Sunday, July 20, 2025

TODAY’S WORSHIP AND PROGRAM
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM Meeting for Worship – unprogrammed (hybrid)
Closer: Charles Osugo, Zoom host: Rae C

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

11:15 AM Committee Clerks meeting (hybrid)
There will be a meeting of Minneapolis Friends Committee Clerks in the Conference Room following meeting for worship. This will be a time for clerks to get acquainted with the office manager and help him understand his role in the work of the committees. The meeting will be available on the same Zoom link in the Bulletin used for Sunday morning worship.

11:15 AM MFM Young Adult Quakers lunch (in person)
YAQs will gather for a bring-your-own-picnic lunch after worship on July 20 at Linden Hills Park (3100 W 43rd St). There will be snacks for all to enjoy and you can bring your own lunch, grab something at the Farmers Market down the block or just come for snacks and conversation. YAQs are generally 45 and under. Children are very welcome! Contact Elizabeth with questions.

7:00 PM Movie night (in person)
Watch Barbara Streisand’s Yentl (1983) and enjoy a dairy veggie potluck dinner on Saturday, July 20, 5:00 – 7:30 PM at a Mayim Rabim member’s condo in Hopkins. RSVP to Michael (shimonides(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)gmail.com) for location. The Joyful Aging Steering Committee, composed of members of MFM and Mayim Rabim, is trying to create more connections between our communities. All Friends are welcome.

MORE WORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AT MFM
Sharing the Spirit, held every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning, is a brief centering time that is open to everyone. We gather at approximately 8:57 AM for ten-minute worship (online, cameras off) beginning at 9:02 AM. Click here for zoom link; use ID 859 3925 1575, passcode 251345; or paste the following into your browser: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85939251575?pwd=1aHrNcUclfw3o99kyDnc9nAwzwkYGU.1.

Mid-week worship is on summer break in July and August. Watch the bulletin in September for an announcement of the date it will restart.

HOLD IN THE LIGHT
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.

MFM ANNOUNCEMENTS
If you are new to our Quaker meeting, or if you would like to learn more about Quakerism, come downstairs after worship this Sunday to talk with two members of the Ministry and Counsel Committee. They will be happy to answer your questions. Or just come downstairs for the coffee, tea and brownies!

Peace and Social Concerns Committee is supporting a volunteer effort: Do you feel called to walk alongside others in a spirit of deep listening and mutual growth? Hennepin Connections is looking for dedicated mentors to accompany Minneapolis College (MCTC) students during the next school year as they grow personally and professionally. Your experience and guidance can have a lasting impact. Learn more and sign up on the website of Hennepin Connections’ partner organization The Basilica of St. Mary (click here). Whether you’re rooted in a particular faith tradition or simply led by a spirit of service, all are welcome. The deadline to apply to be a mentor in this program is August 1. You can also contact Lynda G for more information.

Joining the MFM Google Group is an easy way to engage with the Meeting – to share and see articles of interest, participate in informal discussion, to receive reminders from other Friends about upcoming events. To sign up, simply send an email request to Roland. For more about the MFM Google Group, click here. Also, to keep abreast of Meeting news, you can find bulletins, events, and monthly meeting minutes on the MFM website (click here).

Care and Counsel Committee facilitates pastoral care for Minneapolis Meeting members and attendees, 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. Other committee members are Mary G, Jeff N, Mary B, and Jimbo L.

Contributions update: First quarter contributions totaled $26,217, which is about 19% of our budget. Giving is often lighter in the summer months. We are almost on track to meet our annual budget. Thank you, Friends, for your generous financial support of the meeting. There is now a donate tab on MFM’s website (click here). If you would like to set up automatic contributions to the meeting, contact Carolyn V, clerk of Stewardship and Finance Committee.

UPCOMING MFM EVENTS
Schedule update – Deep Inner Work of Racial Justice group is on summer break. There will NOT be a gathering on August 12, and it will resume September 9. The group usually meets monthly on second Tuesday nights, 7:00 – 8:30 PM.

July 22 (online). Watson Reading Group meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month, 7:00 – 8:30 PM via Zoom. We are starting Becoming Wise, An Inquiry into the Mystery and Art of Living, by Krista Tippett. Most participants have a copy of the book available to them, but it is not mandatory. If you have interest in joining, please let John D.

July 27 (hybrid). Peace and Social Concerns Committee invites you to a letter-writing / postcard gathering on Sunday, July 27 at 11:15 AM in the conference room at the meeting house. All are welcome! It will be a hybrid meeting so you can join us from home. We will write letters and postcards to legislators, congress members, and letters to the editor. The Friends Committee on National Legislation has provided some recommendations; you can also write a letter to a recipient of your choosing. Questions? Contact Jim H or Nettie S.

July 28 (online). The Peace and Social Concerns Committee meets on fourth Mondays, 7:00 PM via Zoom. If interested in Minneapolis Meeting’s peace and justice focus and witness, you are warmly welcome! Join by Zoom (click here) or use ID 899 1439 1038, passcode 455959.

