Missoula Friends Meeting Quakers

10/05/2022

Missoula Friends Meeting October Events:

Oct 9. - 11:00 Meeting for Worship - In Person Only
Oct 16 - 9:30 Western Friend Discussion Group - Hybrid
11:00 Meeting for Worship - Hybrid
Oct 23 - 11:00 Meeting for Worship - In Person Only
Oct 30. - 11:00 Meeting for Worship - In Person Only
Nov 6. - 10:00 Meeting for Worship - Hybrid
10:30 Meeting for Worship with a Concern for Business -Hybrid

* For the Zoom link for online worship, please contact [email protected].

09/06/2022

Missoula Friends Meeting September 2022 Events

Sept 4..........10:00. Meeting for Worship-Hybrid
Sept 11........10:00 Meeting for Worship-Simultaneous
10:30 Meeting with a Concern for Business-Hybrid
Sept 18..........9:30 Quaker History-Hybrid
11:00 Meeting for Worship-Hybrid
Sept 25........11:00. Meeting for Worship-Simultaneous

* For the Zoom link for online worship, please contact [email protected].

03/13/2022

Missoula Friends Meeting Spring Schedule
> Sundays, in-person and online worship (simultaneous), 11 AM - noon.
> Wednesdays, online-only, 7:30-8 PM
> Meeting for Worship with a Concern for Business, hybrid (in-person and online together), the first Sunday of each month, 10 - 10:30 AM gathered worship, 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM worship with a concern for business
> For the Zoom link for online worship, please contact [email protected].

10/09/2020

Montana and Missoula in particular have experienced a rapid and troubling rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in recent weeks. In light of this development and the unpredictability of fall weather the Missoula Friends found clarity to move all Meetings for Worship online pending developments that reestablish safe conditions for in-person Meetings. However, once Friends are able to ensure appropriate disinfecting supplies are available in the Meeting House, Friends who feel led to join online worship from the Meeting House using their own electronic devices are welcome to do so following these precautions:
- up to a maximum of 10 people
- exercising unusually high caution to eliminate airborne contaminant exposures
- no entry into the building while experiencing any sort of respiratory illness
- ensuring consistent physical distancing
- and wearing masks at all times.

If you would like to receive the weekly email update for Missoula Friends, or need the Zoom link to access Sunday Meeting for Worship, please send a message to the Clerk at [email protected].

As previously discerned by Missoula Friends, mid-week, online Meeting for Worship will resume Wednesday, October 28, 2020.

09/20/2020

Memorial for Richard Dunn in the Manner of Friends
We profoundly miss our sincere, inspiring, loving and lovable, erudite, and joyful brother, Richard Dunn. Members of the Dunn family & Missoula Friends will gather Saturday, September 26, 2 pm for a tree planting and remembrance of Richard in the manner of Friends. After planting Richard's tree (in a pre-dug spot), all gathered are invited to share stories, reflections, readings, or however else each feels led to remember Richard.

09/20/2020

Missoula Friends will resume in-person Meeting for Worship at 11:00 am Sunday, September 20, outside, at the Meeting House. Friends are asked to wear masks and remain conscious of physical distancing between family/household pods. If the weather is uncooperative, Friends will move inside. Following State of Montana mandates, Friends must wear masks at all times within the enclosed space of the Meeting House.

Mid-week, online Meeting for Worship will resume Wednesday, October 21, 2020.

06/20/2020

Sunday, June 21, is the start of our summer 10:00 am Meeting schedule. We plan to meet in person in the Meeting House yard, weather permitting, at 1861 S. 12th St W in Missoula. We will physically distance our chairs and wear masks to keep Friends, particularly those more at-risk, safer.
There will be no Zoom meeting so we will miss Friends unable to join us in person. The Missoula Friends Meeting continues to season how we could use Zoom at least periodically to include those unable to gather in-person or travel to Missoula.

04/27/2020

FCNL Missoula Advocacy Team Launch Workshop - Thursday, May 21 from 6:00-8:00 pm MT.
Pre-register: https://act.fcnl.org/event/advocacy-teams/1607/

The Friends Committee on National Legislation is sponsoring an Advocacy Team Launch Workshop for people in the Missoula area. The goal is to train and support a group in this region to conduct virtual lobbying visits with members of Congress and their staff, to publish in the media, and to organize more people in the community to do this advocacy together. FCNL can provide the resources and expertise to make you even more effective grassroots lobbyists for peace and justice, and you’ll be joining an incredible network of 125+ other advocacy teams in 42 states around the country. You do not need to be a Quaker to participate in this training or on the team.

