Bellingham Friends (Quakers) have been meeting for shared worship each Sunday for several decades. For a number of years, we were “under the care” of University Friends Meeting in Seattle, but in the 1980s, we became our own Monthly Meeting and have since had other worship groups under our care. There are usually between twenty and thirty adults and several children attending on any given Sunday. Our eldest attenders have been in their 90s, our youngest is currently under two.
Many of us come from Christian backgrounds of one kind and another, but many come to Quakerism from an agnostic or theist perspective, and others enrich our worship with their knowledge of and commitment to other traditions: Jewish, Muslim, Pagan, and Buddhist, to name a few of current attenders’ spiritual homes. Our mutual commitment is to honoring our Quaker history of spiritual seeking and “right action” — behaving in a way that is consistent with our shared values of simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality and stewardship.
In all things, both with one another and with the world, we seek to be guided by a spirit of compassion and love. We are active in local peace and justice work, including the establishment of the Whatcom Peace and Justice Center and the Friday afternoon vigil for peace and justice at the Federal Building in downtown Bellingham. We welcome newcomers’ energy and ideas as an enrichment of our community. Here is a more complete history of our Meeting.
State of the Meeting 2023
Here is the latest State of the Meeting (State of Society) report approved by Meeting 3/12/2023. 2022
And here are reports from previous years: 2021, 2020, 2019, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2007. These report get submitted to Pacific Northwest Quarterly Meeting each spring.
Activities
For a list of Bellingham Friends Meeting’s current regular activities and how to learn more about them, click here.
Photo Gallery
Our photo gallery contains photos of some of our members and regular attenders. View the gallery here. If you would like your picture posted here, end a photo to:
Committee and Job Descriptions
To learn more about the various roles that make the Meeting work, we have a list of job descriptions that are available here.
Guidelines, Policies and Best Practices
Here are things we have learned along the way that help us live and worship with love, integrity and safety. We address everything from confidentiality and responding to inclement weather to committee communications and a how to guide for those volunteering to be Care of Meeting. Click here for more.
Ever been puzzled about Quaker jargon?
The Outreach and Welcoming Committee is pleased to announce its publication of “A Quaker Glossary, with Some Notes on How Things Got That Way,” originally drafted by Howard Harris several years ago and recently augmented and edited by OWC Clerk Don Goldstein. The current version was revised on 4/15/17 to include some new terms. Here are a couple of sample definitions:
Continuing revelation —- The belief that God (or the spiritual dimension) can speak directly to people today just as tradition says happened in earlier times. Also called “ongoing revelation”
Lay down —- To terminate a committee or activity when its work is completed, no longer felt necessary, or is not sustainable with the resources available.
The entire glossary may be read or downloaded by clicking here. A few paper copies will also be available at Explorations Academy. Feedback to OWC about the glossary, including suggestions for definitions of additional Quaker-jargon words and expressions, is welcome by contacting Don at dnx6309@gmail.com.
Vocal Ministry Guidelines
Unprogrammed meetings don’t have a minister. All ministry comes from people who attend Meeting and who speak out of the silence. Here are vocal ministry guidelines that have been drafted by Bellingham Friends Meeting to help members and attenders of the Meeting discern whether to speak.
Other resources
Here is further information about our Meeting and beyond that you might find useful.
Recommended Reading for Newcomers
Quaker Speak videos from Seasons 1-3
Values document
BFM activities and information-revised 12-3-18
NPYM_Administration