God is the one who has created and preserves us and all that exists.  In the Bible, God tells us who he is.  He reveals himself as one God expressed in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  He is eternal. He is love.

Sin is what separates us from God.  Sin is breaking God’s law; it is unbelief.  It is possible to sin in thoughts, words and actions.  Sin is doing what is wrong (law breaking) as well as failing to do what is right.  Sin is what comes natural to every human being; we are sinners from the very beginning of life.

Jesus is the Son of God.  He is equal with God in all ways.  Jesus became a man and through his perfect obedience and substitutionary death on a cross made a way for sinners like us to be put right with God again.  Jesus is the hope of the world; the Savior of all who trust in Him.

The Bible is God’s Word.  The Old and New Testaments, comprising 66 books, make up the Bible.  While written down by men it is what God says to us.  The Bible is “the final authoritative guide for faith, doctrine, and conduct.”*  So while culture changes, and with it morals and values, God’s Word does not change. It is relevant and true, speaking with authority to every culture and generation.  The Bible is about one main Person – Jesus Christ, and it tells one main story – the story of God’s great love for us, how far we’ve gone from that love and the extent to which He’ll go to bring us back.

* Church of the Lutheran Brethren Doctrinal Statement of Faith, Paragraph A.

Baptism is a way that God cleanses and claims people for Himself. Through baptism we are made new – forgiven of our sin, adopted into God’s spiritual family, made heirs of all God’s promises, and given a new way to live in this world. And yet, baptism itself can’t accomplish this; only Jesus can. This is why we say that baptism is a “means” of grace. Our focus in baptism is on Jesus, the true and only Savior.

Communion, like baptism, is a sacrament.  Through the visible means of bread and cup, God gives his invisible grace.  In communion we receive the body and blood of Jesus which brings to us the forgiveness of our sins, fellowship with Christ and other believers, and renewed faith.

Bethel is one church in two locations. One campus in Fergus Falls, Minnesota and a second campus, just recently started, in Battle Lake, Minnesota.
Bethel is a group of ordinary people living openly with God. This relationship results in loving care of family, neighbor, community and one another. We think being connected with God through faith in Jesus Christ is life’s highest priority and greatest good!

Many people at one time in their lives were part of a church, but somewhere along the line,  they left. People leave churches for lots of reasons – maybe something in their life happened that made them think or feel that they didn’t belong anymore, or maybe they just got bored with the whole thing. At Bethel, we’re far from perfect, but we seek to demonstrate the spirit of love, acceptance and integrity that marked the ministry of Jesus.

People from all walks of life connect at Bethel – children, seniors, teenagers, college students, singles and families. We welcome, equally, those who are simply curious to know more about God and the message of the Bible, as well as those who are really looking for a place to belong.