Community
Multnomah Friends is a very active Meeting, with events throughout the week and many ways to get involved. Below are some current events and news about the life of the Meeting. We also publish a weekly bulletin highlighting upcoming programs and announcements, and a monthly newsletter with articles of interest to our community. Sign up with your email address below.
Within our community, we are guided by our testimonies, especially Simplicity, Integrity, and Equality with the goal of being a welcoming space for everyone seeking a spiritual home with us.
Events
March 20-23, 2025
Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC) Section of the Americas (SOA) Annual Meeting is occurring March 20-23rd, 2025. There will be a Pre-Gathering for Young Adult Friends (YAFs) ages 18-35 from 3/17-3/20. Both events will align with the Section Meeting's theme of 'Building the Future as Way Opens' and intends to facilitate connections between friends across North and Latin America.
All Quakers in the Americas are invited to attend, and you are humbly asked to share this information with your respective communities.
Click HERE for the registration form for BOTH events (both are using the same registration form). If folks will be coordinating financial support for this event, then they may select the cash/check payment option. Please fill out the form as soon as possible so logistics can be arranged for the event. Questions: https://fwccamericas.regfox.com/fwcc-americas-section-meeting; email: hearthkeeper@multnomahfriends.org.
All Quakers in the Americas are invited to attend, and you are humbly asked to share this information with your respective communities.
Click HERE for the registration form for BOTH events (both are using the same registration form). If folks will be coordinating financial support for this event, then they may select the cash/check payment option. Please fill out the form as soon as possible so logistics can be arranged for the event. Questions: https://fwccamericas.regfox.com/fwcc-americas-section-meeting; email: hearthkeeper@multnomahfriends.org.
Tuesday, January 14th, 12 noon in-person only at Meetinghouse, Room 12
Tuesday, January 21st at 7pm on Zoom only
Tuesday, January 21st at 7pm on Zoom only
Friendly Readers is an open, drop-in book group, discussing books from a Quaker perspective and getting to know each other more deeply. Everyone is invited. You do not have to commit to regular attendance, or to have read the book. Our discussions are about the topics raised. We discuss one book each month over two meetings, which focus on different issues, so come to either or both. Every second Tuesday (January 14th) we meet at 12:00 noon-2:00pm at the Meetinghouse in room 12. Every third Tuesday (January 21st) we meet from 7:00-8:30pm on Zoom only.
For January we are discussing the book, North Woods by Daniel Mason. “Escape from the news and begin the New Year with a fun novel filled with humor in this time-spanning, genre-blurring work of storytelling.” More information about our group, this book, and upcoming books is on pages 5 and 7 of the January MFM newsletter.
Our February book, Solito by Javier Zamora is a Multnomah County Everybody Reads selection with the Multnomah County Library sponsoring many free immigration related events in January and February.
Our April book, The Seed Keeper by Diane Wilson is the Beaverton Library’s One Book, One Beaverton selection, and they have many free Native American and seed keeping related events also in January and February.
For more information about Friendly Readers, contact friendlyreaders@multnomahfriends.org.
Sunday, January 12, 12:30pm, Room 23 and Zoom
The MFM Quaker Palestine Israel Network (QPIN) will meet in Room 23 at 12:30 pm this Sunday. Everyone is welcome to attend even if you don't agree with our support of Palestinian rights or if you are simply curious about learning more. Let's talk. Stay for the potluck and then come upstairs.
Sunday, January 26, Noon, Meeting Room & Zoom
Join Peace & Justice Committee on the fourth Sunday of the month for our monthly meeting. Please email agenda requests to peace-justice.clerk@multnomahfriends.org. If you need childcare to attend, you will be reimbursed for the expense.
Coming in February and March: “Quaker Basics,” a series of eight worship discussion gatherings based on the book “Quakerism, the Basics” by Multnomah Meeting members Marge and Carl Abbott. The first of the eight sessions will be after social hour on Sunday, February 2, and will be open to all. At that time we will sign up the 8-10 people who will be in the remaining seven gatherings, led by selected Friends deeply knowledgeable about Quaker history and practice. Each participant will receive a copy of “Quakerism, the Basics” and a copy of “Faith and Practice”. The meeting sessions won’t feature lectures, but rather discussions among the group about the reading; and the presenters will supplement the material from their personal experience as Quakers and respond to participants’ questions. For additional details, please email adultreligioused.clerk@multnomahfriends.org.
Monthly, Second Sundays, 11:15am, Social Hall
Monthly second-Sunday potlucks will resume in the Social Hall after 10am worship beginning January 12, 2025. Please bring a dish to share. Thank you in advance.
News
The Peace & Justice Committee of the Meeting has found unity on its support for a bill to be introduced in the 2025 Oregon legislative session 1) directing the state Treasurer to report on the environment, social, and governance impact of investments made by the state and 2) prohibiting the Oregon Investment Council from investing in any entity found to have violated international law. A copy of the bill is linked here.
The Committee will be recommending at the January Meeting for Business that the Meeting as a whole support the bill. If you have any questions about the bill, please contact the clerks of the Peace & Justice Committee at peace-justice.clerk@multnomahfriends.org.
The Lunch Program welcomes volunteers 12:30-2:30pm Tuesdays-Saturdays: servers, dishwashers, setup, cleanup, hosts, and someone to be present in the smoking area to keep eyes on the situation. For information about volunteering, contact hearthkeeper@multnomahfriends.org. Feel free to stop by for a “look-see” during lunch hours.
Volunteer committee members are needed to serve on the following Multnomah Friends Meeting committees as soon as possible: Peace & Justice, Care & Counsel, Nominating, Nursery, and Children’s Program. If you’re interested or know someone who might be, please contact the Nominating Committee: nominating@multnomahfriends.org.
Now that winter is here, there is an even greater need for warm clothes (especially pants size 30-32), belts, bedding, unlocked used phones, and USB chargers and cords. Larger donations may be left in the basement or given to anyone involved with the lunch program.
Due to anticipated low attendance (and to give our teachers a break, too!), there will be no First Day School on Sunday, 12/29. Also, as previously announced, there will be no Parents Night Out event in December. We'll resume Parents Night Out activities in late January. Questions? Please contact childrensprogram@multnomahfriends.org.
Masking in the Meetinghouse and during Meeting for Worship is now optional rather than required—this was decided in business meeting this month. The following message is included in this decision’s minute: “Multnomah Friends, after patient and persistent compliance with our masking requirement during worship, are lovingly released from it. We remain tenderly sensitive to those in our community with compromised immunity related to endemic illness. This will be communicated in our publications for a sufficient amount of time.” Masks will continue to be available in the Meetinghouse this season, and our air filtration system will be used consistently during meeting times. Questions: clerk@multnomahfriends.org.