Minneapolis Friend Meeting 

Monthly Meeting for Business 

February 10, 2019 

Those in Attendance:  John Kraft—Presiding Clerk  Stephen Snyder—Recording Clerk  [Some information and names have been edited for publication on the web.]

1.  Reading and Silent Worship

“Friends conduct meeting for worship with attention to business by a process in which the group prayerfully seeks to be guided by the Holy Spirit to a decision or resolution.  We approach issues with a commitment to allow the power of Divine Love to work within ourselves, and faith that, held in that power, we will be led together to Truth.  Those gathered seek the ‘sense of the meeting,’ a shared perception of the progress that has been made in consideration of the question at hand.  The sense of the meeting may be that a right decision has been found, or that the meeting must labor further.  The process works best when participants are committed to the meeting community and worship together regularly.”   Faith and Practice, Iowa Yearly Meeting Conservative, p. 47.

2.  Clerk’s Requests   Leave time in between each speaker. Take time to let emotions settle and the Light’s message form before speaking. Speak from the Light instead of simply responding to another’s’ message unless you want to clarify what’s been said. We are seeking a common understanding of what the Light is telling us as a community, not just trying to get our individual point across. Wait for the microphone.

3.    Approval of Agenda — Approved.

4.  Approve Minutes—Minutes of the January 13, 2019 Meeting for Business were approved.

5.  Ministry and Counsel Committee (M&C) Report – Sandy O.  The regular February meeting of M&C was moved to Wednesday, February 13^th due to bad weather.  M&C had a special called meeting on January 16^th. The committee reviewed the 2015 Vision statement and then considered what structure might best support pastoral care, while at the same time caring for the Quaker identity and spiritual life of the meeting. As an experiment, M&C decided to create a pastoral care team within the existing M&C Committee.  This team would be composed of members of M&C interested in focusing on pastoral care and also open to others in meeting with gifts for this service.  During February and March, this pastoral care team will meet for an hour before the regular M&C meeting and then join the full committee for at least part of its regular meeting.  Ministry and Counsel also sponsored the visit of Paul Buckley who shared insights from his writings about early Friends and how Quaker faith and practice has changed over the past 350 years.  About 35-45 friends from Minneapolis, Twin Cities, Prospect Hill and Milwaukee Friends Meetings participated in the Friday, Saturday and Sunday sessions. The committee is very grateful to Paul Buckley for his ministry and for members of Minneapolis Friends who organized the weekend activities.  Sandy ended the report by asking friends to respond to two queries:  What were highlights of the weekend?  Should M&C organize similar events in the future?  Discussion:  One highlight for several friends was the opportunity to meet in small groups to share experiences about meeting and get to know one another at a deeper lever. Others appreciated learning more about the history of early Friends and their understanding of Light and Darkness as each having substance. Another liked the clarification that holding someone in the Light does not necessarily mean we are manipulating or asking God to intervene and help someone.  Friend wondered what children and adults might say Quakerism is today.  Can we believe whatever we want as participants in meeting?  Several friends felt Meeting should sponsor similar events in the future and continue to invite other area meetings to participate.  It is good to get perspectives from visitors outside Minneapolis meeting.  One opportunity might be to invite an FWCC traveling minister to visit another year.

6.  Other Reports

a.  Stewardship and Finance Committee Draft Budget –Marilyn J.  The budgeted expenses in this draft are $110,885 which is about $30,000 more than anticipated income for the coming year.  However this draft budget has a $30,000 contingency fund for ministerial staff which may not be spent.  Welcoming and Outreach and the Nursery Committee have not submitted their requests so money may be added for their work.  Also the $6,000 budgeted for the Trustees fund may need to be increased if they decide to ask the meeting to replace the carpeting and repair the sidewalk and pergola. The Stewardship Committee will monitor the level of giving during the coming year and make recommendations to meeting should giving not appear adequate to meet expenses.  A final budget proposal will be presented at the March meeting for business for approval.  Discussion:  Friend noted that in many meetings the budget committee tries to present a balanced budget with expenses covered by anticipated income.  If income falls short then expenses can be adjusted at meeting for business or members can be called on to contribute more.  Friend noted that there has been no increase in contributions to organizations which means they effectively get less money after accounting for inflation.  Clerk noted that the meeting has pattern of giving 10% of its budget to organizations.  The only recommended increase is for Friends for a Non Violent World (FNVW).  Friend asked if there was money in the budget to hire musicians.  Clerk noted that M&C decided not to request such funds until the meeting reaches unity about hiring musicians.  Friends wondered if money was included to upgrade the sound system.  Marilyn noted that capital expenditures fall under the care of the Trustees and are not included in the general fund budget.  Friend wondered if the Meeting Coordinator was still an interim position.  Clerk noted that it remains an interim position until the meeting reaches clarity about the transition.

