January 26, 2025

MEETING SCHEDULE AND PROGRAM

TODAY

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

10:15 – 11:00 How to Support and Be With Ill or Troubled People. John Kraft, Barbara Ziegenhagen and Ellen Swanson will read stories of their experience supporting and being with ill or troubled people, and then we will break into small groups. Zoom host – Kate W-J

11:15 – 12:15 meeting for worship (semi-programmed): Allen Gibas – speaker; care of meeting, Jane Furnas; Zoom host – Kate W-J

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

It’s snow and grit season! Do the floors, carpets, and building care-givers a favor and clear your boots and shoes of accumulations before venturing far into the meetinghouse. There are mats and scrapers to aid you!

HOLD IN THE LIGHT

Those who are suffering from injustice, conflict, racism, colonialism, displacement, loss, and the climate
crisis – including the California fires – and all those who are aiding victims and the dispossessed.

Those in positions of power.

TODAY: It’s time for a new directory! Watch your email for the opportunity to confirm or update your contact information. If you’re in the building today, you can check your current directory information on the elevator table and make updates. Not in the directory yet and want to be? Fill out a contact form, also found on the on the elevator table.

NEWS FOR MINNEAPOLIS MEETING FRIENDS

Feeling stressed? Discouraged? Fearful? Come to mid-week worship, Wed nights, 7PM: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84938257185 (copy and paste into your browser); ID: 849 3825 7185; by phone: +1-651-372-8299.

Mid-Morning Program next Sunday at 10:15: Sin and Early Quakers. The 1650s were a turbulent era in England. Many new sects, including Friends, questioned the meaning of sin, if there was such a thing. Come spend some time exploring!

Nominating Committee is beginning its work in earnest. Take a minute or two to look over the committee list and the scope of the committees’ work: https://minneapolisfriends.org/committees/. If you feel drawn to the work of any of these committees or other, please contact Bill H, clerk of Nominating Committee.

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.

The Peace and Social Concerns Committee will meet tomorrow night, Jan 27, 7PM via Zoom. If you are interested in Minneapolis Meeting’s peace and justice focus and witness, you are warmly welcome to come: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89914391038?pwd=WE1JOE9VdmpHWWJlSlVEMkFvSUprZz09 (copy and paste into your browser); ID: 899 1439 1038; Passcode: 455959.

Contributions update: Thank you, Friends, for your generous financial support! Quickbooks shows that general funds income, from April 1 to December 31, is $112,300. Contributions of $6,680 per month, through March, are needed to meet the curtailed budget ($132,335). Contributions of $12,680 are needed per month, through March, to fund the aspirational budget ($150,320). If you would like to set up automatic contributions to the meeting, contact Mike F. or Carolyn V, co-clerks, Stewardship and Finance Committee. Winter gift contributions total $3460.00

SMALL GROUP OPPORTUNITIES AT MINNEAPOLIS MEETING

Come to thirty minutes of Lectio Divina, Divine Reading, followed by worship sharing on ZOOM, Tuesdays at noon. Hold a very brief reading from the Bible, Quaker, or other spiritual text to see how it might speak to us today: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82172920370?pwd=4v3zY9LtA79jzf5tGg24BDXb28Clkd. (copy and paste in your browser); ID: 821 7292 0370; passcode: 661188.

Join the monthly Conflict Soiree, meeting on Zoom, Tues, Sept 24th, and every last Tues, at 3:30PM. This is an ongoing group, meeting the last Tues afternoon of the month. Drop-in’s are always welcome! We explore conflict and difference in our individual lives and in the meeting. We propose that becoming more skillful and comfortable with difference might cause us to be more authentic peacemakers everywhere we go. Contact Nettie S. for a Zoom link. Questions, ask John S, Kate W-J or Nettie

The Watson Reading Group, which usually meets monthly, resumes this coming Tues. evening, 7-8:30PM. We’re on Chapter 4 of Becoming Wise, by Christa Tippett. Newcomers are welcome to join “midstream,” since chapters are fairly self-contained. Contact John D, if you are interested.

Small group line-up: Lectio Divina – every Tuesday noon; Writing Group – first Monday night; Deep Inner Work of Racial Justice Group – second Tuesday night; LGBTQIA+ Support Group – third Wednesday night; Reading Group – fourth Tuesday night; Conflict Soiree – last Tuesday afternoon.

