What We Believe

The Bible

We believe the Bible is the active, inerrant, and infallible Word of God. It shows us our sin through the Law and most importantly, tells us about the saving work of Jesus Christ in the Gospel for sinners.  It is source and basis for all our teaching here at Bethel Lutheran Church.
 

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." - Psalm 119:105

God

We teach that the one true God, Deut. 6:4; 1 Cor. 8:4, is the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost, three distinct persons, but of one and the same divine essence.  We confess the three persons of the Trinity as:

We believe in the Father, creator of all that exists;

We believe in Jesus Christ, the Son, who became human to suffer and die for the sins of all human beings and to rise to life again in the ultimate victory over death and Satan.  The Bible shows us our Savior throughout its pages.

We believe in the Holy Ghost, who creates and preserves faith through God’s Word and Sacraments.

What does “Lutheran” mean?

Bethel Lutheran accepts and preaches the Bible-based teachings of Martin Luther that inspired the reformation of the Christian Church in the 16th century.  We hold to the Lutheran Confessions as found in the Book of Concord being a true presentation of what Holy Scripture teaches, along with the three creeds: Nicene, Apostles, and Athanasian. The teaching of Luther and the reformers are often summarized as follows: Grace alone, Faith alone, Scripture alone.

Luther’s Small Catechism is a great compact summary of our beliefs.

What does “Synod” mean?

The word “Synod” in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod comes from Greek words that mean “walking together.” The term has rich meaning in our church body because congregations voluntarily choose to belong to the Synod.  We are a nationwide church body of congregations which hold to the Lutheran Confessions.  

What to expect in our Worship Service.

Traditional Lutheran worship focuses on Jesus Christ and what He has done for us and our salvation.  We receive His grace and mercy.

We sing our praises and thanksgiving to God. 

Our services glorify the Lord with hymns, prayers, creeds, and Christ-centered sermons.  In a fast paced, ever changing, turbulent world, we believe that these historic elements act as roots and ground our faith in the unchanging truth of Jesus. 

We would be so happy to have you join us to hear of the forgiveness of sins in Jesus Christ!

Communion Policy:  

Here at Bethel Lutheran Church, with our church body, the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LCMS), practice closed communion.  We believe that in the Lord's Supper we are receiving the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins (Matthew 26:26-28).  That means that since we believe that in the Lord's Supper, we receive the Lord's True Body and His True Blood.  We also believe that it is possible to receive the Lord's Supper to your spiritual harm if you are unprepared to receive this gift (1 Corinthians 11:29). We care about your spiritual health and desire you to be in a true fellowship with us.  We therefore reserve the supper for those who are baptized and confirmed members of the LCMS.  If you are not a baptized and confirmed member of the LCMS, we welcome you to participate by coming forwards during the distribution with your arms crossed over your chest, and receive a blessing. If this is your first time communing with us, or you believe you should be able to receive the Lord's Supper here, please speak with the pastor beforehand. Note that, if I have not seen you before at the communion rail, I will ask if you are a baptized and confirmed member of this or another LCMS congregation.

We exist in order to preach the Gospel and deliver the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ through the means of Word and Sacrament, while serving our neighbor, in Sutherland and the surrounding area.