August 13, 2023

MEETING SCHEDULE AND PROGRAM

TODAY

10:00 – 11:00 meeting for worship (semi-programmed): Benton Randolph, speaker; care of meeting, Bill Hendricks; Dave Bostrom, musician; Zoom host – Mary B.

11:00 – 12:30 monthly meeting for business: Stephen Snyder, clerk; Jeannette Raymond, recording clerk; Zoom host – Mary B.

Email office(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)minneapolisfriends.org for the link to Sunday worship.

NEWS FOR MINNEAPOLIS MEETING FRIENDS

On vocal ministry (from Ministry and Counsel Committee): Allow adequate time between spoken messages, so that all may listen to God and truly hear the previous message. Remember that silence is not just the space between messages, but a deep and living communion with the “Spirit which gives life.”
~Spirit Led Vocal Ministry | Quaker Cloud: https://www.fgcquaker.org/fgcprograms/quaker-cloud/

HEADS UP: The meetinghouse is reserved evenings, Sunday –Thursday, Aug 13-25. Scheduling is uncertain so please be flexible with accessing the meetinghouse during that time and refrain from entering if the meetingroom is occupied. There are no scheduled MFM events on the calendar.

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

FUN WITH FRIENDS – come to an old-fashioned CORN ROAST AND POTLUCK PICNIC 4PM, Sun, Aug 20th at family-friendly Burnes Park in Hopkins. Corn provided, bring picnic food to share. Sponsored by the Welcoming and Outreach Committee.

Save the Date for the Welcoming and Outreach Committee’s Ice Cream Social – August 27 at the rise of worship.

Minneapolis Friends Meeting seeks applicants for a Nursery Supervisor to care for children 0-5 years old during Sunday morning worship and programming. This is a part-time position, approximately 3-4 hours on Sunday mornings. Hourly wage is $15-20/hour, depending on experience. Interested candidates should have experience caring for young children, dependability to provide a consistent presence, attentiveness to children’s safety, and ability to communicate effectively. A full job description can be found here. Send a resume, cover letter, and contact information for three professional references by email to: office(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)minneapolisfriends.org, with Nursery Committee in the subject line.

PLAN TO ATTEND – George Lakey, well-known Quaker activist, teacher, and author, will be in the Twin Cities this coming autumn! He will offer the mid-morning program on Sun, Sept. 24th and will be speaking at the meetinghouse on Wed evening, Sept 27th on Organizing for Environmental and Climate Justice. Learn more about George’s visit here.

SMALL GROUP OPPORTUNITIES AT MINNEAPOLIS MEETING

The Right Relationship with Indigenous People group will meet this coming Monday night, Aug 14th, at 7PM. Open to all interested, this group meets every second Monday night. We will be working on a land acknowledgement to offer to the Meeting. Contact Rick or Carolyn for the link or more.

Come for thirty minutes of Lectio Divina and worship sharing at noon on Tuesdays. We hold a short reading from the Bible, Quaker, or other spiritual texts to see if and how it might speak to us today, followed by a time of worship-sharing. Contact Stephen for the link.

NEW GROUP FORMING: Learn together how to deal with conflict. Attend a monthly “soiree” focusing on how we deal with conflict and difference in our individual lives and meeting life. (You don’t have to wear elegant clothes and we might meet in the daytime sometimes.) The topic is challenging, it might be uncomfortable sometimes – but we plan to have fun and become more authentic peacemakers in the world as we learn to be more skilled in our day to day lives. This group is planning to start in September. Interested folks call or email: John S, Kate W-J, Jimbo L, or Nettie S. All are welcome. Newcomers, old-timers, young and old!

OPPORTUNITIES AMONG FRIENDS

A Memorial Service for David Coats will be at 11AM on Aug 12th at Twin Cities Meeting. Participation available via Zoom at this link; ID 834 4181 8123; Passcode 505327.

Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC) will host a World Plenary Meeting outside Johannesburg, South Africa. World Plenary Meeting (WPM) is a meeting for representatives from all four FWCC Sections to undertake FWCC business, surrounded by worship and fellowship with Friends from around the world. While the business is essential, past participants have often referred to the experience as transformational because dialogue and worship with Friends from different countries and traditions has a tendency to strengthen all in the faith. The theme of the event is “Living the Spirit of Ubuntu: Responding with hope to God’s call to care for creation and one-another”. The word ubuntu refers to the deeply held belief, morality, and custom that every person is worthy of being recognised, respected, and heard, and that we as human beings are all interdependent. It implies a collective responsibility to ensure that all members of the community have the means of subsistence and learning and participation. It further extends to care for the environment, since people are part of the same divinely given creation that is an interdependent whole. A film has been prepared by Southern Africa Yearly Meeting in spiritual preparation for Ubuntu. In addition to yearly meeting nominees, individuals are welcome as well. For more, see https://fwcc.world/wpm/ Prayerfully consider if feel you led to take part, whether in person or online. Email comms(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)fwcc.world with other questions. Registration opened Aug 12.

Quakers Uprooting Racism: a nine-month program, sponsored by a coalition of national Quaker organizations, is a transformative experience bringing together a diverse cohort of Friends and those at the margins of Quakerism. From January-October 2024, participants will cultivate skills to recognize and disrupt racism within and outside Quaker communities. Through monthly Zoom sessions, online small group meetings, and three retreats, participants will engage in dialogue, share insights, and co-create teaching tools and action resources for anti-racism work. We will explore the intersections of racial justice and Quakerism, seeking to dismantle oppressive systems and foster transformation and healing. Program facilitators, Lisa Graustein and Dwight Dunston, are Friends and leaders in racial justice work. Their Spirit-led leadership, expertise, and compassionate presence will create a nurturing space for personal and collective growth. For more information and application link, click here. Application deadline is Aug 15th.

