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• Mid-week Meeting for Worship

  • When
    May 25, 2022
  •  
    8:00 PM - 8:30 PM
  • Location
    at home & email

  Over-zoomed? Join BFM Friends’ “low tech” email mid-week worship on Wednesdays from 8:00 to 8:30 p.m. Each of us worships in our homes without video or audio. While some simply join in spirit, those wishing to touch base with the others receive emails at the start and end of worship.

  At rise of meeting, email participants are invited to worship-share via reply-all with the evening’s email group.

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• Young Friends Conference

  • Start
    May 27, 2022
  • End
    May 29, 2022
  • Location
    Goose Creek Friends Meeting

  Calling all high schoolers! From Friday through Sunday, May 27 to 29, there will be a Young Friends Conference sponsored by BYM, at Goose Creek Meeting in Virginia. For details, please contact Sunshine K (youthprograms@bym-rsf.org) or see: https://www.bym-rsf.org/what_we_do/yutes/

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• Friends Conference on Religion & Psychology

  • Start
    May 27, 2022
  •  
    6:00 PM
  • End
    May 30, 2022

  Please feel welcome to attend the Friends Conference on Religion & Psychology, at Pendle Hill, in Wallingford PA, from Friday, May 27, 6:00 p.m., through lunch on Monday, May 30. FCRP is dedicated to individual spiritual exploration with a focus on in-depth psychology, specifically Jungian psychology. The conference is open to all; you need not be a Quaker, a Jungian, or a psychologist.
  

  In this 80th year of the conference, the topic will be “The Neurobiology of the Spirit: Compassionate Witness and the Chemistry of Healing.” We have all been traumatized by the pandemic in some way. Our dependable daily rhythms and patterns have been disrupted. We have been isolated from the company of loved ones, and often from our in-person work community. We may have had to care for someone who was ill or even suffered the loss of someone dear in this time of upended traditions. Stephen W. Porges, Ph.D. and his wife and colleague, C. Sue Carter, Ph.D., have intermingled their lives’ research to understand the complexities of the body's chemistry in healing and health. They also can help us understand why it is possible to recover from early trauma and not only heal but thrive in the presence of compassion.

  There will be interest groups that meet four times during the weekend. For details, see:  http://fcrp.quaker.org/ Space is limited. If you would like assistance in covering the cost,  contact someone from Pastoral Care

  
  

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• Meeting for Worship

  • When
    May 29, 2022
  •  
    11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

  Bethesda Friends worship together each Sunday at 11:00 a.m. Please click here for details. 

  1. Our Worship indoors at SFS Lower campus -- with Covid restrictions.
  2. Our Worship via Zoom is open to all.

  Please click here for details and to ask for the Zoom link. An after-Meeting chat on Zoom will be held weekly at 12:15. 

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• Coordinating Gathering

  • When
    May 29, 2022
  •  
    1:00 PM
  • Location
    via Zoom

  Representatives of BFM committees meet on the last Sunday of the month (the week before Meeting for Business) to discuss the upcoming Business agenda. These meetings are open to all who wish to attend.  Request Zoom access via our Contact Us form. 

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• Comparative Religions: Introduction to the Qur’an

  • When
    May 31, 2022
  •  
    7:00 PM
  • Location
    via Zoom

  In May, the Comparative Religions class will continue a 12-lecture series from Great Courses entitled Introduction to the Qur'an, taught by Professor Martyn Oliver of American University. We meet weekly on Tuesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. for a half hour lecture and a half hour discussion. The focus is to study the history of the text, from the cultural milieu into which Muhammad was born through contemporary Islamic practice today, and trace how and why the Qur’an has been interpreted over the course of 1,400 years. The major themes, figures, tropes, and literary characteristics of the text can be examined, and the traditions and sources of authority used to interpret the text can be outlined. Please join us.

  • 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.

