Bethesda Friends Meeting



WELCOME VISITORS     events    

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 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 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.

BFM's Social Concern for September is for

the "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 each scholarship depends on the donations received--and ranges from $1,500 to $2,500 per year per student for the four years of college.
  • Each year the program supports about 5-10 students, again, based on the funds we have. Please be generous. 

To donate to this Social Concern, please go to https://www.bethesdafriends.org/Donate-&-Support-the-Meeting.  Be sure to designate that your contribution is for the September social concern (Mary Jane Simpson Scholarship or MJSSF). 

FIELD TRIP TO JOSIAH HENSON MUSEUM

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2:00 P.M.

The Peace & Social Justice Committee (P&SJ) is sponsoring a field trip to the recently opened Josiah Henson Museum and Park at 2:00  p.m. on Sunday, October 8, at 11410 Old Georgetown Road, North Bethesda.  P&SJ will cover the entrance fee. 

 Join us to experience interactive audio and visual presentations. explore the park, and engage in personal or group reflection on the life of Rev Henson and his enslavement in Maryland. You can also visit archaeology sites throughout the grounds.

You can also read more details at this link about Rev. Henson's 1849 autobiography and the historic significance of this plantation site. 




Join the BFM List SErve

Did you know that the Bethesda Friends Meeting community has an email list serve? If you are attending Bethesda Friends, the list serve is an informal way to communicate with other members of the community. People share joys and sorrows; interesting events; books, articles, and films they've enjoyed; items for sale or give away; etc. It is rare to get more than one email a day or three a week. You can sign up through this webpage 



    Upcoming events

    DC Quakers at DC Pride Festival, June 11, 2023

    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. 

    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 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.

    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. 

    8:00-8:30 PM
    Every Wednesday

    Experiment with Light

    At 7:30 p.m. on the 2nd and 4th Sunday of each month

    Our group uses 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 onlinefollowed by a worship-share via Zoom. Please click here for ask for more information and the Zoom link, using our Contact Us form.

    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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