July 7, 2024

MEETING SCHEDULE AND PROGRAM

TODAY

10:00 – 11:00 AM meeting for worship (unprogrammed): care of meeting, Ed Souther; Zoom host – Bill H.

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

From the clerk: There are individuals attending worship and other activities who are sensitive to electromagnetic radiation emitted from cell phones. Others wish to distance and remain masked to avoid contracting Covid. Out of respect for all our members and attenders, we are invited to turn off our cell phones upon entering the meetinghouse rather than just silencing them and avoid sitting unmasked on the benches under the windows which are reserved for persons who are masked.

TODAY at 11AM: “From Genocide in Gaza to Decolonizing Palestine: Towards a Democratic State for All Between the River and the Sea,” with Hibbing native Jeff Halper. Jeff is an Israeli anthropologist who is a founder of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions and the Palestinian-led One Democratic State Campaign. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize by the American Friends Service Committee in 2006 and has taught at the Friends World College (headed by George Watson before he came to Minneapolis Meeting.) His visit is being organized by the Minneapolis WAMM (Women Against Military Madness). There will be a basket near the entry door for donations toward an honorarium and expenses. A potluck will follow the talk. Available via Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87395438569?pwd=sJa5MEzTnjPcdjZ8RbcHSIQidCMeCa.1; ID: 873 9543 8569; Passcode: 740961.

HOLD IN THE LIGHT

The loved ones, family, friends of Tom Hoey. Tom died on Mon, June 10th. His memorial service will be July 13th, 11AM. The zoom link for the memorial is: ID: 820 6487 8362; passcode: 642688; https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82064878362?pwd=GxHxOKGOmzkghF0tk5fafDwfHwXafa.1

People who are grieving or suffering from injustice, conflict, racism, colonialism, displacement, loss, and the climate crisis, and all those who are aiding victims and the dispossessed.

NEWS FOR MINNEAPOLIS MEETING FRIENDS

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.

The asylum hearing for Ayuk will be TOMORROW, July 8, from 8:30 to 10AM in the chambers of Judge Audrey Carr at the Whipple Building. Ayuk has spoken to Minneapolis Meeting about the civil war in his homeland of Cameroon, his dramatic journey to Ecuador, through the Darien Gap (on foot) and to the U.S. In the five years since his arrival, he has earned computer and human relations certifications, he has acquired a job at Boston Scientific, and he has been consecrated a deacon at Westminster Presbyterian Church. Approval rates for asylum in Minnesota are under 20%. The presence of observers at asylum hearings, however, tends to increase the chances of asylum being granted. Friends are urged to attend this hearing, an important juncture in Ayuk’s life. If Ayuk is to be sent back to Cameroon, it would be to the only airport which is in enemy territory. It would likely result in his death. To get to the Whipple Bldg (2 Federal Drive, St. Paul,) from Mpls, head east on Crosstown and take the right-hand exit at Bloomington Road (not Ave,) before the airport. Please see or talk to John D. if you have questions.

Meeting children and youth will attend the Twins vs Cubs baseball game on Aug. 4th! Get your picture taken at the game in front of the Twins scoreboard displaying: Welcome Quaker Youth from Minneapolis Friends Meeting! The first 5,000 youth age 12 and under will get a free backpack; concession food is half price for kids; AND you’ll get a chance to walk around the bases on Twins field! Adults without children are welcome to attend too! Let Coordinator Cathy N. know how many adult tickets ($18.00) and children (free) you want to reserve for this Aug 4th event. Our seats are reserved viewing third base and the Twins dugout. Come make a memory!

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.

Minneapolis Meeting needs you! The Tech Committee will offer regular AV training and refresher sessions through this summer. Running the AV system is not about technology, it’s more like following a recipe. We’re making the process easy with step by step ‘recipe cards’ to operate the system. This is a call to a ministry of making connections – helping connect people remotely with the meetinghouse and back again. Willing to help? Contact Marilyn J. or Roger M.