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• Mid-week Meeting for Worship

  • When
    June 01, 2022
  •  
    8:00 PM - 8:30 PM
  • Location
    at home & email

  Over-zoomed? Join BFM Friends’ “low tech” email mid-week worship on Wednesdays from 8:00 to 8:30 p.m. Each of us worships in our homes without video or audio. While some simply join in spirit, those wishing to touch base with the others receive emails at the start and end of worship.

  At rise of meeting, email participants are invited to worship-share via reply-all with the evening’s email group.

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• Dayspring Silent Retreat for Friends

  • Start
    June 03, 2022
  • End
    June 05, 2022
  • Location
    The Dayspring Retreat Center

  True silence is to the spirit what sleep is to the body: nourishment and refreshment. (William Penn, 1699.) Is your spirit in need of nourishment and refreshment? Come to the Dayspring Silent Retreat from the evening of Friday, June 3 to Sunday afternoon, June 5. We will keep the silence from Friday evening through worship on Sunday, enjoying the beauty of God’s creation, reading, walking, resting, finding our own rhythms, listening for the Still Small Voice. The Dayspring Retreat Center is located at 11301 Neelsville Church Road, Germantown MD 20876. You can arrive any time between 3:30 and 7:00 p.m. Friday. (Dinner at 7:00 p.m.) The cost of the retreat is $235. Make the check for $235 payable to Dayspring Retreat Center and mail to 189 Edgewater Road, Pasadena, MD 21122, with your name, Meeting, address, phone, email and special needs (if any). Your check will guarantee your spot or place you on wait list. The registration deadline is Friday, May 27.  Checks will be deposited after the retreat.  

  
  

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• Meeting for Business

  • When
    June 05, 2022
  •  
    9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
  • Location
    via Zoom

  The Meeting for Worship with a Concern for Business will be held via Zoom. Committee Reports and other matters are discussed. Everyone is welcome. Please use our Contact Us Form for Zoom access information. For more details, see our most recent newsletter. 

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• Meeting for Worship

  • When
    June 05, 2022
  •  
    11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

  Bethesda Friends worship together each Sunday at 11:00 a.m. Please click here for details. 

  1. Our Worship indoors at SFS Lower campus -- with Covid restrictions.
  2. Our Worship via Zoom is open to all.

  Please click here for details and to ask for the Zoom link. An after-Meeting chat on Zoom will be held weekly at 12:15. 

  Show details
• Seeking An Earth Restored: Exploring the Spiritual Roots of Sustainable Living & Environmental Activism

  • When
    June 06, 2022
  • Location
    via Zoom

  We are invited to a  presentation via Zoom by the Sustainability Director at the University of Louisville, who is a practicing Quaker (living his life according to his values). He is a car-free, TV-free, vegetarian living in a net-zero solar-powered home. A committed community builder, he is also engaged in beekeeping, gardening, biking issues, Co-op Food, and urban foraging. RSVP for the Zoom link:  or5ka@yahoo.com

  
  

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• Comparative Religions: Introduction to the Qur’an

  • When
    June 07, 2022
  •  
    7:00 PM
  • Location
    via Zoom

  In June, the Comparative Religions class finishes a 12-lecture series from Great Courses entitled Introduction to the Qur'an, taught by Professor Martyn Oliver of American University. We meet weekly on Tuesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. for a half hour lecture and a half hour discussion. The focus is to study the history of the text, from the cultural milieu into which Muhammad was born through contemporary Islamic practice today, and trace how and why the Qur’an has been interpreted over the course of 1,400 years. The major themes, figures, tropes, and literary characteristics of the text can be examined, and the traditions and sources of authority used to interpret the text can be outlined.

  • 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.

  Show details
• Mid-week Meeting for Worship

  • When
    June 08, 2022
  •  
    8:00 PM - 8:30 PM
  • Location
    at home & email

  Over-zoomed? Join BFM Friends’ “low tech” email mid-week worship on Wednesdays from 8:00 to 8:30 p.m. Each of us worships in our homes without video or audio. While some simply join in spirit, those wishing to touch base with the others receive emails at the start and end of worship.

  At rise of meeting, email participants are invited to worship-share via reply-all with the evening’s email group.

