weekly bfm bulletin and events |
Sunday, April 21, 2023
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SUNDAYS AT BETHESDA FRIENDS MEETING Head of Meeting: Today, Gale Thompson. On April 28, Linda Mack Pastoral Care: If you have concerns about personal issues or questions about membership, Bethesda Friends Meeting, or Quaker faith and practice, please be in touch with today’s Friendly Ear, a member of the Pastoral Care Committee. The person's name and contact info is announced after worship, or you can ask via our Contact Us form. You can also reach a Friendly Ear by sending an email message to friendlyear@bethesdafriends.org, and a member of the Pastoral Care Committee will get in touch with you. The Social Concern for April is Supporting Scholarships to the Ramallah Friends School in the West Bank (Palestine). Details and information on how to donate are at the end of this bulletin. Meeting for Worship: Bethesda Friends worship together each Sunday at 11:00 a.m. Friends can participate in person at the Meeting House or remotely via Zoom. Participating in worship at the Meeting House. Friends are invited to gather in person at 11:00 a.m. for Meeting for Worship at the Meeting House. We are currently in COVID Risk Level 1. The policies for Risk Level 1 are included at the end of this bulletin. Participating in worship via Zoom. To join using Zoom, you can obtain the link in your weekly Bulletin or use our Contact Us form. First Day School (FDS) for children 5 years of age and older is offered on the first and third Sunday of each month. Childcare for this age group is offered on non-FDS Sundays. Childcare and Youth-care during Meeting for Worship: Childcare is available on non-holiday weekends during Meeting for Worship from 10:45 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. for children under 5 years of age. Paid caregivers provide this service. Youth-care is also available on non-holiday weekends for children over 5 years of age on non-First Day School Sundays (i.e., the 2nd, 4th and 5th Sundays of a month) during Meeting for Worship. Two volunteers are needed from 10:50 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on non-FDS Sundays so that care for these older children remains available. There will be a signup sheet at the Meeting House and you may also sign up at this link. |
EVENTS AT BETHESDA FRIENDS MEETING THIS SUNDAY, April 21
Potluck Plus for Ramallah Friends Campaign: Sunday, April 21 at 12:15 p.m. Come to our special potluck lunch to support Ramallah Friends School (RFS). This 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.
Visit https://bethesdafriends.org/Ramallah-2024 for more details. EVENTS COMING UP SOON (APRIL 19 - APRIL 30) AFSC Action Hour for a Ceasefire in Gaza: Join American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) staff every Friday at 12:00 p.m. to hear updates from Gaza. Then, take action with us as we contact our elected officials and call for an immediate cease-fire and humanitarian access to Gaza. Our elected officials need to keep hearing from us. To attend, please register at this link. BYM Called Meeting to Discuss Minute on Ceasefire There will be a called Interim Meeting on Saturday, April 20 at 1:30 p.m. via Zoom to discuss and hopefully approve the BYM Peace and Social Concerns Committee's recent minute on Ceasefire between Israel and Palestine. The minute received a first reading at Winter Interim Meeting on March 23rd, and Friends present agreed that the matter was too urgent to lay over until June Interim Meeting for a second reading. Please consult the current minute and contact Barbara Bezdek at blbinbmore@gmail.com of with questions or comments. You can register for the Zoom meeting here. Comparative Religions - Buddhism meets weekly on Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom for a half-hour lecture followed by a half-hour discussion. The course is a survey of the history of Buddhism and its faith and practice from its origin in the sixth century B.C.E. to contemporary times in America. All are welcome. For details, check out the BFM website or use our Contact Us form for the Zoom link. Bethesda Friends Meeting’s stay-at-home Mid-Week Worship by e-mail is on Wednesdays, from 8:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. While some of our regulars prefer to simply join in Spirit at the appointed time, others enjoy the brief connection provided by an email at the start and end of worship. At rise of meeting, those on that session's email list who are moved to do so may share experiences by reply-all. Friends wishing to join, please use our Contact Us form. AFSC Meeting for Worship re: Peace in Israel and Palestine: The violence in Palestine and Israel has impacted the AFSC community in many ways, all of them tragic and heartbreaking. Please join us every Thursday at 5:30 p.m. for a Meeting for Worship via Zoom, gathering in solidarity and holding those most impacted in the Light. All are invited. Please register at this link to receive the Zoom link to attend. Please note that the date and time have changed from prior gatherings. BYM Workshop on King-ian Nonviolence, Gaza & Other Peace Concerns: On Saturday, April 27 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. via Zoom, the Baltimore Yearly Meeting Peace and Social Concerns Committee will host a virtual presentation and discussion led by Dwight Dunston and Barbara Bezdek on the theme Quakers Living Out the Peace Testimony - Inspirations from King-ian Nonviolence Methodology. Please visit this link to register and receive more information. Spring Volunteer Day at Friends Wilderness Center: Join FWC on Saturday, April 27 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for the Spring Volunteer Day. Coffee, tea, water, snacks, and a light vegetarian lunch will be provided. There is always space to pitch tents for those who want to extend the experience overnight. All help is appreciated! For more information, visit this link. Coordinating Gathering Representatives of most BFM committees meet during the week before Meeting for Worship with a Concern for Business to discuss the upcoming agenda, season issues before the Meeting, and discuss committee challenges if any. These meetings are open to all. There will be one on Sunday April 28, at 1:00 p.m., via Zoom at this link, in preparation for the Meeting for Business on April 7. For details, please use our Contact Us form. Experiment with Light is a meditative and centering practice. There will be a session on Sunday, April 28 from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Starting at 7:30 p.m., you can follow the prompts at this link at home and write or draw responses you have experienced during those prompts. We use the meditation on the individual in modern language, full length, 37-minute version. Then around 8:30 p.m., if you would like to worship-share from your meditation experience please use our Contact Us form. FUTURE EVENTS TO PLAN AHEAD FOR
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SUPPORTING BFM & THE SOCIAL CONCERN OF THE MONTH
Committee Nominating Season: Quaker meetings are run by and for members and attenders. Each year, the BFM Nominating Committee seeks to match people's talents with their interests. During the Spring 2024 cycle, happening now, we seek to fill positions on the Pastoral Care, Ministry & Worship, Stewardship & Finance, Religious Education, Fellowship & Hospitality, Library, Book Table, Child Care, and Outreach & Communication committees. Descriptions of committee activities can be found in the directory and on our website. Committee members serve between two to four years generally. The Social Concern for March is Supporting Scholarships to the Ramallah Friends School in the West Bank (Palestine). Founded by American Quakers in 1869, Ramallah Friends is a co-ed K-12 school that provides a first-class, peace-oriented education to children of all faiths and abilities. Our Meeting’s fundraising campaign has contributed from one to eight full scholarships annually since 1977. Please give generously. To donate to this Social Concern, please go to www.bethesdafriends.org/Donate-Online-Now. Clearly designate that your contribution is for this month's Social Concern. If you prefer, you may send your check, made payable to Bethesda Friends Meeting, to David M., Assistant Treasurer (see address in the BFM Directory, or use our Contact Us form). You are also welcome to donate to Bethesda Friends Meeting directly to support all Meeting activities via the same methods (online or by check). |
COVID-19 Rules for In-Person Meeting for Worship - Risk Level 1:
Click here for current rules and BFM's full Covid-19 information and policy. |
