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What We Believe

Who We Are

We are a church that is a part of the Lutheran Church- Missouri Synod (LCMS).  We believe that Jesus came to Earth, lived, died and came to life again after three days for our salvation from sin, death, and the devil. We believe that Jesus is fully human and fully God, making him a part of the triune God (The Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit), all of which works for our benefit.

We believe that if we have faith in Jesus that we are forgiven of all our personal failings (sins) and that we become connected again to God. We believe that when our life on Earth ends, that we will meet God face-to-face in Heaven.

You do not need to believe any of this in order to join us in worship. We invite you to come, hear, and see.  We want to meet you in your questions. 

Come to Bethlehem as you are. 
God is faithful

God

We believe in one God, Creator of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ

We believe that Jesus is completely God and completely man. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He died on a cross as a sacrifice for our sins as foretold in the Bible hundreds of years before it actually happened. We believe that Jesus miraculously rose from the dead, ascended into Heaven, and now acts as the only mediator between God and people.
Holy Spirit

Holy Spirit

We believe the Holy Spirit is active among us today, bringing conviction when a person has done wrong and creating the desire for forgiveness in Jesus Christ. He regenerates our hearts and lives within us. His ongoing work is to guide, instruct and empower believers to Godly living. 
Humanity

Humanity

We believe that people were created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) and that they were designed to have a perfect relationship with God.  Ever since the beginning of time, humans have rebelled against God, actively or passively choosing to go their own independent way.  We are therefore alienated from God and suffer the corruption of our nature because of our sin.
Salvation

Salvation

We believe that Jesus, the Son of God, willingly took our sinfulness upon Himself and was punished and died for our sins. He died in our place, taking our punishment on himself so that we might have our perfect relationship with God restored. It is through believing that Jesus died on the cross for our sins that we are saved. We are only saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
Bible

Bible

We believe that the Bible (both Old and New Testaments) have been given to humanity as a tool and gift from God for our use. We believe that the Bible originated with God and that it is His divinely written Word. The Bible is our guide to knowing God in a deep and intimate way and  serves as a guide for our lives.
The Church

The Church

We believe that the church is the body of believers, not a building. The church is made of flesh and blood, and not concrete and steel. The church is made up of those that have been connected to Jesus Christ, and depend on his life, death, and resurrection as their only means to be reconnected to the one true living God. The church is a community of believers holding to the faith passed down as expressed in the creeds (Apostles, Nicene, and Athanasian). The church is a community which is then called to go out into the world, connecting those far from God through the reflection of their transformed lives. The church is a community of people who have been created in Christ to love the one true living God and to love their neighbor as themselves. The church should be a community of people extending the same love and forgiveness that God first extended to them.
The Sacraments

The Sacraments

We believe that God has given us Baptism, Communion and Confession/ Absolution (Forgiveness) as a physical and tangible means to pass on his love and forgiveness as it was given to us through Jesus Christ.
Baptism

Baptism

We believe that through Baptism, God adopts us through Jesus Christ as his children. God's children are given the full love and forgiveness of God. (Romans 6, Titus 3:5-8)
Baptism is not just plain water, but it is the water included in God’s command and combined with God’s Word (Matthew 28:19). Baptism is a tangible forgiveness of sins, rescue from death and the devil, and gift of eternal salvation. 
Communion

Communion

We believe that communion is a meal that was given to us by Jesus Christ himself during the Last Supper, in the time before he was sent to the cross. We believe this is a meal that has been given to the family of Christ,  which contains all of those who believe and trust in Jesus death and resurrection for their forgiveness and life.

We believe that communion is actually bread and wine and at the same time it is the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ, as his last words and testament assert. How they can be both at the same is a mystery that we can never fully comprehend, but we accept this fact on faith alone. What does communion do? It is a meal given to us for the forgiveness of sins, the strengthening of faith, and the building up of the family of Christ until the day that he returns. This message is given to us in Scripture.

Any person that believes these words, “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” is welcome to take part in Holy Communion.  If you do not believe in Jesus' life, death, and resurrection as God's redemption for your life, we ask that you refrain from receiving the Sacrament. If you have any questions as to the importance of Holy Communion or if you should participate in this meal, please reach out to our Pastor or Head Elder. 
Confession & Absolution (Forgiveness)

Confession & Absolution (Forgiveness)

We believe that when we confess our sins,  God, who is loving, kind, and faithful, will forgive each of our sins because of His Son Jesus, who died on the cross to forgive us and restore our relationship with God.