Membership
We Invite You to Join our Bethlehem Family!
What is Lutheran Basics?
It's a Course intended to benefit:
Potential Communicant Members
Non-Member Spouses
Bethlehem Family Childcare Staff
All Current Youth and Adult Members (Please retake this course once every five years!)
Its Purpose is to help people:
Discover the Basic Teachings of the Bible and the Lutheran Church.
Become better equipped to work in our childcare ministry.
Become a Communicant Member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church.
Review the Basic Teachings of the Bible and the Lutheran Church.
Its Five Sections include (see below for further details):
Bible Introduction, Catechism Introduction, The Ten Commandments
The Apostles' Creed and The Lord’s Prayer
The Sacrament of Holy Baptism, Confession, and The Sacrament of the Altar
Lutherans – We are the Same and Different (Our Church Body and Others!)
Worship – Divine Service (How to understand and benefit from our liturgy!)
It uses these Resources:
Bible (NIV - New International Version)
Luther’s Small Catechism (maroon cover, 2006)
Article Entitled: The First Evangelicals and Other Churches(section four)
It Works like this:
Answer the questions – by looking up the answers in the resources
Complete the reading assignments – checking the blocks to note your progress
Note your own questions – so you can ask Pastor
Meet with Pastor in a group session or individually – at the end of each section
Contact Pastor to Get Started!
Detailed Information About Each Section:
Section 1:
Introduction Part 1: God’s Word, The Holy Bible – General Bible information, time between the Testaments, Bible interpretation, law and gospel, a basic time line, and the Bible books.
Introduction Part 2: Luther’s Small Catechism – Its preface, the six chief parts, creeds and confessions, salvation outline, and using the Catechism.
The First Chief Part – The Ten Commandments – Not a way to heaven, but they show us our sin, our need for the Savior, and how to live as Christians!
Section 2:
The Second Chief Part – The Creed (The Apostles’ Creed) – The work of the Triune God to create us, redeem us, and sanctify us!
The Third Chief Part – The Lord’s Prayer – This prayer is for followers of Jesus – those who are God’s very children through faith in Jesus!
Section 3:
The Fourth Chief Part – The Sacrament of Holy Baptism – God’s work, by the Spirit, through water and the Word, to connect us to Jesus the Savior!
The Fifth Chief Part – Confession – God knows we continue to sin; therefore, He invites us to continue to confess and receive His forgiveness!
The Sixth Chief Part – The Sacrament of the Altar – Jesus offers us His body and blood, mysteriously connected to the bread and wine, to give us the greatest assurance that we are fully forgiven through Him!
Section 4:
Lutherans - We are the Same and Different – This section focuses on our similarities and differences with other Christian Churches, as well as the clear Bible basis for some of our unique teachings!
Section 5:
Worship - Divine Service – This section will:
Help you understand why God calls us to gather each week!
Help you understand where our liturgy came from!
Help you understand the meaning of each part of our liturgy!
Encourage you to attend and receive every week!