Minutes of Monthly Meeting for Business

  Minneapolis Friends Meeting

September 12, 2021

[Names and some information have been edited for web publication]

John Kraft—Presiding Clerk, Stephen Snyder–Recording Clerk, Bill Hendricks—Zoom Host and 41 others in attendance.

1.  Worship 

2.   Approve Agenda:  APPROVED

3.  Approve Minutes:  Approval of minutes of the August 8, 2021 was held over until the October meeting for business allowing more time for everyone to read them.  If anyone has corrections or revisions, please send them to the John Kraft and Tom Ward before the October meeting for business.  There was a question of whether Meeting had authorized expenditures for the hybrid Zoom technology.  Clerk indicated that his sense of the last meeting for business was that friends did approve.  Friends affirmed authorization of up to $31,000 for expenses related to purchase of technology needed to continue offering Zoom meetings once Friends return to in-person worship at the meetinghouse.

4.  Return to in-person meetings brief update – Clerk noted that meeting still has no date for resuming in-person meetings for worship. Progress has been made in arranging for purchase of technology needed to offer hybrid meetings for worship.  Once some tax and administrative issues have been resolved purchase of the needed equipment should begin next month. Clerk went over the draft of the job description for a technology committee and asked that friends review it and let Clerk know of needed changes before action in October.  Volunteers are needed to help with installation and operation of the new equipment.  Bill H. has been the Zoom host for the past year or more making it possible for friends to attend meetings for worship and breakout groups.  He has now asked to be relieved of this responsibility by October 10th.  Clerk asked for volunteers to pick up this responsibility for hosting the Sunday morning worships and social time on Zoom.  Friends approved a minute of appreciation for the work Bill has done to make these meetings on Zoom possible.  Discussion:   Terry K. suggested inviting teenagers and young adults from Meeting and Mayim Rabim to become involved in operating the zoom technology system once it is in place.  It would be a good experience for young persons wishing to practice their skills with the hybrid technology.  He offered to contact Friends School about this suggestion.  Let Terry K. or Roger M. know if you have teens who might be interested.  Friend observed that we need a lot of technology help and wondered if meeting could hire a teen or other persons who might work with the technology.  Another suggested scheduling more training sessions for friends who might be able to assist with hosting on Zoom.

5.  Committee Reports: 

a.  Ministry and Counsel Committee (M&C) Annual Report – Bill H. There currently five members and four ex-officio members serving on Ministry and Counsel.  Ministry and Counsel’s mission provides care and oversight of the meetings for worship and the spiritual well-being of the meeting community. Responsibilities include oversite of Death and Memorial Committee as well as marriage and membership.  In support of the spiritual life of the meeting, the committee sponsored Christopher S.’s workshop on Opening to the Heart of Worship, worked with Welcoming and Outreach to present a Zoom workshop on the Testimonies for new attenders, facilitated three mid-morning programs and mid-week meeting for worship, offered times for friends to consider and contribute to the annual state of society report, and facilitated breakout groups following meetings for worship to deepen a sense of connection and community among friends. Ministry and Counsel recommended three persons for membership in the Meeting—Linda F., Patrick H., and John C.—and agreed to take the marriage of Roger and Kim M. under the care of meeting. It continues to arrange for speakers at second hour worship and persons to care for the meetings for worship each week as well as hosting these meetings. Challenges have included a sense that Ministry and Counsel is understaffed given its wide range of responsibilities.  The committee also continues to carry a concern for support for families and children in meeting and works with Care and Counsel to better understand each committee’s role in care and support of the spiritual life of meeting.  Meeting accepted the Ministry and Counsel Annual Report with gratitude for the work of the committee.

b.  Death and Memorial Committee (D&M) Annual Report—Tom W. Eight friends serve on the Death and Memorial Committee. As a subcommittee of Ministry and Counsel, the role of the Death and Memorial is to assist M&C and Care and Counsel in providing support and guidance to the family of someone dying from the time of death, through the memorial service, and beyond.  Of course, closure of the meetinghouse during the pandemic has radically altered how the committee interacts with a bereaved family and how memorial services are conducted.  In the first half of 2020 D&M coordinated one funeral and two memorial services – including those for Mumia Shimaka (6/4/2020) and Louise White (6/28/2020).  Since August 2020, there have been no deaths or memorial services of active members or attenders. Challenges have included adjusting to the absence of a director of ministry, coordinating with other committees to provide support for grieving family members, guiding families and friends through the changes required by the pandemic, and keeping committee members and friends engaged and informed in the absence of in-person meetings during Covid-19. The committee continues to look for ways to deepen the expertise and skills within the committee and meeting needed to carry out its role, including how to conduct effective remote telecasting of memorial services that meet the needs of bereaved families. Meeting accepted the report of the Death and Memorial Committee and praised the competent leadership provided by committee members. 

