December 17, 2023

MEETING SCHEDULE AND PROGRAM

TODAY

9:00 – 10:00 meeting for worship (unprogrammed): care of meeting, Elizabeth Showalter; Zoom host – Rae Beth C.

10:15 – 11:00 What Convinced Me to Attend Minneapolis Friends Meeting for the First Time? Coffee/tea and holiday cookies . . . Everyone, young and old, will be invited to share their answer to the question above with the intent of getting to know each other better. Hosted by the Welcoming and Outreach Committee; Zoom host – Stephen S.

11:15 – 12:15 meeting for worship (semi-programmed): Bill Hendricks – speaker; Dave Bostrom – musician; care of meeting, Carolyn VandenDolder; Zoom host – Stephen S.

Email office(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)minneapolisfriends.org for the link to worship and mid-morning program, December 17th.

“The Lord said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.’ Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’” ~ 1 Kings 19:11 –13 NIV

NEWS FOR MINNEAPOLIS MEETING FRIENDS

Mid-Morning Program next Sunday at 10:05 (note the earlier start time!): there will be a children-presented program, Celebrate the Birth, followed by a carol sing! The festivities start a little early; plan to come by 10AM to share in the joy, music, and holiday fingerfood potluck treats! All willing musicians are invited to bring their instruments to accompany the carol sing!

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.

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.

Quaker Voluntary Service, a program supported by local Quaker meetings, has spent the past year evaluating the program and the cultural context in which it exists. Read about what has been discovered and what will be changed in the coming year here.
~ The local QVS Program, on hiatus this year, will restart for 2024-2025 and your ideas for possible new sites where the QVS Fellows can work are needed! Progressive, compatible for-profit and non-profit organizations will be considered. Contact Mary Ellen S. or office(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)minneapolisfriends.org with your thoughts or contacts with organizations.
~ Want to be involved with this program, nurturing and helping ground the leaders of tomorrow in Quaker values? Explore with Mary Ellen S, Tom W, or Jane F.
~ There will be a special supporters’ Briefing on Jan 24th at 6:30PM (CT) where the staff and board will share the exciting decisions and shifts recently made by the Board of Directors, to be implemented over the next two years. There will be time for questions and opportunities for you to share feedback. Register here.

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

The Right Relationship with Indigenous People group will meet this coming Tues night, Jan 10th, 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; Conflict Soiree, first Wednesday afternoon; Getting to Know You Group, second Tuesday afternoon; Deep Inner Work of Racial Justice Group, second Tuesday night; Right Relationship with Indigenous People, third Tuesday night; Reading Group, fourth Tuesday night; Spirituality of Dance Group, last Tuesday morning in odd months.

OPPORTUNITIES IN THE WIDER WORLD OF FRIENDS

From American Friends Service Committee: The humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire. Water, food, and fuel are running out while the Israeli government continues its invasion and bombing campaigns. But we are not powerless. There are ways every one of us can help. Here are six things you can do to support Palestinians in Gaza.

URGENT ACTION REQUESTED: Friends Committee on National Legislation has made it easy for you to contact your legislators in D.C. to urge a ceasefire, de-escalation, restraint, and respect for international law in Gaza and Israel. Click here. It also provides resources for talking with others in your community about what is going on there – to raise awareness and invite action. Click here.

Noah Merrill gave the message, As Oil from Gethsemane, at a recent Section Meeting of Friends World Committee for Consultation. You can read it here. There will be an event to allow space to sit together, worship and reflect on Noah’s message on Dec 16, 6PM (CT). Register here.

Friends School of MN – Calling all knitters, crochet artists, and crafters! Do you have a pile of unused yarn at home? If so, lower school art classes would love to use it for upcoming weaving projects. Bring in any balls of yarn (preferred over small scraps) that you no longer want or need. Also needed are large or long strips of fabric. You can drop the yarn and fabric off in the front office before winter break (Dec 22).

Friends General Conference’s ongoing Poetry as Spiritual Practice workshop invites you to experiment with words as a way to deepen your connection with your Inner Guide. No writing or poetry experience necessary! Just bring yourself and writing materials. Register for one or more than one; the next session is Jan 13, 9-11AM (CT). More and to register here.

Friends General Conference will be holding a Winter Conference, Changing Times, Jan. 18-21, with four components:
– Connecting to Spirit
– Becoming an Actively Anti-racist Faith Community
– Changing Structures for Changing Times
– The Future of the Religious Society of Friends.  
You can find more information and a preliminary scheduled here. Registration will be open later this month.

Volunteer registration for the 2024 Friends School of MN Plant Sale (May 10-12) will begin on February 1st. You can get a sense of the different tasks to be done here. But there are some important roles to be filled before Feb! Coordinators and Lead Volunteers are needed for the following areas: Greeters, Line Management, Curbside Loading Area, Social Media / Promotions, Volunteer Desk, Plant Experts , Watering . If you’d like to be part of the energy and life that is the plant sale, plan to volunteer! If you’d like to learn a little more about any of the roles cited above, or if you have questions please reach out to Steve (stevem(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)fsmn.org).

The Quaker Call to Action hosted a Zoom gathering featuring the E.D. of Protect Our Election earlier this month. A video of it can be found here. Slides from the presentation can be found and downloaded under Training Resources here. Slides #8, 11 and 12 have live links to resources and opportunities for action. Resources and more from Quaker Call to Action can be found here.

OPPORTUNITIES IN THE WIDER COMMUNITY

There is a Mennonite Day of Action calling for a ceasefire in Gaza on Tues, Dec 19th. Friends are invited to act visibly, vocally, and powerfully to demand a ceasefire and work for peace and justice. For more, go to https://www.mennoniteaction.org/dec19

The Minnesota Council of Churches is experiencing high demand for certain donations for refugees. Please call (612) 247-9760 or email rsvolunteers(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)mnchurches.org to donate: feminine products, new pillows, laundry detergent, toothbrushes, toothpaste, bars of soap, disposable razors, all-purpose cleaner, dish soap.

“In Our Hands: Native Photography, 1890 to Now,” a display of over 150 photographs of, by, and for Indigenous people, is at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts until Jan 14. More, including a guide to the pieces, at https://new.artsmia.org/exhibition/in-our-hands-native-photography-1890-to-now

Living Lightly: During the holidays, it’s easy to overestimate how much we can do, make, wrap, entertain, and how much we will eat. An estimated one third of all the food produced in the world goes to waste – about 1.3 billion tons of fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, seafood, and grains. When we waste food, we also waste all the energy and water it takes to grow, harvest, process, and transport it. And if food goes into a landfill, it produces methane. Strive to be mindful food consumers this season and all year around – plan ahead; buy only what you need; use your freezer; be creative with leftovers and food you already have; cook with wilted, browning or less than perfects to make the most of them; share with others your ideas and your commitment to reducing your contribution to the 7.41 million tons of needless greenhouse emissions.

OFFICE HOURS

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