We seek to follow faithfully the pattern we believe Christ laid out for the church in the New Testament in matters large and small.
“Why we meet as we do” from Bethel Creations on Vimeo.
Questions? Please read below for answers to some common ones or contact us.
Why do you have Communion (also called the Lord’s Supper or the Breaking of Bread) every week?
We believe verses such as Acts 2:42 and Acts 20:7 show the pattern for the practices of the local assembly, and we seek to follow that pattern. We spend the first hour each Sunday focused on the person and salvation work of Jesus Christ as He asked us to do in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26. We do this as the Holy Spirit leads, through brothers standing to read a Bible passage or give a word of ministry and by singing hymns and spiritual songs together (Colossians 3:16). Sometimes there are times of silence as we reflect on what has been shared.
Although this style of meeting can seem very unusual to those who have never been to one, we believe you will find it a blessed time of worship, meditation, celebration, and spiritual refreshment. Just as the disciples in Luke 24:13-35 understood who Christ was when he broke bread with them in Emmaus, we find that our spiritual eyes are opened and we know Christ more intimately as we participate in this weekly time of remembrance. All who know and love our Lord Jesus Christ are welcome.
Why do you have elders rather than a pastor?
We believe that a careful study of the New Testament letters to the churches shows that the terms for “overseers” or “elders” are always plural when a group of believers in a specific city is being addressed. Thus, we believe the Scriptural pattern is for there to be a group of spiritual leaders rather than one pastor or head elder.
We seek to live out the reality that Christ is the head of the church (Colossians 1:18) and not let that role be assumed practically or figuratively by a person.
Why “chapel”?
We believe the Bible teaches that there is one church made up of all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus, traditionally among these types of assemblies, the decision has been to call the gathering of a body of believers in a certain location by a name such as “chapel” to show that this is not “the church” but simply a group of saints who are gathered in the Lord Jesus Christ’s name in that area.