  Show details
• Baltimore Yearly Meeting Interim Meeting

  • When
    June 11, 2022
  •  
    9:30 AM
  • Location
    Richmond Friends Meeting and via Zoom

  The Baltimore Yearly Meeting Interim Meeting will be held Saturday, June 11, in a hybrid format at Richmond Friends Meeting and online via Zoom. Friends will gather in worship at 9:30 a.m. and Meeting for Worship for the Conduct of Business will start at 10:00 a.m. Light hospitality will be provided. Attendance is open to all and offers a chance to get to know Friends from across the Yearly Meeting and be part of the decision-making. Please register here.

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• BYM Camp Spring Workday

  • When
    June 11, 2022
  •  
    10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
  • Location
    Camp Catoctin

  Volunteers are needed for the spring cleaning at Camp Catoctin on Saturday, June 11. Enjoy a day of fellowship as we prepare for the camping season ahead. The range of tasks can be completed by the young and the old. Wear sturdy, closed-toed shoes and clothes you don't mind getting dirty. The workday begins at about 10:00 a.m. and lasts until 4:00 p.m. You are welcome to participate for as much of that time, or as little of that time, as you are able.. Here are the details and how to sign up. Click here for the details and how to sign up.

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• Quaker Book Group

  • When
    June 11, 2022
  •  
    1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
  • Location
    via Zoom

  The Quaker Book Group meets monthly via Zoom on the second Saturday, from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. In June, it meets on June 11 to discuss The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin.  (Note:  This book can be accessed electronically for free from the Gutenberg Project.

  This famous autobiography of the “first American” offers much food for reflection on what it means to live a “good” life, and perhaps what it means to be an American, then and now. Newcomers are always welcome, even if you have not read the book. We read a mix of books by Quakers, books about Quakerism, and books that speak to Quaker values and concerns. The group is invited to share announcements, summaries, and thoughts about the readings through an online mailing list.

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• Committee Day: Religious Education

  • When
    June 12, 2022
  •  
    9:15 AM
  • Location
    via Zoom

  The Religious Education Committee meets the second Sunday of the month via Zoom.  Want more information? Use our Contact Us form.

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• Meeting for Worship

  • When
    June 12, 2022
  •  
    11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

  Bethesda Friends worship together each Sunday at 11:00 a.m. Please click here for details. 

  1. Our Worship indoors at SFS Lower campus -- with Covid restrictions.
  2. Our Worship via Zoom is open to all.

  Please click here for details and to ask for the Zoom link. An after-Meeting chat on Zoom will be held weekly at 12:15. 

  Show details
• Experiment with Light

  • When
    June 12, 2022
  •  
    7:30 PM - 9:00 PM
  • Location
    at home and Zoom

  Held on the 2nd and 4th Sundays from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. Sometimes canceled on holiday weeks; please check the Event calendar.  

  How do we quiet our brains enough to hear the still, small voice within us? How might we deepen our experience of meeting for worship? Experiment With Light is a meditative and centering practice based upon Rex Ambler’s book Light to Live By, which describes early Quaker meditative habits and translates them into a highly accessible process of clearness and understanding.

  • All are welcome to attend. First-time participants find the process quite easy to follow and, often,  richly rewarding.
  • You can follow the prompts at home and write or draw responses you have experienced during those prompts: https://experiment-with-light.org.uk/meditations/  We usually use the meditation on the individual in modern language, full length, 37 minute version. 
  • We will share our meditation experience in a Zoom gathering. Request access via our Contact Us form. 

  
  

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• Comparative Religions: Introduction to the Qur’an

  • When
    June 14, 2022
  •  
    7:00 PM
  • Location
    via Zoom

  In June, the Comparative Religions class finishes a 12-lecture series from Great Courses entitled Introduction to the Qur'an, taught by Professor Martyn Oliver of American University. We meet weekly on Tuesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. for a half hour lecture and a half hour discussion. The focus is to study the history of the text, from the cultural milieu into which Muhammad was born through contemporary Islamic practice today, and trace how and why the Qur’an has been interpreted over the course of 1,400 years. The major themes, figures, tropes, and literary characteristics of the text can be examined, and the traditions and sources of authority used to interpret the text can be outlined.

