November 5, 2023

MEETING SCHEDULE AND PROGRAM

TODAY

9:00 – 10:00 meeting for worship (unprogrammed): care of meeting, Sandy Olson; Zoom host – Bill H.

10:15 – 11:00 Solar Power at MFM. Rick VandenDolder and Roger Miller will describe the year-long research accomplished around reducing the carbon footprint of Minneapolis Meeting – the progress and problems in going solar and reducing our consumption of fossil carbon. Zoom host – Marilyn J.

11:15 – 12:15 meeting for worship (semi-programmed): Lolly Lijewski – speaker; Tom Wells – musician; care of meeting, Mary Bosserman; Zoom host – Marilyn J.

Email office(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)minneapolisfriends.org for the link to Sunday worship and mid-morning program.

GRANDKIDS’ DAY and POTLUCK! Bring your grandchildren at 11AM to enjoy puppets, singing, a taste of first day school, and the potluck! ALSO HERE TODAY, some of the staff and board of Quaker Voluntary Service! Take the opportunity to visit with these amazing folks who are supporting the nurture of today and tomorrow’s leaders, helping ground them in Quaker values. The potluck today will make full use of the kitchen, dishes, and cutlery! Bring lots – including kid-friendly fare or something for the vegans and gluten-intolerant among us – so visitors and newcomers are well-fed!

HOLD IN THE LIGHT

Those living in the midst of violence and the threat of violence, those who have had to flee their homes, those grieving the death of loved ones, those fearful of the safety of friends and family, those devastated by need of electricity, food, water, and/or goods, and those in positions to change many of these conditions.

NEWS FOR MINNEAPOLIS MEETING FRIENDS

Next Sunday at 9:45 to 11:15 – monthly meeting for business. Friends have a unique way of doing business, rooted in attentiveness and in listening to the promptings of the Spirit. The primary goal is to worship together in discerning the will of God for the meeting. Come be part of the discernment.

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.

Thanksgiving dinner at the meetinghouse is back! Gather Thurs, Nov 23rd, at 4PM for half an of worship, then everyone will pitch in to get ready for the meal, hoping to eat around 5. Board games and conversation after dinner. A sign up sheet will be on the table by the elevator – put your name and what you would like to bring to contribute to the meal. Or call Jim L. if you’re not in the building. Questions? Call Jim or Jane D.

The Friends Committee for National Legislation toolkit for calling for a ceasefire can be found here.

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.

Being a Zoom Host or a substitute A/V Tech is a great way to support the Meeting’s worship. Interested in being trained for either of these positions, or just finding out more? Contact Marilyn J.

A Lifetime Gift. On Tues, Nov 14th, 6 – 7PM (CT), a number of MFM F(f)riends will hear Shelly Halverson share her experiences, research, and training to help you prepare for the end of life. Learn how to express your wishes, provide your family with a guide, and receive a comprehensive toolkit filled with checklists, resources, and information on life summary, pet care, finances, medical history, and more – all designed to give you comfort and confidence, and to ease the burden on the loved ones you leave behind. Register by Nov 7 for this free webinar and include your mailing address to receive your toolkit prior to the event. Register each participant so you each get a kit: https://bit.ly/3Qc1Ixn

The Care and Counsel Committee facilitates pastoral care for Minneapolis Meeting members and attenders, understanding the Quaker tradition that Friends minister to each other. If you are dealing with illness, grief, a major transition, or a stressful personal problem, we would like to be there for you. Contact committee clerk, Sandy O.
If a confidential discussion would support you as you make a decision, we will set up a clearness committee with you. Email John S. to explore that opportunity.
Other committee members are Connie A, Mary G, and Ellen S.

SMALL GROUP OPPORTUNITIES AT MINNEAPOLIS MEETING

Established writers as well as dabblers will have an informal writing session TOMORROW night, Nov 6th, 7-9PM. This is a chance to connect with one another, writing with prompts and sharing what we write. Serious, whimsical, beautiful and quirky – we’ve enjoyed them all! You are welcome to come laugh, ponder, and create together, whether or not you have participated before! Contact Jane D. with questions or interest.

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; Watson Reading Group, fourth Tuesday night; Spirituality of Dance Group, last Tuesday morning in odd months. For more about any of these, email office(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)minneapolisfriends.org.

OPPORTUNITIES IN THE WIDER WORLD OF FRIENDS

The Friends Committee for National Legislation toolkit for calling for an Israel – Palestine ceasefire can be found here. To watch and share a recording of the powerful conversation hosted last week, “Calling for a Ceasefire: Israel-Palestine Briefing” click here. The transcript of the chat with additional resources is available here. The American Friends Service Committee, working for a just and lasting peace in the area since 1948, has a Gaza resource page available here.

Awakening the Witness: Convincement and Belonging in the Quaker Community, a Pendle Hill first Monday lecture, will be offered Mon, Nov 6th online. “ . . . early Friends had no system of membership as we understand it today. Instead, their writings center on an experience they called convincement: when they found themselves without any outward help or guidance, at the end of their own resources, they encountered God and were transformed – not just once, but again and again. For these first Friends, the unity of community was found through the shared experience of this transformation and its fruits.” For more and to register, click here.

The Center on Conscience and War and Madison Meeting Friends invite those interested to a draft counseling workshop on Sun, Nov 12th from 1:30 -5:30PM. As a draft counselor, you can be a resource for young people who would like to explore conscientious objector (CO) status. Preparing a CO file of written and/or oral testimony in advance of a CO application gives young people a chance to think through their position on serving in the military and injuring or killing other people. Space limited; no fee; email office(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)minneapolisfriends.org to be put in touch with the coordinator.

The Friends for a NonViolent World Holiday Fair will be here before you know it!
~ CALLING MUSICIANS! If you would like to play for the Holiday Fair this year, Dec 1 and 2, email office(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)minneapolisfirend.sorg to be put in touch with Tom W. The Fair would love to have you!!
~ 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 to donate.
~ Let us know what you’d like to donate to the sale using this FNVW Holiday Fair Donation Sign Up

Friends General Conference is offering a new resource, God Is Within Her: A Quaker Experience of the Color Purple, for Friends to use in exploring our own spirituality via an important piece of literature, in community with our meeting, newcomers, seekers, and the wider Quaker community. To read more, see FGC-GodIsWithinHer . To sign up for the first of two discussions, led by staff of the Spiritual Deepening Program and the Communications and Outreach Team, on Thurs, Nov 9th, click here.

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.

God Is Everywhere: Vocal Ministry in Everyday Conversations is a recent Thee Quaker podcast. Have a listen here.

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).