United Society of Friends Women and International Friends Church are hosting a Women in Ministry Conference August 19th 9:30AM – 3:30PM in Brooklyn Park. USFW was formed in 1881 by Quaker women, carrying a concern for missionary work. For more, contact Hilda Shikhubari at 651-529-4091 / hildashikhubari(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)gmail.com . The link to register is here. Nettie S, Deborah J, Pat J, and Mary S plan to attend.

The snow is not yet flying, but it’s never too early to gear up for the Friends for a NonViolent World Holiday Fair!
~ Use those lazy, hazy days of summer to create crafts to be sold or preserve the bounty of your garden! Work on your own or parallel play with a group of friends! Jams, honey and salsa are popular sale items. And of course, it’s always a good time to teach one of your skills to a younger person!
~ Clean up those Quaker Treasures to prepare them for their next life. Items with special meaning and value to the Quaker community are most fun to have.
~ Donate books! (We would also love multi-gallon storage tubs, and a few bookcases!) Contact Caron Moore to donate at 651-308-9842.
~ Have ideas of how to make the Fair even better this year? Be part of the planning team! Contact info(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)fnvw.org with questions or to volunteer. Serving on the Holiday Fair Planning Committee is a great way to volunteer with FNVW for a limited period of time.
~ Let us know what you’d like to donate to the sale using this FNVW Holiday Fair Donation Sign Up

Support the work of Friends for a NonViolent World (FNVW): (1) Walk for Peace & Justice: Challenged by our experiences of violence across the Twin Cities in recent years, FNVW is organizing a Walk for Peace and Justice on September 30th, 2023. The Walk for Peace and Justice is a fundraising event designed to bring together and support the people and organizations working to create a safe and healthy Twin Cities where we all can thrive. FNVW walkers will be raising funds to support FNVW’s advocacy work and its Alternatives to Violence (AVP) program. Find out more and sign up to participate here: fnvw.org/walk4peace. Register to walk or support a walker at this link.

There is a QuakerSpeak episode featuring Christopher Sammond, Where We Touch God and God Touches Us. Christopher facilitated a rich workshop with MFM Friends a few years ago.

Listen to Thee Quaker Podcast’s recent episode: Quakers and Zoom.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES AMONG FRIENDS

Community Engagement Specialist at Friends for a NonViolent World. The Community Engagement Specialist supports and advances community participation in FNVW initiatives. They coordinate outreach that increase awareness of and support for FNVW’s work. They also work with organizational leadership to build and sustain relationships with members of the community and partnerships with other organizations. To apply, send a resume and cover letter to Leah Robshaw Robinson, Executive Director, at leah(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)fnvw.org. Interviews have begun. Position open until filled. View complete job description at FNVW Community Engagement Specialist Job Description.

Development Director at Friends School of MN – someone who is excited about FSMN’s values, a good storyteller, comfortable reaching out to new audiences, has a wide range of fundraising experience, and is interested in helping to lead the school’s first major capital planning effort in a decade. More at this link.

Ministry on Racism Program (MRP) Associate at Friends General Conference (FGC) – this new, term-limited (one-year) position supports the MRP Coordinator and Manager with helping Friends understand and end racism and ageism, transforming our religious society into a beloved community. Job description and application details here Application deadline is August 11th.

General Secretary at Quaker Earthcare Witness. Passionate about environmental justice and faith-based social change? Are you a networker committed to inspiring action in your community? Quaker Earthcare Witness is hiring! Our General Secretary of ten years, Shelley Tanenbaum, is retiring at the end of 2023. More at this link.

OPPORTUNITIES IN THE WIDER COMMUNITY

Broke and Woke, How do you advocate racial justice through law and faith?, a MN Council of Churches conversation with MN Attorney General Keith Ellison and Rev. Dr. Curtiss Paul DeYoung on the connections between their leadership in different sectors in Minnesota after the murder of George Floyd, will be offered on Wed, Aug 16th, 11:30AM – 1PM at the Minnesota Church Center, (122 W Franklin Ave at Pillsbury), Minneapolis. Pre-registered attendees will receive copies of AG Ellison’s book, Break the Wheel: Ending the Cycle of Police Violence, and Rev. DeYoung’s book The Risk of Being Woke: Sermonic Reflections for Activists. Register here.

MN Council of Churches’ Sacred Sites Tour is again available, Sept 21. More here. This tour offers the MN history not often taught. Highly recommended by MFMers who have taken it! Tours fill quickly, act fast!

Living Lightly – It’s estimated that about 100,000 marine animals die each year due to plastic trash in the North Pacific Ocean alone. There are over five trillion plastic pieces weighing over 250,000 tons floating in oceans and seas. This amount translates into 700 pieces of plastic for every human on earth. And more discouraging, production of plastic continues to rise even as a smaller percentage of it is being recycled. Become a plastic-free advocate with the managers of stores you frequent and try to buy items in plastic-alternative packaging. More at https://www.npr.org/2022/10/24/1131131088/recycling-plastic-is-practically-impossible-and-the-problem-is-getting-worse

OFFICE HOURS

The Meeting Coordinator, will be in the office Wed, Thurs and Fri, afternoons. 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.