October 8, 2023

MEETING SCHEDULE AND PROGRAM

TODAY

9:00 – 9:40 meeting for worship (unprogrammed): care of meeting, Carol Bechtel; Zoom host – Bill H.

9:45 – 11:15 monthly meeting for business: Stephen Snyder, clerk; Jeannette Raymond, recording clerk; Zoom host – Sandy O.

11:15 – 12:00 meeting for worship (semi-programmed): Rick VandenDolder – speaker; care of meeting, Mike Finley; Zoom host – Sandy O.

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

NEWS FOR MINNEAPOLIS MEETING FRIENDS

Mid-Morning Program next Sunday at 10:15: Guided Personal Assessment. Terry Kayser, using an exercise from the Alternative to Violence Project, will give us opportunity to consider our life and make a list of our ten most important aspects/characteristics.

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.

Fall Together at Fish Lake, SATURDAY Oct 14th from 11AM – 7PM. Now is a good time to get vaccinated for Covid, flu, and RSV, if you are able. It will make our gathering safer for everybody! On the schedule: a partial eclipse of the sun, a scavenger hunt, singalong, a program, the variety show, and other fun activities. Fish Lake is beautiful and inviting – lovely to share with each other. Children warmly welcome. We’ll be outside, weather permitting, moving inside the Pavillion if needed. Remember to bring a mask if you’d be more comfortable wearing one. Full schedule and other information available here. Practice your variety show act! Make (or buy) eclipse-viewing safety accessories (https://www.space.com/36941-solar-eclipse-eye-protection-guide.html ) – some supplies for a pinhole and cardstock viewer as well as twenty pair of eclipse glasses will be available at Fish Lake. Plan to come! Brochures available on the poster in the foyer.

The Meeting’s Death and Memorial Committee invite everyone to a Service of Remembrance, October 15th, at 1:30PM held at the meetinghouse and on Zoom. This special worship will be held in memory of friends and family who have died, and to support those who are grieving the death of loved ones. All are welcome. Please plan to allow our community to remember our friends and care for each other. Questions? Contact Tom W. or Barbara Z.

Fun with Friends – Oct 22nd potluck in Taylors Falls! : Join Friends for a potluck at Judith J’s farm, on Oct 22, starting at 2:30PM. Come see the project she has been working on for the last two years. The drive is about 55 minutes from Minneapolis and will come with a cascade of changing fall colors. Stay for some food and visit with chickens, guinea hens and a peacock or hike through her three acres of wooded land. Please bring a dish to share. Contact office(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)minneapolisfriends.org or Jane D. for the address.

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 Lolly L. 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, Oct 30th: 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. 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. Volunteers and fruit donations needed! 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

The Getting to Know You Storytelling group will meet this Tues, Oct 10th, 1PM. This month’s prompt: Tell a story about how your spirituality has evolved over the years. All are welcome to come and hear and share. Contact Kate W-J for more and the link.

“Safety is not the absence of threat, but the presence of connection “ – Gabor Mate. Feeling distress and concern about the situations we face in our world today? The best way to face these concerns is in community. The Deep Inner Work of Racial Justice group will welcome newcomers, the curious, and returning regulars on Tues, Oct 10th, 7PM, giving each other support and encouragement as we study the book, The Quaking of America. As we engage in the suggested body practices, we build community. Email Jimbo or Nettie for the Zoom link.

The Right Relationship with Indigenous People group will meet on Tuesday night, Oct 17th, at 7PM: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84679072882; ID: 846 7907 2882; passcode 482476. Open to all interested, this group meets every third Tues. night.

Small group line-up: Writing Group, first Monday night; Getting to Know You Group, second Tuesday afternoon; Right Relationship with Indigenous People, third Tuesday night; Reading Group, fourth Tuesday night; Spirituality of Dance and Movement Group, last Tuesday morning in odd months.

OPPORTUNITIES IN THE WIDER WORLD OF FRIENDS

Pendle Hill Reading Group will discuss the Pendle Hill pamphlet, Radical Hospitality (PHP #427,) by Lloyd Lee Wilson on Wed, Oct 18th 6:00-7:30PM (CT) via Zoom. Free and open to the public! Register here .