August 1 (in person). Visit the Minneapolis Institute of Art with Joyful Aging, a joint group of Minneapolis Friends Meeting and Mayim Rabim, on Friday August 1, 2025, from 1:00 to 3:30 PM. MIA is free to the public. We will meet in the coffee shop. If you need transportation please call or email Mary B.

August 4 (online). Writing Group: Established writers and dabblers will have an informal writing session on Monday, August 4, 7:00 – 9:00 PM. This is a chance to connect with one another, writing with prompts and sharing what we write. Serious, whimsical, beautiful and quirky – we enjoy it all! You are welcome to come laugh, ponder, and create together, whether or not you have participated before. Contact Jane D with questions. The group meets monthly on first Monday nights. Click here for zoom link or use ID 882 1594 6063, passcode 573695.

August 20 (in person). LGBTQ+ Group meets monthly, every third Wednesday, in person. The group requests that attendance be limited to those who are part of the LGBTQ community at this time. You can text or email Bill H for more information. Hope to see you there!

August 31 (in person). Children will lead semi-programmed meeting again, celebrating our summer ending. Families will bring kites to MFM that day to fly one block away at our closest park. Contact Cathy N with questions.

October 11 (in person). Fall Together, an annual retreat held by MFM, is a wonderful opportunity to gather with Friends and rest, relax, renew, re-connect and relish time together in the great outdoors. This year’s retreat will be at Fish Lake Regional Park in Plymouth, MN, a beautiful setting familiar to those who have attended Fall Together in recent years.

QUAKER RESOURCES
July 20 (online). A monthly worship for Friends of Color, offered by Friends General Conference (FGC), is held on third Sundays at 7:00 PM. These worships offer a place for Friends of Color to come together in community and worship. Click here to go to FGC’s website for more and to request the link.

July 22 (online). Stop Ice Abductions and Block the Bombs webinar with AFSC (American Friends Service Committee, on Tuesday, July 22 from 6:00 – 7:15 PM (CT). Join a critical conversation with Congresswoman Delia Ramirez, who introduced the Block the Bombs Act to prevent the Trump administration from sending weapons to Israel, and Mahmoud Khalil, an outspoken advocate for Palestine who is currently suing the Trump administration after being detained for over 100 days without charges. This webinar explores connections between attacks on migrants in the United States, the weaponization of ICE against activists, and United States participation in Israel’s occupation and genocide against Palestinians. Click here to register.

July 26 (online). Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Concerns hosts two regular events online (click here for zoom link). There is a monthly worship on first Saturdays at 4:00 PM (CT), and a monthly worship sharing on fourth Saturdays at 4:00 PM (CT) – the next being Saturday, July 26. There is also a Listening Line (listening support to queer Friends), 4:00 – 11:00 PM (PDT) every Saturday. Additionally, Canadian Friends (U.S.ers invited) have a Queer Gender group. Email clerks(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)flgbtqc.org for more.

August 3 (online). The Quaker Call to Action will host Eileen Flanagan at its next Zoom call, Sunday, August 3, 6:00 – 7:30 PM (CT), speaking on “Resisting the Divide and Conquer Game: How Quakers Can Help the Broader Pro-Democracy Movement.” Click here to register under “National Zoom Calls.” Eileen, the former campaign director of Earth Quaker Action Team, has trained people across the US in nonviolent strategies for change as well as training coordinators for Choose Democracy. Also available is last month’s presentation by Daniel Hunter, co-founder of Choose Democracy; click here for the recorded presentation, click here for the presentation slides, and click here for a document with suggestions.

August 4 (online). 80 Years of Resistance Against Nuclear Weapons, a Pendle Hill First Monday Lecture, will be offered on Monday, August 4, 6:30 – 9:00 PM (CT). You can learn more and register on Pendle Hill’s website: click here.

August 8 – 10 (in person). Are you working with Quaker youth or young adults – or feeling a strong leading to do so? The Midwest Youth & Young Adult Worker Gathering will be held August 8 – 10 at Quaker Hill in Richmond, Indiana. Whether you’re a volunteer, staff member, or simply discerning a call to this ministry, this weekend is for you. Send questions to Tom (tom.s(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)westernyearlymeeting.org).

August 10 – 16 (in person). People Camp. There is still time to register! We’ll gather at beautiful Northern Pines Retreat Center near Park Rapids, MN. George Lakey plans to be in attendance, and our program will be on nonviolent direct action campaign strategy, with facilitators from Quaker Earthcare Witness (QEW) and Earthcare Quaker Action Teams (EQAT). This is a great setting for families to enjoy the north woods, meet new people, create more community, and hone our skills for creating new structures for the challenging times we are experiencing. Click here for the registration form. MFM’s Peace and Social Concerns Committee has funds for nonviolence resistance training. Contact Nettie S about P&SC helping finance your participation.

