Meeting for Worship with attention to business opened with a period of silent worship and a reading of the Land Acknowledgement.

1.      Approval of Agenda—Clerk

The Clerk presented the proposed agenda, which was approved.

2.       Approval of Minutes of December 14, 2025 – Clerk

A draft December 14, 2025, Monthly Meeting minutes were circulated in advance of meeting for business. The recording clerk did not receive any suggested changes.

December 14, 2025, minutes were approved.

3.      Time for Holding Our Community in the Light

The clerk provided time for holding the community in the light given the presence of ICE. Monthly Meeting held about 10 minutes of worship sharing to let the Meeting express their thoughts and concerns.

4.      Ministry and Counsel Report

There are ongoing and concerns about our response to ICE and about the unrest in the city. Ministry and Counsel is going to use the mid-week worship time and possibly extending it for ½ hour to create space for people who want a place to express their feelings and to hold all concerned  in the light.

Proposed Ad Hoc Safety Committee

For the past couple of months, a concern related to the physical safety of Friends in the meeting house has bounced between Ministry and Counsel, Monthly Meeting, and some other committees.

Last month, Friends referred this issue back to Ministry and Counsel Committee. Ministry and Counsel, having discussed this further in its meetings and with the committee clerks, have concluded that this is too big for committee for Ministry and Counsel alone.

A proposal around addressing the Physical Safety of Persons in the Meeting House was circulated before this meeting for business – both to the Google group and through the bulletin.

Meeting for Business considered the following questions:

1. Is it important for Meeting to review or consider plans and procedures for addressing the safety and security of the public attending events in the meetinghouse, and is an Ad Hoc Safety/security Committee the appropriate way to proceed?
2. If yes, are there people willing to serve on the committee to consider how to proceed with such planning?

Discussion:

There has been some confusion about the scope of issues that such a committee would address. A Friend helpfully laid out three areas of concern.

• 1) Our committees may have protocols for ensuring the physical safety of people in the building – e.g. Our property committee has implemented some safety hardware and protocols and our committee for the safety of children has protocols around the care of children. Many in the meeting may need to know more about these and may need training.
• 2) We may need to have shared expectations and to develop skills to address people becoming disruptive during worship. They may have little or no understanding of Friends practice, they may be people suffering from mental illness, etc. Some Friends in the meeting have experience and training to handle these situations – but it might be good to increase the number of people trained.
• 3) We do not have shared expectations or strategies to address people who come into the meeting with malintent. What would happen if ICE came into the building? What would happen if we were aware of people who were coming into the building with weapons?

 

A committee could consider these three areas, determine if a standing committee could address a particular concern and bring back recommendations to monthly meeting on the areas that are not covered by our current committees.

There was a range of responses to this proposal.

• Several people are willing to serve on this kind of ad hoc committee. And there was a sentiment to let them go ahead with a consideration of these concerns.
• Some did not feel an ad hoc committee was needed as many of these issues are under the purview of various committees.
• Any committee considerations were encouraged to be grounded in faith and not be overtaken by fear.
• Outreach to other Twin Cities area churches and friends meeting across the county has started so that we can learn from what others have done.
• It is unclear about the genesis of this concern. Are we fearful about an attack? Are we overreacting? It was reflected that there are concerns about the environment we are living in. Anyone can come into the door. We are not clear about how we could deal with agitators or threatening

The Clerk suggested that a group be formed to consider the issues raised which can be passed on to standing committees, especially as there are people willing to serve. It would be good to have a short-term group dedicated solely to these issues.

The meeting approved the formation of an ad hoc committee that will be convened by a member. It will bring back suggestions for physical safety concerns existing committees can address. It will identify the areas that may need further attention by the meeting.

5.      Stewardship and Finance Report

Preliminary Income Report

While it is the end of the quarter, we do not have a bank statement yet. This statement is the basis of our reports. We will be able to share an accurate quarterly report next month.

Contributions to date – April 1 – December 31, 2025, is just under $112,000. Given that our annual budget is around $138,000 , we are in good financial shape.

New ways of giving

Since COVID, there are no discernable patterns of giving. More people are giving monthly through direct deposit. And the meeting is receiving more lump sum transfers from retirement accounts.

Since we added a donate button on the web site, we have been averaging three donations a month through that portal.