Chanting Our Own Songs: Listening Inward, Listening Outward, a workshop offered by Maia Twedt and Anne Supplee will be Thurs, Oct 26, 6:30-7:30PM, online. Event link is here. Explore listening to different forms of chanting and consider: what are the songs within you? What are the songs from your childhood? The songs you present to the world?  What are the songs dancing around inside you but not expressed? Are there others you might join with in song? This session includes chanting listening session, guided meditation, and a facilitated group discussion. Questions? Email wayopeningworkshops(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)gmail.com.

Friends General Conference Sacred Text Study Begins November 18th! Inspired by the positive feedback from Bible Half Hour at Friends General Conference, FGC’s Spiritual Deepening is excited to offer a monthly Sacred Text study. This series will explore sacred texts from diverse traditions, subjects, philosophy, and theology. All Friends and Seekers are welcome! Sign up and offer suggestions here. Check out more Events on FGC’s website: https://www.fgcquaker.org/

Friends Committee on National Legislation’s (FCNL) Annual Meeting & Quaker Public Policy Institute 2023 will be Nov 15 – 19, in person in D.C. and online. Each year hundreds of Quakers and friends join in fellowship and worship at this event to seek unity around decisions about organizational priorities, bylaws, and budget for the coming year. Through the Quaker Public Policy Institute, hundreds of advocates lobby their federal officials to advance just public policies. Workshops, plenaries, worship sharing, and other events bring the work of FCNL to the wider Friends community and offer an opportunity to meet the dedicated FCNL staff who work every day to lobby for legislation that reflects Quaker values. Go to fcnl.org to learn more.

Save the Date: Northern Yearly Meeting (NYM) Fall Interim Session, Nov 3-5 in Milwaukee. There will be a Fri. evening program; business meeting will be on Sat. Opportunities for other social and educational events on Saturday evening and Sunday are in the works. Watch for details. Updates at https://sessions.northernyearlymeeting.org/; email office(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)minneapolisfriends.org for the password. Northern Yearly Meeting’s September E-News link is here. Summer / Fall 2023 PDF edition of the Northern Yearly Meeting Journal, Friends EnLightening Friends, can be found here .

Don’t miss the newest Thee Quaker podcast, The Weird World of Religious Radicals in 17th Century England.

Ralph Jacobson (Prospect Hill and Twin Cities Meetings) was mentioned in a recent MPR article. Read about Ralph and his life-long work bearing fruit at https://www.mprnews.org/story/2023/09/26/a-vision-for-green-energy-and-jobs-in-underserved-communities

VOLUNTEER

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 info(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)fnvw.org for the how-to.
~ 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

WORK OPPORTUNITIES AMONG FRIENDS

Twin Cities Meeting continues to seek an Office Coordinator/Bookkeeper. Applications accepted until the position is filled. The job announcement, including the full job description, can be found at https://tcfm.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Office-Coordinator-job-announcement.pdf

Alternatives to Violence Project MN Youth and Adult Program Coordinator at Friends for a NonViolent World. Responsible for the overall coordination of AVP-MN’s workshops and activities, working closely with the Executive Director and AVP-MN Council to expand the capacity and impact of the program. See more here. Interviews have begun.

OPPORTUNITIES IN THE WIDER COMMUNITY

Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebration TOMORROW, Mon, Oct 9, 10AM – 2PM, Harriet Island Regional Park, 200 Dr. Justus Ohage Blvd. St. Paul, 55107. Food trucks, fashion show, educational stations, games, and more. Volunteers are sought with many, varied opportunities. Click here for volunteer specifics. A general information flier can be seen here.

MN MultiFaith Network will offer A Place of Welcome? Thurs, Nov 9th, 2 – 8PM; in person at Gloria Dei Lutheran, St. Paul and online. Those of us living in Minnesota are all too familiar with the concept of “Minnesota nice.” Highlighting the welcoming demeanor of its residents, “Minnesota nice” often conveys the message that we as Minnesotans are inherently hospitable and welcoming. What this cultural stereotype does not address, however, are the challenges involved in developing Minnesota as a welcoming place for all people to settle, create community, and thrive. A Place of Welcome? invites us to consider the concept of hospitality and what that means for our faith and secular communities throughout the state. More and register here.

OFFICE HOURS

Carolyn VandenDolder, 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).