Bethany's Mission:
To inspire people to follow Jesus
Bethany's Vision Statement:
We inspire one another to follow Jesus so that more and more people experience the love of God on a daily basis.
Bethany is a faith community of 2,000+ members and is a part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA). The ELCA has approximately 10,000 congregations across the United States and nearly five million members.
What We Believe
At Bethany, we believe you are uniquely created and called to make a difference in the world for God. God will always abide with you as you seek His Kingdom first in your life.
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About God
We believe in the God who is eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God is the author of all life and creator of the universe. We believe Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection to be historically accurate and that his personal return in power and glory represents the hope for the world. We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by who’s indwelling the Christian is enabled to follow Jesus in the world.
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About Salvation
We believe that salvation is a gift given to us because of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. We can do nothing to earn salvation, but instead we receive it as gift through faith, or by placing our trust in Christ. The purpose of salvation is not to condemn but to call all people to the coming Kingdom of God on earth.
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About the Bible
We believe that the bible is the inspired Word of God, accurate in its teaching, contextual in its origins and interpreted through the life and message of Jesus Christ. We believe that the authority of Scripture reveals God’s providential will in matters of faith and life.
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About Infant and Adult Baptism
We teach that Baptism is a sacrament, or a means of grace by which God adopts us, calls us, and promises the gift of the Holy Spirit. We believe scripture supports infant baptism not as a means of salvation, but as a means of grace. Upon the affirmation of faith in the promises of baptism, adults are reborn children of God and inheritors of eternal life.
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About Communion
We teach that Holy Communion is a sacrament, or a means of grace by which God promises to forgive, restore, and share the provision of the Holy Spirit. All who believe that Christ is present in the Holy Meal are welcome to receive communion at Bethany regardless of their church or religious affiliation.
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About the Church
We believe the Gospel, recorded in the Holy Scriptures and confessed in the ecumenical creeds and Lutheran confessional writings, as the power of God to create and sustain the Church for God's mission in the world. Above all we are called to love others like Jesus Christ loves us.
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About Women in Leadership
We believe God created both man and women to share roles of leadership in family, church, and life. Passages in scripture which limit leadership for women are viewed as inspired but timebound in their cultural context and therefore not to be a universal teaching.
Living in Rhythm
At Bethany we value the “rhythms of discipleship” demonstrated by the early church as laid out in Acts 2. We believe that these rhythms or practices hold the key to living and growing close to God, true community, and the call to mission and discipleship.
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Serve the Community - Acts 2:42,46
We are called and equipped by the Holy Spirit to share God’s love by participating in the ministry of Jesus. He has given us agency with him to fearlessly influence our society and the world. When we serve God in the world and his church, we impact those around us and reveal God’s glory.
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Worship - Acts 2:42
As children of God, it is important to set aside time to remember what God has done, thank him, and give him glory. In all circumstances, we are called to practice God-centered worship.
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Prayer - Acts 2:26-28, 46-47
One of the most important elements in any relationship is communication. Prayer is just that; engaging God in conversation, sharing our hearts, and spending time listening to God’s voice, both individually and in the community.
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Freedom from Strongholds - Acts 2:37-39
Jesus saves those who believe and call upon his name. Saving grace is once and for all (justification) and also a continual invitation to repent for our wrongdoings. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we take inventory of our lives, humbly and honestly confess our sins and turn away from our sins toward God in surrender. Through Jesus’s offer of forgiveness, we receive true freedom.
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Sacrificial Generosity - Acts 2:44-46
Giving demonstrates our dependence on God. We acknowledge that all we own has been given to us by God. In his generosity toward us God desire that we, too, are generous and will use our resources as a tangible way to partner with him in his work in the world and the lives of those around us. We are blessed to be a blessing.
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Share Your Story - Acts 2:14-36
The greatest gift we can ever give someone who doesn’t yet know Jesus is an introduction to him. Sharing our life stories is the most powerful way to show the transforming power and salvation offered through Jesus Christ. When we tell our stories of transformation, we tell the story of God.
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Daily Devotion - Acts 2:44-45
Scripture is the very Word of God. Through it, God equips us with all we need to learn about him and live a life pleasing to him. A daily rhythm of reading, meditating on, and applying God’s Word to our lives is key.
