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.
Click these links for BFM child care (ages 6 months-pre-K) and school-age children (grades K-8) programs. 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.
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Queries for the summer: July and Young People: How do we provide young people with explicit guidelines in Quaker faith and practice? In what ways do we honor that of God in children and young people? How do we share our deepest beliefs with children, while leaving them free to develop as the spirit of God may lead them? August and War: What does it mean to live “in virtue of that life and power which takes away the occasion of all wars?” What can I do to create a more peaceful and just world? As we work for peace in the world, how are we nourished by peace within and among ourselves? How are we serving as instruments of reconciliation and love? |
The Social Concerns Box for JULY and AUGUST IS AMERICAN FRIENDS SERVICE COMMITTEE The Social Concern for July and August is the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC). AFSC works with communities worldwide to challenge injustice and build conditions for lasting peace. “We are steadfast in our commitment to nonviolence and our belief in the transformative power of love to overcome conflict and oppression.” With programs around the USA and the world, they work on prisons and policing, immigration and immigrant rights, global peace, and economic justice. “We gather monthly in communities across the country and in DC, showing our communities Love In Action as a public witness of our Quaker values in a time of rising fascism.” They have been supporting the Palestinians since 1948 before UNRWA was established. Their weekly Gaza action hour has educated hundreds of people on the genocide and the famine. This action hour has resulted in thousands of calls to our congressmen. Their staff in Gaza never stopped providing aid to the neediest, even when they themselves were displaced and starving. For more information, please check out their website at https://afsc.org/.
Thank you for your contributions to this important organization. To donate to the Social Concerns Box, please use this link and clearly designate that your contribution is for “AFSC" If you prefer, you may send your check, payable to Bethesda Friends Meeting, to our Assistant Treasurer, David M. (See your Directory), noting “AFSC" in the memo. |
TIME TO REGISTER FOR BALTIMORE YEARLY MEETING SPIRITUAL FORMATION RETREAT: Faithfulness: Nurturing our connection to Spirit
and with each other in challenging times
September 11-13, 2026 Claggett Center in Adamston, MD 21710 Registration closes on Monday, August 24
As we gather in trusted community, participants will explore the power of our spiritual lives to create the ballast we need to “steady the ship” as we navigate through rough waters. By listening for the whispers of the Inward Teacher and by learning from each other, we can find the strength and the wisdom to keep our feet firmly planted, our eyes clear, and our hearts open. The Claggett Center offers lovely hotel-style rooms in the Christiane Inn, where you can request a single or a double room. Each room has a private bathroom. Lower cost lodging options are available in the Farmhouse Cottage, with ten beds in four bedrooms and shared bathrooms. Linens are provided for all rooms in the Christiane Inn and the Farmhouse Cottage. Spiritual nurture funds are available through both local Meetings and through the Yearly Meeting. The retreat welcomes all of us who seek a deeper life in and with Spirit. If you have questions as the retreat nears, please contact the program registrar, Amy Schmaljohn, via email: amy “at” schmaljohn.com Registration closes Monday, August 24. Register today! |
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