January 5, 2020

MEETING SCHEDULE AND PROGRAM

TODAY

9:00 – 10:00 meeting for worship (unprogrammed): care of meeting, Keitha Herron

10:15 – 11:00 mid-morning program – Preparing for Sunday Worship Throughout the Week. How do each of us nurture the inward Light when we are not in worship together? How does that nurturing prepare us for our worship together on Sundays? Facilitated by Steve Snyder and John Kraft.
– First day school for youth

11:15 – 12:15 meeting for worship (semi-programmed): Lindy Venustus, speaker; Jacque Wiersma, musician; care of meeting, Juliet Nail

You are welcome at the potluck today at the rise of semi-programmed worship! Please come, even if you didn’t bring a “pot” to contribute. To regulars – look for ways to help with this do-it-ourselves affair, especially helping clear, wash and dry dishes!

HOLD IN THE LIGHT

The first day school program, Meeting families and those who work with Meeting’s youth. Today marks the change in the Sunday morning schedule. For the remainder of the year, first day school will meet from 10:15-11:00. Children and youth are welcome in worship at 9:00 and 11:15. There will be programming downstairs following the planned semi-programmed worship speaker.

UPCOMING MEETING EVENTS

Next Sunday, 9:45-11:15: worship with attention to business. “Friends’ unique way of doing business is rooted in attentiveness and in listening to the promptings of the Spirit. The primary goal is to worship together in discerning the will of God for the Meeting.”
~ from Friends General Conference Meetings’ Toolbox

Friendly Meals, opportunities to help us – newcomers and old-timers alike – get to know each other informally. Friendly Meals, a series of meals in participant homes, will happen in February, March and April 2020. There are two options when signing up:
*All in: you participate in three meals, one per month, hosting one of them.
*On call: your name will be placed on a substitute list to fill in for those unable to attend a particular meal.
Sign-up sheets and a detailed description are available on the elevator table. Coordinated by the Welcoming and Outreach Committee, speak to, call, or email Keitha with questions. Sign-up deadline is Jan 19th.

The Nursery Committee, on behalf of the Meeting, seeks the right person to work with the little ones in the nursery. The work hours are Sundays during the school year, 8:45-12:30; and 9:45-11:15 during the summer months. The pay is $15 an hour. For more, contact office(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)minneapolisfriends.org to be put in touch with someone from the nursery committee.

Mary and Stephen invite Friends to their home at Kenwood Isles, this Wed, Jan 8, and every Wed until March, for worship sharing at noon. Come center on a passage for the first half hour followed by amazing conversation over a light lunch for the second half hour. Worship sharing is a Quaker technique of reading and heart listening, similar to the Benedictine practice of lectio divina. Please RSVP.

Experiment with Light groups: Since 2016 a number of Meeting Friends have been participating in Experiment with Light groups using a meditation process developed by Rex Ambler and based on his study of early Friends. During the next month new participants are invited to learn more about the EwL process with the opportunity to join a group for the coming year. For more, contact office(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)minneapolisfriends.org to be put in touch with Diane.

Every-other Friday, Quaker Voluntary Service Fellows have a development day for programming about Quakerism and other topics. Are you willing to prepare and drop off (vegetarian) lunch for eight at the QVS house or one of the local meetinghouses on Jan 10th, or 24th? Contact Eli to make arrangements: eli(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)quakervoluntaryservice.org.

The Northern Yearly Meeting high school winter retreat is Jan 24-26th, at the Cannon Valley Meeting in Northfield. Theme: Mental Health. Kindly Adult Presences eagerly sought. Inquire or RSVP anytime to office(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)minneapolisfriends.org to be put in touch with coordinator, Cynthia.

OTHER HAPPENINGS AMONG QUAKERS

First Monday Friends invites you to come share your experiences of spirituality in 2019 and spiritual hopes for 2020. Potluck lunch at noon, sharing session at 1 p.m. at Twin Cities Meeting, 1725 Grand Ave, St. Paul.

Pendle Hill First Monday Evening Talks, livestreamed from Pendle Hill: Beauty, Truth, Life, and Love: Four Essentials for the Abundant Life—An evening with J. Brent Bill, Mon, Jan 6, 6:30 – 8PM (Central). Register in advance to receive the link: pendlehill.org/events/beauty-truth-life-and-love-four-essentials-for-the-abundant-life/.

Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) Basic Community Workshop – Jan 17-18. Interested in learning new skills and attitudes to address, prevent, and transform violence? Consider this two-day workshop offering a holistic, experiential, safe, and lively approach to learning the tools to discover your own power to transform conflict and frustration in your life. Fri, the 17th, 12-9PM and Sat, the 18th, 9AM-9PM at 393 N Dunlap St., St. Paul. Attendance both days is expected. To register (required), contact Miranda at 651-917-0383 or Miranda(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)fnvw.org or visit bit.ly/avpjanuary. Cost: $150; no one turned away for lack of funds. Questions? Contact Miranda. AVP is a program of Friends for a NonViolent World

A new, worship-based, spirit-led Northern Yearly Meeting working group has been created to look at all the work on racism that has been done within our yearly meeting, to consider available resources, and to suggest ways forward to further the ongoing anti-racist work of the Northern Yearly Meeting faith community.. In the next few months it will be exploring its charge and developing a work agenda to be shared at spring Interim Session for further seasoning. If you feel led to participate in this committee or would like to learn more about it, please contact office(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)minneapolisfriends.org to be put in touch with the NYM co-clerk, Kat.

Pendle Hill upcoming programs and workshops include: Journey to Wholeness, March 6-8; Opening the Heart of Worship, April 3-5; The Spirit of Hope: Courageous Living in Troubled Times, June 12-14; and The Gathered Meeting, August 21-23). For more or to register, see pendlehill.org/learn/workshops-courses-events/. Some financial support may be available from the Meeting (contact Trustees); or from Pendle Hill directly: pendlehill.org. Register online, call 610-566-4507 ext. 137, or 800-742-3150, or email registrar(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)pendlehill.org.

Friends General Conference Spiritual Deepening eRetreat: Aging & Living. Explore and practice the spirituality of life and life transitions. Rather than focusing on death and dying, find the spiritual gifts of aging across the lifespan. April 19 – May 15: fgcquaker.org/resources/spiritual-deepening-eretreats-aging-living

OFFICE HOURS: Carolyn VandenDolder will be in the office Wed – Fri, 10:30-4. Bulletin deadline, noon Thur. Bulletin items can be phoned in to the office (612-926-6159), emailed (office(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)minneapolisfriends.org), or written and put in the bulletin file of the blue box.