b.   Nominating Committee Preliminary Report – Doug H. and Annamary H.  Doug recounted the story about little hen where everybody wanted to eat her bread but no one wanted grow wheat, grind it into flour, bake bread, etc.   Likewise, everybody in meeting wants a wonderful worship experience but who is going to do the work to make this happen?  Nominating Committee recognizes the value of many kinds or service to meeting, including committee work, and invites all friends to share in this work.  Underlined in today’s preliminary report are the names of 28 new people being nominated to fill committee positions.  The committee is still looking for some additional persons to fill vacant positions.  If you are called please get back to the committee quickly with your response.  Discussion:  Friends thanked the Nominating Committee members for their work for meeting, for the depth of their deliberations, and encouraged everyone to be givers to as well as receivers from meeting.   Another friend encouraged the committee to nominate additional persons to serve on the Care of Semi-Programmed Worship Committee to help with its work.  Clerk thanked the committee and noted that their final report will be on the agenda in March.

7.  Discussion regarding “Fall Together” – Clerk noted that Fall Together has been time to gather informally for fellowship, games, discussion and meals.  Attendance was down this past year.  The clerk of the Camp Committee surveyed friends found that many friends like the camp idea, but many are also noncommittal about actually attending. Do friends want to plan an event for this year and continue with this tradition or lay fall camp down?   Discussion:  There were mixed feelings about whether to lay fall camp down.  Several friends noted that the Camp Committee made a special effort to find space friendly for children but only one child attended and no other families were present at what traditionally was planned as a family event.  Fall camp requires a lot of effort to organize, attendance was only half of what it has been in previous years, and families do not seem to need this activity. One friend observed that every child in the First Day program last year attended the overnight event at the meetinghouse.  Perhaps the youth in meeting prefer this experience over the camp and it is time to lay down the camp experience. Other friends noted the long tradition of fall camp and how important it had been to them and their families.  Attendance has ebbed and flowed over the years but it has always been a rich experience for those attending.  Other suggestions included shortening the fall camp to one day only, making it an overnight retreat experience or simply having a meeting picnic. Another idea was approaching Welcoming and Outreach about planning a talent event such as Four Rivers Friends used to do.  Clerk indicated there did not seem to be unity around the question of continuing fall camp and said he would send the notes on this discussion to the Camp Committee and Welcoming and Outreach for their consideration.

8.  Sidewalk – Clerk   The Property Committee is concerned that sidewalk maintenance has not been optimum.  The severe winter weather has made it difficult to prevent ice buildup on the sidewalks, curbs and gutters.  Drainage may also be an issue allowing ice to build up as snow melts. All this increases the probability of injuries from falls on the ice and liability for the meeting.   Discussion:  A member of the Property Committee suggested finding someone from meeting living nearby who might serve as the caretaker responsible for clearing the sidewalk in winter.  Friend expressed concern about the ice buildup at end of sidewalk where people get picked up or dropped off.  It is very dangerous.  Other friends felt meeting did a good job maintaining the sidewalks considering the winter weather.  However, many of the neighbors’ sidewalks are snow and ice covered making it difficult for friends who have to park at a distance to walk safely to the meetinghouse.  Friend noted that any of us can sprinkle sand or grit on the sidewalk when we notice slippery spots.  Clerk will refer this matter back to Property Committee for further consideration.

9.  Brief update on a meeting for worship schedule discussion – Clerk  The idea of having only one meeting for worship on potluck Sundays is being discussed by several committees in meeting.  Clerk has a concern that we consider the needs of outsiders or infrequent attenders who rely on a regular schedule in making plans to attend meeting.  Discussion:  Friend suggested that this proposal be posted on the google group, the web site and on the door of the meetinghouse to insure that everyone is aware of the possible schedule change and has an opportunity to respond.  Friend expressed appreciation for the concern to make the potluck available to everyone, but noted that this might mean the Mid-Morning Program (MMP) would only occur twice a month. Friend suggested meeting could have a MMP before meeting for worship on those potluck Sundays. Clerk indicated that this conversation will be ongoing.

10.  Correspondence —Clerk

a.  The Executive Director of Quaker Volunteer Service (QVS) national organization, wrote thanking meeting for its recent contribution to QVS.  She is planning to visit Minneapolis Friends but is a bit intimidated by what she hears about out winter and will wait until the weather improves.

b.  The General Secretary of Right Sharing of World Resources, wrote to thank meeting for its 2018 contribution of $400 in support of Right Sharing’s projects to empower women in Kenya, India and Sierra Leone to support their families and transform their communities.

11.  Transition to Semi-Programmed Meeting for Worship at 11:15 am.