Vision.
Capsule:
Gathered and Sent.
Brief Definition:
We believe God is moving Bethel from primarily being a ‘come and see’ church to a ‘go and be’ church, on mission with God to the world around us. Everything we do inside the gathered church prepares us to be Spirit filled messengers outside the gathered church to live out and bring the good news to others. In others words, we gather together and we are sent.
Rationale:
We Gather:
For teaching, worship, fellowship, discipleship and encouragement. The gathered church is where we receive spiritual formation and growth.
We are Sent:
To be the hands, feet and voice of Christ, taking the gospel in a lifestyle that brings Christ to others, moving out into our neighborhoods with the love of Christ actively participating in the mission of God.
We respect and value the history of Bethel as a ‘lighthouse’ and that many have been attracted to the church and have come to faith in Christ. But we sense that we are increasingly becoming a society in which the gospel must be taken to others, rather than expecting people to come to church by being attracted to it.
‘Come and see’ churches tend to exist primarily for the members and depend on pastors and staff to evangelize the lost. When we live missionally, or on mission with God, we attempt to work with God as we grow in our faith and take Christ to the lost. As a ‘go and be’ church, we are engaged in living out our faith tangibly and reaching our community with the good news of Jesus Christ while also caring for and nurturing the diverse people in the family of God