State of Society Report
Minneapolis Friends Meeting
April 2025
As Friends, we are grateful for the opportunity to reflect on the life of our Meeting. This year, we have chosen to structure our report around key queries that illuminate both our challenges and our blessings. We hope this approach captures the spirit of our journey together.
- What in our Meeting has moved our hearts?
Many in Meeting have experienced a mix of grief and gratitude. We feel sorrow over the state of our country and the world, particularly the suffering in Palestine, the loss of freedoms, and the daily struggles we witness. Yet, alongside this grief, we find strength in the support we offer one another, in the sanctuary our Meeting provides, and in the kindness that we share both formally and informally.
We are especially grateful for Friends who dedicate themselves to the life of the Meeting through committee work. Their contributions not only sustain our community but also deepen their own understanding of Quaker faith and practice and strengthen our bonds with one another.
The love we have for our meeting community is also reflected in the outpouring of support for our budget. We began the year with a budget that was 150% greater than contributions the previous year. Through savings and increased contributions, we were able to cover all of our expenses including donations to Friends’ and other organizations.
Newcomers continue to join our Meeting, and we have cultivated a sense of safety and belonging that encourages heartfelt sharing. The availability of hybrid worship has been a particular gift, allowing those who cannot attend in person to remain active members of our spiritual community. A unique fellowship has formed among those who regularly join via Zoom, creating new layers of connection within the Meeting.
We also rejoice in the completion of our solar panel project, a long-held vision that aligns with our values and commitment to sustainability. Friends have expressed deep gratitude for the efforts that made this dream a reality.
- How have we experienced the Spirit at work in our Meeting this past year?
The Spirit moves among us in many ways. Some Friends find spiritual nourishment in small group gatherings such as Experiment with Light, Mid-Week Worship, Lectio Divina, and Sharing the Spirit in the Morning, which foster deeper connections beyond meeting for worship.
Our relationship with Mayim Rabim, the Reconstructionist Jewish congregation that rents our building, has grown in meaningful ways. The creation of a Joyful Aging group between our communities demonstrates that our connection extends beyond shared space into shared spiritual and social engagement.
Both our unprogrammed and semi-programmed meetings for worship have often been deep and gathered, though we acknowledge the ongoing challenge of helping newcomers understand Quaker worship and faith. In response, the Ministry and Counsel Committee has initiated programs on Quaker Worship, Quaker Faith, and Quaker Practice to support this learning. We are also encouraged by the continued growth of our First Day School, as new families bring renewed joy and energy to our Meeting.
- How does our community bear witness to Friends’ testimonies in the wider world?
Many among us carry the spirit of Quakerism into our daily lives and work. Friends are involved in deeply meaningful efforts—providing therapy to those in need, opening their homes to asylum seekers, and engaging in community volunteer work. Within our Meeting, the Care and Counsel Committee continues to offer pastoral care, ensuring that members and attenders receive spiritual and emotional support.
Friends have also been active in social justice, working with the Minnesota Attorney General’s office to ensure that individuals can access courthouses without fear of encountering ICE. Others have dedicated themselves to racial equity and climate justice, supporting one another in discernment and action. While we acknowledge that there is always more to do, we reaffirm our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our doors and our hearts remain open to all.
- What concerns or hopes do we have for the future of our Meeting?
As we look ahead, we hope to continue learning how to move beyond ingrained cultural norms and open ourselves to the richness of diverse perspectives and experiences. We also recognize the importance of allowing ourselves to receive kindness as well as extend it.
A Friend observed that fear seems to be diminishing in our community, and we hope to deepen our spiritual lives despite the uncertainties of the world around us. We seek to root ourselves in that Spirit of Love and Truth which is enduring and sustaining.
Our committee structure remains vital to the health of our Meeting, yet we also see the challenge posed by various interest groups that exist outside of this framework. While these groups serve important purposes, we recognize the need to maintain a sense of cohesiveness and shared responsibility within the Meeting.
Growing our First Day School and attracting more families remains a priority, and while we have had some success, we know there is more work to do.
A significant transition lies ahead with the retirement of our Meeting Coordinator. She has brought warmth and grace to her work, and we hope that her successor will bring their own unique gifts to this role. Our Meeting has been deeply blessed by her ministry.
As an aging Meeting, we are also mindful of the need to welcome younger people into Quakerism. Looking forward, we aspire to cultivate and lift up diverse leadership especially among the younger attenders within our community. We recognize that we can sometimes become set in our ways, and we must be willing to stretch, adapt, and embrace flexibility to remain a vibrant, welcoming, and spiritually nourishing Meeting for all.
Above all, we hold one another and all of life in the Light and in gratitude. We pray that we may remain grounded in the eternal, choosing to follow God’s guidance in all that we do.