Mission Statement:  The Social Missions Team is committed to guiding and promoting Bethel Congregation’s response to people locally, nationally, and globally, and ministering to their needs for spiritual growth, sustenance, housing, health care, education and social services.

This team offers opportunities to participate in a wide range of outreach activities.

Want to do something about hunger? We are active with Channel One, Community Food Response, and Meals on Wheels locally, and ELCA Hunger Appeal, Bread for the World, and Heifer Project International globally.

Housing? Bethel is a strong supporter of Habitat for Humanity, both financially and with members’ contribution of labor in building houses. We are a “buddy church” helping Homestead United Methodist when they house homeless families through the Interfaith Hospitality Network. We also provided the furnishings for two units in The Francis Apartments, a local facility for the homeless, and funds for furnishings for the Salvation Army’s facility for the homeless.

Foreign Missions? Bethel supports missionaries in Tanzania. Bethel also sponsors a work group that travels to Mexico and assists congregations with their building programs, outreach programs, and Bible schools.

Health concerns are addressed by providing funds to equip medical facilities in Tanzania, and through partnership with Global Health Ministries in providing reconditioned medical and dental equipment and training for personnel in many poor countries. Bethel has sponsored several work groups that have made improvements to the dispensaries in the Central Diocese of Tanzania.

A very important responsibility of the Social Missions Team is receiving and assessing requests for funding and/or joint activity submitted by other churches and organizations and providing guidance in development of Bethel’s benevolence budget.

We welcome new members. We meet in the office conference room at 7:00 pm on the first Tuesday of each month. Visitors welcome!