After Jesus resurrected, His Church grew as the apostles began preaching and teaching about Him. As believers were added, the apostles established regional or local bodies, places for Christians to learn and grow, worship, pray, serve, build relationships, and receive guidance and discipline from spiritual leaders. As a Christian, you have a place to belong. The Bible is clear on the benefits of belonging to a community of believers structured and governed in accordance with New Testament principles and practices. As a local church, Bethesda is a place to be established and strengthened in the faith as we meet regularly to worship and to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
(2 Peter 3:18)

Christian marriage is a God-ordained, lifelong covenant entered into publicly by a man and a woman with mutual consent and vows of faithfulness, uniting them both physically and spiritually. Scripture uses the sacrament of marriage to explain the covenant relationship God desires with His people, emphasizing the importance of purity. The Bible tells us that husband and wife become one flesh; any union other than a man and woman within marriage is sin, and a Christian should also not seek a marital bond with an unbeliever (2 Corinthians 6:14-15). As Christians, husband and wife are equal before the Lord (Galatians 3:28) and are to submit to Christ and to one another (Ephesians 5:21), moving beyond previous family bonds and beginning a new family.

Acts 2:38 tells us to “repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ.” By turning from the old lifestyle of sin and being immersed in water, a believer comes to relate to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus: “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life” (Romans 6:4). If you have repented of your sins and made Jesus Christ the Lord of your life but you have never been baptized, we would like to help you take this next step.

“Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him” (Psalm 127:3). Being entrusted with one of God’s greatest gifts is an awesome and momentous responsibility. At Bethesda, we encourage parents to bring their children to the altar and dedicate each one to God, acknowledging Him as the Giver of life as church elders lay their hands on the child and pray a prayer of dedication and blessing. Dedication also serves as a way for parents to publicly commit to raise their children “in the training and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4) while trusting the Holy Spirit to draw their children’s hearts to eventually receive Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.

<strong>Rooted 1</strong> focuses on questions and answers that are foundational to Christianity. Where did the Bible come from? Why should I read the Bible today? Who is God? Who is Jesus? Does the death of Jesus have anything to do with me? Did Jesus really come back from the dead? What is the purpose of my life? Can I be assured of life after death? The Rooted 1 journey explores the answers to these questions and many more. As each question is posed, clear concise answers give a ​revelation of God’s plan and purpose for life.
<br><strong>Rooted 2</strong> picks up where Rooted 1 leaves off, providing meaningful answers to living​ out your faith daily in every context of life–relationships, work, finances and more. As you make application in these areas of life, you will be strengthened, rooted deeper and built up in Jesus Christ.

Every dollar we receive at Bethesda helps us deliver the Gospel and bless individual lives through our ministries and our missions. We bring our tithes and offerings to the Lord as acts of worship and obedience, knowing that everything we have is from Him: “‘Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it’” (Malachi 3:10). Just as God was able to multiply the loaves and the fishes in Mark 6, we trust Him to use our offering in miraculous ways.