This 2 hr. interactive advocacy workshop will train participants how to be more effective advocates for peace and justice, even while isolated at home. We will go in-depth on FCNL’s relationship-based style of lobbying, teach skills on storytelling, and best practices on effective communication wi...

04/25/2020

Friends,
Many Missoulians (including Missoula Friends) are experiencing tremendous challenges in these days - often in addition to chronic financial, social, housing, mental health, and relationship stresses. Missoulians have reached out to offer help through various means and through numerous formats (Facebook groups, online support groups, check-ins with vulnerable neighbors, etc.) It is also important to note the Missoula City and County governments launched a task force in late February in an effort to prepare before the outbreak overwhelmed local resources. That effort has encountered many challenges but has also experienced several breakthroughs by combining resources and offering incentives/unifying elements not available to grassroots efforts.

For those Friends who have not yet encountered these resources, three particular websites have proven very helpful as central sources for daily updated information, resources, and contacts for how best to help the myriad areas of need.

For information and resources related to schools, childcare, food security, housing, testing, employee assistance, ways to volunteer/donate, and much more we recommend Friends visit: http://covid19.missoula.co/

For the most up-to-date information specific to COVID-19 itself as well as updates on closures, orders, and guidelines (both state and local) we recommend Friends visit: http://missoula.co/cvirus

If Friends are looking for ways to get involved as volunteers (with descriptions of need, expected background experience, and level of urgency information) you may want to visit: http://www.volunteermissoula.org/need/

Additionally, the Missoula Interfaith Collaborative has stepped into an important role coordinating Missoula faith communities seeking to get involved through volunteers or use of spaces otherwise inactive because of physical distancing restrictions.

Your Ministry and Oversight Committee members deeply share the light of love and concern for all Friends who are already engaged and/or seeking resources to meet their needs. We encourage all Friends to explore these resources, both for your own concerns and to be prepared to share knowledgeable information with anyone close to you, someone you encounter for the first time, and all in between who might benefit from knowledge of these resources. We believe knowledge and sharing of how Missoulians are uniting and engaging to continue building community as well as address basic needs exemplifies our call to "answer that of God in everyone." We also encourage Friends to reach out to others (Missoula Friends and more broadly) whom you have not encountered recently. The light increases by an order of magnitude when it is shared.

Sincerely,
Ministry and Oversight Committee

04/25/2020

While the Missoula Friends Meeting House continues to remain closed, we continue to gather via Zoom for Worship Sharing at 9:30 am most Sundays, and Meetings for Worship on Sundays at 11 am and Wednesdays at 6 pm. On the first Sunday of the month, we gather via Zoom for Meeting for Worship at 10 am and Meeting for Business at 10:30 am. To get the Zoom log on or phone details, please send a message to [email protected].

“We are no longer in the net of blind fate, in the realm of impersonal force, we are in a love-system where the aspiration of one member heightens the entire group, and the need of one – even the least – draws upon the resources of the whole – even the Infinite. We are in actual Divine-human fellowship."
Rufus Jones, 1863-1948

03/18/2020

Dear Friends,
As your Co-Clerks and members of the Ministry and Oversight Committee, we have suspended all Meetings and other activities at the Missoula Friends Meeting House at least through April 15. This includes Meetings for Worship, Meeting for Business, and all committee meetings.
We have sought guidance from both public health officials and the Spirit to protect you and to protect others from further spreading COVID-19. Many among us are at higher risk of getting very sick from this illness, while others who may feel fine could unwittingly expose everyone. Missoula Mayor John Engen has asked all Missoulians to stay home unless there is no reasonable alternative.
As we all continue to learn more about how this virus can be spread through coughing, sneezing and even talking and exhaling, we will explore ways to virtually gather us and be back in touch once we have made plans.

As we all heed the advice of officials at all levels of government to stay home, we want to support one another and help Friends weather this uncertain time. Please let us know if you need help getting groceries, medicine or other supplies, or simply could use, or offer, the reassuring fellowship of another Friend by phone. Please reach out via our contact details in the Directory or via [email protected]. Please remember you can draw strength from staying active either inside your home or outdoors 6 to 10 feet from anyone else.

Your Co-Clerks and M&O Committee will continue to seek the guidance of public health officials, and the Spirit to determine how to move the Missoula Friends Meeting forward. In the meantime, we hold you in the Light. Be well. Stay well.
Yours in the Light,
Missoula Friends Meeting Co-Clerks
Jo Ann Kidder
Bev Young
Linda Tracy

Ministry & Oversight Committee
Judy Visscher
Chris Muste
Robin Whyatt
Linda Tracy