January 3, 2016

MEETING SCHEDULE AND PROGRAM

TODAY

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

10:15 AM Liz Oppenheimer on social justice sharing. Please arrive in a timely fashion. Applicable to all forms of justice work – climate change, economic equality, racial justice, immigration – this is also for folks who care about the world but don’t yet feel they have an issue that claims their energy. Experiential and hands-on, learn-by-doing, not by talking-about-doing. Liz helped organize Quakers across the state on marriage equality work and is now involved with Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) in the MN chapter.

11:15 AM meeting for worship (semi-programmed): Heidi Flores, speaker; care of meeting, Joanne Esser

Everyone is welcome at the potluck at the rise of semi-programmed worship today! Come, even if you didn’t bring a pot of something to share. To regulars, bring plenty so we have ample. And help with the effort – clear tables, wash, dry and put away dishes, chairs, and tables. Many hands make light work for everyone!

UPCOMING MEETING EVENTS

Next Sunday, Jan 10th: Meeting for business starts at 9:45 and goes until worship (semi-programmed) at 11:15.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Envelope Gift, the wintertime gift, previously known as the White Envelope Gift, will go to three recipients this year: Black Lives Matter, Mpls; the Syrian American Medical Society; and the Watan School for refugee children in Reyhanli, Turkey.

Black Lives Matter, Minneapolis: organizes against state violence against Black people. While their most visible activity is on police violence and killing of Black people, they also work to address broader criminal justice issues such as mass incarceration and racial profiling and the over-arching issues suppressing the Black community such as poverty and education.

Syrian American Medical Society: a nonprofit, nonpolitical relief organization, is on the front lines of crisis relief in Syria, serving the medical needs of hundreds of thousands of Syrians, supporting doctors and medical professionals, and rebuilding healthcare. The organization began in 1998 and has leadership from Syrian-American doctors in MN. Since 2011, 679 healthcare workers have been killed in Syria – shot, bombed, executed, or tortured – 90 percent by the government which targets them. When there are no doctors and other medical staff, the people leave that place, exacerbating the refugee crisis. SAMS supported over 1.4 million Syrians in need in 2014 and has already supported over 2 million Syrians so far in 2015. More at sams-usa.net/foundation

Watan School for refugee children: Over 2 million Syrian children are not in school because of the war. 3000 Syrian schools have been destroyed. Watan created and operates a school for hundreds of refugee children in Reyhanli, Turkey. More, including photographs, at watanusa.org

Checks should be made out to Minneapolis Meeting with the memo: “Envelope Gift” and placed in a small white envelope.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Friendly Meals are again being organized for February, March and April, 2016! Friendly meals are one-time mixers. Sign up for all three months / meals or sign up as a substitute / on-call participant. Hosts will email the group assigned to them to set a date, provide an entree and coordinate what others are bringing. Other participants bring salad, drinks, appetizer or dessert. Keitha of Welcoming and Outreach Committee will mix and match those who sign up so it is a new group (as much as possible) every meal. Flyers with more details and the sign up sheet are on the elevator table. Sign-up deadline is Jan 17.

Offering boxes are located on small tables near the meetingroom doors. If you would like to automate your financial contributions, please talk to Roland, clerk of Stewardship.

OTHER HAPPENINGS AMONG QUAKERS

Young adult Quakers (age 18-40) from the Twin Cities are planning a camping trip Jan 22-24 at Camp Lakamaga in Marine on St Croix. Modern cabin, cooking our own food, enjoying each other’s company. Cost for both nights, including food, is $45, but all are welcome regardless of ability to pay. For more or to attend, email Elizabeth. RSVP by Jan 4th.

Friends School of MN will host a Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration 7:00 on Friday, Jan 15th at O’Shaghnessy Auditorium at St. Catherine University. This annual all-school event explores the Quaker values of integrity and justice through a variety of songs, dances, and multimedia and spoken word performances.

Northern Yearly Meeting high school retreat, Jan 22 – 24 in Twin Cities; theme: Understanding Privilege and Identity. For more, visit http://www.nymyouth.org/.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Friends General Conference Gathering will be July 3rd-9th in St Joseph, MN. More than a thousand Friends of all ages from across North America are expected for a week of worship, workshops, recreation, fellowship, and much more. Evening plenary speakers: British Quaker author and scholar Rex Ambler; Mpls civil rights activist Nekima Levy-Pounds; Quaker pastor and author Peggy Senger Morrison. Larry Long, Wau-ban-ew-qway (Doreen) Day, and Tonia Hughes will provide an intergenerational concert one evening. Request vacation time now so you can attend! More: fgcquaker.org/connect/gathering

The week-long workshops at the FGC Gathering will include workshops offered by Minneapolis Meeting people:

Terry Hokenson, Erin Pratt and Louis Alemayehu, “God Sent an Angel to Soothe the Lions.” Facing historic exploitation of the poor and communities of color and dire threats to Earth’s habitability evokes emotions that “prowl the heart’s chambers like lions.” We’ll explore how to convert demoralizing emotions into strong allies for action through role play and story in pursuit of leadings, humble, faithful, and bold;

Jeannette Raymond and Patricia DeBoer, “Narrative Change, Social Transformation.” Examine both socially dominant and Quaker narratives related to peace and war. Use case studies, including the American Friends Service Committee’s narrative change work, to explore how narratives can be shifted to encourage new understanding and to build social transformation;

Stephen and Mary Snyder and Marge Schlitt, “Alternatives to Violence.” Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) uses experiential activities focused on self-esteem, affirmation, community-building, communication, anger and non-violent conflict resolution to practice living non-violently in our personal lives, community and world.

Latrisha Chattin, Head of Friends School of MN, will do a workshop, “Exploring Quakers in Education.” Explore the rich history of Quakers in education from the founding of public schools to the Quaker schools of today. Through various methods, together as parents, grandparents, students, and teachers of all kinds, we will examine, share, and shape our experiences as Quakers in education.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The School of the Spirit offers Inner Journey, Outer Journey, a contemplative retreat in the manner of Friends next spring, April 21-24 at the DeKoven Center in Racine, WI. Some brochures are available. Or see schoolofthespirit.org

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Dr. William Beeman, an internationally known expert on the Middle East and the Islamic World, and chair of the anthropology department at the U of MN, will speak about current developments in the Middle East, interpreting them and their implications in the larger frame of world events. Sat, Jan. 16th, 9:30 AM (refreshments,) 10:00 AM Presentation and Discussion, Southdale Library, 7001 York Ave S, Mpls. More at mepn.org .

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.