  • 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.

  Show details
• Mid-week Meeting for Worship

  • When
    June 15, 2022
  •  
    8:00 PM - 8:30 PM
  • Location
    at home & email

  Over-zoomed? Join BFM Friends’ “low tech” email mid-week worship on Wednesdays from 8:00 to 8:30 p.m. Each of us worships in our homes without video or audio. While some simply join in spirit, those wishing to touch base with the others receive emails at the start and end of worship.

  At rise of meeting, email participants are invited to worship-share via reply-all with the evening’s email group.

  Show details
• Celebrating Juneteenth

  • When
    June 18, 2022
  • Location
    Black Rock Center for the Arts

  County Executive Marc Elrich in coordination with the Montgomery County Office of Human Rights is hosting the 25th Juneteenth Celebration will be held at the BlackRock Center for the Arts located at 12901 Town Commons Drive in Germantown on Saturday June 18th.

  This is a free family-friendly event and all are encouraged to “share the event” on their social media pages. Please RSVP to receive a day of reminder email with the direct link to the event and any additional announcements. Although not necessary, we encourage you to RSVP for the total number of expected attendees. You can learn more and RSVP at the Juneteenth website.

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• Poor People's Campaign

  • When
    June 18, 2022
  •  
    9:00 AM
  • Location
    3rd Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, DC

  Everyone in Bethesda Friends Meeting is invited to Washington DC on Saturday, June 18, to gather at 9:00 a.m. and march at 10:00 a.m. with the Poor People's Low-Wage Assembly. We will march for truth, love and justice, and for a fair sharing of the resources held by the very few in this country. We expect there to be thousands of people at the Capitol from Maryland and around the country. The gathering place is 3rd Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, on the Mall side of the Capitol Building. We hope that many BFM Quakers and other people of faith and goodwill will attend. As we draw closer to the date, we expect to have more information on a Quaker gathering place.

  Like to learn more? Want to help organize? See the Poor People's Campaign webpage. It might be possible to gather at BFM and go together to the event. Another possibility is to meet at FCNL, across from the Capitol. Here are some interesting facts which might spur us to action: There are five vacant homes for every homeless person in the country. Maryland is home to 380,555 veterans, making up 8.2% of the adult population. Of those, 83,444 (22.3%) are on disability, and 574 were documented as homeless at a given time. 205,000 Maryland children were living in households that were food insecure during 2018. There were 35,334 people incarcerated in Maryland in 2018, where Black people are incarcerated at 4.7 times the rate of White people.

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• Committee Day: multiple mtgs

  • When
    June 19, 2022
  • Location
    via Zoom

  Several committees meet regularly on Committee Day (the third Sunday of the month) via Zoom.  Want more information? Use our Contact Us form.

  • Pastoral Care at 9:00 a.m.
  • Ministry & Worship at 9:15 a.m.
  • Stewardship & Finance at 9:15 a.m.
  • Outreach & Communication at 9:30 a.m.

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• Meeting for Worship

  • When
    June 19, 2022
  •  
    11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

  Bethesda Friends worship together each Sunday at 11:00 a.m. Please click here for details. 

  1. Our Worship indoors at SFS Lower campus -- with Covid restrictions.
  2. Our Worship via Zoom is open to all.

  Please click here for details and to ask for the Zoom link. An after-Meeting chat on Zoom will be held weekly at 12:15. 

  Show details
• Fit for Freedom, not for Friendship Book Discussion

  • When
    June 20, 2022
  •  
    8:00 PM
  • Location
    via Zoom

  If you have read, are reading, or are interested in the discussion of Quaker history in Fit for Freedom, Not for Friendship, here is a Zoom connection to a reading group. In June, the group will examine chapter six on African-American Membership in the Religious Society of Friends. The session is on Monday, June 20 at 8:00 p.m. our time (it is based in California). Sessions are on the third Monday of the month from now until probably November. 

