April 19, 2015

MEETING SCHEDULE AND PROGRAM

TODAY

9:00 AM    meeting for worship (unprogrammed): care of meeting, Carol Bechtel

10:15 AM    Care for the future of the Meeting: Brainstorm the current strengths, challenges, risks and opportunities Minneapolis Friends Meeting faces. Friends will have opportunities to add ideas through an on-line survey and in phone calls to members of the ad hoc Care of the Future of the Meeting Committee from April 19th to May 5th. A follow-up adult program will be May 17th. 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/ Please take a look and hold the Meeting’s planning process and its future in prayer and reflection. Comments and questions can be directed to Jeannette, Gayle, Pat, or David.

11:15 AM    meeting for worship (semi-programmed): speaker, Barbara Ziegenhagen; Kathy Webster, musician; care of meeting, Sarah McClellan

Our task is to call men to be still and know, listen, hearken in quiet invitation to the subtle promptings of the Divine. The possibility of this experience of Divine Presence, and its transforming and transfiguring effect upon all life — this is the central message of Friends.                               ~ Thomas Kelly

UPCOMING MEETING EVENTS

The George and Elizabeth Watson Memorial Discussion Group will meet this Weds, April 22, 7 pm. We are starting Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life. New-comers and old-timers, one-timers and regulars, everyone is welcome!

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! Potluck appetizers and desserts.

Offering boxes are located on small tables near the meetingroom doors. Thank you, Friends, for your financial support of the Meeting’s budget. It appears our income for the 2014-15 fiscal year, now over, is less than our projected expenditures. Stewardship and Finance Committee will report on the final numbers at a monthly meeting for business, likely in May.

OTHER HAPPENINGS AMONG QUAKERS

Mary Kassera, a founding member of St. Croix Valley Meeting, died recently after a long illness. A memorial service will be held TODAY at 12:30 pm at Presbyterian Homes and Services, Boutwells Landing, 5610 Norwich Pkwy, Oak Park Heights.

Lunch Bunch is this Wed, April 22nd, at 11:45 at Presyterian Homes, 10030 Newton Ave So,  Bloomington. Call Louise asap to reserve you spot! If you are available in the middle of the day, consider coming! It is a great opportunity to deepen relationships with and bring news to those not able to come to worship every Sunday.

Terry Kayser and CeCeile Hartleib will open their studio for the St. Paul Spring Art Crawl this Fri – Sun (Apr 24-26), Gemini Studio, 106 Water St. W. # 402, St. Paul. More at: stpaulartcrawl.org

Register by May 1st for Northern Yearly Meeting Annual Session (May 22-25), “Climate Change: Turning awareness into action.”  Enjoy fellowship, spiritual enrichment, and discussion with regional Quakers. Wonderful programs for children and teens. Held at a beautiful lakeside camp near Rosholt, Registration and schedules are available online at northernyearlymeeting.org/article/2015-annual-session-may-22-25 . Paper copies are available on the elevator table.
Workshops and interest groups at Northern Yearly Meeting bring Friends together to share passions and interests:
Interest groups – Friends getting together around an issue or activity; informal in approach – sign-up and gather during free time, 3:30 p.m.- 4:30 p.m. on Sat or Sun.
Workshops  – more formal with a leader and presentation. Workshop time is 1:30 – 3:30 on Sat or Sun. Planning Committee may limit the number of workshops offered.  The workshop coordinator will print a signup sheet and assign a location.
Ideas for workshops or interest groups currenly sought! Include a one to two paragraph description of your workshop and your name and contact info. Deadline is May 11. Send to Lauren Leighton: leighton(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)hbci.com or call (507)452-0490.

Are you interested in building broader Quaker connections and enjoying deeper involvement with Friends in the region? Minneapolis Friends is a member-meeting of the regional gathering of Friends called Northern Yearly Meeting (NYM). For some, the best way to build connections is by working together. NYM offers many ways to engage in the life of the yearly meeting – volunteer to be with our children and youth during the annual session and/or throughout the year, or help with Yearly Meeting functions in finance, budgeting, audit, and annual session planning. Support the spiritual life of NYM and its members through Ministry and Nurture, and Outreach. Be a representative to national and international Quaker organizations like Friends General Conference, American Friends Service Committee, Friends World Committee for Consultation, Quaker Earthcare Witness, Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, & Queer Concerns, and others. Volunteer to nourish NYM’s relationship with the El Salvador Yearly Meeting (NYM sponsors inter-yearly meeting visitation). If you already enjoy NYM’s annual session and would like to deepen your connection, or if you would like to start to engage in NYM, please let us know how you’d like to participate.

Camp Woodbrooke, a summer camp under Quaker leadership, offers an opportunity for young Friends to have a summer camp experience with Quaker values. Check out Camp Woodbrooke for your young camper or for your high school or college student who wants to earn a little money this summer. Some financial aid is available through Northern Yearly Meeting. See posted flyer for more. Want just a taste of Camp Woodbrooke? Go to the open house May 17th or family camp September 4-7! campwoodbrooke.org

Pendle Hill’s Continuing Revolution: A Young Adult Friends Conference on Equality, a six-day exploration of spiritually-rooted activism, will be Jun 5th-10th. Explore the Equality Testimony, work to unpack your own privilege and power, and develop a greater capacity to confront the many intersecting systems of oppression in our communities and in the world. Workshops, lectures, small group opportunities, fellowship, and both programmed and unprogrammed worship. The YAF Conferences are designed for all young adult Friends who feel a movement in their generation to create the world we believe is possible and to live into right relationship with the Divine, one another, and the earth. Rolling application; space is limited. More at: pendlehill.org/learn/conferences-institutes/yafcon .

Friends General Conference (FGC) Gathering will be held July 5-July 11, 2015, at Western Carolina University in the Smoky Mountains. Worship, workshops, excellent children’s programming, speakers, films, art, bookstore, etc. Friends from all over the U.S. and Canada attend. Registration has begun. Financial aid is available from FGC, especially to Friends who apply early. Funds also remain through Northern Yearly Meeting. Info at FGCGathering.org. If you are considering helping plan the Gathering in 2016 – take this opportunity to experience the event!

Friends General Conference (FGC) Gathering is coming to The College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph in 2016. Opportunities to serve on Planning Committee, Evening Programs, Local Arrangement and Hospitality, Workshops, Worship, and Junior Gathering. If you are interested in helping in any of these areas, fill out the Expression of Interest Form online at FGCquaker.or/gathering-committee. More information is posted on the long bulletin board.
The first planning meeting for 2016 is May 1-3 (at Twin Cities Friends Meeting.) Hospitality is  needed for those coming from out of town, (bed and breakfast for 1-2 nights and rides to and from the TCFM,) especially homes with no pets. Interested in hosting? contact Anne Holzinger at 612-724-2439 / anneholzinger(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)hotmail.com.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Mayim Rabim invites Friends to the second annual Mayim Rabim Art Schmooze! TODAY, Sunday April 19, 11 AM to 4 PM 2909 E 22nd St, Mpls. Original, hand-made art/crafts including pottery, fused glass, knitted items, etc. Go home with a new treasure! All proceeds for Mayim Rabim’s general fund.

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? Purchase tickets online at blankslatetheatre.com (Performance 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’ work week is Wed-Sun. She will be in the office Wed. 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.