Bethesda Friends Meeting


Log in


WELCOME VISITORS     events calendar    

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.  


Please note our schedules for BFM child care (ages 6 months-pre-K) and our school-age children (grades K-8). 
Click here for more information about our weekly activities and worship . 

OUR TESTIMONIES: As members of the Religious Society of Friends, 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.

Queries this month reflect on Integrity: 

~How do we seek truth by which to live? How do we know it when we find it?

~In what ways does my life speak of my beliefs and values?

~In what way is my life out of harmony with the truth as I know it? Why?

  The Social Concerns Box for APRIL IS the RAMALLAH FRIENDS SCHOOL 

 

The Social Concerns Box for April is for scholarships to the Ramallah Friends School (RFS)-- a co-ed K-12 Quaker school in the Palestinian West Bank. BFM has supported RFS for more than 40 years because they are leaders in a Palestinian baccalaureate education that promotes a search for God to all human situations and cultivates ethical, moral, and spiritual values in order to further peace-centered education in this troubled land. Our major April fund raising effort depends on your help via a check or an online donation. Our support is an opportunity to help build peace in the Middle East via a Quaker school that has been in existence since 1869 (more than 150 years).

Given the current war with Iran and ongoing violence in Gaza and the West Bank, our relationship with RFS seems all the more relevant.   We will celebrate the school at the April 19, 2026  "potluck plus" Spring Fling beginning at 12:15 p.m. (See box below for details on how to participate). Please be generous in your purchases and donations. To learn more our RFS activities, please visit Ramallah Campaign 2026. 


 To donate directly to the Social Concerns Box in April, please use this link and clearly designate that your contribution is for "RFS".  If you prefer, you may send your check, payable to Bethesda Friends Meeting, to our Assistant Treasurer, David M. (See your Directory), noting "RFS" in the memo.

Set legislative priorities: The Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) for the 120th Congress
Sunday April 12 at 12:30 p.m. in the Meeting house  
  • This process connects FCNLs advocacy to the testimonies and values of Friends. 

Before we meet: please review FCNL’s policy statement, The World We Seek, available at fcnl.org/LegislativeStatement.

Our discernment on which specific issues are rising to the priority level will provide guidance to FCNL staff on where to focus their lobbying attention for the next two years. 
Ramallah Friends Campaign
Sunday, April 19 at 12:15 p.m. at our potluck lunch

This is our annual campaign to support Ramallah Friends School (RFS). It is a troubled time. How can BFM Friends support the school in the midst of turmoil? RFS costs have risen, more student financial aid is needed for parents who do not have jobs, and students rely on the school's stability.  

  • Please give generously to our RFS fundraiser to support several student scholarships. 
  • Bring a dish for our potluck lunch in the Groome building.
  • Purchase items to benefit the school: Palestinian olive oil, Ramallah Friends t-shirts; books; and BFM mugs, totes, or magnets.
  • For more details, go to Ramallah Campaign 2026
    Do you want to learn more about Quakers?
    Here are several choices

    Upcoming events

    See more events...

    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

    Monthly, on the 2nd and 4th Sundays, 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 offer this in-person and Zoom, using prompts at home that can be listened to online, followed by a worship-sharing of your experience. 

    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 use our Contact Us form for more information

    and the Zoom link.



    Comparative Religions:

    Sacred Texts of the World

    A BFM group hosts this class each Tuesday from 7:00-8:00 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 weekly 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

    Contact Us | Login | Logout         BFM Privacy Policy

    Forgot password
    Powered by Wild Apricot Membership Software