories and Music from Around the World with storytellers and musicians 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: save the date, Tues, April 23rd.

A Taste of People Camp is being offered March 23rd, 5:00 – 8:30 PM at Twin Cities Friends Meeting (1725 Grand Ave. St. Paul.) People Camp is an experience in community living, sponsored by Friends for a Non-Violent World. Potluck, fun stories, games etc. All former campers and you are invited!

An unprogrammed worship in NE Minneapolis is being held on the fifth Fri evenings – the next one is March 29th at 6:45 followed by a community meal at 7:30; Grace Center for Community Life, 1500 – 6th Str NE.

OFFICE HOURS

Pat Jones will be in the office Wednesday from 2:00-5:00 and other times Wed and Thurs. Pat will then be on vacation, returning to the office Wed, March 20th.
Carolyn 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.