May 17, 2015

MEETING SCHEDULE AND PROGRAM

TODAY

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

10:15 AM    Care of the Future: a planning process. What strengths, challenges, and opportunities are the most important? Discussion groups. Conclusions. These conclusions will inform the rest of the planning process.

11:15 AM    meeting for worship (semi-programmed): speaker, Sigurd Hoppe; Kathy Webster, musician; care of meeting, Lolly Lijewski

UPCOMING MEETING EVENTS

Today is the last day of the school-year schedule and first day school.
Beginning next Sunday, May 24th, there will be a combined worship at 10:00 am on Sundays.
When there are enough volunteers, we will have a nice opportunity after worship for relaxed coffee and conversation (except for potluck Sundays, the first Sunday of the month).  Sign up (on the bulletin table) to help host a coffee/tea time!

Decisions at business meeting last week:
* Approved Lindy’s membership.
* Tom and Renae will serve as coordinators of unprogrammed worship for the summer.
* Approved Stewardship Committee’s proposal to resolve the $2,277 deficit for the just-finished fiscal year by not fully funding the budgeted amounts for Director of Ministry Sabbatical Savings and the Mission, Service, and Fellowship fund.
* Approved Adult Program Committee’s plan to hold informal discussions between 9:00 and 10:00 am Sunday mornings in June, outside around the picnic table or, in case of bad weather, at Turtle Bread.
* Approved endorsing the Quaker Earthcare Witness statement on climate change. (See statement text and other signatories at: quakerearthcare.org/article/jan-2015-facing-challenge-climate-change-shared-statement-quaker-groups)

Renae and Tom are looking for volunteers to close the unprogrammed worship and to carry the microphone for summer unprogrammed worship (first and third Sundays). There is a sign up sheet on the table by the elevator.

MFM and Mayim Rabim will host a showing of Inequality for All, a film about wealth disparity in the US, this Wed, May 20th. For more about the movie, see IFA.com. Plan to come and bring friends or family members.

May 31st 11:30-1:30 – Sunday afternoon clean up. Please stay and tackle a portion of the work! Some of the chores include cleaning chairs and pews, a few lower level windows, some pruning of shrubs and plants, weather permitting. We will have all the necessary items available for cleaning. Grab a snack and stay! Many hands keep the workload manageable!

–A big thank you to Terry K. who valiantly washed all the main floor windows this week, inside and out with help from Ed and Betsy!—

Zephyra and Roland Shepherd Scholarship applications and eligibility criteria are available on the long table in the east hall and are due June 1st.  This scholarship for post-secondary education was started by the Shepherds in 1977. Applications should be mailed back to the meetinghouse or put in the Shepherd Scholarship file in the blue box.

On Wednesday, June 3rd, at 7 pm read aloud and discuss chapter 3 from Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life. This chapter focuses on compassion towards oneself. No preparation necessary. Meet in the conference room; hosted by John Stuart. Come just once, come sporadically, or come all the time – You are welcome!

Robert and Gwen will be married under the care of the Meeting Sat, June 20, at 4:30. Please plan to come. All in a Friends Meeting are encouraged to take part in the called meeting for worship in which the marriage is solemnized.

Offering boxes are located on small tables near the meetingroom doors. Thank you, Friends, for your financial support of the Meeting’s budget. Copies of the Meeting’s new 2015-16 budget are available on the table in the long hall.

OTHER HAPPENINGS AMONG QUAKERS

Young Adult Quakers (age 18 – 45) will be having a game night Friday, May 29th from 6-10 PM at Andy and Elizabeth’s home in Fridley.  Questions? Contact Elizabeth.

There is still time to register for Northern Yearly Meeting Annual Session (May 22-25). See registration and schedules online: northernyearlymeeting.org/article/2015-annual-session-may-22-25 . There will be a reunion of people who were NYM teens in the  mid to late 80s and early 90s. Contact Mark for reunion details:  helpsmeet(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)usa.net.

Friends for a Non-Violent World’s Ways of Peace will bring Rabbi Amy Eilberg to MFM to discuss her book, From Enemy to Friend: Jewish Wisdom and the Pursuit of Peace. Eilberg interweaves personal story, sacred text, and theory and demonstrates how relationships can move from estrangement and wounding, entrenched bigotry and fear, to positive, engaged encounter. What emerges is a portrait of peacemaking as a spiritual practice that can guide the lives of faithful people seeking peace in their lives and in the world. The book concludes with practical disciplines to cultivate the qualities of soul essential to the art of pursuing peace. Here at Minneapolis Friends Meeting, Wednesday, June 10, 7 pm.

Pendle Hill’s Continuing Revolution: A Young Adult Friends Conference on Equality, a six-day intensive exploration of spiritually-rooted activism, will be Jun 5th-10th, exploring 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. Rolling application. Details 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, kids’ program, speakers, films, art, bookstore, Friends from all over the U.S. and Canada. Info at FGCGathering.org. Funds remain through Northern Yearly Mtg. Thinking to help plan the Gathering in 2016? Take this opportunity to experience the event!

The Fellowship of Friends Of African Descent is sponsoring a conference this summer for Friends of Color and their families, Fri, Aug 21 – Sun, Aug 23, Arch Street Meetinghouse in Philadelphia. To be included in the mailing list and receive information about the event, email Deborah Saunders: deborahsaunders1(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)aol.com .

Camp Woodbrooke, a summer camp under Quaker leadership, offers opportunities for a summer camp experience with Quaker values. Want just a taste of Woodbrooke? Go to family camp Sept 4-7. campwoodbrooke.org .

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Every Church A Peace Church’s next potluck meeting is tomorrow, May 18th, 6:30 PM at St. Joan of Arc Church, 4537 – 3rd Ave. S, Mpls. Veterans for Peace’s Steve McKeown will speak on “The Path to Nonviolence: One Man’s Journey.” ECAPC is a national network of people committed to the premise that the Church could turn the world toward peace if every church lived and taught as Jesus lived and taught.

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.   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.