January 8, 2023

MEETING SCHEDULE AND PROGRAM

TODAY

9:00 – 9:40 meeting for worship (unprogrammed): care of meeting, Keitha Herron; Zoom host – Nick

9:45 – 11:15 monthly meeting for business: John Kraft, clerk; Tom Ward, recording clerk; Zoom host – Marilyn

11:15 – 12:00 meeting for worship (semi-programmed): Joanne Esser- speaker; care of meeting, Mary Gochnauer; Zoom host – Marilyn

Need the link to worship and mid-morning program? Email office(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)minneapolisfriends.org by noon Friday.

NEWS FOR MINNEAPOLIS MEETING FRIENDS

Mid-Morning Program next Sunday at 10:15: What’s the Difference Between a Welcoming and an Inclusive Space? After a short QuakerSpeak video about how we can be more inclusive by being aware of individual needs, we will break into small groups for discussion of several queries. What does inclusivity mean to you? Has the meeting taken steps to not just welcome people, but to embrace them into the community? Come share your thoughts.

There is mid-week worship every Wed night, 7PM. Email office(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)minneapolisfriends.org by noon Wed for the link.

Every winter, Minneapolis Meeting takes a special collection, outside the regular operating budget, to benefit organizations approved at monthly meeting. The Peace and Social Concerns Committee will bring the recommendation to monthly meeting that the recipient of this year’s Winter Gift be the Minnesota Council of Churches Refugee Services (http://www.mnchurches.org/what-we-do/refugee-services). You may make a contribution now by making checks out to Minneapolis Meeting with “Winter Gift” in the memo line.

Monthly Meeting approved a Trustee’s matching gift for individual contributions made to Thee Quaker Project, an exciting new podcast, by January 30th. Make checks out to MFM Trustees and put Thee Quaker Project in the memo line. Thee Quaker Project has a matching gift opportunity through this spring. So for every $10 you give, $40 will go to Thee Quaker Project, building a 21st century Quaker media project dedicated to authenticity, spiritual courage, and speaking out of silence.

Ministry and Counsel Committee (M&C) asks individuals who feel led to share a prepared message or a reading during semi-programmed worship, to contact John C or other members of M&C. M&C is also looking for closers for both worships. Serving as a closer is a ministry of service to the meeting.

Loaves and Fishes: Join other metro-area Friends, the Ismaili Community and the Mayim Rabim congregation to provide a meal at Holy Rosary Church in S Mpls, 2424 – 18th Ave S. on Jan 30th. Prepare dinner (2-4:30); pack up and hand out the meals (4:45-6:30,) or clean up (5:30-7.) Fruit donations needed. Covid-19 has created more need and fewer volunteers (and fruit donations.) Email Sue K to sign up for a shift to make sure there is sufficient space or to arrange to drop off fruit. Masks, gloves, and hats required. Sign up to come if you can!

SMALL GROUP OPPORTUNITIES AT MINNEAPOLIS MEETING

Mid-Morning Program last Sunday presented the options for participating in a small group focused on supporting our individual spiritual journeys. If you are interested in Experiment with Light groups or spiritual nurture groups, email office(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)minneapolisfriends.org to be put in touch with the facilitators; for Lectio Divina and mid-week worship, watch the bulletin for the next gathering.

There is no Lectio Divina until further notice (likely reconvening in Spring.)

The Right Relationship with Indigenous People group will meet tomorrow night, Jan 9th, at 7PM. Open to all interested, this group meets every second Monday night.

The Deep Inner Work of Creating Racial Justice Group The Deep Inner Work of Racial Justice group will meet this Tues, Jan 10th, 7 – 8:30PM via Zoom. The group is reading (practicing exercises) from Resmaa Menakkem’s book, The Quaking of America: An Embodied Guide to Nativigting Our Nation’s Upheaval and Racial Reckoning. We are asking that if you come to the meeting this Tues, that you commit to coming to the group for the next six months. Together, we are creating an anti-racist culture and are working to create strong connections to each other. Building on the Quaker values of equality, community, simplicity, peace, integrity, and stewardship. Contact Nettie or Jim for the link or for more.

The Welcoming and Outreach Committee will arrange Friendly Meals fellowship if there is sufficient interest. There could be two kinds of Friendly Meals:
1. In person – those who sign up are grouped and meet for a potluck meal in the home of an assigned host in February, March and April. Each meal in the three months would have different people and different hosts. If you sign up for this choice of Friendly Meals, you agree to be a host for one of the 3 meals on a date of your choosing, but preferably in February, March or April. We need to have at least 10 – 12 people participate (couples or significant others would be counted as 1 for the numbers needed, but as 2 people if we can organize the meals).
2. Friendly Meals via Zoom would be arranged in groups of 5 or 6. Participants would each make their own meal and eat and converse on Zoom at a specified time. We need to have at least 10 to 12 participate.
More information will be sent to you if you are interested in signing up. Please email office(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)minneapolisfriends.org if you are interested in one of the versions listed above, stating which version you are interested in.

