Bible Study
Bible Study, led by members and friends, meets in the church library every Sunday morning from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. September through May except those Sundays when a church breakfast is planned. Childcare is provided.
Seekers
This group meets the third Thursday of each month September through June to read and discuss books that have a spiritual theme. All are welcome whether they have read the book or not.
Movies and Discussions
Our Faith in Action group sponsors a bimonthly Movie Night, open to everyone, to view and discuss films and documentaries dealing with peace, justice and social issues.
Book Group
This group meets in the church parlor at 10:00 a.m. on the second Tuesday of each month to read and discuss books of various themes (fiction and non-fiction and occasionally plays or poetry). All are welcome whether they have read the book or not.
BUCC Asbury and Friends
This group meets the second Thursday of the month at 11:45 am September through June for lunch and fellowship, discussions on current topics, and speakers. Everyone is welcome to come to the meetings which are held at the Russell Avenue Cafe at the Asbury Methodist Village in Gaithersburg.
LGBT and Friends
This group meets to support LGBT issues and deepen Bethesda UCC’s “open and affirming” witness in our community, in the wider church, and the world. Everyone is welcome!
Prayer Shawl Group
This group meets the third Thursday of each month from September through May to knit or crochet shawls and lap robes for a prayer shawl ministry. Shawls are then given to those experiencing illness and at times of loss or joy. It’s also a wonderful opportunity to just chat and enjoy each other's company. If you don’t know how to knit, there are sure to be "teachers" on hand.
Choir
Everyone is welcome to join the choir for the season from September through May or just for a special holiday including Advent/Christmas and/or Lent/Easter. The choir primarily rehearses before worship on Sunday mornings at 9:00 a.m. There are a few evening rehearsals (1½ hours long) before the new season begins in the fall and before Christmas and Easter.
Monthly Church Breakfast
This is an opportunity to share a great breakfast, for fellowship, and to hear an interesting guest speaker on a variety of topics. Breakfasts are scheduled for 9:00 a.m. on the third Sunday of the month in the fellowship hall. Children are welcome and childcare is provided.
Families with Children Potlucks
This group is for anyone with children looking for a fun, “child-friendly” fellowship activity. Throughout the year, the group meets every couple of months on Friday nights for dinner and separate activities for the kids and adults. Childcare is provided for the youngest of the group.
Summer Church Picnic
All are invited to our annual church picnic the first Sunday in June at a nearby park, where we grill different meats and veggie burgers, share side dishes, and enjoy the outdoors. Children play on the nearby playground equipment, while adults catch up with each other over great food.
Advent Potluck
Our Advent potluck is the first Friday night in December. We share holiday foods and desserts, and the children make crafts. Then we play games, hear stories, and sing Christmas carols around the fireplace in our parlor.
Christmas Putz
On the Saturday morning following Thanksgiving, we build a putz. It is a wonderful, fun-filled annual tradition at our church going back 30 years. A putz is a Pennsylvania Moravian tradition of constructing the nativity scene or the Christmas story using natural materials such as driftwood, tree stumps, sand, moss, and wood or ceramic figures. It is a special part of our Christmas Eve service when we use it to tell the Christmas story while lighting up the figures in sequence on the putz. We have young and old help put it together, from uncrating our stumps, moss and sand, to crumpling up newspaper and constructing the scenes.