Bethlehem Lutheran Church
Mesa, Arizona

Welcome to Bethlehem!

Bethlehem Lutheran is a neat community of people who gather together at the corner of McDowell Road and 32nd Street N. in Mesa, AZ.   We believe we are a community where you can find a niche, whoever you are and whatever your circumstance.  Bethlehem is a community of faith that embraces diversity, builds strength through relationships of care and concern, and engages in ministry in a variety of ways.  Our prayer is for you to discover a faith that is stronger than the tough times; hope that gives us strength beyond our own and keeps a song in our heart; and love that crushes through barriers, builds bridges and never gives up in what God can do.

Bethlehem in This Moment in Time

Bethlehem is in a season of transition!  A capable team of individuals are starting work on a study of the life and ministry of the congregation that will position the congregation for a new chapter of mission and ministry.

The Transition Team will start by gathering historical data about the congregation, from its inception until the present moment.  They will look at all the good gifts of the years, and they will also look at the painful and difficult times on the journey.  In the process they will learn what shaped us to be who we are today.  The team will discover the strengths and gifts of those years and learn how this community might build on those strengths.

This study will include learning about the context where we find ourselves in ministry, on the northern edge of this part of Mesa, with the Salt River basin and the 202 Freeway as boundaries just to the north of the church.

All of the learning will be brought to a process that will create a group of Strategic Directions for the future ministry of Bethlehem Lutheran!  The Strategic Directions will be expressed in Vision Statement and finally in some brief Mission Statement, that will reflect what this community wants to be about in the near future.

Completion of this work will prepare the way to call a new regularly called pastor to serve with the people of Bethlehem in ministry, still at the corner of 32nd N. and McDowell, still faithful to this neighborhood and the larger community and world.

These are interesting times in the life and ministry of Bethlehem Lutheran Church.  We invite you to come and get involved.

Staff
Pastor Jerry Ebbinga

         A native of Minnesota -- Pastor Ebbinga taught public school music for five years prior to attending Luther Seminary.  He was ordained in 1970 into the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada, serving eight years in parish ministry and two years as the founding director of the Kinasao Retreat Center.  He also conducted seminars on preaching, worship, and sexuality at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Saskatoon, Sask., and taught courses in Death and Dying for Community Colleges and hospital in-service training programs in Saskatchewan and Alberta.
            In 1980, Pastor Ebbinga accepted a call to First Lutheran Church in Pomona, Ca.  While serving there he earned a Doctor of Ministry Degree from the School of Theology at Claremont, and was a resource person to the South Pacific District and later to the Pacifica and Grand Canyon Synods, working with congregations in conflict.  He left Pomona to serve on staff with the Division for Ministry and the Conference of Bishops of the ELCA.  Prior to moving to Arizona, he spent ten years as senior pastor of Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Great Falls, MT. 
            Jerry and Crystalle moved to Fountain Hills late in 2000 to continue a love affair with the desert and to tend to relationships with their three adult children and spouses … and seven grandchildren. (The grandchildren live in Newport Beach, CA, and Las Vegas, NV, and Spanaway, WA.)
            The Arizona years have also included serving in an interim capacity at Faith Lutheran, Phoenix, Shepherd of the Hills, Fountain Hills, Lord of Life, Sun City West, and now here at Bethlehem in Mesa. He also recently ended about six years of contract consulting with the Grand Canyon Synod of the ELCA.
            Pastor Jerry also is actively engaged in hobby activities, metal sculpture, photography, building furniture and music.

Laurel Green, Secretary


Janice Wilton, Preschool Director


Don Francis, Pianist