Services

Worship Services

At Bethlehem Christian Church, we have a blend of traditional and contemporary worship for our 11:00 AM Sunday worship service. There is a time to sing the more traditional hymns of the Church as well as a time to sing a favorite chorus or two. Special music is always provided by our Adult Choir and from time to time by our Children's Choir or our Youth Choir. We have a time devoted for our children with a sermonette and a song. Then they are dismissed to attend Children's Church. This is followed by a time of prayer and prayer requests from our congregation. Sermons discuss a particular topic or explain a passage of Scripture. There is a time at the end of each message for commitment or rededication to our Lord.

We also meet on some Sunday evenings. This time of worship is very informal and unstructured. These services can consist of video seminars, Bible studies, Christian living studies or gospel concerts. Our children and youth meet at the same time so that we can have a time that will involve the entire family. We usually don't meet during the summer months.

Each Wednesday morning at 6:30 AM until 7:00 AM we have a meeting of the "Early Bird Intercessors" who pray for our church, our people and our nation. After the service many have breakfast and fellowship together.

Children's Church

Our children's worship service on Sunday mornings are conducted separately for three age groups, two and three years old, four and five years old, and six to eight years old. These children memorize Bible verses, sing Bible songs, learn Bible lessons, and enjoy other Bible-related activities.

Sunday School

Sunday School begins at 10:00 AM. Nursery through Senior High are structured by age group. Adult classes follow age groupings to an extent but individuals and couples are free to attend classes of their choice.

Visitors who wish to receive help with placement in Sunday School should come to the church office, which is located in the corridor behind the sanctuary. Someone will be there to help you. We would be honored by your presence, and you are always welcome at Bethlehem.

Annual Services

We have several special annual services. In November we have a Concert of Prayer in which we devote the entire service for the Lord's guidance in our church planning. Three days before Easter we have a Maundy Thursday service to honor the Last Supper of our Lord. Early on Easter morning we have a sunrise service to celebrate our Lord's resurrection.

The annual revival for our church comes the week after Easter. In March, we have an eight-night Altamahaw-Ossipee community revival involving eight area churches. Each pastor of these churches speaks at one service, but never at that pastor's home church. This is a pulpit exchange with emphasis on revival and evangelism. The churches that participate are:

		Altamahaw Baptist Church
		Altamahaw Pentecostal Holiness Church
		Berea Christian Church
		Bethel United Methodist Church
		Fairview United Methodist Church
		Ossipee Baptist Church
		Shiloh United Methodist Church
		Bethlehem Christian Church

Each spring we set aside a Sunday to honor the senior citizens in our congregation. After that morning worship service the younger members of the church, having prepared a covered dish lunch, share it with the seniors. On the third Sunday in May we have Homecoming/Memorial Day, a service to celebrate the anniversary of our founding in 1832 and to honor our members who have passed away in the preceding twelve months.

We participate in a Community Thanksgiving Service on the Wednesday evening before Thanksgiving. This service rotates from church to church in the Altamahaw-Ossipee community.

The first Sunday in Advent is celebrated with a "Hanging of the Greens" service sponsored by our Ladies Fellowship. On Christmas Day, the church is open from 9:00 AM to 12:00 Noon for private family communion. In addition, we have four communion services each year at the beginning of each quarter. Our laymen, our ladies and our youth each lead a special worship service annually.