A Mustard Seed in Templeton Since 1887
Bethel Lutheran Church has stood on Old County Road in Templeton, California, for more than 130 years. Swedish pioneers began worshiping in the living room of a local house on July 27, 1887, and not long afterward they broke ground for a sanctuary. The bricks came from Salinas River mud; the altar and pulpit were carved from redwood; and a massive bell was hung that still rings for the neighborhood. The building was completed in three short years, as the railroad brought a steady stream of intrepid settlers to the end of the line. Under the shade of heritage oaks on the Central Coast, the congregation has weathered economic crises, war rations, Spanish influenza, social unrest, earthquakes, and drought, and it has sheltered the joys and sorrows of generations.
Today Bethel describes itself as the best of small church: vibrant, intergenerational, and alive. Worship is offered on Sunday mornings, children are folded into the rhythm of the liturgy, teenagers are welcomed as full participants, and the congregation maintains working relationships with local and global relief organizations. Reverend Diana Edis, installed in January 2025, currently serves as pastor.
Sunday Worship at 9:30 AM
Sunday worship gathers at 9:30 AM at the church's campus at 295 Old County Road in Templeton. The service follows a liturgical pattern centered on word and sacrament, and it includes holy communion. Children who arrive with their families are not relegated to a side room; instead they begin in worship, step out for an age-appropriate Sunday school time, and then return for communion. This rhythm of full participation is central to Bethel's identity as a worshiping body that welcomes the wiggles, the interruptions, and especially the questions of its youngest members.
The preaching calendar follows the lectionary and the seasons of the church year, with sermon titles posted weekly under the heading "Simply the Sermon." Recent messages have explored the Jonah and the parable of the laborers, the Canaanite woman's boldness, the feeding of the five thousand, the Transfiguration, and other texts drawn from the three-year lectionary. A weekly bulletin is also published for those who like to follow along with the readings and prayers.
Music and the Lord's Table
The Lord's table is central to Bethel's worship life. From the table, the people are sent on their baptismal mission to proclaim the good news, to heal the sick, and to share bread with the hungry, holding in mind all the while that they are held in the palm of God's hand. Musicians, singers, ushers, communion assistants, offering counters, and coffee hosts share the work of the liturgy, and volunteers are invited to add their voices through the choirs and prayer groups of the parish.
Children Formed in the Worshiping Body
Bethel's ministry with children is rooted in the conviction that childhood is the most formative stage of faith development, led by a sense of wonder. Parents in the parish are known to field the question, "Can we go to church on Sunday?" from their own children, and the congregation frames this as a daily reminder of the life children bring.
Elementary (K through 5th Grade)
Sunday school is the cornerstone of children's ministry. Children begin the service with adults, leave for a portion of the liturgy, and return for communion. The lessons follow the stories told in worship, explain the rituals, and engage the children through the arts. Supplemental learning takes the form of service projects, field trips, Parents' Night Out, and worship dramas, and quarterly the children lead worship themselves, writing and offering prayers, reading scripture, singing, and offering reflections. Each summer brings a Vacation Bible Camp, and the parish is actively exploring the hiring of a Youth and Children's Ministry Leader to expand this work.
Young Teen (6th through 9th Grade)
The Young Teen Youth Program meets on Fridays after school and focuses on service projects, mastery of Bible stories, and engagement through art, poetry, and video. The youth explore the practices of Christian community: prayer, worship rituals, friendship, and rites of passage from birth to death in a faith context. Summer overnight camp and school-year retreats are available. A Vacation Bible Day Camp each summer gives the older youth a chance to assist adults in leadership, and for some, this serves as a confirmation program with added requirements.
Older Teen (10th through 12th Grade)
Older teens gather every other Wednesday at a nearby café for a discussion-based program that addresses current events, personal stories, and school culture. Leadership training takes shape through administrative and communication internships. The parish mentors these students and expects their participation in decisions that affect the wider church, sending them out eager to partner with adults and to serve with compassion and faith.
Wednesdays in Lent: Soup, Bread, and Quiet Worship
Bethel shares its Lenten midweek services with Hope Lutheran Church in Atascadero. On Wednesday evenings during Lent, a soup supper and breads are offered at 6:00 PM, followed by worship at 7:00. Bethel hosts on alternating Wednesdays at its own campus and Hope hosts on the others. The two congregations also come together for a joint Maundy Thursday service at 7:00 PM, while Good Friday worship remains at each congregation's own building. The rhythm of supper, song, and short readings models the Lutheran conviction that ordinary life and gathered worship belong together.