OPPORTUNITIES IN THE WIDER WORLD OF FRIENDS

Friends General Conference Annual Gathering, A Spring Whose Waters Never Fail, will be February 1-9, online only. Everyone – life-long Friends to Quaker newcomers – are welcome to attend! The Gathering provides an abundance of opportunities to learn about Quakerism, foster spiritual life, and have fun. Financial aid is available. Don’t delay – some workshops are nearly full! More at https://www.fgcquaker.org/fgcprograms/the-gathering/ Jan 27 is the registration deadline.

A Spiritual Deeping Opportunity will be offered, online, by Northern Yearly Meeting’s Ministry and Nurture Committee on Thurs, Feb 20th, 6 to 8PM. Watch for more details and registration information.

Northern Yearly Meeting will host a high school Winter Retreat, Everything Soup, Feb 21-23, in Eau Claire, WI. Come with an open heart and a spirit for cozying up with soup, stories, games, books and handcrafts. Details to come soon. Contact Cynthia D, coordinator, to make sure you’re on the contact list.

Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Concerns hosts a monthly online worship on first Saturdays, 4PM(CT) and a monthly online worship sharing on fourth Saturdays, 4PM(CT). Both at https://zoom.us/j/96987966101?pwd=MGFYUmJMaDQwVkVOMkZ2L0JwMGNFZz09 (copy and paste in your browser). 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.

Calling Alternatives to Violence Project Facilitators and those who are concerned with the future of AVP in MN – Please come meet with Friends for a NonViolent World Board Member, Maria Masacchio, and Joan Hyman (FNVW Executive Director) for a community conversation about the FNVW Board’s Proposal to split AVP and FNVW into separate organizations. We will offer clarification to your questions and listen to your feedback. The meeting will be TODAY, Sun, the 26th, 6-7:30PM Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86843582431?pwd=bBqi54oS0J7AiTV2O6I99gXDvVNZHE.1

Find yourself planning your garden? Friends School of MN is thinking of planting time, too! Volunteer sign-ups for the annual FSMN Plant Sale start Feb 1st! Sign up for your favorite volunteer role, starting Feb 1, at https://friendsschoolofminnesota.volunteerlocal.com/volunteer/?id=93187. Volunteers, on top of being part of an incredible community of support, get to shop the pre-sale! For more about the sale, see https://www.friendsschoolplantsale.com/volunteer

In the deep cold of winter, thoughts turn to . . . summer! Plan now to be part of People Camp next August 10-16! The theme will be How We WIN! Non-violent, direct action campaign planning. Author and activist, George Lakey, will be at camp to share his experiences as we investigate non-violent, direct-action campaigns and how to apply them to the work for today. For more, see https://www.fnvw.org/peoplecamp

Palestine
* join Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) in urging Congress to stop famine in Gaza by supporting the UNRWA Funding Emergency Restoratio Act when it is reintroduced . More at https://fcnl.quorum.us/
* join AFSC every Friday at 11AM for an Action Hour for Palestine.
* 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

MN Interfaith Power and Light is launching Quarterly Community Gatherings in 2025, with each gathering tied to rhythm of the seasons. These Quarterly Gatherings will: offer a framing of the climate justice movement in Minnesota; provide an orientation to MNIPL’s work and campaigns in ways that speak to seasoned activists and new folks who are wondering how to become involved; and invite you into opportunities for concrete and meaningful action. Be part of this new experiment Thurs, Jan 30th, 7-8:15PM, via Zoom. Register on the MNIPL website.

The Joint Religious and Legislative Coalition will have its Day on the Hill Feb. 27, 8AM-3PM. The focus this year is advocating for women, children and families living in poverty. The morning session will be held at Central Presbyterian Church in Saint Paul followed by a rally in the Capitol rotunda. To register and for more, see https://www.jrlc.org/day_on_the_hill_2025

Valerie Kaur, author of See No Stranger, will be featured at a Symposium, Revolutionary Love is the Call of Our Times, Feb 27th, 11AM in Hoversten Chapel, Augsburg College, Mpls. Registration needed.

OFFICE HOURS

The Meeting Coordinator will be in the office Wed – Fri afternoons. 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).

The Children and Families Coordinator can be reached: Mon and Wed, 2:30-5PM; Thurs, 3:30-5PM; Sun, 9AM-2PM at the meetinghouse.