Our Purpose
We believe God intends for our worshipping community to be grounded in God’s love, centered on Jesus Christ, and empowered by the Holy Spirit in order to be a blessing to our world, our city and one another.
Our Character
What is character? It’s not who we aspire to be, but who we are.
Worship
Corporate worship is the heart of Bethany, linking us to God and one another
Christ-Centered
Bethany’s unity is centered on Christ, which allows for diverse and creative approaches to worship and Christian life together.
Service Together
Small group fellowship and using our gifts in service is our doorway to community and connection in the church and world.
Lay Leadership
Bethany values and practices lay leadership in all areas of ministry.
Holy Spirit
We pray, listen, study scripture and actively wait, anticipating that the Holy Spirit will guide us.
Our Direction
The following Statement of Direction points towards particular areas, or “growing edges,” in which our Session believes God is calling us to participate.
In the past, the creation of such a statement has been useful: as a discipline in helping us look and listen for where God is already at work; as a tool for budget preparation; and as a means of encouraging different ministry areas to work together towards the same priorities. This Statement is not an attempt to list all of Bethany’s ministries, nor should it be seen as marginalizing any of them.
We believe that God is always leading us into deeper discipleship and community, nurturing us and teaching us through the reading and study of scripture, worship, prayer, creation care, arts, small groups, classes, and relationships of many kinds. As we seek to follow Christ and share God’s message of redemption and reconciliation in the world, we believe God calls us to be intergenerational, invitational, and incarnational. Specifically, in this time and place, God is calling us to:
Invite Newcomers:
Into a welcoming church family of worship, relationships, and service.
Invest in Seniors (65+) and Emerging Adults (20s):
Who hold Bethany’s history and steward our growing ministry future.
Immerse Ourselves in Scripture:
As an authority for our lives and a means of discernment.
Incarnate Jesus' Mercy:
By caring compassionately for refugees and asylees in our community.
Incarnate Kingdom Justice:
By understanding the privileges we have inherited as a predominantly white church as well as the systems of institutional racism that surround us, and practicing anti-racism through compassionate and informed action.
Our Traditions
What makes Bethany fairly distinct among other Presbyterian churches is the way we hold together five historic Christian traditions.
Reformed/ Evangelical
The reformed/evangelical tradition shows itself in a high view of the authority of the Bible and the call to personal faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Charismatic
The charismatic tradition can be seen in a desire to be attentive to the leading of the Holy Spirit and an openness to the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Holiness
The holiness tradition is visible in a desire to be obedient and holy and to glorify God in all areas of life.
Social Justice
Social justice is manifest through our Wednesday Night Dinner program, along with a financial commitment to develop ministries both locally and overseas.
Contemplative
The contemplative tradition shows itself in moments of silence in worship, quiet day retreats, and a desire to make spaces to listen to God.
Presbyterian Church (USA)
We are affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A) denomination. PC(USA) is distinctly a confessional and a connectional church, distinguished by the representation of elders—laymen and laywomen—in its government. Our theology is reformed and our form of government stresses the active, representational leadership of both ministers and church members.