March 29, 2015

MEETING SCHEDULE AND PROGRAM

TODAY

9:00 AM meeting for worship (unprogrammed): care of meeting, John Stuart and Mary Jean Port

10:15 AM New Member welcome for Robert Raymond! Robert recently transferred his membership from Westfield Meeting in NJ.

11:15 AM meeting for worship (semi-programmed): no planned speaker; Nancy Lichtenstein, musician; care of meeting, Marilyn Johnson

THANK YOU: The end of March is the close of the Meeting’s business and fiscal year. Any time is a good time to say thank you to one another for the work and ministry Friends do within and on behalf of the Meeting. Many Friends are finishing terms of service now, or are continuing with terms of service. For your time and care and the lending of your gifts, we thank you. Thank you also for your contributions of money to support the work of the Meeting. Other types of giving too, often done in unrecognized ways, make the Meeting what it is, and we are grateful for those many, often unseen acts.

THANK YOU to Jim who spent hours this week changing a many, many difficult-to-reach lightbulbs!

If you have reimbursement requests for this budget year, please fill out a reimbursement form, (available in the top of the blue file box in the long hall,) attach your receipt, and put in the appropriate committee file (in the blue box.) Committee clerks, please check your file often, approve requests and place them in the reimbursement request file of the blue box. Thank you Friends!

Meeting Finances Fiscal Year – last call The gap between current total receipts this fiscal year and anticipated total spending is $5187.30. The Meeting’s fiscal year ends Tuesday, March 31.

HOLD IN THE LIGHT

Adolph and Rose who are preparing to move to Texas. Adolph will be leaving in two or three weeks. There will be a chance to say goodbye to him next Sunday morning, April 5 (Easter) at 10:15.

All those who are carrying loss, grief and health concerns.

UPCOMING MEETING EVENTS

Come celebrate Barbara and the gift of her 95 years with a birthday celebration at the rise of semi-programmed worship April 12th! Cake, punch and a chance to congratulate Barbara on a life well-lived!

Game Night! There will be a family-friendly game night April 25th, 7-9:30. Put it on your calendar and start considering which board game you’d like to bring! LATER: Potluck appetizers and desserts.

MFM and Mayim Rabim will host a showing of Inequality for All, a film about wealth disparity in the US, on May 20th. Save the date! For more about the movie, see IFA.com.

Prepare for April’s monthly meeting for business! Peace and Social Concerns Committee will present the Quaker EarthCare Witness Quaker Statement on Climate Change for consideration. Paper copies near the elevator or see online at: (quakerearthcare.org/article/jan-2015-facing-challenge-climate-change-shared-statement-quaker-groups). This is a different statement than was presented last month.

The draft of a proposed planning process to care for the future of the Meeting is available on the website: minneapolisfriends.org/2015/01/11/care-of-the-future/ Friends are encouraged to take a look and hold the Meeting’s planning process and its future in prayer and reflection. Opportunities for participation along the way are outlined in the draft. Comments and questions for now can be directed to Jeannette, Gayle, Pat or Ranae.

OTHER HAPPENINGS AMONG QUAKERS

Loaves and Fishes, TOMORROW, March 30th, Holy Rosary Church 2424 – 18th Ave So. Help is needed in all areas, especially as many regulars are out of town Shifts: 2:30-4:30, cooking; 4:45-6:45, serving; 5:30-7:00, clean-up. Cookies are no longer served. Sign up sheet by bulletins.

Four Writers from Twin Cities Friends Meeting will be sharing their work at the April 6th Old Friends Meeting starting at 1 PM, preceded by a pot luck lunch at 12 Noon at TCFM. The writers are Barbara Simmonds, James Riemerman, Mary Gardner, and Lydia Caros.

Chuck Fager, Quaker activist and writer, will speak at a Fri., Apr. 10, 1:30 panel at the Voting Rights Conference (see below). “Reflections on the Struggle in Selma.” Chuck was in Selma 50 years ago and again recently. He was also in jail with Martin Luther King, Jr. and has written books on both topics.

Chuck Fager will speak here at MFM on Sat, April 11th at 2:30. He will tell the story of his time in jail with Martin Luther King and take questions and answers related to the early 60s civil rights work . Please come! Can you make or post flyers?

Iowa Yearly Meeting of Friends (Conservative) mid-year meeting Apr.18 & 19 at Bear Creek meetinghouse near Earlham IA. “Quaker’s Ink: From Broadsides to Blogs – 350 Years of Friendly Wordiness” with Eric Moon. Info on long bulletin board. The Mary and Stephen, and Jim and Clifford often attend.

Northern Yearly Meeting Annual Sessions will be Memorial Day weekend, May 22-25 at the Lions Camp near Rosholt, WI. The theme is “Earth in the Age of Climate Change.” Interested in leading a workshop? Lauren at leighton(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)hbci.com.

Friends General Conference (FGC) Gathering will be July 5-July 11, at Western Carolina University in the Smoky Mountains. Lively, rich week of many options in worship, workshops, kids program, speakers, films, art, bookstore, etc. Brochures are on the long table. Or FGCGathering.org. Registration begins April 1. Financial aid available from FGC, apply early, and from Northern Yearly Meeting. If you are considering helping plan the 2016 Gathering in MN, go this year to learn the ropes.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Conference to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act hosted by the Hubert Humphrey School of Public Affairs, Fri, Apr 10, 8am-6pm. Free, open to the public but registration required. Register half or full day: hhh.umn.edu

Bottom, a play on sex trafficking: The Interfaith Children’s Advocacy Network and an all-youth cast of blank slate theatre present this original play on human sex trafficking, Sat, Apr 25th, 7:30 pm, at The Bridge for Youth’s Community Room, 1111 West 22nd Str, Mpls. If the demand for sex trafficking were to end, would the supply end too? Recently defected from a sex trafficking ring, Amber has immunity and a story to tell. Will she cooperate and aid the side of justice, or will she continue her deep allegiance to her former pimp? Tickets online at blankslatetheatre.com (includes a post-play discussion with trafficking experts and blank slate theatre artists). Adam Arnold, Executive Artistic Director of blank slate theatre, is an MFM attender.

OFFICE HOURS
Pat Jones will be in the office Wednesday from 2:00-5:00 and other times Wed, Thurs, Fri. and Sat.
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.