Bethesda Friends Meeting



WELCOME VISITORS     events    

COVID-19 Meeting Information

Bethesda Friends are worshiping 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. 


      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 now worshiping via Zoom as well as indoors.  

      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.


      See more videos & learn more about Quakers at quakerspeak.com

      BFM's Social Concern for September is

      Mary Jane Simpson Scholarship Fund  

      Each year this fund awards college scholarships to DC public school seniors with high potential, who are coping with difficult backgrounds and have very low incomes. The fund is managed jointly by Bethesda Friends Meeting, Friends Meeting of Washington, and Langley Hill Friends Meeting. BFM plays a vital role in funding, selecting the awardees, and making decisions about the program’s policies and practices. Since the scholarship fund first began, it has awarded 163 scholarships to graduates from 20 DC Public schools. The amount of scholarship each year depends on the donations received--ranging to date from $1,500 to $2,500 per year per student for the four years of college. Each year the program is supporting from 5-10 students, again, based on the donations we receive.  Please be generous. For details:   http://quakersdc.org/MJSSF

      World Quaker Day is sunday, October 2

      World Quaker Day is an annual event to celebrate the diversity of global Quakerism and build connections to make our community stronger.  In 2022, every Friends church or meeting is encouraged to send visitors to another Quaker group, to bring greetings, build relationships, and share ideas.

      • If you would like to receive an invitation to a Quaker gathering in a world region, please sign up using this form.  
      • After a return email confirmation, you will be sent an invitation closer to October 2nd. The invitation will give you choices on times, time zones, languages, and style of worship,
      • Some examples are: Lang’ata Friends Church in Nairobi, South Belfast Quaker Meeting in Northern Ireland, two Meetings in Australia, and programmed and semi-programmed meetings in both North and South America. 
      • Sign up using this form. More information is at https://fwcc.world/wqd/ or http://www.worldquakerday.org/. 

      Spiritual Journey of Lauren Brownlee – October 16 at 12:30 pm

      Continuing in BFM’s long tradition of inviting members and attenders to share their spiritual journeys, Lauren Brownlee will share her journey on Sunday, October 16 at 12:30 p.m.  The Ministry and Worship Committee has asked Lauren to reflect on her spiritual journey as it has manifested in her social justice work and her efforts to address racism. 

      Lauren will present in the meeting house, and friends can join in the meeting house or via Zoom.  For those participating via Zoom, the Meeting for Worship link will be used (please see your email Bulletin).

      Pandemic Silver Linings

      It is mid-2022, and we've been asking whether the pandemic led to any surprising, helpful, delightful, or important personal discoveries.

        Sunlight shines on a glass of water next to a pad of paper and a pen. (iStock photo)

        Does this question speak to you? If so, please consider sharing what you learned. 

        • An outline might be: What did you discover? How did you discover it? What difference did it make? 
        • Writers of all ages are welcome. Brevity, too. Anonymity is fine; photos and artwork are very welcome.  
        • Please email contributions to both Peggy E. and Frank G. (see your print directory). 
        • To visit the current submissions, please click here.  

        July 2022: Next Steps in Our Collective Journey to Redress Systemic Racism

        The Diversity Change and Threshing Prep groups are pleased and grateful to share that our proposal for “A Collective Journey to Redress Systemic Racism,” which was originally presented at the June 5, 2022, Meeting for Worship with a Concern for Business, was approved at the 17 July Meeting.

        • We’re now taking pre-registrations for the fall sessions. For more information and to contact the Diversity Change Group, please click here. 
        COVID-19 AND 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 has 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. 


        COMPARATIVE RELIGIONS

        • All are invited as the comparative religions study group begins a year-long course in October: "Exploring the Roots of Religion," a lecture series from Great Courses. We meet weekly on Tuesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. for a half hour lecture and a half hour discussion. 

        • A group of 8 to 10 has been meeting, and we greatly enjoy the fellowship as much as the lessons. You are welcome to join anytime.  For more information on the weekly topic, please click here. 

        • Use our Contact Us form to get the Zoom link, or see your email bulletin. Each session is self-contained, so you can attend any session.

        Upcoming events

        See more events...

        Black Lives Matter walk in Bethesda, MD

        Resource: How to Calculate your Carbon Footprint

        To follow up on this past event

        Use our Carbon Footprint Resources (pdf)

        RECURRING EVENTS

        Sunday Meeting for Worship

        (Please click here to see BFM's worship schedule

        11:00 AM Every Sunday 


        Visitors are welcome.

        BFM Book Group

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

        Please contact Leslie S. [see Directory] for an update.

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

        Please click here to find the event on our calendar.

        Wednesday Mid-Week Worship

        While the Meeting House is closed, our mid-week Worship on Wednesdays is meeting virtually.

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

        8:00-8:30 PM
        Every Wednesday


        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
        info@bethesdafriends.org

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