Nursery
The meeting nursery welcomes young children, up to five years old, on Sunday mornings. Small ones may stay with parents in worship (don’t worry about any squawks or babbles!) or they may be taken to the nursery on the southwest side of the lower level. Baby care and unstructured play are the norm. Children are cared for by a Nursery Committee member plus a helper. The Nursery Committee members go through a child protection process.
First Day School for Children
The meeting provides religious education for children, five through middle school. Age groupings and classrooms vary from year to year, depending on enrollment. As we continue to build a post-Covid program, all children are currently meeting together with the First Day School Coordinator, on staff, and a volunteer teacher. Children sit with their parents in the
meetingroom for the beginning of worship, then go downstairs with the First Day School Coordinator, usually after five minutes or after the first hymn. During the school year, First Day School coincides with semi-programmed worship at 11:15.
Minneapolis Meeting aspires to be a place where children feel safe, valued, affirmed, and respected as spiritual beings with a Divine spark. In First Day school, there will be conversations about Quaker history and witness, Bible stories, and the children’s experiences of the Divine pull toward goodness.
Parents will be asked to fill out a registration form with some family contact information as well as some information about their child’s allergies, interests, likes and dislikes. Those who teach First Day School go through a child protection process.
Youth Program
Currently, older youth often choose to stay in worship, sometimes ministering as a microphone carrier or in other roles. Middle school and high school youth are encouraged to participate in quarterly, wider Quaker retreats through Northern Yearly Meeting.
Service Projects
Youth and adults pack meals for Feed My Starving Children
Youth, adults, and families from the meeting work together on service projects like Feed My Starving Children, the Friends for a NonViolent World Holiday Sale, and having bake sales to raise money for other initiatives.