Considering Membership?

Four Simple Steps

1. Share your testimony | written or video
2. Be baptized as a believer
3. Meet with membership committee
4. Receive membership approval from the Elder Board

What is a tithe?

As Christ followers, we believe that we are to follow God's command regarding tithing. "Tithe" means "tenth" or 10 percent. Leviticus 27:30 says, "A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD." In Malachi 3:8-10 God speaks to His people, "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. 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 you will not have room enough for it."

Why is giving so important?

We also recognize that Jesus talked more about giving than the subjects of heaven, hell, or prayer. In Matthew 6:21 and 24 Jesus says, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also…No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." In Luke 6:38 He says, "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

How do I excel in giving?

The apostle Paul spoke to the new churches about giving. In 1 Corinthians 16:1-2, Paul admonishes the Corinthian church, "Now about the collection for God's people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made." He prompted the believers to be generous. 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 says, "Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." And in 2 Corinthians 8:7 he encourages, "But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us—see that you also excel in this grace of giving."

What is an offering?

Bethel believes that we are mere stewards of what God has given us. Therefore, we see tithing as giving back what is God's to God (and He lets us keep the other 90% to use appropriately). Any amount above 10% is considered an offering to God. This type of giving is over and above and should also be done with cheerfulness.

Why do we give?

Why do we give? Giving is a privilege. The storehouse spoken of in Malachi is what we consider the local church. By partnering our monies together, God's work is done more effectively. Even Paul recognized this in the newly formed churches of the New Testament. He tells the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 8:13-15, "Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, as it is written: "He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little."

BETHEL OVERVIEW

Founded in1954, Bethel Church of Owatonna are faithful followers who are committed to fulfilling the Great Commission. As the church looks forward to the next season of life as a congregation, there is a renewed desire to build momentum that aligns with what have been its core strengths over time. Those strengths include reaching the local community with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, building up disciples through teaching and preaching of the Word of God, and impacting the world for the kingdom of God through faithful support of domestic and international missions.

Steven D. Anderson served faithfully as the Senior Pastor of Bethel for 28 years, until May of 2008, when he joined the staff of the Baptist General Conference. Currently Dan Rotach serves as the Interim Pastor.  He leads the congregation from the pulpit and assists the staff and board in moving the church forward in ministry to the Owatonna community.

Bethel Church is an independent church affiliated with the Minnesota Baptist Conference and Baptist General Conference. We currently welcome about 550 people to worship each weekend. Bethel Church is a vibrant, growing church. Our passion is to reach out in relevant ways in order to bring the light and hope of Christ to those who need Him.

When Jesus Christ walked this earth, he spent time eating and talking with those who searched for truth. Some were poor, some rich, some wounded, some proud, some hesitant, some passionate... but all of them were searching. That's our mission -- to be a community of Christ followers who are Living Free in God, Being Real with Others, and Bringing Hope to the World.

Regardless of where you are in your spiritual experience, we welcome you to join us. We want to help you take your next step in your journey --whether it's getting to know God, getting connected with friends, growing in your spiritual walk, using your gifts to help others, or sharing with others about what God has done in your life.

Join us for Sunday morning worship services and find out more about our ministries. As you involve yourself more in services, classes, and groups, we're confident you'll discover the love, laughter, friendships, and spiritual growth you've been looking for.

Bethel Baptist?

Yes, we are part of the Baptist General Conference and Minnesota Baptist Conference.  However, we are independently governed, and as such, have as much association with the conference as we desire.  Being connected with a conference or denomination can offer benefits such as affordable camps/retreats for youth, tools within missions, and support for staff.

Bethel is a Staff lead / Elder governed church.  The Elder Board is responsible for setting the "ends" (or the final vision of why our church specifically exists), while the staff leads the church in the "means" (whatever direction they deem most appropriate and effective) to accomplish the vision.  The Board's role to the staff is simply to make sure they stay on task of accomplishing the vision.

Bulletin Item

Each Sunday we highlight several items in the bulletin. A spot in this section is never guaranteed, as space is limited. Decisions must be made based on scope of interest, strategic importance, and timeliness of news items relative to one another; balanced with the desire to protect our time of worship from becoming overrun by too many church business items.

 
Fill out a promotion request form by Tuesday noon for the upcoming Sunday.

Ministry Brochure or Mailing

A brochure may be created and/or placed in our racks, in the lobby at the Welcome Center upon approval by a Communication Team member. We will also create a mailing piece upon request and approval. Project decisions will be based on scope of interest, strategic importance and timeliness.
 

Fill out a promotion request form at least three weeks prior to the project due date.

Rolling Slide or Level 1 Announcement

You may request an announcement to appear as a rolling slide before the services and/or as a Level 1 announcement during the welcome in both services. When determining which announcements will be made, we must prioritize based on our limited space and time budget. Priorities are determined based on the scope of interest, strategic importance, and timeliness of announcements relative to one another; balanced with the desire to protect our time of worship from becoming overrun by too many church business items.

 
Fill out a promotion request form three weeks before the upcoming announcement.

Website

Each ministry is responsible for updating that ministry’s webpage. You may request a highlight on the home page for a ministry news item or event. Home page placement will be decided based on scope of interest, strategic importance, and timeliness of news items relative to one another.


Fill out a promotion request form two weeks before the home page target date.

All-church E-news

Each week we produce an all-church e-newsletter, THE WEEKLY, which is sent on Thursday afternoons. This is one of our key weekly tools for reaching our congregation with news items or event promotion. We generally run an announcement for three weeks.

 
Fill out a promotion request form by Tuesday noon of the week you would like your announcement to run.