August 25, 2019

MEETING SCHEDULE AND PROGRAM

TODAY

10:00 – 11:00 AM meeting for worship (semi-programmed): Sandy Olson, speaker; Dave Bostrom, musician; care of meeting, Judith James and Carol Bechtel

“Just as we could not live physically without each other, we cannot live spiritually in isolation. We are individually free but also communally bound….We know ourselves as we are reflected in the faces, actions and attitudes of each other.”
~ Philadelphia Yearly Meeting Book of Faith and Practice, 1997

TODAY at the rise of worship – Come to an ice cream social! Come visit, taste a delight of summer, and host and thank our neighbors for graciously sharing the block – on-street parking, quiet Sunday mornings, and committee meeting nights – with us!

Also today 2-5 PM: Minneapolis/St. Paul Quaker Voluntary Service (QVS) Open House, at 3241 Park Avenue So, Mpls (second and third floors). Come see the QVS house that area Friends created and offer a prayer for grace and growth before the new Fellows arrive. This is also a chance to bring pantry contributions and items for welcome baskets (6 of each).

UPCOMING MEETING EVENTS

You are invited to the all-Meeting potluck at the rise of second worship NEXT SUNDAY! To regulars, please bring lots of food so we can be confident inviting guests and newcomers to stay!

THANK YOU to the Property Committee for their leadership and hard work as well as the MANY Friends who stayed to work last Sunday during clean-up day! The meetinghouse looks brighter than ever! Members of the Property Committee are: Linda Ferguson, David Downes, Suzanne Ferguson, Michael Hay, Betsy Souther, Ed Souther, Frank Bacon, and Evan Schnell.

The Child Welfare Committee has revised the meeting’s child protection policy. It has been sent out with the August monthly meeting draft minutes (sent on August 14th to those in attendance,) sent via the Google group, and is posted on the website for review: minneapolisfriends.org/2019/08/21/child-welfare-policy-and-procedures-revision-draft/. There are also a few paper copies available on the elevator table. Please give feedback / corrections to Rae Beth.

Important upcoming dates:
The start of the school-year schedule is Sept 15: 9:00 – worship (unprogrammed); 10:15 – mid-morning program; 11:15 – worship (semi-programmed) and first day school.
Also on Sept 15: Religious Education (for youth) orientation for families at 12:15
Oct 6th during potluck: Further consideration of Sunday morning schedule change (Check out the flyer on the bulletin table which describes the contemplated schedule change in the coming year)
Fall Together at Fish Lake Regional Park in Plymouth October 26th

First Day School (Sunday school) is gearing up! The year will be divided into quarters with different testimonies providing the focus of each quarter. There will be three classes: grades 1-5; middle school; and high school. Teachers, helpers, and special guests are sought! Have a personal Quaker story to share? A Quaker hero you’d like to talk about? Want to help nurture and develop deeper relationships with the Meeting’s youth? Let Julia know of your interest.

Want to help welcome the Quaker Voluntary Service Fellows once they arrive on Aug 30th? Sign up to provide transportation from the airport on Aug 30, or offer a meal during the Fellows’ first week (8/31-9/7) at: forms.gle/u648iTCMS8WbM83h9. For questions or more information, contact Marybeth.

Quaker Voluntary Service Minneapolis / St. Paul is beginning its second year with six new Fellows placed in local nonprofit organizations working for peace and social justice and living in a cooperative household. Short intro pieces for Bridget, Ellen, Leanne, Kirsten, Miranda and Zephyr, the new Fellows, can be found at: quakervoluntaryservice.org/Minneapolis (you have to scroll down!) Letters about their QVS experience from Taylor, Alina, and Angelica, three of last year’s Fellows, are posted on the bulletin board.

The new writing group will meet THIS Tues, August 27th at the home of Jane in Hopkins. Open to all, we write and have the chance to share with each other. Contact Jane for more.

Interested in gardening? Meeting gardeners (currently Clifford, Betsy, and Sarah) meet at 6:30 PM at the meetinghouse on the second and fourth Tuesdays through the end of Sept. Come when you can for satisfying fun playing in the dirt, fabulous people, and lots of laughs. For more, contact Clifford.

OTHER HAPPENINGS AMONG QUAKERS

Be a lobbyist at the State Fair. The metro-area Friends Committee on National Legislation advocacy team encourages Friends who go to the State Fair to visit their federal Congressional representatives and senators who will be campaigning there and let them know that you support repeal of the 2001 and 2002 Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMF) that provide the legal basis for US military combat operations around the world. The House of Representatives (but not the Senate) has passed repeals of both AUMFs as amendments to two “must pass” defense spending bills. The House and Senate now have to negotiate a bill that will pass both houses. Let your representatives and senators know that they should not support either bill unless it includes the AUMF repeals. Imagine if they go back to Washington having heard from hundreds of Friends about this issue! More information and a handout to give to your congressperson is on the elevator table.

A memorial for Pat Van Cleve will be held Sat, Sept 7th, 2 PM at Twin Cities Meeting, 1725 Grand Ave, St. Paul. Light refreshments will be served afterwards.

Woodbrooke Family Camp Aug. 31-Sept. 2. Enjoy the beauty and experience community as we hike, swim, play, sing and prepare meals together and go to sleep listening to owls and tree frogs. Limited to 50. More information and registration at: campwoodbrooke.org/familycamp.php .

K.T. and Dillon, MSP Quaker Voluntary Service Fellows last year, and Cynthia, Local Support Committee member, were interviewed at the Friends General Conference Gathering in Grinnell IA by Northern Spirit Radio’s Mark Helpsmeet. They, along with former-QVS-Fellow-now-staff-person, Claire, and Zoe from Portland QVS House, share their experiences with QVS: northernspiritradio.org/episode/qvs-spirituality-activism-community.

From Friends Committee on National Legislation: The House Judiciary Committee announced today that they will return early from summer recess to work on gun control legislation. While this is only a preliminary step, it reflects the growing pressure on policymakers to address the catastrophic toll of gun violence. Take action to address the crisis of gun violence and other vital issues (immigration, climate, criminal justice, Native Americans) by visiting congresspeople during their August recess. More at: fcnl.org/updates/august-recess-a-time-for-action-2214

OFFICE HOURS – Carolyn VandenDolder, the interim Meeting Coordinator, will be at the meetinghouse Wed, Thurs and Fri, 10:30-4:00. Phone messages checked daily. Bulletin deadline, noon Thur. Phone items in to the office (612-926-6159), email (office(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)minneapolisfriends.org), or write and put in the bulletin file of the blue box.