Bethesda Friends Meeting


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Bethesda Friends worship together on Sundays at 11:00 a.m. via two venues 

  1. Indoors in the Meetinghouse at the Sidwell Friends Lower School, 
  2. Online via Zoom.  Please click here for the weekly schedule and to ask for the Zoom link. 


Welcome to Bethesda Friends Meeting

We're Quakers who meet every Sunday at 11:00 a.m.
Our meetinghouse is on the Sidwell Friends Lower School campus.
We are worshiping in person and also via Zoom.  

We strive for:

SIMPLICITY - Learning to discern the essential from the non-essential.

PEACE - Living in a spirit that takes away the occasion for all war.

INTEGRITY - Being who we truly are and truly meaning what we say.

COMMUNITY - Knowing that we need one another in order to be whole.

EQUALITY - Knowing that everyone, everywhere is equally precious to God. This includes people of all ages, abilities, sexual orientation, races, ethnicities, levels of resources, and theological perspectives.

STEWARDSHIP - Caring for the environment and using time and resources wisely, not wastefully.

We are a welcoming community. 

We believe there is that of the Divine 

in every person.

BFM's Social Concern for April is for

 Ramallah Friends School  


The Social Concerns Box for May is for scholarships to the Ramallah Friends School in the Palestinian West Bank. We'll be taking special donations on April 6 at our Potluck Plus luncheon, as well as during the rest of April.  This support is an opportunity for us to help build peace in the Middle East via this Quaker school that has been in existence since 1869 (more than 150 years). For more details, please go to this webpage. 
 
BYM Summer Camp Enrollment

Enrollment is open for Baltimore Yearly Meeting's popular camping programs (Catoctin, Opequon, Shiloh, and Teen Adventure).

The camps are residential, children ages 9 to 14, with a trip-based program for 15- to 17-year-olds. Anyone may apply. Register at www.bymcamps.org. For questions, email info@bymcamps.org.       

 Why consider a sleep-away Quaker camp for your children?

  • At camp, children experience the Inner Light in a natural setting, outdoor silent worship, and community with their peers and well-trained, talented counselors.
  • Campers unplug from electronics and social media to gain confidence that comes by learning practical life skills. 
  • And they make lasting friendships with children from other parts of the area or country! 
  • Quaker camps are open to children whether they come to BFM or not, so invite your friends.

For more  details, please go to this link. 
LET OUR LIGHT SHINE ON RAMALLAH FRIENDS SCHOOL 

During April we ask that folks make heart-felt donations to contribute to the Ramallah Campaign -- in Light and Love and Spirit. 

  • Please go to this webpage for info about how you can help us support Ramallah Friends School, which has been a beacon of Light for more than 155 years in a troubled location.


Camp Opequon
Special Campaign Fund 

Camp Opequon, one of four Quaker camps managed by Baltimore Yearly Meeting, relocated last year to a new site within Rolling Ridge Conservancy, a property with historic Quaker ties. The new site, a former camp with a lodge and other buildings, requires repairs and improvements.

  • Bethesda Friends Meeting has donated/pledged $20,000 to the Camp Opequon Special Campaign.
  • For those who would like to make additional much needed donations, we have set up a special fund so that individuals can make contributions to BFM earmarked for the Special Campaign.
  • To donate, please go to our online donation page and clearly designate that your contribution is for the Camp Opequon Fund.
  • Or you may send a check to Bethesda Friends Meeting, noting it is for the Camp Opequon Fund. 

For details, use our Contact Us form. 


      Helping Refugees Group
      CALL TO ACTION
      The Helping Refugees Group (HRG) has compiled a list of actions that individuals and self-organized groups can undertake.
      • The purpose is to inform our BFM community about ways to help refugees and immigrants in a child is holding two precious eggsour area.
      • The list of actions is here. 
      • Please join us!  
      • If everyone in our community does ONE ACTION, we will have helped many immigrants on a Meeting-wide basis! 

      Please use our Contact Us form for more information.


      Do you want to learn more
      about Quakers?
      Here are several choices

      END OF LIFE ISSUES
      • BFM has formed an End of Life Group to provide legal, spiritual, and practical resources to help our community cope with the uncertainties and fears surrounding the end of life. 
      • The COVID-19 pandemic significantly elevated concerns about the health of family and friends, and the possibility that they could become gravely ill and die. 
      • Although conversations with our loved ones about such a possibility are difficult, it’s important to prepare.
      Please click here to see more details and resources. 

      RECURRING EVENTS

      Experiment with Light

      At 7:30 p.m. on the 2nd and 4th Sunday of each month, people at BFM use a meditative and centering practice based upon Rex Ambler’s book, Light to Live By. 

      This method describes early Quaker meditative habits and translates them into a highly accessible process of clearness and understanding. We use prompts at home that can be listened to online, followed by a worship-share via Zoom. 

      BFM Book Group

      This vibrant group meets via Zoom, discussing a variety of books on both Quaker and non-Quaker topics.

      1:30 - 3:15 PM, 2nd Saturday of each month

      Please click here for more information,

      using our Contact Us form.


       

      Comparative Religions:

      Great Minds of the Eastern Intellectual Tradition

      A BFM group hosts this class each Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom.  The format is a half hour Great Courses video lecture followed by a half hour discussion. 

      • For more details on the 36 topics (Sept - May), go to our online calendar.
      • Use our Contact Us form to get the Zoom link, or see your email bulletin. Each session is self-contained, so anyone can attend any session.

      Wednesday Mid-Week Worship

      A group holds an at-home Worship

      on Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m.

      If you wish to join, please read the weekly announcement here. After the virtual Meeting there is a

      sharing time via email. 


      Bethesda Friends Meeting

      Mailing Address:
      P.O. Box 30152, Bethesda MD 20824

      Our Meetinghouse is on the campus of the Sidwell Friends Lower School at the intersection of Edgemoor Lane and Beverly Road in Bethesda, Maryland

      We are a member of the Religious Society of Friends

      www.bethesdafriends.org
      301-986-8681 (location recording only)
      info@bethesdafriends.org

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