Our Identity - Bethlehem Lutheran Church and School

| We Believe

At Bethlehem, we believe that God created us and all things. Even though God’s original plan was for all people to be His children and live with Him in eternal happiness, they chose instead to rebel against God, to determine their own ways, and solve their own problems.

As a result, children today are born into a world of trouble, pain, and death. While all people bear the guilt of their fallen condition, God in His mercy provided a solution to mankind’s dilemma.

That solution is found in the saving work of Jesus Christ who took the punishment of all people’s sins upon Himself and died (the payment for sin is death). Then, He rose from His burial tomb, demonstrating victory over all sin and death. Today, He promises that same victory to all who would simply put their trust in Him and His solution (the free gift of God is eternal life).

God calls people into a trust or faith relationship with Him through His Holy Spirit. God’s Spirit is responsible for keeping us in the faith as well as leading and enlightening us by means of His Holy Word. Because of God’s work in the world and in the lives of people,

• The Christian School provides an avenue to draw families and individuals into a faith relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

• The Christian School best provides an educational atmosphere for teaching God’s Word and nurturing faith in Christ.

• That Christian education is effective in equipping young Christians to articulate their faith and demonstrate it by serving God in the church, community, and nation.

• That Christian education develops Godly values and morals based on the 10 Commandments.

• That Christian education, to be most effective, depends on the partnership of school and home working to educate children.

• That each child is a special and unique creation and is filled with great potential in the spiritual, emotional, intellectual, physical, and artistic realms.

• That an educational program of solid academic excellence best challenges, trains, and prepares students to be life-long learners and responsible Christian citizens.

• We are created to honor God and serve others. Any sin-based behavior which causes another person to feel or believe that he/she is not valued as a precious child of God is unacceptable at Bethlehem Lutheran School.

• That just as God, through Jesus, restores our relationship with Him, so also through Jesus we can be restored to one another by acknowledging our sins and receiving forgiveness

| objectives of Bethlehem Lutheran School

01 To develop in each child faith, trust, and love for Jesus Christ as his/her personal Savior and Lord.	02 To enable each student to feel joy and security in a Christ-centered learning environment through prayer, worship, and study of the Bible.	03 To assist the student in acquiring a sound knowledge of the Bible and Luther’s Small Catechism for use in developing a God-pleasing character, proclaiming the faith, and building up the body of Christ.
04 To achieve regular attendance and participation of both student and family in Christian worship, prayer, and fellowship.	05 To develop the student’s knowledge, strength, and boldness to make choices and decisions that reflect Christian principles.	06 To utilize professionally trained Christian teachers, who by their words and examples apply Holy Scripture to the total learning environment.

07 To offer the highest possible academic standards in communication, computation, exploration, and self-expression.	08 To instill in each student a desire to learn and a desire for excellence.	09 To offer extracurricular activities in sports, music, arts, and academic endeavors for the development of the student’s God-given talents.
10 To develop in each child a sense of belonging, a sense of dignity, a sense of worthiness, and a sense of responsibility for God’s creation.	11 To train the student in positive attitudes, self-control, respect for authority, and the rights and privileges of others.	12 To recognize mankind’s needs and provide opportunities to serve our church and community by proclaiming the Good News through time, talents, and treasures.
13 To support the family unit by nurturing love for its members, to teach respect for parents as God’s representatives, and to encourage sharing in the responsibilities and privileges of family life.	14 To honor God and serve others. Any sin-based behavior that does not reflect the scriptural truth that all are precious children of God is unacceptable at Bethlehem Lutheran School.	15 To have students resolve their immediate problem, ask for and receive forgiveness, and restore their relationship.