Our Calendar
Featured Events
Young/Mid Adults, Families, and Youth Gathering ~ Join us for a fun and welcoming gathering at First Friends, Richmond from Saturday, April 26 to the morning of April 27! This free event is a chance for young and mid adults, families, and youth to build community, enjoy good food, play games, have meaningful discussions, and simply spend time together. Those who wish can participate in a teen lock-in at the meetinghouse, and hospitality options are available in Richmond for others needing accommodations. Children are welcome, and you’re invited to stay for the whole event or just drop in for a bit. We hope to see you there! To see more details, schedule, or to register, click here. Questions, contact toms@westernyearlymeeting.org.
April Monthly Meeting Rescheduled ~ Due to Easter falling on the third Sunday of April, our Monthly Meeting for Business will be held on Sunday, April 27, instead of the usual third Sunday. Please mark your calendars, and we hope to see you there!
Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading would love for you to join us as we discuss Dinners with Ruth: A Memoir on the Power of Friendship by Nina Totenberg (320 pages)
Celebrated NPR correspondent Nina Totenberg delivers an extraordinary memoir of her personal successes, struggles, and life-affirming relationships, including her beautiful friendship of nearly fifty years with Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.Four years before Nina Totenberg was hired at NPR, where she cemented her legacy as a prizewinning reporter, and nearly twenty-two years before Ruth Bader Ginsburg was appointed to the Supreme Court, Nina called Ruth. A reporter for The National Observer, Nina was curious about Ruth’s legal brief, asking the Supreme Court to do something declare a law that discriminated “on the basis of sex” to be unconstitutional. In a time when women were fired for becoming pregnant, often could not apply for credit cards or get a mortgage in their own names, Ruth patiently explained her argument. That call launched a remarkable, nearly fifty-year friendship. Dinners with Ruth is an extraordinary account of two women who paved the way for future generations by tearing down professional and legal barriers. It is also an intimate memoir of the power of friendships as women began to pry open career doors and transform the workplace. At the story’s heart is one, special Ruth and Nina saw each other not only through personal joys, but also illness, loss, and widowhood. During the devastating illness and eventual death of Nina’s first husband, Ruth drew her out of grief; twelve years later, Nina would reciprocate when Ruth’s beloved husband died. They shared not only a love of opera, but also of shopping, as they instinctively understood that clothes were armor for women who wanted to be taken seriously in a workplace dominated by men. During Ruth’s last year, they shared so many small dinners that Saturdays were “reserved for Ruth” in Nina’s house. Dinners with Ruth also weaves together compelling, personal portraits of other fascinating women and men from Nina’s life, including her cherished NPR colleagues Cokie Roberts and Linda Wertheimer; her beloved husbands; her friendships with multiple Supreme Court Justices, including Lewis Powell, William Brennan, and Antonin Scalia, and Nina’s own family—her father, the legendary violinist Roman Totenberg, and her “best friends,” her sisters. Inspiring and revelatory, Dinners with Ruth is a moving story of the joy and true meaning of friendship.
We will gather in the parlor and simultaneously via Zoom starting at 7 pm EST, April 29th led by Jeannie Z.
Seasoned Friends Gathering: Lunch, Film, and Discussion with Filmmaker ~ Seasoned Friends will gather in the parlor on Thursday, May 1, at 11:30am for lunch and a special screening of Worm Land, a short documentary by our own Will Wertz. Farmer Keith Miller champions sustainable agriculture, no-till practices and advocates for nightcrawlers - not the little wigglers. As he faces retirement, he reflects on a lifetime dedicated to the land. This short documentary was funded by Indiana Humanities as part of the Unearthed initiative. Will is an award-winning independent filmmaker exploring stories around often-overlooked people with curiosity and an open heart. After the screening, Will Wertz will join us for a discussion. Anyone who considers themselves a seasoned friend is welcome! RSVPs to the office are appreciated at office@indyfriends.org or 317-255-2485.
