Bethel's Core Values
Who we are and how we do ministry

Devoted to Prayer
Prayer is a primary means through which we experience intimacy with God and receive his power to know, enjoy and share Jesus; therefore we devote ourselves to prayer in worship, life and ministry.

Obedience to Scripture and the Holy Spirit
With the Bible as our final authority and the Holy Spirit as our guide, we build on the solid foundation of our past and foster a climate of openness, creativity and innovation as we obediently follow God in the future.

Christ-centered
Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life. He is the living Lord, the true Head of the Church, the one around whom we center our lives, worship, fellowship and ministry. He is the Vine and we are the branches, and apart from him we can do nothing. So we aim to stay joined to the Vine, relying on his resurrection power at work in, through, and among us.

Grace-oriented
God freely embraces all people with undeserved love and offers everyone salvation by grace, through faith in Christ; therefore, grace and hospitality pervade all we do. We aim to be a congregation that offers people, no matter who they are, a place to belong, accepting them just as they are but committed to helping them become all that God wants them to be.

Diversity is Celebrated
God has created all people in his image, but this takes expression in many different forms (cultures, backgrounds, races, personalities, temperaments, etc.). We also affirm that Christ’s body consists of many different parts that all function together for the same purpose; therefore, we do not seek uniformity but instead we celebrate diversity.

Created for Community
The Christian life is not to be lived alone; rather, God has given us the gift of community where people know each other, care for each other, pray for each other and join with the Holy Spirit to build each other up in Christ. Therefore, we place a strong emphasis on Christ-centered fellowship and the importance of knowing, enjoying and sharing Jesus in community.

Focused on Discipleship
Following Christ is a daily, life-long commitment. God desires us to be continually growing in our knowledge, enjoyment and witness of Jesus. Therefore, we are focused on helping people in all stages of life grow and develop, in the power of the Holy Spirit, as faithful followers of Christ.

Committed to be Missional
God has called and empowered his people not simply for themselves but to be a blessing to the world, a light to the nations; therefore, we use every means at our disposal to join God in reaching out and ministering to others. We understand outreach to be two-fold: sharing the gospel (evangelism) and acts of justice, mercy and compassion (social action). We desire to be a mission station—committed to both local and global mission. We recognize that ultimately ministry is God’s work—God issues the call, leads the way and gives the directions. God graciously ministers through us as we prayerfully listen to God’s Word, discern the Spirit’s leading, discover where God is at work and obediently join him in ministry.

Gift-based, Passion-driven Ministry
Every member is a minister. God has gifted every member with the Holy Spirit, along with spiritual gifts, passions, talents and life skills, which are to be developed and used to build up the body of Christ and to join God in ministry to the world. Therefore, ministry arising from the gifts, passions, talents, skills and call of God in the life of each member is encouraged and supported.

Authentic, Dynamic Worship
This is the end for which we were created: to worship the living God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It is in the context of worship that we are shaped as a faith community and impassioned and empowered to join God in ministry. We celebrate that there are many different styles, forms and expressions of worship, and we believe that worship should involve the whole person (body, emotions, intellect, and will). We also value excellence and creativity in our worship as we believe that God deserves our best and nothing less. Lastly, we affirm that worship is a lifestyle of obedience, not simply a once a week experience.

Faithful Stewardship
We are not our own but belong to God in Christ Jesus. We believe that God has entrusted us with our lives and our resources in order to be enjoyed wisely and to glorify him and his kingdom. We also believe that we will be held accountable for what we have done with what we have been given. Therefore, gladly and generously, we offer ourselves and our resources (gifts, talents, skills, time, material possessions, money, etc.) to God to be used for his glory. We value the biblical notions of offering God our “first fruits” (our first and our best) and tithing.