Vision Statement
Bethel seeks to be a relevant presence of love, compassion, and acceptance to everyone in our community, helping them to experience the transforming love of Jesus through an intimate communal relationship with God. We strive to live missionally by praying for and serving our community and those in need
Key Values
Love, Acceptance, and Compassion for Everyone
Bethel believes that God wants everyone to know and experience His love, this love is full of acceptance and compassion for everyone. The New Testament teaches us this must include those who are deemed outsiders by the world.
Community
Bethel believes that we cannot be who we were created to be as humans apart of communal relationships. It is through dependence on one another and God that we are able to stand in the midst of chaos and suffering and joy and celebration.
Transformation and Creativity
Bethel believes that God calls all of us to be transformed. We believe that each of us can and should be better humans everyday. We believe that this transformation is only possible as we are dependant on God and our fellow humanity.
Part of transformation is seen and developed through creativity. Bethel believes that being creative opens us to deeper and more progressive change. It inspires us to walk as created co-creator with God.
Following the Way of Jesus
Bethel, being a Christian community, understands that the best way that we have found to live on this earth is to walk in the way of Jesus. This should include
Serving humanity especially the rejected
Being missional
which requires us to be relevant to the world and especially to the valley
Sharing the good news of grace, mercy, love, and forgiveness
Relationship with God and Humanity
Bethel believes that being in relationship with God is not enough. God calls us to be in relationship with humanity and the world as well. We must love all of humanity and seek to bring reconciliation between God and His creation. This means that we believe we are responsible to care for the world, and all of its resources.
Grace at All Costs
Bethel understands that the world is full of Un-grace. We believe that we are in the world to be the embodiment of God’s grace and peace.
Grace meaning the absolutely free expression of the fullness of God’s love or God’s favor of us though undeserved.
and Peace meaning (shalom) harmony or every kind of good
Excellence and Consistency
Bethel believes that everything we do should be done as excellently as humanly possible. We believe that if something is worth doing it should be done well.
Doing things well implies consistency. Bethel understands that the Church in its past has been historically inconsistent. It is our hope that we would walk a new and different way, a way that is relevant, consistent, and excellent.