We are grateful to be welcoming new children and families and offering relationship, care, and planned programming during worship! Additional adults are needed to help with programming. Children and Families Coordinator, Cathy, will be gone for two weeks in July. Take the opportunity to get to know the young folks now attending meeting! Email Cathy or sign up on the sheet on the elevator table. Haven’t gone through the clearness process to work with children of the meeting? Contact Rae Beth C., Child Welfare Coordinator.

Heads up: MFM will help prepare and serve a Loaves and Fishes dinner at Holy Rosary Church on Mon, July 29th.

Seems like next autumn is forever away – but mark your calendars now for Fall Together October 26th! Make time to gather with Friends at beautiful Fish Lake Park to rest, relax, renew, re-connect and RELISH time together in the great outdoors!

Monthly Meeting approved a curtailed 2024-25 budget. In order to meet the curtailed budget, contributions will need to increase 10% over those of last year, and Meeting will still need to use $25,000 of general fund reserves. If we are to make our usual contributions to other organizations and support MFM programming at the usual level this year, contributions will need to increase by about 24% in addition to using the $25,000 reserves. As this year progresses, Meeting will convene one or more threshing sessions to discern how we can best balance our vision for the future with our energies and finances. Progress Report: Contributions to the general fund in the first quarter total $30751.50. First quarter contributions usually cover 12-18% of the total budget. First quarter contributions are 23% of the curtailed budget; and 20.4% of our aspirational budget. Thank you, Friends, for your generous support! A cautionary note – some Friends have made their annual contribution to the meeting in the first quarter rather than the third quarter. This will not necessarily result in an increase in total contributions.

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 co-clerks, John S. or Ellen S.
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, Jill F, and Jimbo L.

SMALL GROUP OPPORTUNITIES AT MINNEAPOLIS MEETING

The Getting to Know You Storytelling Group will meet this Tues (and every second Tuesday!) at 1PM. This month’s prompt – “Tell about a multi-cultural experience you have had (it could be a different culture, country, race, etc.)” https://zoom.us/j/96998647924?pwd=OXNLMGEyRERjRWxDUGRycGtUa0RwQT09. Come get better acquainted!

Interested in gardening? Meeting gardeners (currently Clifford, Betsy, and Sarah,) will gather this Tues, 3PM. Come if you can for satisfying fun playing in the dirt, fabulous people and lots of laughs. Questions? Contact Betsy.

The Deep Inner Work of Racial Justice group meets every second Tues night, 7-8:30 and has chosen a organization to practice the outer work of direct action using Resmaa Menakem’s book The Quaking of America: An Embodied Guide to Navigating our Nation’s Upheaval and Racial Reckoning. There is a core group; visitors / newcomers are warmly welcome. Contact Nettie S. for more.

OPPORTUNITIES AMONG FRIENDS

Friends for a NonViolent World – Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) – MN Youth and Adult Program Coordinator Job opening. FNVW seeks a passionate and motivated individual to join our organization! The AVP coordinator is a dynamic role, 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 our AVP program. The primary focus will be implementing our AVP youth workshop initiative with Minneapolis Public Schools this fall and continuing to coordinate workshop opportunities for youth in Hennepin County. Full position description here. This is a Part-Time / 20 hours a week position with opportunities to facilitate youth workshops for additional weekend hours. For best consideration, please submit your cover letter and resume to Leah Robshaw Robinson at: info(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)fnvw.org by July 7th.

Register for Friends for a NonViolent World People Camp, Aug 11-17. People Camp is a rich experience of shared community life and work, recreation and connection, social justice learning and action opportunities for children and adults at the North Pines Retreat Center in Park Rapids.. Find out more and register here.

Quaker Voluntary Service is on track to have about 20 Fellows serve across four cities, more than double the number of Fellows in the 2023-2024! Locally, a couple of the non-profit organization placements require the use of a car, which the prospective Fellows don’t have. Do you have a car QVS can use for the months of Sept through mid-June? Contact Local Coordinator Kate, kate(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)quakervoluntaryservice.org.

