What We Practice
The Lordship of Jesus Christ
When a person crosses over the line and trusts in Jesus as their savior they are also embracing Him as their Master. The lives of Christians should change over time as they lay aside the practices and attitudes of the “old life” and live for Christ. We, as saved people, strive to be like the one who saved us. We want to exemplify Christ's authority in every area of our lives.
The Bible as Our Sole Authority
The sole basis of our belief is the Bible, which is uniquely God-inspired, without error, and the final authority on all matters on which it bears, therefore we accept it as our manual for living. When we are faced with a decision our first question ought to be, "What does the Bible say?". Due to its importance, we value biblical preaching and teaching when the Church meets and practices regular Bible reading, study, and memorization as individuals.
Believer's Baptism by Immersion
We baptize only those individuals who are old enough to make a decision to place their trust in Christ for their salvation. There is no set age and each request for baptism is considered on a case-by-case basis. The New Testament pattern is belief in Christ, then the act of baptism (Acts 2:41; 8:13).
We practice baptism by immersion. This method of baptism best reflects the meaning of the Greek word "baptlzo", best symbolizes our death, burial, and resurrection with Christ, and was the practice of the early church.
Priesthood of the Believer
There is no special class of individuals who alone have access before God. The Bible teaches that every person who has trusted in Jesus has direct access to God through prayer, their sins are forgiven by confession to God, and they receive direction for life and service from God. As a result, on issues where the Bible is silent, believers are free to live according to their biblically informed conscience before God.
With this privilege of direct access to God comes the responsibility of service. God gifts His people to serve within the Church with the expectation that each believer will find a place to use these gifts. We all are privileged to serve - not just a few.
Congregational Government
In light of our commitment to the priesthood of every believer, we practice a congregational form of church government. Every member has a voice in the decision-making process of Bethel. Decisions affecting the Church are presented at regularly scheduled meetings where the membership is expected to provide input and then cast an informed vote. The outcome is based upon the prayerful consent of the majority.
Participating Membership
When a person comes to trust in Christ to save them, the Bible tells us that they are placed into “one body” (1 Corinthians 12:13). This “one body” is known as the Church. When the Scriptures use the term "church" it can refer to everyone on the planet who believes in Jesus Christ, the universal church; but, more likely, it refers to a group of believers in a local gathering just like Bethel. It is when a person joins a local congregation that they make concrete the fact that they are part of the spiritual body of Christ. In the New Testament the reality of a spiritual claim is measured by the degree to which it becomes physical. To align yourself with a particular local congregation is evidence of your claim to be a member of Christ's universal church. We believe that, while you can choose from a number of good churches in the Fairbanks area, Christians need to make a choice as to where they will settle down and become involved. This decision moves us out of the clouds of good intentions and into the clear light of committed participation. Only those who have crossed over the line and trusted in Jesus are accepted into membership at Bethel Church.
Bethel Church takes church membership very seriously. It is not merely about signing on a dotted line and being added onto a role sheet. True Church membership is about joining a family that is united in belief and purpose in order to share Christ with the world and with each other. Members at Bethel Church are united theologically. We have a common belief about God and his word. We are also united in values, which stem from our theology. Finally, our values lead us to be united in our mission to Fairbanks and to the world. It is critical to us that we are united, without division, in order to faithfully live out our faith together. Membership is our pathway to unity.
Many times Church membership is seen as limiting rather than unleashing. It is seen as exclusive rather than inclusive. We see active membership as just the opposite. It is a way of creating more room to include people. It provides more stability to help people grow in their faith and service. It creates a solidifying relationship that allows us to authentically journey together in Christ. It stretches us to be a diverse community, and to love those who are not like us. It provides accountability for the leadership, and for the people they serve. It also destroys the American idol of the autonomous self which, left to itself, will practice an individualized private faith which we see as highly contrary to the New Testament model of Christian community.
Being a member at Bethel Church includes additional benefits. It frees you up to fully participate in our mission by entering into leadership. Membership is a prerequisite to leadership at Bethel Church.
