Description of Minneapolis Friends Meeting
(MFM) Committees and Positions
Adult Program Committee
Plans program for time between meetings for worship, 10:15 to 11:00 Sundays, taking into consideration needs of the meeting for Quaker-related education and community well-being and growth. Meets every other month.
Auditor
Performs occasional audits of MFM’s financial books, and makes recommendations for improving financial processes and record keeping.
Camp Committee
Plans and develops structure to run annual MFM Fall Camp. Meets once or twice before camp and once afterward. Intense, concentrated planning for a short time.
Child Welfare Committee
Suggests child protection policy to MFM and, together with Religious Education Committee, administers policy. Conducts interviews throughout the year of people who wish to work with children, monitors policy through occasional observations, educates MFM regarding issues concerning child abuse and protection. Meets on an “as needed” basis, usually no more than four times a year.
Liaison and Review Committee
Serves as liaison between MFM and Director of Ministry, conducts annual performance review of Director of Ministry, reports annually to monthly meeting and makes salary recommendations to Stewardship Committee. Oversight of general personnel. The Presiding Clerk and the clerk of Ministry and Counsel are ex officio members. Four or five meetings per year.
Librarians
Maintain MFM library collection, select and catalog new materials, reshelve returned materials, promote the library with displays and other methods.
Loaves and Fishes Coordinators
MFM and other local meetings buy, prepare, serve and clean-up a free dinner on fifth Mondays. Coordinators serve as liaison with the L&F program and other meetings, educate the Meeting and recruit meeting volunteers, manage the program and report for the program to monthly meeting.
Meeting Gardeners
Care for the garden plantings on the Meetinghouse grounds.
Metro Friends Liaisons
Coordinate MFM’s participation in joint activities with other Quaker meetings in the Twin Cities area.
Ministry and Counsel Committee
Oversees and cares for the worship, spiritual and community life and care of membership of the meeting. Supports and guides ministry/ministers, pastoral care and attends to requests for membership. Meets monthly on the first Thursday, 7 to 9 p.m. Membership in MFM is required. The Presiding Clerk and Director of Ministry are ex officio members.
Death and Memorial Committee
(Subcommittee of Ministry and Counsel)
Assists at the time of a death in the meeting by offering care and help, and by co-planning (with those closest) the service and reception. Encourages Meeting members to think and plan ahead, making decisions in advance as they are ready. Offers educational programs related to death, bereavement and ministry. Meets four or five times a year.Marriage Preparation Committee
(Subcommittee of Ministry and Counsel)
Guides process related to requests for marriage under the care of the meeting; sets up and prepares clearness and wedding arrangements committees. Meets four or five times in a year when there’s a marriage.Semi-Programmed Worship Planning Committee
(Subcommittee of Ministry and Counsel)
Plans for the speakers, musicians and closers of semi-programmed meeting, exercising discernment as to the Meeting’s spiritual and worship needs and as to gifts of members. Provides speakers and closers with information and guidelines. Meets six times per year.
Nominating Committee
Prepares a slate of nominations for leadership roles and committee membership, to be presented to Monthly Meeting in February and March. Exercises discernment in considering the Meeting’s needs and leadings coupled with the gifts, knowledge, experience and leadings of individuals. Can recommend adjustments to committee structures. Meets several times, December-March. Members of this committee make phone calls to members and attenders during these few months only.
Northern Yearly Meeting Representative
(Leadership position)
Liaison with Northern Yearly Meeting executive committee; responsible for communication between NYM and MFM.
Nursery Committee
Oversees operation of the nursery. Supervises nursery staff, including conducting an annual performance review and making salary recommendations to the Stewardship Committee. Attends to physical environment of the nursery and other nursery matters. Recruits and oversees volunteer staff according to child protection guidelines. Meets once per year to divide task of filling one volunteer opening for each semi-programmed and unprogrammed meeting for worship throughout the year. Each committee member phones volunteers to fill two months (16) positions per year.