We have five new contributors, which may be a result of making it easier for people to support the meeting financially.

We are in conversations about creating a QR code – but waiting for a response from our financial institution whether this can be a way that people contribute.

Contribution Records

We will create contribution reports for those that have donated and will get them out by the end of January.

Budget Requests

Budget requests have gone out to committees. We are sharing what committees have spent to date in this fiscal year and asked for budget requests by the end of the January.

Thanks to those who worked on the transition to a new system after the installation of a new computer.

Discussion

A Friend asked about the contributions to the winter gift. It was reported that receipts are about $1000.00.

Friends accepted the preliminary report as provided.

6.      Nominating Committee Update

The Nominating Committee has begun its work for the coming cycle.

At this point, there are approximately 95 committee positions already filled across our standing committees and subcommittees. This count reflects all names currently listed on committee rosters, with individuals counted each time they serve in a role. Overall, the meeting appears to be in good financial shape, and we are grateful for the strong level of participation and service.

That said, there are a few areas where additional interest and gifts would be especially welcome:

• Stewardship & Finance Committee — individuals with accounting, finance, or bookkeeping experience
• Auditor — financial or accounting background helpful
• Technology Committee — people with technology experience, especially related to Zoom, AV, or general tech support
• Nursery Committee — an ongoing area of need for those interested in supporting our youngest Friends and their families

For this nominating cycle, members of the Nominating Committee have been assigned to work with specific committees. If you feel a leading toward service, or are simply curious, the Nominating Committee is happy to talk, listen, and help with discernment.

A Friend reminded all of this that serving on committees presents an opportunity to get to know each other and understand how the meeting operates. We were also reminded that while a committee may address a particular set of issues, we have a collective responsibility for the approach to the work. Consider it an invitation to join the quaker family and  to deeper connection

Someone inquired about the possibility of attenders to be part of committees. Attenders can be members of all committees except for ministry and counsel.

The Clerk expressed appreciation for the work of the committee reflecting that it is a large job.

Winter Envelope Gift Update

As previously reported in the Stewardship committee report, donations to the winter envelope gift fund totaled around $1000.00

This will be split between the Immigrant defense network and the Quaker Direct Action Group.

The meeting approved the distribution of the Winter Envelope Gift.

Holiday Fair Report

FNVW deeply appreciates Minneapolis Friends Meeting for hosting the Holiday Fair and welcoming it back into the Meetinghouse.

They greatly recognize and appreciate the planning team and volunteers who made the Fair possible. Attendance, energy, and participation were strong during the Fair during some hours, but weak during others.

FNVW also notes that while the Fair was successful, they have heard concerns that cleanup and takedown placed a heavier burden on some MFM members than was intended.

They take this feedback seriously and are committed to better coordination, communication, and shared responsibility in future planning, especially with setup, takedown, and cleanup.

FNVW Holiday Fair Committee is having a debrief meeting to reflect together, to name what worked well, and to improve where needed, especially around end-of-day organization and cleanup.

FNVW’s profits were a little over $8,000. The average amount is $11,000. Volunteers were disappointed in the funds raised but hope that with FNVW more settled in its mission next year, people will return to the Holiday Fair to shop, eat, and connect with their community.

FNVW may ask to come back next year. The meeting needs more certainty about how they plan to resolve the issues that came up this year. And some wondered about the future of the organization. A meeting member will attend the reflection committee and will come back with more information. Correspondence and Announcements

From Friends Church Magemo Quarterly Meeting

The clerk received a letter from Friends Church Magemo Quarterly Meeting, under the East Africa Yearly Meeting of North Quakers, Kenya East Africa meeting of Quakers – in Kenya. The Friends Church Magemo Quarterly Meeting wants to establish a friendship relationship with Minneapolis Friends Meeting. The clerk read the letter outloud.

Clerk has responded. He shared information about the International Friends Church in Brooklyn Park.

Support from Friends and others in light of current events

A member did get correspondence via a Facebook message from the Clerk of Langley Hill Friends Meeting, offering help to our meeting given the current events.

A Friend mentioned the support from the Experiment with Light group around the world. They are holding our meeting and the city in the light. Another Friend reported on the same sentiments from the Sisters of St. Joseph’s in St. Louis, Missouri.