OPPORTUNITIES IN THE WIDER WORLD OF FRIENDS

VOLUNTEER

Friends for a NonViolent World is fueled by Volunteers. If you are looking to join a team of engaged and passionate people working to make real change, there is a place for you at FNVW! Especially sought: Everyday Nonviolence Podcast Producer; Everyday Nonviolence Podcast Editor, Event Planner, Volunteer Engagement Team Member, Alternatives to Violence Workshop Facilitator, Advocacy and Outreach Team Member. Complete the online interest form so someone from FNVW can follow-up with you: https://default.salsalabs.org/T5a4f5d6e-588e-4e08-a251-92c0f62c2f79/b2dba806-8d6b-4084-9ed3-ac3e130b83ae

WORKSHOPS, FILMS, RETREATS, PROGRAMS, PRESENTATIONS

Against the Gran: Talking to White People about Racism in a Time of Polarization, a Pendle Hill first Monday lecture will be offered Jan 9, 6:30-8PM(CT). Drick Boyd, author of Disrupting Whiteness: Talking with White People about Racism, will build on his discussion of dialogue about race and pose possible ways we can and must continue to engage white people on the important issues of race and racism, despite the growing polarities. Register here.

Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC) invites Friends to learn about FWCC – how it is relevant to modern Quakers and global Quakerism, and how you could be a part of that, Jan 28th, 3-4:30PM(CT). Hosted by Chuck Schobert (Madison Meeting) and Marybeth Neal (recently of Twin Cities Meeting) for Northern Yearly Meeting Friends. Learn more and register here.

Northern Yearly Meeting Technology Consultation: Blended/hybrid/virtual meetings, Jan 29th, 2–4PM. What have we learned in the past year? What is our work going forward? Let’s get together again now that we’ve had another year to develop our practices and technology. We will share successes and challenges and have small group time to explore solutions: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83615173228?pwd=WFRKNnVFSENmb08yTkFDM2Z0RU5kZz09 ; ID: 836 1517 3228; Passcode: 188324.

Working for healing, rather than punitive, justice. Today, we’re seeing a slide back toward law-and-order policies that were common before the killing of George Floyd and which disproportionately harm Black and Brown communities. One of the most powerful things we can do right now is to resolve to avoid calling the police if possible, using simple strategies. Learn more from American Friends Service Committee’s Community Safety Beyond Policing project, Chicago.

The Quaker Call to Action steering group will gather this month to discern what Quakers might do next to ensure the U.S. electoral processes remain peaceful and increasingly accessible to all voters. News from that discernment will be coming. In the meantime, Friends are encouraged to offer your thoughts using the “Contact Us” feature of the Quaker Call website or by posting on the Quaker Call Community Forum. If you are not already subscribed to the Forum, you can request a subscription link here.

OPPORTUNITIES IN THE WIDER COMMUNITY

Indigenous and Faith Leaders United: Launching a Bold Climate Justice Agenda for 2023 Tues, Jan. 10th, 7 – 8:30PM (CT) online via Zoom. Join faith and Indigenous leaders and hear the legislative agenda for 2023 that will center Indigenous leadership, drive equity, demand 100% clean renewable electricity, and leverage federal dollars to create Minnesota jobs rebuilding our energy infrastructure. Speakers include Winona LaDuke, Sen. Patricia Torres, Ray, Jim Bear Jacobs, Sara Wolff, and Joshua Lewis. Co-sponsored by Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light, Honor the Earth, Jewish Community Action, and Minnesota Council of Churches. Learn more and register at https://mnipl.nationbuilder.com/indigenous_faith_leaders_2023_launch_registration .

White Church Truths Review: The excellent sessions of Minnesota Council of Churches’ White Church Truths featured a keynote from Dr. Michael O. Emerson whose research demonstrates that most White Christians prioritize a belief system he identifies as “whiteness” over Christianity. Watch the introduction, his talk, and the following Q&A here. The afternoon session can be heard here.

One Voice Mixed Chorus presents Generation, a concert exploring intergenerational relationships across our LGBTQ+ community. From AIDS to Instagram, the concert weaves together songs and stories of identity, change, and resilience. The concert also premieres a new composition by McKnight composer, Nathan Hall. “Love, Death, What Else?!” based on stories from elders at the Spirit on Lake LGBTQ elder apartments. Jan 22nd, 3:30PM | Reserve Tickets; Ordway Concert Hall – St. Paul. Use the promo code FAITH for 15% off ticket price

OFFICE HOURS

The Meeting Coordinator, will be in the office Wed – Fri afternoons. Phone messages checked daily; email checked W-F. Bulletin deadline, noon Thur. Bulletin items can be phoned in to the office (612-926-6159) or emailed (office(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)minneapolisfriends.org).