  Please see these community agreements regarding participation. Here is the link to the study guide, which is filled with quotes, queries, and suggested activities Please click here for more information, Zoom links, and to participate.

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• Comparative Religions: Introduction to the Qur’an

  • When
    June 21, 2022
  •  
    7:00 PM
  • Location
    via Zoom

  In June, the Comparative Religions class finishes a 12-lecture series from Great Courses entitled Introduction to the Qur'an, taught by Professor Martyn Oliver of American University. We meet weekly on Tuesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. for a half hour lecture and a half hour discussion. The focus is to study the history of the text, from the cultural milieu into which Muhammad was born through contemporary Islamic practice today, and trace how and why the Qur’an has been interpreted over the course of 1,400 years. The major themes, figures, tropes, and literary characteristics of the text can be examined, and the traditions and sources of authority used to interpret the text can be outlined.

  • 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.

  Show details
• Digitization Committee Meeting

  • When
    June 22, 2022
  •  
    7:00 PM
  • Location
    via Zoom

  The Digitization Committee meets the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 7:00 PM via Zoom.  Want more information? Use our Contact Us form.

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• Mid-week Meeting for Worship

  • When
    June 22, 2022
  •  
    8:00 PM - 8:30 PM
  • Location
    at home & email

  Over-zoomed? Join BFM Friends’ “low tech” email mid-week worship on Wednesdays from 8:00 to 8:30 p.m. Each of us worships in our homes without video or audio. While some simply join in spirit, those wishing to touch base with the others receive emails at the start and end of worship.

  At rise of meeting, email participants are invited to worship-share via reply-all with the evening’s email group.

  Show details
• Peace & Social Justice Committee

  • When
    June 26, 2022
  •  
    9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
  • Location
    via Zoom

  The Peace & Social Justice Committee is a self-constituted group of folks interested in deepening the Meeting’s engagement with peace building and social justice, as individuals and as a community on all levels – personal, interpersonal, local, national, and international.  You are invited to join us. We meet on the fourth Sunday of the month, by Zoom during the pandemic, at 9:00 to 10:30 a.m.  Request access via our Contact Us form. 

   

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• Meeting for Worship

  • When
    June 26, 2022
  •  
    11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

  Bethesda Friends worship together each Sunday at 11:00 a.m. Please click here for details. 

  1. Our Worship indoors at SFS Lower campus -- with Covid restrictions.
  2. Our Worship via Zoom is open to all.

  Please click here for details and to ask for the Zoom link. An after-Meeting chat on Zoom will be held weekly at 12:15. 

  Show details
• Spiritual Journey

  • When
    June 26, 2022
  •  
    12:30 PM
  • Location
    via zoom

  Continuing the long tradition recounting one's spiritual journey, a member will share his thoughts and reflections based on his experience at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 26. Please join in if you can. It will be both in-person and via Zoom. In-person folks may want to bring a bag lunch or drinks and snacks to be enjoyed outdoors; for those participating via Zoom, stay on the Meeting for Worship link.

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• Experiment with Light

  • When
    June 26, 2022
  •  
    7:30 PM - 9:00 PM
  • Location
    at home and Zoom

  Held on the 2nd and 4th Sundays from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. Sometimes canceled on holiday weeks; please check the Event calendar.  

  How do we quiet our brains enough to hear the still, small voice within us? How might we deepen our experience of meeting for worship? Experiment With Light is a meditative and centering practice based upon Rex Ambler’s book Light to Live By, which describes early Quaker meditative habits and translates them into a highly accessible process of clearness and understanding.

  • All are welcome to attend. First-time participants find the process quite easy to follow and, often,  richly rewarding.
  • You can follow the prompts at home and write or draw responses you have experienced during those prompts: https://experiment-with-light.org.uk/meditations/  We usually use the meditation on the individual in modern language, full length, 37 minute version. 
  • We will share our meditation experience in a Zoom gathering. Request access via our Contact Us form. 

