Values Relating to Bethlehem's Spiritual Atmosphere

Bethlehem adopted these values in 1995 as a part of its mission and vision:

• Developing an ever-growing frequency, freedom, depth, and power in corporate, family, and private prayer.
• Making prayer the visible engine of all our efforts in ministry and worship.
• Emphasizing personal Bible reading, reflection, and memorization among all our people.
• Explaining and encouraging the recognition that ideas have consequences and right thinking fosters right living.
• Recognizing the indispensable role of teachers and parents to impart biblical truth to the mind, and the indispensable role of the Holy Spirit to awaken love for truth in the heart.
• Keeping the main things the main things.
• Maintaining biblical proportion between the importance of a truth and the attention and energy devoted to it.
• Studying sound biblical theology so that we will not be children in our thinking.
• Being people who are humble and teachable before the Word of God, always growing and being refined in our grasp of God's truth and grace.
• Having all services, committees, small groups, and relationships permeated with the Word of God.
• Recognizing the inevitability and spiritual value of suffering in this fallen age.
• Pursuing biblical self-denial as we take thought for the good of others.
• Cultivating a passion for "all the fullness of God" with his fruit and his gifts in reviving power.
• Committing ourselves to radical obedience to Jesus in personal holiness and purity in public and in secret.
• Relentlessly pursuing hope and joy in God, that is, pursuing Christian Hedonism.
• Being a people who are earnest, intense, and passionate about the things of God.
• Maintaining personal holiness and godly character of elders and staff who equip people for ministry.
• Engaging in prayerful, proactive planning for how we see ministries growing and changing.
• Being generous, regular, and cheerful in giving to the mission and ministries of the church, encouraging all of us to reach toward the tithe and beyond as God prospers.
• Developing efficient administrative structures shaped by the Word and sustained by prayer.
• Sustaining effective pastoral staff in long, fruitful, happy ministries in the church.
• Being rigorously honest, financially accountable, and above reproach in all our dealings.
• Being debt-free as soon as possible.