September 1, 2024

MEETING SCHEDULE AND PROGRAM

TODAY

10:00 – 11:00 AM meeting for worship (unprogrammed): care of meeting, Mary Bosserman; Zoom host – Marilyn J.

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

Friends are encouraged to turn off your cell phone before entering the meetingroom. At the least, please silence it.

TODAY at the rise of worship – Welcoming and Inclusion of New (and old) Attenders at MFM will be the topic offered in a presentation by Windy Cooler, co-tutor of an upcoming course offered at Woodbrooke Center in England, “Friend, Guest, or Family? Deep Hospitality in Quaker Communities.” This is a rare, exceptional opportunity to understand unconscious barriers to bringing newcomers (and even some old-familiars!) into fuller belonging in the meeting. Please come if you are in town! The regular first Sunday potluck will follow the presentation. Windy’s presentation is sponsored by the Welcoming and Outreach Committee. Zoom host – Kate W-J.
~ There is still time to register for the month-long, online course at Woodbrooke. Find out more: https://www.woodbrooke.org.uk/courses/friend-guest-or-family-deep-hospitality-in-quaker-communities/

HOLD IN THE LIGHT

Teachers, students, and families as they prepare for the start of the school year.

Those who are grieving the recent death of a loved one, and those who are approaching anniversaries – birthdays, wedding or first meeting dates, date of loss or other days of personal importance – that can cause grief to swell.

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

Heads up: the school year schedule begins on September 15th – the third Sunday of September: 9AM worship (unprogrammed); 10:15AM mid-morning program; 11:15AM worship (semi-programmed)

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

The Shepherd Scholarship, created in 1977 by Roland and Zephra Shepherd, offers educational scholarships for members of a Quaker Meeting of at least five years standing, or their children. Interested adults and young adults can apply by filling out an application (available on the long table in the hall or on the website: https://minneapolisfriends.org/shepherd-scholarship-fund/) Application deadline, Sept 15. Return applications to the Shepherd Scholarship file in the blue box (on the long table) or email to Betsy S.

Mark your calendar and come to Meetinghouse Clean-up Day, Sun, Sept. 29th at the rise of second worship. Share the joy of working together to make the building sparkle. Our many hands will breeze through this annual task. More details to come.

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.

Contributions update: Contributions from April 1 to August 31 totaled $44,870.50. Thank you, Friends, for your generous financial support. Contributions of $10,933 per month, through March, are needed to meet the curtailed budget. Contributions of $13,181 per month, through March, are needed to fund the aspirational budget. If you would like to set up automatic contributions to the meeting, contact Mike F.

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

Established writers as well as dabblers will have an informal writing session Mon night, Sept 2, 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! https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87325724605?pwd=yMsUgPpvuSMffVRf3HgvFMOj8SI7yV.1; ID: 873 2572 4605; passcode: 839578. Contact Jane D. with questions or interest.

Small group line-up: Writing Group, first Monday night; Getting to Know You Group, second Tuesday afternoon; Deep Inner Work of Racial Justice Group, second Tuesday night; Conflict Soiree, fourth Tuesday afternoon; Reading Group, fourth Tuesday night.

OPPORTUNITIES AMONG FRIENDS

Changes happening at Friends for a NonViolent World: See the most recent FNVW E-Letter for news of staffing changes, including hiring Joan Hyman, (former Community Engagement Specialist,) as Interim Executive Director; hiring a part-time Administrative Assistant (more here); and a part-time Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) – MN Youth and Adult Program Coordinator (more here).
Friends for Non Violent World (FNVW), a social justice organization started by Twin Cities Quakers, has brought the life-changing Alternatives to Violence programs (AVP) to prisons and jails in MN; it championed political engagement in the ‘90s; and police reform in the ’00s -10s. Today, FNVW is bringing AVP to youth in Hennepin County. FNVW is a voice for Quaker concerns and values in the Twin Cities community. Currently, the FNVW board needs greater Quaker participation. If you might consider serving on the board, even for a temporary term (board elections are in March), please contact email office(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)minneapolisfriends.org to be put in touch with the current board chair.