Friends are welcome to attend Prospect Hill Friends Programs and worship, Sundays, worship at 4PM, programs following via Zoom. For link, email office(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)minneapolisfriends.org to be put in touch with Michael R. July 7 – What Are We Reading? July 21 – If you could ask a historical person one question, what would you ask? July 28 – My Summer Vacation: Memories, Plans, or Dreams; Aug 4 – Intuition as Inspiration for Making Change (part of the summer theme – How connection with Spirit informs our intuition – with special attention to Nature).

Quaker Indian Boarding Schools Research Network will offer a webinar on Mon, July 15th, 6:30-8PM. During the 19th century, almost all Christian denominations collaborated with the U.S. government’s policy of forced assimilation by operating “Indian boarding schools.” The Quaker Indigenous Boarding Schools Research Network (QIBS) is a group of volunteer researchers who are gathering information about Quaker-operated and Quaker-influenced boarding schools. Their research will be made available to Native American tribes and family members, DoI investigators, and the public. In this webinar, QIBS researchers will share some of their findings and discuss their research process. Interested researchers are invited to join them in this work of truth-telling, accountability, and collaboration. For background, watch this slide presentation. Register for the webinar at https://friendspeaceteams.org/qibs-presentation-jul-24/

Quaker Call to Action’s Steering Committee’s offers this List of Priority Actions (HERE,) short-term actions that can be taken in the months leading up to the November elections.

Friends General Conference has started a Gen Xer Quaker Discussion Group to explore Quaker spirituality, share personal experiences, and engage in meaningful conversations about faith, community, and social issues in a supportive and open environment! The group hopes to meet monthly (virtually.) If you are interested in hearing about future get-togethers, sign up at https://fgc.tfaforms.net/5109858

Gaza
* urge Congress to resume U.S. funding for life-saving Palestinian aid. The situation for Palestinians in Gaza continues to deteriorate though there is hope for a ceasefire. All parties involved need to restore food aid before mass starvation occurs. If starvation reaches an advanced stage, the human body loses the ability to utilize food, and death may occur even with medical treatment. Quakers need to continue to demand a ceasefire. Friends Committee on National Legislation action link: https://fcnl.quorum.us/campaign/51886/?utm_source=fcnlaction
* join AFSC every Friday at 11AM for an Action Hour for a Cease-fire Now.
* worship with attention to peace in Palestine and Israel with Friends across the U.S. every Thurs, online, at 4:30PM. Sign up to get the link at https://afsc.org/events/meeting-worship-attention-peace-palestine-israel.

OPPORTUNITIES IN THE WIDER COMMUNITY

Healing Minnesota Stories Dakota Sacred Sites Tours have been scheduled for this summer on July 27, 9AM-1PM; and August 27, 10AM-2PM. The Dakota Sacred Sites Tours help people today more deeply understand the history and living legacy of Dakota Sacred Sites around the Twin Cities. These two just-announced tours are open to the public. Register here: https://www.mnchurches.org/what-we-do/healing-minnesota-stories

Donations for refugees needed! MN Council of Churches programs help new arrivals adjust to their new home. Consider donating hygiene and household products in supportive welcome to our newest neighbors. There are gift registries with Amazon and Target with the items that are included in every welcome kit. To donate, bring items to the MCC offices, 122 Franklin Avenue W, Suite 100, Mpls, 55406. MCC is also looking for bicycles! Finding regular transportation can be a barrier to feeling at home in the Twin Cities. Not only can a bicycle help refugees commute to work, but it can also give families a way to explore with comfort and confidence. Do you have an adult bike (in good condition!) that’s been sitting in the garage all winter that you’re interested in donating? Reach out to Noah at noah.wilkerson(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)mnchurches.org or 651-724-0944, or feel free to drop it off 8AM – 6PM, M-F at the above address.

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.