2025 Linda Lee Spirituality Retreat: REGISTRATION NOW OPEN! ~ Mark your calendars for our fourth annual Linda Lee Spirituality Retreat! It will be held Saturday, May 3 from 10am-4pm at the Seton Cove Retreat Center, 2025 Dugan Dr, Indianapolis, IN 46260. This year’s theme is Lessons for Today from the Female Catholic Mystics. You can now register online! The registration cost is $35. Scholarships available—contact Beth at beth.henricks@indyfriends.org to ask about scholarships.
Our facilitator this year will be Rachel Doll O’Mahoney. Rachel is a Quaker and Catholic minister with a Master’s in Theological Studies. Her ministry began in prison chaplaincy and expanded to interfaith, formation, and LGBTQ ministry in Jesuit Higher Education. She pastors Valley Mills Friends Meeting and offers spiritual direction. She has authored prayer services featured in various publications and hosted the Bringing Forth podcast on parenting and spirituality from an inclusive perspective. We hope you will join us!
Quaker Voluntary Service Guest on May 4 ~ We’re delighted to share that Ruth Cutcher from Quaker Voluntary Service (QVS) will be joining us for Meeting for Worship on Sunday, May 4. Ruth will offer a few brief words during worship and will be available during Fellowship Hour afterward to answer any questions about QVS and their work.
QVS is a year-long fellowship program for young adults, rooted in the Quaker faith tradition, that combines service, community living, and spiritual formation. It’s a powerful way for young people to explore vocation and deepen their connection to social justice and Quaker values. We hope you’ll be there!
You’re Invited! Join us for a free screening of Food, Insecure: A Documentary That Hits Home, followed by a discussion on hunger in Indiana and solutions.
Tuesday, May 6, 2025, 10 am to noon, North Meridian Center 438, 50 W Fallcreek Pkwy N Dr, Indianapolis, IN 46208. Directions: Enter through the doors on the north side of the building, Take Elevator to the 4th floor, and follow signs to NMC 438.
Food, Insecure is more than just a film. It's a call to action. Join us to better understand hunger and food insecurity, discover real solutions, and work together to create a more equitable and food-secure Indiana. Professor Carrie Sample's Service Learning English 111 co-hort will facilitate the conversation with panelists from Ivy Tech Community College as well as Indy Hunger Network, Indianapolis Office of Public Health & Safety, Mid-North Food Pantry, and Second Helpings.
10 am - 10:30 am: Welcome & Snacks
10:30 to 11 am: Film Viewing
11 am - noon: Panel Discussion and Q&A
Walking tours of the campus' Teach2Grow Garden will be available after the Q&A for anyone who is interested.
Did you know? 950,000+ people in Indiana struggle every day with hunger, and most of these families are working families. Learn why, hear from several families facing this reality, and discuss what work we can do to truly find sustainable solutions. Your presence at the showing and experience is greatly needed. Please join!
Jazz With Friends: Save the date, Sunday, May 18, for “Jazz With Friends” in the First Friends meetingroom. This benefit concert features the artistry of our music director, Eric Baker, and other talented jazz musicians. Tickets are $15 each, with proceeds supporting our Meeting and ministries. Read more and reserve your tickets at indyfriends.org/jazz.
Soul Sisters ~ The Soul Sisters women’s group will be meeting Sunday, June 1st after Meeting for Worship for lunch and fellowship. This is an opportunity for the women of our meeting to find connection and reflection and support we find among one another. Any and all women are invited. Lunch will be provided for everyone who attends. For planning purposes, RSVPs appreciated to the office at office@indyfriends.org. We look forward to seeing you there!
Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading meets on the last Tuesday of the month in the Parlor. If you’d like to be on the monthly email list, contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.
January 28 ~ Night Watch by Jayne Anne Phillips
February 25 ~ The Measure by Nikki Erlick
March 25 ~ Better Living Through Birding by Christian Cooper
April 29 ~ Dinners with Ruth by Nina Totenberg
May 27 ~ Maus a Survivor's Tale by Art Spiegelman
June 24 ~ James by Percival Everett
July 29 ~ Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
August 26 ~ Democracy Awakening by Heather Cox Richardson
September 30 ~ The Women by Kristin Hannah
October 28 ~ A Fever in the Heartland by Timothy Egan
November 25 ~ Shakespeare by Dame Judi Dench
December 30 ~ The Delgado Connection by Gary J. Rhyne