c.  Care and Counsel Committee Annual Report – Nettie S. There are currently five friends serving on Care and Counsel.  The Care and Counsel Committee provides oversight of the pastoral care needs of individuals and families in the meeting community and serves as a primary contact point for members and attenders seeking pastoral care from the meeting.  The committee set up a structure for meeting needs of friends during the pandemic, but members and attenders in need mostly contact someone they know and trust in the meeting and will then get referred to Care and Counsel. Where appropriate, the committee informs the larger community about issues members are experiencing. This approach seems to be working well and meeting is blessed by so many friends offering their gifts of care.  The committee offered several mid- morning programs and continues to work with other committees such as Ministry and Counsel and Death and Memorial to reach out to friends in need. Care and Counsel manages the Covid-19 Respond Fund and approved nine requests of $1,500 each from members and attenders impacted by the pandemic for a total expenditure of $13,500.  Committee members sometimes feel challenged as they try to keep track and respond to the many needs for care in the meeting.  Being a robust committee, members have sometimes taken on areas of concern that perhaps belong to other committees. Part of the challenge is defining the committee’s role in terms of serving individuals directly as opposed to looking at the broader needs of the community. Care and Counsel had a joint meeting with Ministry and Counsel to consider these issues together and discern what tasks belonged to which committee.   Ongoing concerns of Care and Counsel include needs of children, families and single persons. The work of the committee has felt under the care of the Spirit.  Regular check-ins, attentive listening to one another and periods of opening to Spirit in the silence help members stay grounded.  Members have realized that they sometimes tend to want to “fix” things and have tried to remember to “let go and let God.”  Friends accepted the annual report of Care and Counsel with thanks for their care of the meeting community. 

d.  Social Committee Annual Report – Rae Beth C. Six friends serve on the Social Committee. The Committee’s main charge is to organize, serve, and clean up the meeting’s first Sunday of the month potluck gatherings.  With the meetinghouse closed due to the pandemic, the committee has not met or been able to organize any potlucks this past year and a half.  If meeting can resume potlucks, the committee need two new members to replace two who are no longer able to serve.  Kitchen cleaning and inventory of supplies are two tasks before the committee once the meetinghouse reopens.  Committee members welcome suggestions and help on ways to organize social activities for the community during this ongoing pandemic. Discussion:  Friend offered the idea of creating times –perhaps birthday parties or game nights–for socializing on Zoom.  Another wondered if there were any government guidelines for holding potlucks during the pandemic.  Clerk responded that he has not found any specific guidelines in his reading of health department reports.  But there are guidelines for returning to in person worship. Friend hoped meeting could continue the “friendly meals” on Zoom. It was noted that these meals have been organized by the Welcoming and Outreach Committee.   Friends accepted the report of the Social Committee. 

e.  Welcoming and Outreach Committee Annual Report – Sue K. The seven committee members serve to help create an open and welcoming community with a particular focus on visitors, new attenders and new members. Accomplishments this past year included organizing Friendly Meals on Zoom, presenting two mid-morning programs on Quaker testimonies and Initialisms (acronyms), reaching out to new attenders on the Chat at weekly worship services and creating an ad for the Southside Pride religion calendar. The pandemic presented many challenges for the committee. While friends enjoyed the “friendly meals” on Zoom, participation was low, and the committee could not sponsor its neighborhood ice cream social.  Technical difficulties also made it hard to connect with new attenders through the Chat or to follow up when no contact information is provided. The committee looks forward to welcoming new attenders and members in person once meetings resume in the meetinghouse.  Going forward, the committee hopes to provide an article for the Southside Pride Spirit and Conscience column and work on ways to improve the Chat.  It is also looking into involvement with Right Sharing of World Resources’ Stone Soup potluck and Quaker Earthcare Witness. Discussion:  Friend thanked the committee for organizing the “friendly meals” and hoped they would continue.  Clerk thanked members of the committee for their outreach.  Friends accepted the annual report of the Welcoming and Outreach Committee. 

6.  Request to use the meetinghouse for the Friends for a Non-Violent World (FNVW) Holiday Fair – Rae Beth C. FNVW would like to use the meetinghouse December 3^rd and 4^th for the Annual Holiday Fair.  There would be a reduced number of vendors this year and no meals would be served other than soup for takeout.  Vaccinations for Covid-19 and masks would be required of both vendors, attenders and other participants.  FNVW hopes to continue holding the fair at Minneapolis Friends meetinghouse but is also considering other venues if this is not possible.  It would be important to have a commitment soon so planning can go forward. Discussion:  Clerk said he would like to see fair continue at meetinghouse and not go somewhere else.  Carolyn V. indicated that the meetinghouse would be needed Wednesday through Saturday to carry out the fair.  Rae Beth wondered if friends are comfortable having the fair in meetinghouse if it is reopened.  One friend noted that Twin Cities Friends (TCFM) have improved ventilation at their meetinghouse, but Minneapolis Friends have not and wondered if it might be better to offer it at TCFM. Another person noted experiments with dormitories show ventilation makes a significant difference in protecting against virus.  Friend suggested giving FNVW go ahead with planning and work out protocols. Clerk sensed friends were supportive of FNVW’s request and asked if friends approved holding the Holiday Fair at the meetinghouse, but one friend objected.  Friend asked if one or two persons could prevent meeting from reopening.  Clerk noted that friends make the decision based on welfare and sense of the meeting community and not just on personal opinions and concerns.  Susan H. suggested friends approve hosting the Holiday Fair following the same guidelines as last year and hold over the decision on whether to reopen the meetinghouse to an in person fair. Friends approved allowing FNVW to hold the same type of fair as held at the meetinghouse as last year. 

7. Meeting ended with Worship at 12:45 pm