Ministries

Jesus tells his disciples to “Go …and make disciples of all nations.”

In worship, mission is given, directed, enabled, and finally initiated. It involves both worship and action. As God's people we gather for worship and then, we are sent and prepared for God's mission in the world.

Missions takes place in a world that was created good but is now fallen and lives in sin and disobedience against God and is consequently under judgment. However, sin and evil were not able to dethrone God who promised to deliver man and the world. This promise was fulfilled in the birth, life, death and resurrection of Christ in whom the kingdom came to earth. It is through the church that this work of Christ is continued. He builds his church by His Word and Spirit. This church brings the gospel in a world, that, though it is under judgment, does know the concern of God. The church proclaims the new life and reality that is to be found in Christ and the kingdom in word and deed.

Missions is that action of the church over the whole wide world—which in the deepest sense is an action of Christ himself—whereby she calls the peoples of this world in all their diversity to faith in and obedience to Jesus Christ, and to show them in the signs of our service, how the salvation of Christ encompasses the whole of life, and to teach them at the same time to look with hopeful expectation to the completion of the kingdom when God will be all in all. (J. H. Bavinck)

The church as occupying a very special place within a nation and within world history. According to its inner nature, the church stands outside that great world union that originated with the fall in paradise and culminates in that terrible kingdom of man—the kingdom of Antichrist. The church works in the service of another and lives from another principle. At the same time, the church stands in the midst of this world and has a responsibility in it.

The church is separated from the world. It lives from a different root than humanity as a whole: It belongs to a different age. However, the church is not indifferent to life in this world. It cannot forsake this world or be unfaithful to it because, until the last day, the church will see this world as the place of God’s impossible possibilities where he can include many in his plan of salvation. In that plan of salvation, the church is an instrument in the hand of God because Jesus says, “As the Father sent me so send I you.”

A church in mission is first of all a church that proclaims the gospel of him who is the light of the world. In this, the Word aspect remains central. This is how the church stays relevant in and for the world even though the world may not recognize this as such. Apart from the gospel, the church has little to offer to the world. At the same time, because of the gospel and its effects, the reality of the shalom of the kingdom can be experienced in the midst of a sinful and broken world.

With this conviction, at Bethel Presbyterian Church we want to impact locally and globally, bringing the good news of Jesus Christ to our city and the world. The Missions Committee is the global arm of our local church. We are the liaison between our missionaries and our members.

Bethel supports mission work in Peru, Germany and Spain, and is committed to praying for, financially supporting and sending missionaries to help fulfill the Great Commission.

Coordinator: Mary Condit (marycondit@gmail.com)