Minneapolis Friend Meeting

Minutes of the Monthly Meeting for Business

January 12, 2020

Attending: John Kraft—Presiding Clerk Stephen Snyder—Recording Clerk

1.Silent Worship 

2. 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. Approve Agenda– The agenda was approved with the addition of the question of laying down food collection and a question about the directory.

4. Approve Minutes– The minutes of the December 8, 2019 were approved.

5. Reports

    a. Friends for a Non-Violent World (FNVW) Holiday Fair –The Executive Director of FNVW, thanked all the Friends who volunteered to make this year’s fund-raising Holiday Fair such a success. About 87% of the volunteer positions were filled and hundreds of hours of volunteer time contributed. The Fair netted over $14,000 to support FNVW programs. It also helps Friends Meeting be more visible in the local community. There seemed to be many first time attendees, at least one of whom has returned to attend meeting for worship. A few vendors and volunteers felt the pace and number of activities during the event this year felt a little hectic at times. Planners will be considering how they might create a more relaxed atmosphere for next year’s event. Discussion: Several Friends expressed appreciation for the extensive involvement of Jenn and other FNVW staff during the Fair that helped make the event and cleanup go more smoothly. It was really fun to attend and participate in the activities of the Fair.

    b. Stewardship and Finance Committee Quarterly Report –  Meeting’s fiscal year runs from April 1^st to March 31^st. This report on the Meeting’s general fund covers the first three quarters of the year. Income for the first three quarters totaled $75,942 or about 67% of the amount budgeted for the year, somewhat behind previous years. On the other hand, expenses for first three quarters were only $34,301 or about 30% of the budget. Expenditures for supplies, elevator inspection, property tax assessments and printing were well above the amounts budgeted, but most committees have not spent much of their budget. It is anticipated that Meeting expenses will total of about $75,000 by the end of the year, much of it for staff salaries, utilities and contributions to Friends organizations which aren’t made until the end of the fiscal year. The general fund is in good shape. The Stewardship and Finance Committee is working on the budget for the coming fiscal year and would like to get budget requests from the committee clerks before the end of January. It will present its first draft of the budget at the February meeting for business. The Committee will be distributing statements of Friends’ annual contributions to the Meeting on January 26^th. Friends can pick these up on the table near the elevator after that date. Friends continued financial and other supports for the Meeting are greatly appreciated. Discussion: Friend noted that rent for the building is not reported under income. Yes, rent goes into the Trustee’s fund not the general fund. Friend suggested that some of the money in the general fund balance be transferred to the Trustees so they can budget more adequately for anticipated repairs to the building. Friend wondered if there are adequate funds available to hire staff for the religious education program. Yes, once meeting for business approves such action. Friend wondered if the recipient of the funds from the voluntary carbon tax has been identified. Peace and Social Concerns makes this decision, probably in March. Clerk and other Friends thanked Marilyn and members of the Stewardship and Finance Committee for their faithful work on behalf of Meeting.

c. Child Welfare Committee Request – The Child Welfare Committee carries a concern for the well-being of the children and youth in Meeting. The Committee asks that all Meeting’s committees consider the impact of their recommendations and decisions on families and children. For example, Mid-Morning Program Committee might consider activities involving children and families in its future programming. It is hoped that all committees will consider ways to be more child and family friendly.

    d. Ministry and Counsel (M&C) Report – The charge of Ministry and Counsel (M & C) is to oversee and care for the worship, the spiritual life of the meeting, and care of the membership of the meeting. During the past couple of years M&C has been considering how the work of the Committee might be restructured to better meet the needs of the meeting. With the retirement of the Director of Ministry, all of the pastoral tasks were shifted to M&C. Even though many Friends in meeting have been doing pastoral care, much of the meeting time of M&C has been taken with pastoral care leaving little time to focus on its other roles. M&C has held two listening sessions and spent several months discerning ways to address this problem. In October 2019 the Committee recommended and Meeting approved the creation of a new Care and Counsel Committee to focus on the pastoral care needs. With the adoption of the new Care and Counsel Committee, M&C turned its attention to the remaining tasks of Ministry and Counsel and its sub-committees. At its November meeting it decided to work on a job description for a potentially re-structured Ministry and Counsel that would incorporate the functions of the Care of Un-Programmed Worship and Care of Semi-Programmed Worship Committees. Meetings were held with members of these two sub-committees and at the January meeting those present reached unity on bringing a recommendation to this effect to meeting for business. Ministry and Counsel recommends that meeting lay down the existing Ministry and Counsel Committee and the Care of Unprogrammed and Semi-Programmed Worship Committees and establish a restructured Ministry and Counsel Committee combining the roles of these three committees. The Death and Memorial Committee would remain as a sub-committee of the new Ministry and Counsel Committee. This recommendation would take effect once the Nominating Committee has recommended members to serve on the new committee and they have been approved by meeting for business. This might occur after April 1^st when committees normally begin their new year. Until then, the existing committees would continue to function in their current roles. Sandy then presented a more detailed description of the proposal for a restructured Ministry and Counsel Committee as follows:

