February 28, 2016

MEETING SCHEDULE AND PROGRAM

TODAY

9:00 AM meeting for worship (unprogrammed): care of meeting, Bill Hendricks

10:15 AM Carolyn VandenDolder and Alan Ware will speak about their experience working on the issue of overpopulation and will offer a discussion of why overpopulation matters to your work in the world – no matter what that work is.

11:15 AM meeting for worship (semi-programmed): Frank Bacon, speaker; Nancy Lichtenstein, musician; care of meeting, Lolly Lijewski

UPCOMING MEETING EVENTS

Adult Program at 10:15 next Sun, March 6th – Doug, the Meeting’s representative to Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), will get our input regarding FCNL’s priorities for the next legislative session. (See attached.) Come discuss and discern what seven national issues are of most importance to members and attenders of MFM.

Nominating Committee is working to make sure the Meeting can function ably in the coming year. When someone from Nominating Committee calls you and leaves a message, PLEASE return the call promptly, regardless of your response, so their (our) work can move ahead.

Please refer any ideas for recipients for Meeting’s climate tax funds to any member of the Peace and Social Concerns Committee: Jeff, Ranae, Debbie, Roland, Terry, and Elizabeth.

Loaves and Fishes is TOMORROW, Mon. Serve dinner to the people of the Phillips neighborhood at Holy Rosary Church, 2424 18th Av. S. Please help if you have a few hours between 1:30pm and 7pm on the 29th. See the sign-up sheet on the bulletin table.

Caring for Creation tip: Choose matches over lighters. Most lighters are made out of plastic and filled with butane fuel, both petroleum products. Since most lighters are considered “disposable,” more than 1.5 billion end up in landfills each year. When choosing matches, pick cardboard over wood. Wood matches come from trees, whereas most cardboard matches are made from recycled paper.

Minneapolis Meeting is hosting the spring interim session of Northern Yearly Meeting, here, March 11-12. Requests for hospitality are coming in fast and furious! Consider if you can host overnight guest(s) on Friday night or help with food for snacks and simple (soup) lunch on Saturday. And plan to come to this time of meeting, greeting, worshiping, eating, and doing a little business. For more or to volunteer, contact Carolyn – office(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)minneapolisfriends.org.

Terry Hokenson will conduct a workshop after the potluck (1:30-3:30) next Sun, March 6th, to grapple with the painful emotions that arise–and often paralyze–when we or people we meet–confront overwhelming specters such as climate crisis. (Similar cases could be racism or endless war.) Attendance will be limited to 20. Please call or email to reserve a place. This workshop will serve secondarily as a planning pilot for Terry’s workshop series at the Friends General Conference Gathering in St. Joseph this summer. Feedback from Friends will be valuable.

A memorial service for Adolph will be held here on Sunday, May 15, at 2 pm.

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 and Finance Committee. Thank you for your generous support of the Meeting in so many varied ways.

OTHER HAPPENINGS AMONG QUAKERS

Northern Yearly Meeting high school retreat at the Duluth meetinghouse (1802 E 1st Street, Duluth). Drop off starting at 6:30 pm Fri, March 18th and pick up Sun, the 20th at noon. RSVP to Brianna (adult coordinator) by Wed, March 16th if you are coming, (so we get enough food), and if you need a ride: NYMHighSchool(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)gmail.com . Theme: Quaker Values: Ranking our value priorities and putting them into practice.

“Undoing Racism” workshop sponsored by American Friends Service Committee (St. Paul) and the People’s Institute for Survival this Thurs evening (March 3) and all day on Fri and Sat, the 4th and 5th. Meals provided. Space limited. Register ASAP. Nettie, Jim, Nancy, and John are going so there will be a discounted fee of $200 per person. Questions: Sharon Goens-Bradley, Healing Justice Program Director, AFSC 651-789-3852; Sgoens(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)afsc.org

Rex Ambler’s Quaker Way will be explored over seven Thurs evenings beginning at 7:00, April 7th at Twin Cities Meeting (1725 Grand Ave in St. Paul.) A copy of the text and advance reading and preparation necessary. Attending all sessions is recommended but not required. Attending the first session is most useful. Participation is limited. Flyers available.

Northern Yearly Meeting (NYM), of which MFM is a member, seeks a Middle School Coordinator. Lead two weekend retreats a year for Quaker middle schoolers and the morning Middle School program at NYM annual sessions over Memorial Day weekend. Info is posted. Application deadline, March 1.

NYM is also looking for someone to be liaison to the Friends Peace Teams in east Africa, which NYM has committed to financially supporting. A new position, serve as an informational link between NYM and the Friends Peace Teams, then make up the role as you go.

Friends School of MN, a K – 8 Quaker school in St. Paul, offers opportunities for local Quakers to participate in Friends School governance. Currently needed, Friends on the Committee on Trustees (nominating committee). Meets once a month during the school year, charged with drawing diverse skills and perspectives into the school’s governance structure. Inspired to get involved or learn more about Quaker education in the Twin Cities? Reach out to John.

El Salvador Yearly Meeting, with whom Northern Yearly Meeting has a relationship of inter-visitation, is seeking two volunteers to help teach English for a month this summer in its Soyapango and San Ignacio schools. Application deadline is March 15; start the process ASAP as a clearness committee is required of all volunteers.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Racial Unity: Opening the Door dinner (provided) and discussion TODAY at 5 pm in the Sojourner Truth Academy Gym. St. Bridget’s will host the forum in collaboration with other neighborhood congregations, pastors, and members of the community to discuss racism and living in peace. 3820 Emerson Ave N, Mpls. More at stbridgetnorthside.com/news-events/racial-unity

Caucuses are this Tuesday night, March 1. By attending your caucus, you can stand up for issues you think need emphasis in party platforms and/ or you can advocate for a particular candidate.

The annual White Privilege Conference will be in Philadelphia, April 14‑17. Friends General Conference provides a significant discount to Quakers who pre‑register through FGC, fgcquaker.org/wpc . Registration has begun; info at: whiteprivilegeconference.org .

MN Interfaith Power & Light is looking for people to plan and promote community solar arrays throughout the metro area. In their “Just Community” solar program (partnering with Cooperative Energy Futures), faith-based teams are forming to find potential locations for new solar arrays and to define the values of their own programs (for example prioritizing participants with lower income or in a certain geographic area). Teams in several areas around the cities are already in place and could use more help, and new teams are also wanted. To find out more, visit mnipl.org or email communitysolar(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)mnipl.org. Also, members of MFM’s Peace and Social Concerns Committee would be like to know of your interest. (Leave a note in the Peace and Social Concerns file of the blue box.)

“A Relationship Transformed: Jewish Gratitude for Catholic Initiative: Reflections on the 50th Anniversary of Nostra Aetate” Sun, April 17th, 4:00 – 5:30, here at the meetinghouse with Yiscah Brachah of the Jewish Community Resource Center’s Speakers Bureau. In 1965 the Second Vatican Council passed, by a vote of 2,221 to 88, Nostra Aetate [In Our Times], a Declaration on the Relation of the Church with Non-Christian Religions. It signified a changed church attitude toward non-Christian religions, with a special focus on Jews. It could have been just a document relegated to a dusty shelf, but they brought it to life with subsequent initiatives.

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, 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.