Peace and Social Concerns Coordinating Committee
The mission of Peace and Social Concerns Coordinating Committee is to coordinate activities that will focus on five items:
- Proposing White Envelope Gift recipients
- Serving as clearing house for peace and social concerns requests that come to the Meeting
- Allowing for and supporting and offering (if asked) clearness to groups and individuals who take on peace and social concerns action in the Meeting
- Proposing the annual contributions budget allocations to the stewardship committee
- Helping the Meeting select one to three peace and social concerns focus topics for each year and to support a Meeting group to create a Meeting-wide event or activity or action for each of the chosen topics
Property Committee
Oversees and cares for the physical Meetinghouse and grounds. Oversight of paid and volunteer work including annual review of and salary recommendation for custodian, making recommendations to the Stewardship Committee. Makes recommendations to Trustees for contracted work.
Religious Education Coordinating Committee
Develops and runs MFM First Day religious education program for children and youth. Overall planning, including teacher selection, training and recognition; consideration of structure and program, and occasional social activities, done through full committee. Age group class planning done primarily with clusters of age group teachers, led by appointed coordinators (who serve on the Religious Education Committee).
Shepherd Scholarship Committee
Administers scholarship fund with grants to members and children of members, of five years standing, for post-secondary education. The scholarship fund, a gift of Roland and Zephyra Shepherd, is a trust (separate legal entity) established by the Meeting.
Social Committee
Plans and runs social events for Meeting such as special birthday parties (75, 80, 85…), new member welcomes and going-away parties. Committee members divide the set-up task for monthly First Sunday potluck lunches and recruit and manage clean-up crews from potluck attenders. Meets once per year plus once for kitchen cleaning.
Stewardship and Finance Committee
Oversees financial health and record-keeping of the Meeting. Gathers facts, information and requests to prepare annual budget. Prepares annual budget for presentation at the February and March business meetings. Monitors contributions and spending, manages receiving and disbursing funds, and makes financial recommendations as needed to business meeting. Offers education on stewardship.
Volunteer Coordinators
Organize one-time or short term projects that can be done by volunteers, such as upkeep of the Meetinghouse.
Web Servant
Manages routine updates and maintenance of MFM’s web site.
Youth Coordinator
Coordinates youth activities for junior and senior high students outside of Sunday morning class programs.
Presiding Clerk
(Leadership position)
Oversees monthly (and any special called) Meetings for Business, sets agenda; presides, including articulating discernment of the sense of the meeting. Receives and responds to correspondence directed to Minneapolis Monthly Meeting. Has an eye to the big picture and general welfare of the meeting. Serves ex-officio on Ministry and Counsel, Liaison and Review and Shepherd Scholarship Committees. Membership in MFM is requisite.
Assistant Presiding Clerk
(Leadership position)
When one is appointed, presides at meetings for business when the Clerk is unavailable, and could serve generally a period of time if the Clerk was unable. Membership in MFM is requisite.
Recording Clerk
(Leadership position)
Takes minutes at meetings for business.
Assistant Recording Clerk
(Leadership position)
When one is appointed, takes minutes at meetings for business when the Recording Clerk is unavailable.
Trustees
(Leadership position)
Recognized by law as having legal authority to act on behalf of the Meeting. Assess long-term financial needs of the meeting, mostly to do with the building. Manages the Trustee Fund which includes set-aside funds for long-term needs and member travel. Manages bequests; reviews issues with legal consequences for the meeting; and serves as official liaison with Mayim Rabim Congregation. Membership in MFM is requisite.
Note: Terms of service on committees and leadership positions are generally three years, starting in April.
All members and attenders are encouraged to make your willingness to serve on a committee known to a member of the Nominating Committee.
Please see front pages of member directory for “Structure of Service and Ministry” with list of folks currently serving on each committee. The year indicates the end of a term.