1. We believe that the Bible is God’s Word and is the only source and guide for faith, doctrine, and life.
2. We accept the Lutheran Church’s Confession of Faith as being in conformity with God’s Word.
3. We believe that a congregation is an assembly of believing Christians where the Word of God is preached in truth and purity and where the sacraments are administered in accordance with the Lord’s institution.
4. Recognizing the clear distinction made in the Scriptures between the children of God and the children of the world, we believe in a personal experience of salvation in Christ.
5. We conduct our services using a simple order of worship where the sermon, based on the Word of God, occupies the most prominent place in the service.
6. We encourage the use of lay persons in spreading the gospel and furthering the work of the kingdom of God.
7. We seek through Sunday School, confirmation instruction, Bible Camp, Lutheran Brethren Youth Fellowship and Lutheran Brethren Youth Ministries to teach our youth to be followers of Jesus Christ.
8. We believe in a strong evangelistic emphasis and with other congregations support mission work in Canada and the United States and Cameroon, Chad, Japan and Taiwan.
9. We are aware of the value of Christian education and with other congregations sponsor Lutheran Brethren Seminary, Lutheran Center for Christian Learning and Hillcrest Lutheran Academy, Fergus Falls, Minnesota.
10. We are actively interested in giving persons of all ages an opportunity to enter into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Who Are the Lutheran Brethren?

We are a Lutheran synod with roughly 120 churches in the United States and Canada. We started in 1900 when five Lutheran churches in the midwest joined together to form a new denomination, which was Lutheran in theology, but also non-liturgical in worship with emphasis on the need of a personal relationship with Christ. Ever since then the Lutheran Brethren has been a mission oriented church body. Churches in the Lutheran Brethren are locally autonomous, but we are joined together by the desire to use the resources of all the churches to send out missionaries abroad and to start new churches at home. The headquarters of the synod is in Fergus Falls, Minnesota.

 

Church of the

Lutheran Brethren

 

COMMUNION at BETHEL

 

Who is invited to participate?  All who confess their sins and trust in Jesus Christ for forgiveness are invited to His table. You do not have to be an official member of our congregation. All believers are welcome.

 

What about children participating in Communion?  We believe that little children can know and love the Lord. However, Scripture indicates that those who receive communion must be able to "examine themselves" (I Corinthians 11:27). One of the purposes of our confirmation program is to enable young people to understand the Law and the Gospel and so become able to examine themselves before the Lord.  In deference to this practice, we ask that children wait until confirmation to receive the Lord's Supper.

High school age young people (as well as adults) who have not been confirmed in our church but confess Jesus Christ as Savior are welcome to receive communion.

 

What do we believe about Communion?  We believe in the real presence of Jesus Christ. Communion is not merely a symbolic action, but an event in which Jesus shares His body and blood with us (I Corinthians 10:16). The bread and wine do not change physically but are a means through which Jesus gives Himself to us spiritually and assures us of His forgiveness. All who confess this need for assurance and forgiveness and come to the supper with reverence are "worthy" to receive.(I Corinthians 11:27-29).