Our Mission
Bethel Church exists to help people to discover God’s purpose for their life through a life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ.
Our Name
Bethel finds it history in the Bible in Genesis 28:10-19. It was the place where Jacob encountered God as he journeyed alone to another country. It was there that God revealed himself to Jacob in a dream and the experience made such an impact upon his life that he called the place Bethel which means “the house of God.” We truly want people to experience the presence of God when they attend our church or any of its ministry activities. For over sixty years Bethel has been a place where people go who are hurting and where they discover the unconditional love of God as it is revealed in Scripture.
Church Identity Values
Values that define our church identity are based upon three Great teachings of Jesus.
These foundational principles include…..
THE GREAT COMMANDMENT
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THE GREAT COMMISSIONMatthew 28:18-20 provides us with the mission of the church as it pertains to fulfilling God’s purpose on earth. Jesus said, “…Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you….”
The last thing Jesus told his disciples was to take the message of salvation to all the world. He promised that they would be his witnesses in all the world and would be empowered with the Holy Spirit to enable them to complete his will. This command includes reaching the lost, teaching new converts the ways of Christ, and training them to become effective witnesses. The church exists for the sake of those who have yet to know and experience Jesus Christ as savior.
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THE GREAT COMPASSION
Matthew 25:34-40 provides us with the practical demonstration of the love of God through his disciples. Jesus said, “I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or needing clothing, or in prison?” And the King will reply, “whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'”
The Great Compassion demands that we do more than talk about loving others. We must act and do something when the need arises. We seek to serve others in order to show them the love and compassion of Jesus Christ.
Church Culture Values
Values that define our church culture…
SINCERE PRAYERWhen we work, we work. When we pray, God works. Our constant reliance upon God is indicated by our constant devotion to prayer. It is our first resort and an important element in every aspect of the church.
SPIRIT-LED ENCOUNTERSKnowing God and knowing about Him are two different things. Therefore, we feel very strongly that it is important to create environments where people can truly encounter God. We do this by being submissive to the Holy Spirit and by allowing Him to direct all of our worship experiences. |
MINISTRY EXCELLENCEGod gave the very best that heaven had to offer in Jesus. Likewise, excellence is the standard by which we measure all that we do. Deliberate mediocrity does not honor God or His reputation in our world. We strive to always be well prepared and spiritually ready to minister to others. Our striving for excellence for God has helped our church become what it is today.
CULTURAL RELEVANCEThe Gospel message has never gone out of style but its method of delivery changes with culture. We believe in being flexible with our methods. Everything except our message is negotiable. |
FOCUSED SIMPLICTY
A continued focus on our mission keeps our church from becoming complex. All of our ministries serve the same purpose and are aligned with our vision and mission, i.e., to bring people to a life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ.
What We Believe
THE BIBLEIt is the Inspired Word of God. The Old and New Testament are verbally inspired by God and the only written revelation from God to man. The Bible is infallible and the ultimate authority for living (2 Timothy 3:15-17, 1 Thessalonians 2:13 & 1 Peter 1:21).
GODThere is one true God. God is called by many different names because of the different dimensions of His personality, but God is One (Deuteronomy 6:4). God is super-dimensional and eternally self-existent (John 8:54-59). God is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. He is the creator of the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1&2). While God is one, He has revealed Himself in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19).
JESUSJesus Christ is the second person of the Trinity, the eternal Son of God. The Scripture declares his virgin birth (Matthew 1:18-23); His sinless life (Hebrews 7:26 & I Peter 2:22 & I John 3:4,5); His miracles (Acts 2:22, 10:37-38); His substitutionary death on the cross (II Corinthians 5:21 & I Peter 2:24 & I Corinthians 15:4); His bodily resurrection from the dead (Matthew 28:1-6 & I Corinthians 15:4); His exaltation to the right hand of God (Acts 1:9,11 & Philippians 2:9-11).
The Holy SpiritThe baptism in the Holy Spirit was the promise given to the church by Jesus that they would receive power to fulfill the Great Commission (Luke 24:46-49; Acts 1:8; 2:1-4). This baptism is subsequent to the experience of salvation, and should be accompanied by the initial evidence of speaking in other tongues (Acts 2:4; 10:45-46; 11:15-17; 19:4-7). The ninefold fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23) are the evidence of a Spirit-filled life and the mark of spiritual maturity. The nine gifts of the Spirit are different manifestations of the Spirit to build up the body (I Cor. 12:1-11). We are instructed to diligently seek the gifts (I Cor. 12:31, 14:1), but they must be exercised in an orderly way (I Cor. 14:26-33) and in the context of love (I Cor. 13:1-13).
About the FutureThere are two resurrections at some point in th future. One is the resurrection of the righteous, and the other is the resurrection of the wicked (John 5:28-29). Both will stand before God and receive rewards according to their deeds. Those whose names are written in the Book of Life will be resurrected and stand at the judgment seat of Christ to be rewarded for their good deeds (I Cor. 4:5). At the Great White Thorne judgment everyone whose name is not found written in the Book of Life, along with the devil and his angels, will be consigned to everlasting punishment in the lake of fire (Rev. 20:11-15). |
The Church– Baptism in Water The Scripture teaches that all who repent and believe in Christ are to be baptized by immersion (Matthew 28:19). Baptism is a public profession of faith in Christ. It is symbolic of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. It is a declaration to the world that we have died to sin and have been raised with Christ to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4).
– Communion The Lord’s table consists of two elements: the bread and cup. Those elements are symbolic of the body and blood of Christ. Communion is a memorial of Christ’s sufferings on the cross and a celebration of our salvation. It is an opportunity for a believer to examine himself and experience forgiveness. The Church is the body of Christ (I Corinthians 12:12-27) and has a three-fold purpose: To evangelize the world (Acts 1:8 & Mark 16:15-16), to worship God (I Cor. 12:13), and to equip people for ministry (Ephesians 4:11-16 & I Cor. 12:28, 14:12).
MANKINDMankind has a fallen nature. Man was created in the image of God (Genesis 2:26). However, by a voluntary act of the will, Adam and Eve disobeyed God (Genesis 3:6). That first sin had severe repercussions. Man was excommunicated from the garden of Eden (Genesis 3:23), a curse was pronounced upon him (Genesis 3:14-19), the process of physical death began (Genesis 2:17), and man died spiritually (Romans 5:12-19). Sin separated humankind from God (Ephesians 2:11-18) and left man in a fallen or sinful condition (Romans 3:23).
Mankind can be saved. The only means of salvation is Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12 & John 14:6). He died on the cross to pay the penalty of our sins (I Peter 2:24). He offers each of us a pardon for our sins (Hebrews 9:26) and wants us to become children of God (John 1:12). When we put our faith in Christ, it triggers a spiritual chain reaction. We become the Temple of the Holy Spirit (I Cor. 6:19). Our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life (Rev. 3:5). We become citizens of heaven (Phil. 3:20-21). We are given eternal life (John 3:16). We are adopted and become children of God (Gal. 4:4-7). Our sins are forgiven and forgotten (Heb. 8:12). We are credited with the righteousness of Christ (Rom. 4:4-5). We are born-again (John 3:3). God takes ownership of us (I Cor. 6:20). We receive an eternal inheritance (Ephesians 1:13-14 & I Peter 1:3-5).
The evidence of salvation is two-fold. The internal evidence is the direct witness of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:16). The external evidence is the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22, 23). We become a new creation (II Cor. 5:17) and are transformed into the image of Christ (II Cor. 3:18). In other words, “we do what we do because we are what we are.” The nature of a thing dictates what it does. Salvation is the birth of a new nature. |