Dear Common Ground Community,

With the renewal of Spring, we want to share a few upcoming volunteer opportunities to prepare the center for another year of practice. There are so many ways to give and volunteering can be a beautiful offering to ourselves and the community:

Garden Work Day
Friday, April 29th 9:00am – 12:00pm
All levels of garden experience welcome! Follow up garden work days will be on the first Saturday of the month from 10:00am – 12:00pm.

Spring Maintenance Day!
Thursday, May 19th from 9:00am – 12:30pm
Join the city center Building Committee to participate in a day of maintenance, repairs and deep cleaning of the building.
Refreshments will be provided

Community Cleaning Hour
Join us in the weekly care of the building. Every Sunday from 6:00pm – 7:00pm.

Also, one of our most significant volunteer leaders, Arleta Little, Chair of the Board of Directors will be moderating a panel at Common Ground this Sunday April 24th with Ricardo Levins Morales, Shannon Gibney, Arleta M. Little, Mona Susan Power, and Sun Yung Shin to discuss their book, We Are Meant to Rise: Voices for Justice from Minneapolis to the World. Beginning at 2:30 p.m. Learn more about the event and speakers here. No registration needed.

peace,
Robin, Shelly and Mark

Weekly Programs

To view our entire list of programs and to access Zoom links to participate in online programs, please visit the online calendar. 

Weekly Practice Groups

• Sunday mornings, 10:30-11:45am on Zoom with Mark Nunberg (with an option to watch the livestream together in person in the meditation hall)
• Sunday evenings, 7:00-8:30pm in person with Mark Nunberg
• Wednesday evenings, 7:30-9:00pm on Zoom with Shelly Graf

Yoga & Qigong
We offer Yoga and Qigong several times a week, both in person and online. Click here for times and details.

• First Wednesday of the month: Community Group led by Matthew King and other practice leaders
• Third Wednesday of the month: Monthly Practice Group with Mark Nunberg and guest teachers

The Practice of Generosity

Continuing in the tradition of Buddhist monasteries in Southeast Asia, all programs at Common Ground are offered free of charge in the spirit of generosity. This offering is possible because of the generosity of people like you—from the Buddha on down to all the people in our community—who contribute their practice, time, and financial resources to support the continuation of the center.

To learn how to support the center and our teachers, visit this page. Let us know if you have any questions.

Current Volunteer Needs 

• Common Ground is seeking a qualified volunteer to advise the Finance Committee to make a series of longer-term investments that will help us offset the anticipated future added costs of inflation. Ideally the person would have qualifications and experience advising clients in making similar investment decisions. Email info@commongroundmeditation.org if you are interested.
• Looking for audio processing volunteers to help upload talks to Dharmaseed, let info@commongroundmeditation.org know if you have the skills to help.
• Weekly Sunday Evening Cleaning: Every Sunday evening there is a drop-in Community Cleaning time from 6-7pm, led by community leaders Brad Dupre and Dave Redelman. No RSVP needed.
• Bellringers (in-person): We’re looking for volunteers interested in ringing the bell for the morning sits on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, 7:00-8:30am. Email info@commongroundmeditation.org if interested.

Community News

 Garden Work Day!

We have some garden needs and positions to fill. If interested, please contact Kathleen at keschuler47@gmail.com .  

• Garden co-leader to work with Kathleen
• Adopt a garden- Quan Yin garden and two rain gardens still available. Adopting means weeding and watering outside of garden work days.
• Anyone with expertise in bush trimming

Meeting to Organize Programs for Families (Zoom Only)
Sunday, April 24th, 12:00pm – 1:00pm
See our calendar for the zoom link
We would like to organize parents or caregivers who are interested in attending, developing, volunteering in a children’s program or preteens program at Common Ground. We’d like to hear from the community about thoughts and hopes for programs, as well as inquire and request folks to lead or volunteer. Children are welcome. We also have compiled a short survey to gauge interest.  Please complete the survey here.

Spring Maintenance Day!
Thursday, May 19th from 9:00am – 12:30pm
Join the city center Building Committee to participate in a day of maintenance, repairs and deep cleaning of the building.
Refreshments will be provided

Upcoming Community Group Meetings

• Be Queer Now, weekly on Wednesday, 7:30-9:00pm
• Black, Indigenous, People of Color Community Group, Thursday April 21st, 6:30-8:00pm
• Refirement Community Group for Retirees, Thursday April 21st, 12:00-2:00pm
• Millenials Sangha, Friday April 29th, 7:00 – 8:30pm
• Mindfulness & Depression, Sunday, May 1st, 4:00-5:30pm
• Community Group for Organizers & Social Justice Activists, Thursday May 12th, 6:00-7:30pm
• Christianity-Buddhism Book Group, May 14th, 9:00 – 10:15am

View public calendar for Zoom links and more information.
To see the complete list of community groups, click here.

Teen Practice Group Back In Session!
For more info, click here.

Weekly Tejaniya

When you observe your mind
you will be surprised, amazed and
possibly even shocked to discover
fixed ideas, wants, fears, hopes and
expectations which you have
not been aware of.

Thanks to The Daily Tejaniya for this quote