Join us every Sunday at 10:30 am for worship!
Connect, Evolve, Transform
Bethany Christian Church
In person worship begins at 10:30 am. Currently masks are optional inside the church building. The service is also livestreamed
The above link will take you to our Facebook page where we hold our services.
Sunday School for children and adults will begin at 9:30am (September to May), in the fall.
Our church welcomes people to come together, share their stories and grow in relationship to God. Our quest is to connect people to each other and the needs of the world around us; to evolve in a vision of what it means to be a faithful of follower of Jesus Christ in the 21st century; and to engage in the work of transforming our lives and the world. In an environment of hospitality and acceptance, all people are made to feel welcomed and needed, and are encouraged to discover and share their gifts in service to others.
A variety of Christian education experiences are offered for all ages. We are blessed with a staff of faithful volunteer teachers and leaders who are dedicated to God and the mission of the church, and who care about persons and their growth as postmodern disciples of Jesus Christ.
Whether you are curious about the Christian faith, or a new or long time member of the church, we invite you to come and grow spiritually here at Bethany.
We are a member congregation of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). We are an open church – open to helping each other grow by sharing our doubts as well as our faith, our fears as well as our hopes. We believe that real spiritual growth is possible only in an atmosphere of acceptance, love and support.
We are people of every background and theology who gather together to worship. We are bound together in fellowship and service by belief that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of the world. On all other matters the church recognizes the right of its members to freedom of opinion.
We readily welcome people from all backgrounds and denominations.
Bethany Christian Church
Disciples of Christ
1645 North Cotner Blvd.
Lincoln, Nebraska 68505
(402) 466-1957
Our Pastor
Who we are
Are you looking for a faith community? Consider Bethany Christian Church. We are a congregation of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) whose mission is "to be and to share the Good News of Jesus Christ, witnessing, loving and serving from our doorsteps 'to the ends of the earth' (Acts 1:8)." We practice:
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Inclusion. Disciples seek to provide a welcoming space in which our language and practices encourage inclusion. We are committed to promoting a fair and just environment for all ages, social classes, cultures, gender identities, and differing abilities.
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Diversity of opinion. Disciples are called together around one essential of faith: a belief centered around the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Persons are free to follow their consciences, guided by the Spirit, and find more grace in the search for understanding than in dogma and creeds. Perhaps there is more value in questions than in absolutes.
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Importance of church unity. All Christians are called to equip one another for the work God calls us to do: striving for peace and justice among all people. The way we behave toward one another and all God's creatures is the fullest expression of what we believe.
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Open Communion. The Lord's Supper, or Communion, is celebrated weekly and open to all. We understand the sharing of bread and cup in Jesus' name to be a representation of an ancient vision of God's feast for all people.
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Baptism by immersion. Baptism is a sign of God's grace in Jesus Christ, and a promise to live in faithful response to that grace. A person's decision to be baptized marks the formal beginning of a lifelong journey with God through the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. While Disciples practice baptism by immersion, other forms of baptism such as infant baptism are seen as valid and not barriers to membership in the body of Christ.
Where we started
In November 1889, students and faculty of Cotner University along with many Bethany residents met to conduct the first worship service of the Christian Church of Bethany. On January 2, 1890, the new church moved into a newly completed dormitory on the Cotner campus with Dr. William P. Aylsworth, Chancellor of Cotner University, as its pastor. Upon completion of the college chapel that same year, the church moved into the home it was to occupy for the next 18 years.
Plans were made for a church building of its own apart from Cotner University. The new structure was dedicated the first Sunday in October of 1908 and stood on the same location as the present church. It seated 1,500 worshipers and was one of the largest and most magnificent religious buildings in the state. It housed the Bethany congregation until November 20, 1928, when it was destroyed by fire. Immediately the congregation decided to rebuild, in spite of the Great Depression. On March 22, 1931 the formal dedication of the present Bethany Christian Church was celebrated. Within two years, Cotner University closed the nearby campus and relocated across from the UNL East campus.
The Easter Pageant, "Cross Triumphant", was given birth in 1939 by Faythe Leavitt, former Cotner professor, and performed during Holy Week for 38 years.
Shaped by the history of generations past, empowered by a vision of God's peace, we are called to bring light and life to our world!
BCCLincoln.com