A.  The Ministry and Counsel Committee of Minneapolis Friends Meeting provides care, nurture and support of the meeting as a whole including the meetings for worship and the spiritual well-being of the meeting community. Responsibilities include the items below. 1) To exercise general care of meetings for worship, including meeting for worship with a concern for business, weddings, and memorial services organized by its Death and Memorial Subcommittee. 2) To be mindful of whether the structures and operations of the meeting are consistent with Quaker faith and practice. 3) To arrange for care of the two meetings for worship including closers, microphone carriers, speakers and musicians. 4) To develop opportunities for deepening the spiritual life of the meeting community. 5) To nurture the development of leadership within the meeting and to support committee clerks and the clerks of the meeting. 6) To meet with people exploring membership or marriage under the care of the meeting and facilitate membership and marriage clearness committees. 7) To help prepare state of society reports. 8) To encourage attendance at Yearly Meeting and other events of the wider community of Friends. B. Structure of Ministry and Counsel 1. Nominating Committee nominates a minimum of six, seven or eight members for staggered three-year terms with one person nominated as Clerk. MFM membership is required to serve. 2. Ex-officio members would include the Meeting Clerk, Assistant Clerk, Recorded Ministers, and the Clerk of the Care and Counsel Committee. 3. Ministry and Counsel would incorporate tasks of both Care of Un-Programmed Worship and Care of Semi-Programmed Worship Committees.  4. Death and Memorial Committee would be retained and would be a sub-committee of Ministry and Worship Committee

Discussion: Friend wondered how fewer people are going to do all the tasks of the three existing committees. Another noted that removing pastoral care from M&C will free up time to take on these new tasks and the committee may also reach out to others for help with specific tasks. Several Friends felt the proposed restructuring would give more focus to care for worship and ministry by consolidating the work of the three committees in one committee. Friend noted that members of the existing committees will not necessarily continue on the reconstituted Ministry and Counsel and Care and Counsel Committees. Nominating Committee will be tasked with recommending members to serve on the new committees. Several Friends expressed appreciation for the careful seasoning process behind this recommendation. Clerk asked if Friends were ready to approve laying down the current Ministry and Counsel and care of worship committees and reconstituting the Ministry and Counsel Committee as recommended with the job description that was presented. Meeting approved the recommendation with gratitude for the careful work of Ministry and Counsel and its sub-committees.

6. Support for Mayim Rabim – Nettie S.  Judith J. is ill today but wondered if Friends are interested in holding some kind of public worship in support of Mayim Rabim and other Jewish synagogues and in opposition to anti-Semitic violence. Discussion: Friend suggested this idea be seasoned by Peace and Social Concerns before being brought before meeting for business?   Friends suggested this effort be extended to the Muslim community and that other churches might be asked to participate in a joint effort to show love for our brothers and sisters. Clerk asked for a show of hands of Friends who are interested in pursuing this idea further and several responded positively. Clerk will give this proposal to Peace and Social Concerns for seasoning and follow up.

7. Concern of Nominating Committee– Clerk  If you are getting calls from Nominating Committee members, please respond and let them know if you are willing to serve. Friends prompt replies will help the committee complete its work in time for a progress report at the February meeting for business.

8. Use of the Minneapolis Friends Directory—Linda C. Friends School of Minnesota would like to make use of our directory to update and validate the contact information in their existing database. It would only be used to confirm the accuracy of their existing database and not for expanded fundraising or other purposes. Discussion: There were questions of clarification and also objections to sharing the Meeting Directory with any outside groups. No unity could be reached around efforts to find middle ground between the request and the objections raised and the Clerk set the request aside.

9. Announcements—

a. The Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom requested the use of the meetinghouse six times a year. The Trustees have approved the request and are waiving rental fees. They will meet in the lower level on Thursday nights, every-other month, starting Jan 23. The Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom grows relationships between Muslim and Jewish women and teens to build bridges and fight hate, negative stereotyping, and prejudice; changing the world, one Muslim and one Jewish woman and teenage girl at a time.

b. Tom W. and Linda C. have done two presentations about Quakerism and Minneapolis Meeting history – one, to a community education class, in November and another, to a group of women from Salem Lutheran Church, this past week. Meeting is grateful for their willingness to represent Minneapolis Friends Meeting and Quakerism to the wider community.

10. The meeting for business transitioned to semi-programmed meeting for worship after a period of silent worship.