August 11 (online). A monthly worship for Newcomers and Seekers, offered by Friends General Conference (FGC), introduces Quaker worship practices as well as allowing for questions and reflection. Every second Monday evening from 5:30 – 6:30 PM. Click here to register on FGC’s website.

August 21 (online). Becoming the Quakers the World Needs is a monthly worship-sharing opportunity offered by Northern Yearly Meeting for Friends seeking community, spiritual guidance, and nurture in this time of social, climate, and political instability. Come every third Thursday, 7:00 – 8:00 PM. To join by zoom, click here or use ID 824 8501 6662, passcode 929041.

October 31 – November 1. Save the date for Northern Yearly Meeting (NYM)’s Interim Session, held from a Friday evening through Saturday at the Milwaukee Meeting house. Everyone is invited to this Yearly Meeting Session where we will do business of the Yearly Meeting, as well as enjoy sharing, fellowship and some good meals together. Overnight hospitality in local Friends’ homes will be provided.

Ongoing advocacy opportunities:

* Witness Wednesdays, a time for silent reflection, is held every Wednesday, 4:00 – 5:00 PM (CT). For more and to register, go to Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL)’s website: click here.

* Worship with attention to peace in Palestine and Israel with Friends across the United States every Thursday at 4:30 PM (CT). Sign up for the link on American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)’s website: click here.

* Action Hour for Palestine provides weekly updates on what’s happening in Gaza and an invitation to take action by calling Congress, every Friday at 11:00 AM (CT). Register on ASFC’s website: click here.

* Rise, Resist, and Build, a monthly webinar, brings together AFSC constituents every third Tuesday, 7:00 – 9:30 PM (CT). Learn how to support just peace, just migration, and just economies. Register on Mobilize’s website: click here.

* FCNL continues to advocate for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza to allow adequate relief to enter all areas. The so-called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is failing to deliver sufficient food. The people of Gaza also lack fuel, water, and medical care. There are credible reports of children starving to death. Senators Smith and Klobuchar and Representatives McCollum and Omar are co-sponsoring bills to allow for a surge of relief. The FCNL Twin Cities Advocacy Team asks Quakers to thank these members of Congress and to urge others to speak out.

OPPORTUNITIES IN THE WIDER COMMUNITY
July 21 (in person). Bob Sanders, who is biking across the country to protest the war in Gaza, will speak on Monday, July 21 at 7:00 PM at Bethune Park’s Gathering Circle, 919 Emerson Avenue North, Minneapolis. Sanders hopes to raise money for humanitarian aid for Gaza and local peace organizations, and to lobby Congress to end the war. Free ice cream will be served at the event. Sanders’ Ride Against War on GAZA is endorsed by Jerry Greenfield, former owner of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream; Veterans for Peace, American Friends Service Committee; and Women Against Military Madness. Click here to open New Hampshire Peace Action’s webpage with more information about his ride.

August 2 (in person). Middle East Peace Now, which hosts well-known, respected Jewish, Palestinian, and American historians, social justice advocates, and political advisors to the Middle East speaking on the recent crises in Palestine, will host an in-person panel discussion on Encountering Difficult Questions on Saturday, August 2, noon – 3:00 PM at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 4100 Lyndale Ave S, Minneapolis. Ruben Slomianski, Julie Elhard, and Ariella Tilden are the panelists. Click here to fill out the registration form.

October 21 (in person). Professor Anton Treuer will keynote MCC Racial Justice’s signature event at a Twin Cities location. Drawing from his deep experience in Native American history, language revitalization, and equity work, Dr. Treuer will challenge us to move beyond reforming broken systems and instead build new frameworks of liberation and fairness for all. This event will offer practical strategies for fostering authentic dialogue, bridging cultural divides, and advancing justice across faith traditions. All are welcome to this interfaith gathering dedicated to learning, reflection, and collective action for a more equitable Minnesota. More details will be forthcoming. Plan to save the evening now!

Indigenous solidarity: Black Hills Clean Water Alliance is organizing against the newest threat to the Black Hills: the Ponderosa Exploration Drilling Project. Raise your voice now in opposition to this bill – submit public comments by July 21. You can do that through the Black Hills Clean Water Alliance website (click here). You’ll find more background information at that link.

Clueless Addiction: Disengaging from Racism in Black and White Churches, is available as a webinar from the MN Council of Churches’ co-director of racial Justice, Pamela Ngunjiri. Click here to watch.

OFFICE HOURS
The Office Manager is typically in the office Thursday and Fridays 12:30 – 5:00 PM and Sundays 9:30 – 11:30 AM. Bulletin deadline: noon Thursday. Phone items in to the office (612-926-6159) or email (office(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)minneapolisfriends.org).

Cathy N, Children and Families Coordinator, can be reached: Mondays and Wednesdays 2:30 – 5 PM; Thursdays 3:30 – 5:00 PM; Sundays 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM at the meetinghouse.