Every mission begins with a why. The why of missions is to live out the great commands of Jesus to make disciples of all nations.
The purpose of mission trips:
Meeting Spiritual Needs
Ultimately, the most significant need of every human is to know Christ and be in a right relationship with God. Therefore, we believe that prayer is a crucial part of engaging with the spiritual reality of unreached people. Due to this, we prioritize intentional intercession prayer during our short-term trips.
We also recognize that the greatest gospel impact is a consistent local one, so rather than relying on short-term trip participants as a long-term discipleship strategy, we seek to support the ongoing work of local missionaries through our short-term trip participants.
Cultural Exposure
We believe that one of the best ways to understand God’s heart for the nations is by experiencing different cultures firsthand. Therefore, we expose short-term trip participants to the beauty and value within cultures that God desires to redeem through visits to various places of worship, hearing directly from local Christians, enjoying new flavors, eating ethnic food, and worshiping with a congregation of foreign-born believers.
Engaging the Church
A recent Barna study showed that 51% of regular churchgoers in the U.S. do not know the Great Commission. Our trips are designed to expose followers of Jesus to the Biblical basis of missions, explore the current state of our world, and encourage participants to begin engaging with very practical ways that they can step into their role and help see the Great Commission fulfilled.
Building Generosity
We love that many people use their short-term trips as a way to give back and express the compassion of Christ. For others who can not physically go, sacrificial generosity offers an opportunity to partner in kingdom work worldwide. Short-term mission trips open the door of others to grow a generous heart for the Gospel and make an eternal investment. These mission endeavors also create a sacrificial dependency on God for sent participants.
Mission Trips for Students
We hope that every student at Bethel will have a global perspective of the Gospel and an expanded worldview that transcends western culture. We desire that every student by 8th grade participates in a domestic mission and by 12th grade travels internationally to share the Gospel.
Mission Trips for Families
We believe that discipleship and a missional heart do not begin at church but in the home. Therefore, to help foster a heart for the nations among all ages, some short-term trips are specially designed with the whole family. These short-term missions include household rooming situations and service opportunities for every age.
Community Engagement
Backpack Buddies
Backpack Buddies exist because hunger doesn’t take a break on the weekends. This ministry provides 50-60 local students with a bag of nutritious, easy-to-prepare food to take home every week when other resources aren’t always available. Additionally, the students receive hygiene products three times per school year. For more information or to help serve, feel free to contact Cary or Judy Martin at jujumartin@charter.net.
Christmas Store
At the Christmas Store, the head of each of these families can come to the church to receive a food box, shop for presents for their kids, have their gifts wrapped, and pick out hygiene items. They will also talk and pray with our Evangelism team.
Food Bank
In 2015, Bethel church members recognized an opportunity to minister to the physical needs of the Odenville community. Every month, families are supplied with basic food, hygiene products, and cleaning supplies. Those who receive boxes are being talked and prayed with, the Gospel shared and invited to attend worship services and special events at Bethel.
When you contribute to Bethel’s mission fund, you help food-insecure families in St. Clair County every month.
Annie Armstrong and the North American Mission Board
Over 273 million people in North America do not know Jesus Christ.
NAMB helps churches reach the lost in the United States, Canada, and the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa.
That’s 363 million people, 350 languages, and more than 14 religions.
First Priority
First Priority is a school campus ministry of the local church. They work with multi-denominations to give local churches a plan to reach every student with the Gospel message of Jesus Christ. As the Gospel is shared, hundreds of students profess hope in Christ every year, and their lives are transformed from darkness to light.
Serve Day
Serve Day brings an opportunity for Bethel to get outside the walls of the church and reach our community for Christ. By painting walls, making minor home repairs, landscaping, etc., we can be the hands and feet of Christ and share the Gospel message to those in need.
Cooperative Program
The Cooperative Program was formulated in 1925 as a unified giving plan for Southern Baptists, designed to be the financial fuel that funds the advancement of the Gospel regionally, statewide, nationally, and globally. It allows churches everywhere to participate in a collective mission.
St. Clair Baptist Association
St. Clair Baptist Association exists to encourage and engage St. Clair Baptist churches in the Great Commission. The association enables churches to work together and serve St. Clair County through Impact campus ministry, Raceway ministries, disaster relief, and much more.
The Life Church
The Life Church was established to reach an at-risk inner-city region. Join us in supporting Pastor Johnny Mills during his 4th Saturday outreach event to the local community through their mobile grill ministry. We will engage in various activities, such as evangelism, prayer walking, going door to door, and grilling for the neighborhoods.
Global Missions
The Well
New Hampshire: New Hampshire, and the New England area, consistently rank in the top five of least evangelical states in America. Bethel partners the Well church, which exists to help the community of Nashua, New Hampshire know and follow Jesus. This church plant realizes that the vast majority in the region are skeptical about the church, so they are committed to being a church where everyone belongs.
Zambia
Evangelicals represent greater than 10% of the population. The Joshua Project considers the Zambia “significantly reached.” Bethel aids Lifelong for orphans, which operates near Kitwe. Officially known as the Republic of Zambia, the country is landlocked in Southern Africa. Ongoing challenges include rural poverty and high unemployment. One-third of the population has no access to clean water, and one-half of the population lives without adequate sanitation. Girls are at increased risk for teenage pregnancy, and young marriage/pregnancy is nearly pandemic.
Serve on a short-term mission team. Pray for the students at Lifesong school. Become a monthly sponsor. Psalm 82:3 Give justice to the poor and the orphan; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute. (NLV)
Lottie Moon and the International Mission Board
The IMB believes that every church has a role in reaching every nation with the Gospel. Therefore, partnering with churches in the Southern Baptist Convention, including Bethel, the IMB empowers limitless missionary teams evangelizing, discipling, planting, and multiplying healthy churches and training leaders among unreached peoples and places for the glory of God.
Pray for unreached Peoples. Give to empower IMB missionaries globally. Explore opportunities to take the Gospel to the nations.
Dominican Republic
Evangelicals represent greater than 10% of the population. The Joshua Project considers the DR “significantly reached.” Bethel aids in supporting local missionaries as they plant organic churches to reach local villagers for Jesus.
Each year Bethel provides materials and a team to construct either a new church building or home for someone in need. The team will also have opportunities to deliver food bags, Bibles to villagers, and bulk food items to nursing homes.
Serve on a short-term mission team Pray for the Dominican church Support a missionary Become a Score International advocate
