Welcome!
Bethlehem is a large congregation with two campus locations in Minneapolis and Minnetonka and also supports the ministry of Spirit Garage. Our life together is hybrid since 2020 and we continue to have a strong engagement, both in person and online.
At Bethlehem, we are clear about a few things and curious about the rest. Being in multiple locations reminds us that the Body of Christ transcends time and space. We belong to one another and God’s vision for a healed world, a partnership, and process that is always being made new.
Bethlehem is having a lot of conversations about our past, present, and future. It’s good work, noticing our assumptions and naming our aspirations. We hope you’ll join the conversation – your perspective, voice, presence, faith, and gifts matter to this community and the wider church.
Explore the website to get a sense of who we are and what we do. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, give us a call or show up in person. We want to know what you value and need from a community of faith – and if Bethlehem can meet you where you are in your journey.
Our Vision
Alive Together: A New Creation in Christ
“When we are alive in Christ, there is a new creation. The past is the past, and everything is becoming new! God has done it all! All of this restoration is from God, who has claimed us in Christ, who has made us ministers of reconciliation.” – 2 Corinthians 5:17-18
At Bethlehem, we celebrate and share in Christ’s gift of salvation. Every time we gather we are a new creation in Christ, starting anew every day, and embracing what God is calling us to do in all of the places we call our community. In Christ’s death and resurrection, God has already accomplished everything. This gift of salvation is at work in the world, setting us free to be God’s people and to become who Christ already made us to be. Come join us and see!
Our Mission
At Bethlehem, we strive to be a new creation in Christ by being:
We are all already fully KNOWN and loved unconditionally by God (Psalm 139). We seek to recognize one another through the lens of Christ and through God’s unconditional love for who we are and whose we are. Every member of this community matters… including you. We’re always striving to build a community rooted in the gift of being truly known, and embracing the new creation God made us to be.
How do you embrace a gift that was given before you even knew what it was? Christ has CHALLENGED us to become what he already made us to be. (Ephesians 4:20) God transformed our lives through His grace, and in Him, we are a new creation every single day. Together we’re learning what that means: growing in our faith, choosing to be uncomfortable at times, engaging in conversations with those that both vehemently agree AND disagree with us, and challenging those assumptions that may be shielding us from a better view of each other and ourselves.
Every time we depart one another’s presence, we are SENT as ambassadors of God’s healing and wholeness, bringing our experiences of this new life to believers and non-believers alike, from our neighbors next door to our neighbors on the other side of the world and everyone in between. (Matthew 28:19). We believe that the Church is the Church only when it exists for others… helping and serving, telling those of every calling what it means to live for Christ and to exist for others. And by sharing the news of the gifts Christ has given us all, we deepen our own understanding of God and of our lives in His world.
Our Values
What we value and what shapes our work:
The idea of radical hospitality dates back centuries to the benedictine monks, and today it’s as important as ever. Jesus set tables for people who never thought they would sit together, and we strive to practice this same hospitality for ALL people, with all of the differences we each bring. We welcome all into our community and would love to meet you wherever you are in your faith journey.
Worshiping together is at the heart of our praise for God, and it’s where we draw inspiration to bring Christ out into our communities. Our exuberant praise, grace-filled words, outstanding music, and shared prayers bring our community together and prepare us to share God’s word with others.
Because God has reconciled us through Jesus Christ, we can reconcile with each other, no longer counting our offenses against one another. Our stories are all unfinished works, constantly growing as we strengthen our relationship with God and as we learn from one another. We are a community of people who embrace building relationships over being right. We are clear about our gifts from God and curious about how we best bring them to life.
Jesus embodied what it means to serve (Matthew 20:28), and we strive to do the same for one another. We show up for others, recognizing that the systems of our human society often fail to meet peoples’ basic needs. Our faith and our celebration of the gifts God has given us motivation to work for change wherever it is needed in our community.
Because we recognize and celebrate the abundant blessings we receive from God, we continuously seek ways – as individuals and as a congregation – to give back and to live as Christ wants us to in our community. We are committed to sharing our time, talents, and treasures to put faith into action and to ensure that all can share in God’s blessings. And when we do so, we not only transform our community but we also transform ourselves.
A Brief History
Founded in 1894, Bethlehem Lutheran Church Twin Cities is a congregation with a long history of showing up in remarkable ways to share the good news of God’s love made known in Jesus Christ. The congregation continues to evolve and grow.
In 2016, we became one church with two campuses. Located in urban (Minneapolis) and suburban (Minnetonka) neighborhoods, you’ll find a faith community both unique to its context and united in its commitment to create space and time for God to form relationships that provide meaning as we share in the work of God’s vision for a healed world.