Adult Study: Wednesday Mornings
Bethel hosts a Wednesday Bible study at 11:00 AM that weaves together Scripture, conversation about God, and reflection on the day-to-day issues of faith. Newcomers are always welcome. The church also invites adults to volunteer within the worship service in roles such as usher, communion assistant, Sunday school teacher, offering counter, coffee hour host, nursery helper, singer, or prayer leader. Ministry teams such as Youth and Children, Property, and Worship and Music welcome both one-time helpers and regular members.
Martha Circle and the King's Men
Two long-standing groups anchor Bethel's fellowship life. Martha Circle gathers on the third Tuesday of every month at 12:00 PM in the Fellowship Hall for devotions, friendship, speakers, and global service projects. The King's Men meet on the second Tuesday of every month at 6:00 PM in the Fellowship Hall for study, food, and service, both within the congregation and beyond it. Newcomers are welcomed into both, and the parish points to them as a starting place for anyone wanting to find their fit.
Service Beyond the Church Doors
Bethel describes itself as a faith community woven into the fabric of North County, with members who work, volunteer, and serve in many local organizations. Lutheran World Relief ties the parish to a worldwide network that ships quilts and personal care kits from this very sanctuary. Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service extends the welcome of the gospel to newcomers. Closer to home, Bethel partners with El Camino Housing Organization, Atascadero Loaves and Fishes, and GleanSLO, pooling financial resources and learning together with other nonprofit groups in the county. The list of partnerships is not exhaustive: many individual members volunteer throughout the region through formal and informal channels alike.
Bethel Belles and Holiday Outreach
The annual Bethel Belles project and the Christmas Angels initiative point to a congregation that is active year-round. Group quilting days have packed the fellowship floor with comfort for those they will never meet, and seasonal beach trips carry the same spirit of fellowship throughout the year.
Beliefs: Grace, Mercy, and the Triune God
Bethel Lutheran Church belongs to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and to the Southwest California Synod with headquarters in Glendale, California. The parish celebrates the mystery of the Holy Trinity in word and sacrament, professing the creed and bearing witness to the God of creation made known in Jesus Christ and present always through the Holy Spirit. The preaching draws on the apostles' greeting in 2 Corinthians: "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all."
Baptism is at the heart of the parish's theology: through the waters of baptism the people are made children of God, marked with the cross, anointed by the Spirit, and sent out on a baptismal mission to share God's compassion with the world. The Lord's table is a place of nourishment and a sending forth: "From this place, wherever we are in our wanderings between the borders and boundaries of life, we are sent on our way rejoicing to share the good news." Reformation Sunday falls each year in late October, a fitting reminder that the parish is rooted in the past and growing into the future, always being reformed to live out the love of Christ in an ever-changing world.
Sermons and the Pastoral Voice
For those who cannot be present in person, the Sunday sermon is recorded and shared each week, and the sermon archive goes back to 2022 and earlier. A weekly email newsletter, called The Friday Collective (and previously The Bethel News), keeps the community informed about upcoming events, Bible studies, special services, and the coming Sunday's readings.
Pastor Diana is open to conversations about baptism, confirmation, marriage, grief, and the other passages of life, and is happy to hear from those who are simply curious. The Wednesday Bible study and the Tuesday groups listed above are especially good starting places for anyone wanting to be known by name within the parish.
Coming to Bethel
Bethel Lutheran Church sits at 295 Old County Road in Templeton, with a second reference point of 3rd and Crocker. Sunday worship begins at 9:30 AM and is followed by a coffee hour. Visitors are warmly welcomed at every level of the church's life, and the parish's invitation reads: "Join us Sundays at 9:30 AM for worship. Everyone is welcome." Office hours run Tuesday through Thursday from 8:00 to 11:00 AM. Those wishing to give may do so through the church's giving portal. Old County Road's heritage oaks, the salvaged redwood altar and pulpit, and the long-ringing bell of 1887 are still here, and the mustard seed has grown into a sheltering tree under whose branches all are invited to make their nest.