Bethesda Friends Meeting


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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 weekly 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 worshiping in person and also via Zoom.  

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 December is for

 Bread for the City  


Bread for the City, the recipient for the Social Concern in December, is a major provider of food, clothing, medical care and legal and social services for thousands of low-income DC residents. In 2020, its greatest pandemic-period surge (as reported by its centers in Shaw and Anacostia), was a 400 percent increase over 2019 in families needing free food. Also up sharply in 2020: demand for legal services involving evictions, debt disputes, and withheld government benefits. In 2020, Bread for the City has also been providing free COVID tests on demand for walk-ins.  In October 2020, its advocacy unit won a federal lawsuit restoring SNAP (food stamp) benefits for 20,000 DC residents that the U.S. Department of Agriculture planned to eliminate in April.

Christmas Celebration: Orchestral holiday music and

a pageant by our students



Join us at on December 15 at noon to continue our worship in the Groome building. The celebration includes orchestral music and a telling of the biblical story.  Refreshments follow the event. 

More details on the online calendar. 
Annual Toy Drive

BFM's Religious Education Committee is hosting a toy drive for A Wider Circle. 


Please join in our efforts by bringing unwrapped toys, games, or books to the Pageant on December 15, to be distributed to children in need.
Do you want to learn more
about Quakers?
Here are several choices
Candlelight Worship
Tuesday, December 17 at 8:00 p.m.


a burning candle

A BFM annual tradition for more than 30 years, our candlelight worship- service offers a wonderful respite from the holiday rush and to meditate peacefully among friends. 

More information at this event link. 


Peace and Social Justice Committee

Webpage

An Urgent Call to Protect Human Life and Bring a Just Peace to Palestine and Israel

At the January 7, 2024 Bethesda Friends Meeting for Worship with a Concern for Business, a Minute about the violence in Gaza, the West Bank, and Israel was approved by BFM.

  • Please click here to read this Minute. 
  • This page will give more information about the mearing of a Quaker "minute" and past Bethesda Friends and Baltimore Yearly Meeting minutes. 

Every Thursday: AFSC Meeting for Worship re: Peace in Israel and Palestine 

  • The violence in Palestine and Israel has impacted the AFSC (American Friends Service Committee) community in many ways.  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. Register at this link. 
Every Friday: AFSC Action Hour for a Ceasefire in Gaza 
Join American Friends Service Committee (AFSa child is holding two precious eggsC) 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. 

    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

    At 7:30 p.m. on the 2nd and 4th Sunday of each month, 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 use prompts at home that can be listened to online, followed by a worship-share via Zoom. 

    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.


     

    Comparative Religions:

    Great Minds of the Eastern Intellectual Tradition

    A BFM group hosts this class each Tuesday at 7:00 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 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
    info@bethesdafriends.org

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