Northern Yearly Meeting is looking for a new Journal editor! The Journal, started in 2019, has been a vehicle for Friends to witness to, ponder, challenge, and describe their faith journeys, enriching others and deepening our connection across geography. The Journal is changing format to make the editor’s job more manageable and enabling videos and podcasts to be more easily shared. If you are interested in helping maintain this ministry among Friends, please contact: webclerk(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)northernyearlymeeting.org. More information and the archived Journals can be found at https://northernyearlymeeting.org/publications/nym-journal/. The new journal, now in a blog format, can be found at https://journal.northernyearlymeeting.org/.

Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Concerns hosts a monthly online worship on first Saturdays, (THIS SAT, Sept 7) at 4PM(CT) and a monthly online worship sharing on fourth Saturdays, 4PM(CT). In addition, there is a Listening Line (listening support to queer Friends) from 4-11PM(PDT) every Saturday. And, Canadian Friends (U.S.ers invited) have a Queer Gender group, focusing on gender ID instead of sexual orientation. Email clerks(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)flgbtqc.org for more.

American Friends Service Committee invite Friends to a special Zoom update Fri, Sept 13, 1PM(CT). Hear about AFSC’s work around the world including vital emergency response in Gaza and recent Mexico Border work to protect the dignity and rights of migrants at Open Air Detention Centers. Click click.everyaction.com to RSVP and receive the link.

Friends Journal’s December issue will be on Spiritual Optimism vs. Spiritual Pessimism and they are looking for submissions! Have some Quakerly insight you’d like to share? Find out more and how to make a submission at: https://www.friendsjournal.org/spiritual-optimism-vs-spiritual-pessimism/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=headline Deadline – Sept 16.

Toward Right Relationship with Native Peoples – Roots of Injustice, Seeds of Change workshop: Experience the history of the colonization of Turtle Island, the land that is now known as the United States. The story is told through the words of Indigenous leaders, European/American leaders, and Western historians. Engage with this history through experiential exercises and small group discussion. And participants are invited to consider how we can build relationships with Indigenous peoples based on truth, respect, justice, and our shared humanity. Facilitated by Toward Right Relationship’s Native and non-Native teams. Appropriate for high school students and adults. Sun, Sept 29th, 3-5PM(CT), REGISTER at https://friendspeaceteams.org/trr-workshop-sep-2024/

Palestine
* from American Friends Service Committee – urge Congress to demand a ceasefire and prevent the spread of war in the Middle East. As the West Bank is now attacked, Quakers need to continue to press for a ceasefire. Friends Committee on National Legislation action link: fcnl.quorum.us/campaign/51886
* 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

Middle East Peace Now will host Palestinian-American academic, author, and journalist, Rami G. Khouri, speaking on “What Hamas Represents Politically, Why Most Arabs Support It, and How the US and Israel Should Deal with It,” via Zoom, Sat, Sept. 14th, 10AM. Register for the link: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register

JOIN THE COMMUNITY CHOIR! The choir rehearses on Thurs evenings, 7PM, here at the meetinghouse, starting Sept 12. No audition, friendly neighbors, really funny director, gifted accompanist, and music ranging from the fun and festive to the sublime. What more could you want? Registration, schedule, fees, and more at https://form.jotform.com/242254048609154 Register by Sept 6.

Isaiah Highlight from Twin Cities Friends Meeting – Join ISAIAH’s Building Multi-racial Democracy at Shiloh Temple (1201 W Broadway Ave, Mpls 55411) on Sat, Sept. 21st, 1-5PM. Get equipped to take action together in the face of rising White Christian Nationalism; talk with top elected officials about how to make Minnesota a place where we all can thrive regardless of skin color, salary, or zip code; talk about the stakes of this election and receive concrete training on how to engage with friends and neighbors in a way that breathes hope and agency into people’s feelings of anxiety and powerlessness: https://secure.everyaction.com/ihQq90vR9kCie5DFwSHN_g2

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.

The Children and Families Coordinator will be available: Wed. 12-5PM via phone/computer; Fri. 12-5PM at the meetinghouse; Sun: 9AM-2PM at the meetinghouse.