About Bethlehem Lutheran Church
Bethlehem Lutheran Church is a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. We seek to be an open and welcoming Christian community which strives to proclaim the love and grace of Jesus Christ in both our words and actions. Worship, music, and social justice are all very important to our congregation as we seek to worship and praise our Triune God and share God’s love with all of God’s creation.


History
Bethlehem Lutheran Church was founded and organized on April 3, 1873, from roots sown as early as 1869 when the Rev. E.P. Erickson of Chicago visited Grand Rapids while calling on other Swedish Settlements in Michigan. He would gather te Swedish people together, about 100 in all at that time, for services in Mr. and Mrs. John Hemple's home on Ottawa Street. Soon after, other Lutheran pastors, chiefly from Chicago, made visits to Lutheran Missions in Grand Rapids.

Fourteen people met in the home of Mr. and Mrs. John Newberg on April 3, 1873, and organized the Swedish Lutheran Congregation, adopting the constitution of the Augustana Synod that had been organized in Clinton, Wisconsin, in June 1860. The congregation was incorporated a year later on April 25, 1874.

The first church building was dedicated on April 20, 1880, on Sinclair Street NE, just north of Michigan Street. Within a few years it was determined that this building was inadequate for the needs of the congregation and a new building was built on the corner of Scribner and Blumrich, NW, and dedicated in 1890. In 1927 new property was purchased on the corner of Prospect Avenue and Crescent Street. Several years passed before building plans were approved and the new building was dedicated on May 28, 1933.



Mission
Bethlehem Lutheran Church is a worshiping and witnessing community, centered in God’s grace, growing together in faith, putting that faith into action.


Vision to Mission Objectives

• Activate the Faithful (Personal Spiritual Growth)
  
• Express Ourselves as a Grace-centered Community (Discipleship)
  
• Strengthen and Develop Spiritual and Physical Outreach Partnerships with the Community (Evangelism)
  
• Conduct a Comprehensive Review of Our Location and Physical Plant in terms of Our Ministry (Stewardship)
  
• Optimize Worship Centered Identity – Broaden and Enrich Our Worship-Centered Community (Worship)

Congregational Structure

Constitution

The congregation is guided by a constitution which has been adopted b the congregation itself. The constitution also includes by-laws and continuing resolutions.

Congregational Meetings

An annual meeting of the congregation is held in November each year. At this meeting business is discussed, budgets are approved, and congregation council members are elected.

Special congregational meetings may be called by the pastor, the congregation council, the president, or by written request of 20 voting members.

Members classified as "Voting Members" may vote at congregational meetings. Voting members are defined as confirmed members who have received Holy Communion or made a contribution of record to the congregation within the preceding year.

Congregation Council

The congregation council is charged with the general oversight of the life and activities of the congregation. The council regularly meets monthly and in special meetings as called by the president or pastor.

The council elects a president nd vice-president from the council membership and appoints a treasurer and secretary from either the council or congregation membership.

The council appoints committees to plan and direct the various ministries of the congregation.

Committees

Committees plan and direct the various ministries of the congregation. Standing committees include:

• Learning and Youth Ministry (Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, Confirmation Ministry, Youth Groups)
  
• Parish Life (Fellowship activities nad care for shut-in memers)
  
• Service (Living out our faith outside of the congregation)
  
• Support (Personnel, Finance, Stewardship, Property)
  
• Witness (The proclamation of the Good News of Jesus Christ to those outside of the congregation)
  
• Worship (Worship and Music activities of the congregation)
  
  

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