About Us

WHO WE ARE

We are family focused, community minded and passionate about making a difference.We desire to see lives change by the transforming love of Jesus! We gather people to find their God-given purpose! Bethlehem Church has been loving and serving the community of Jefferson for over 150 years. We are also a part of the United Methodist denomination of churches.

MEET OUR PASTOR

Hello! I am excited to be the pastor of Greenmount UMC Glen Rock PA and Bethlehem UMC in Jefferson. I am a Pennsylvania Native, born in Southern Chester County but for many years called Hershey PA my home. It was in Hershey that I first received a call to ministry. I was working in retail management at the time but was very involved in ministry in my home church. Encouraged by others, I took a leap of faith and followed the call to become a pastor. I am a licensed local pastor and graduated from Wesley Seminary in 2018. This is my third appointment. You will see me, my sister Lois and my noisy dog Willis walking around town. I invite you to give our churches a try. We would love to meet you!

What We Believe

OUR CHRISTIAN ROOTS

At Bethlehem Church, we affirm the Christian faith as expressed in the two creeds or statements of faith most widely recognized throughout history and throughout the world today, the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed. We share a common heritage with all Christians while being deeply rooted in the United Methodist tradition. According to our foundational statement of beliefs, we share the following basic affirmations in common with all Christian communities.

TRINITY
• We believe in one God, the Holy Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

GOD
• We believe that God created the world and all that is in it.
• We believe that God is sovereign; that is, God is the ruler of the universe.
• We believe that God is loving. We can experience God’s love and grace.

JESUS CHRIST
• We believe that Jesus Christ is truly God and truly human, in whom the divine and human natures are perfectly and inseparably united. He is the eternal Son of God and the sole Savior of the world. He lived as a man and died when he was crucified.
• We believe that God raised Jesus from the dead and that the risen Christ lives today.
• We believe that Jesus is our Savior. In Christ we receive abundant life and forgiveness of sins.
• We believe that Jesus is our Lord and that we are called to pattern our lives after his.

THE HOLY SPIRIT
• We believe that the Holy Spirit is who God is and what God does as the Trinity.
• We believe that the Holy Spirit is God with us.
• We believe that the Holy Spirit comforts us when we are in need and convicts us when we stray from God.
• We believe that the Holy Spirit awakens us to God’s will and empowers us to live obediently.

HUMANS
• We believe that God created human beings in God’s image. All people have been made to know, love, and serve God.
• We believe that human beings can choose to accept or reject a relationship with God.
• We believe that all human beings need to be in relationship with God in order to be fully human.

THE CHURCH
• We believe that the church is the body of Christ, an extension of Christ’s life and ministry in the world today.
• We believe that the mission of the church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ.
• We believe that the church is “the communion of saints,” a community made up of all past, present, and future disciples of Christ.
• We believe that the church is called to worship God and to support those who participate in its life as they grow in faith.

THE BIBLE
• We believe that the Bible is God’s Word.
• We believe that the Bible is the primary authority for our faith and practice.
• We believe that Christians need to know and study the Old Testament and the New Testament.
• We believe that in our task of interpreting the Bible we are guided by the Holy Spirit and the tradition of the church.

THE KINGDOM OF GOD
• We believe that the kingdom or reign of God is both a present reality and future hope.
• We believe that wherever God’s will is done, the kingdom or reign of God is present.
• We believe that the fulfillment of God’s kingdom (the complete restoration of creation) is still to come.
• We believe that the church is called to be both a witness to the vision of what God’s kingdom will be like and a participant in helping to bring it to completion.
• We believe that the reign of God is both personal and social.

SACRAMENTS

Baptism
• Through baptism we are joined with the church and with Christians everywhere.
• Baptism is a symbol of new life and a sign of God’s love and forgiveness of our sins.
• Persons of any age can be baptized.
• We baptize by sprinkling, immersion, or pouring.
• A person receives the sacrament of baptism only once in his or her life.

The Lord’s Supper (Communion, Eucharist)
• The Lord’s Supper is a holy meal of bread and wine and is the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ.
• The Lord’s Supper recalls the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and celebrates the unity of all the members of God’s family.
• By sharing this meal, we give thanks for Christ’s sacrifice and are nourished and empowered to go into the world in mission and ministry.
• We practice “open Communion,” welcoming all who love Christ, repent of their sin, and seek to live in peace with one another.

Learn more about our beliefs here.

CONTACT US

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