  
  

  Show details
• Mid-week Meeting for Worship

  • When
    June 29, 2022
  •  
    8:00 PM - 8:30 PM
  • Location
    at home & email

  Over-zoomed? Join BFM Friends’ “low tech” email mid-week worship on Wednesdays from 8:00 to 8:30 p.m. Each of us worships in our homes without video or audio. While some simply join in spirit, those wishing to touch base with the others receive emails at the start and end of worship.

  At rise of meeting, email participants are invited to worship-share via reply-all with the evening’s email group.

  Show details
• Friends General Conference (FGC) Gathering

  • Start
    July 03, 2022
  • End
    July 09, 2022
  • Location
    Radford College, Radford Virginia

  The FGC Gathering this year will be at Radford College in Radford VA and online. The theme is "... and Follow me." The Gathering is a chance to be together with over 1,200 Friends. There are many opportunities to address spirit, mind, and body. Learn more and register at the FGC website. The deadline for in-person registration is June 10. There is no deadline for virtual Gathering registration. 

  By way of background, FGC nurtures the spiritual vitality of the Religious Society of Friends by providing programs and services for Friends, meetings, and seekers. The work of FGC can be summarized into three areas of endeavor:

  • Help meetings deepen Quaker   worship and practice
  • Support a loving Quaker community
  • Support Quaker outreach

  FGC is a 501(c)3 organization.

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• Mid-week Meeting for Worship

  • When
    July 06, 2022
  •  
    8:00 PM - 8:30 PM
  • Location
    at home & email

  Over-zoomed? Join BFM Friends’ “low tech” email mid-week worship on Wednesdays from 8:00 to 8:30 p.m. Each of us worships in our homes without video or audio. While some simply join in spirit, those wishing to touch base with the others receive emails at the start and end of worship.

  At rise of meeting, email participants are invited to worship-share via reply-all with the evening’s email group.

  Show details
• Meeting for Worship

  • When
    July 10, 2022
  •  
    11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

  Bethesda Friends worship together each Sunday at 11:00 a.m. Please click here for details. 

  1. Our Worship indoors at SFS Lower campus -- with Covid restrictions.
  2. Our Worship via Zoom is open to all.

  Please click here for details and to ask for the Zoom link. An after-Meeting chat on Zoom will be held weekly at 12:15. 

  Show details
• Baltimore Yearly Meeting’s Annual Session 2022

  • Start
    August 01, 2022
  • End
    August 07, 2022
  • Location
    Hood College, Frederick Maryland, and online

  The theme of the August 1 to 7 annual session is “Considering the Wildflowers: Rooted in History, Growing Toward Spirit.” Registration is now open. For details, see the BYM Annual Session website.

  A member of Baltimore Monthly Meeting, Stony Run will lead the retreat on Monday and Tuesday, August 1 and 2. He has been working among Friends to develop Trust Circles since 2018. The purposes of the Circles are to reduce our tendency to engage in “othering’”; to give space and voice to those who are reluctant to share their thoughts, feelings, beliefs, wants, and needs; and to strengthen our individual and collective sense of “unity and wholeness;” and to increase our sense of belonging to our worship communities. During the retreat, he will share the journey BYM has taken from discussing how to be more anti-racist to building trust across ethnocultural and other differences. Participants will engage deeply in trust circle exercises with one another and learn how to carry the practice forward in their lives and Meetings.

  The Plenary Session on Tuesday, August 2, at 7:30 p.m. is called Re/Membering the Past: Seeking Lessons on Racial Justice, Indigenous Peoples, & Peace. Panelists will  weave together the roots and relationships among three areas of Friends' values and testimonies over the last 350 years and how colonization affected our faith and our practice relating to racial justice, Native Peoples, and the peace testimony, and how it continues to affect our faith community today. How does Spirit lead us into a future that takes responsibility for the harm done and is welcoming to all people? 

  On Saturday, August 6, at 7:30 p.m., Emily Provance will give The Carey Lecture. You can learn more about her here: www.quakeremily.wordpress.com

  There are many very interesting workshops; some online from Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, July 26 to 30, and others in person from Thursday, August 4 to Saturday, August 6. 

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