Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church has stood on the east side of Lansing since 1924, when members of a small Scandinavian and German-American community first gathered to build a house of worship across from Clifford Park at 549 E. Mount Hope Avenue. More than a century later, the congregation continues to gather every Sunday morning for Holy Communion, to teach children in its classrooms, to serve food from its parking lot, and to send volunteers out into the wider Lansing community. Pastor Matt Smith, Assistant to the Pastor John Burow, and a lay leadership team led by Congregation President Jim Whitman now oversee a body that is part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the North/West Lower Michigan Synod.
A Century on Mount Hope Avenue
Bethlehem marked its one hundredth anniversary in 2024 with a Sunday celebration that filled the sanctuary and the fellowship spaces around it. The Rev. Craig A. Satterlee, Bishop of the North/West Lower Michigan Synod, preached at the anniversary service. The Rev. James Erdman, the Rev. Gerald Ferguson, and the Rev. Matthew (Max) Miller, each described in the bulletin as a Son of Bethlehem, took part in the day, alongside retired pastors Jim Schalkhauser and Jim Lichtenberger. Chef Jim, Hunter, and Liisa Whitman prepared the meal. The Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah was sung as a choral benediction under the direction of Sue Nelson. Keitha Snider and Dorothy Martin served as anniversary committee co-chairs.
Five video reflections shared during the centennial year walked the congregation through its history quarter by quarter, from the church's founding era (1924-1949), through the years of growth in the 1950s and 1960s (1949-1974), the long pastorates of the 1970s and 1980s (1974-1999), and the most recent quarter-century (1999-2024). Those recordings remain a permanent record of how a small Eastside congregation grew into one of the larger ELCA congregations in the Lansing area.
Sunday Mornings at Ten
Bethlehem's Sunday rhythm is straightforward and familiar. Sunday School begins at 8:45 a.m. and Adult Forum meets at 9:00 a.m., both running from the second Sunday of September through mid-May. Worship with Holy Communion follows at 10:00 a.m. in the sanctuary and is livestreamed on YouTube through the channel @bethlehemlansing, where every service is archived and arranged chronologically so visitors can catch up on past Sundays.
The 10:00 a.m. service draws on the traditional Lutheran pattern: organ and piano led by James Schippers, choral music, congregational song, the reading of Scripture, a sermon, and the celebration of the Lord's Supper. During Lent, additional midweek services are added on the calendar, and Holy Week is observed with Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday (sometimes as a Tenebrae service), and Easter Sunday worship. A Thanksgiving Eve service and Christmas Eve worship round out the year.
Office hours run from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on weekdays, and the church secretary, Tracy Baker, can be reached by phone or through the contact form on the church's site.
Children, Youth, and the Next Generation
Begun in the second week of September each year, Sunday School at Bethlehem welcomes children from age two through adults of every age. The classes share the same hour as the Adult Forum so that the whole household can be in the building at the same time.
Middle-schoolers in grades six through eight gather on Thursday evenings for T.N.T., the Thursday Night Thriller, a confirmation program that uses the name Affirmation of Baptism. Classes are held from 6:15 to 7:30 p.m. on the first, second, and fourth Thursdays of the month in the Library on the lower level; the third Thursday is typically set aside for a fellowship activity. The curriculum walks young people through lessons, fellowship, and service projects leading toward the rite of confirmation.
High school students belong to Luther League, the congregation's youth group, which typically meets on the first and third Sundays of the month after worship. Luther League plans at least two youth activities a month and focuses on community service. Members also take part in 2nd Breakfast every Sunday morning at 9:30, gathering for donuts and a brief study and discussion before Sunday School begins. Bethlehem has a longstanding tradition of sending young people to ELCA summer camps, including programs at the Living Water site.
Women of Bethlehem
Bethlehem's women's organization, BELC Women (BELCW), is one of seven thousand congregational units of Women of the ELCA. Every woman who is a member of Bethlehem is automatically a member of BELCW. The group describes itself as one of the most active WELCA units in Michigan and gathers in three circles that meet monthly for Bible study, stewardship and mission projects, and fellowship.
- Harmony Circle meets on the second Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m. in the Library.
- Friendship Circle meets on the third Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m. in the Library.
- Rainbow Circle meets on the third Tuesday of the month at 1:00 p.m. in the Library.
BELC Women also assemble kits for mission: School Kits, Personal Care Kits, Baby Care Kits, and Fabric Kits, each with a published list of contents. Newcomers are invited to drop in on any circle meeting.
Music in the Sanctuary
Music is woven into nearly every aspect of Bethlehem's life. The Music Ministry invites singers and ringers of every skill level to share their talents in the Senior Choir, Junior Choir, Bell Choir, or Praise Team. James Schippers serves as organist and pianist, and Sue Nelson directs the choral program. The music is traditional in feel, anchored by organ and choir and supported by the liturgical rhythms of the church year.
Beyond the Building: Outreach and Mission
Bethlehem's statement of purpose puts outreach near the center: to share with all people God's word, love and saving grace. That commitment shows up in practical ways.
The most visible community ministry is the food pantry, which distributes food on the second Wednesday of every month from 1:00 to 2:15 p.m. (or until food runs out) right in the church parking lot. There is no registration, and guests are asked simply to show up, although volunteers request that no one arrive before noon.
The Board of Outreach Ministries helps families in need throughout the year, including Thanksgiving dinner meals and Easter baskets. The Missions Team welcomes volunteers of any age and skill level and has traveled to many states for disaster relief and rebuilding efforts. The Green Team promotes recycling and environmentally friendly practices. The Board of Congregational Care welcomes new members, mails care notes and greeting cards, and supports members in service through a prayer book ministry.
Funerals, weddings, and other milestones are honored by volunteer committees that handle hospitality and logistics so that families can focus on the day itself.
Weddings at Bethlehem
Weddings are open to church members and their immediate family members. The sanctuary seats a maximum of 250 and is most comfortable at about 200 guests. A volunteer Wedding Committee, currently led by Audrey Olson with Sue Christiansen as a member, walks each couple through the day from rehearsal to the last photograph. The rehearsal typically lasts one hour and begins promptly at the scheduled time.
Couples are asked to contact the church office at 517-482-3225 to set a date, after which a wedding committee member will reach out. James Schippers, the church organist and pianist, should be contacted at least two months before the wedding to arrange music. The church offers white bows for the center aisle (there are nine pews down each side), two candelabras with seven candles each, unity candle sets (silver or glass), a wedding banner, and aisle candles. The building opens two hours before the ceremony. Confetti, silly string, rice, birdseed, alcohol, and smoking are not permitted anywhere on the property.
Part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Bethlehem is a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with more than 3.7 million members in over 9,300 congregations. The ELCA's roots go back to the German church reformer Martin Luther and is known for the phrase God's work. Our hands. Bethlehem belongs to the North/West Lower Michigan Synod, one of the ELCA's sixty-five geographic regions, which covers the lower peninsula of Michigan outside the southeast corner and includes 117 congregations.
Bethlehem's stated guiding principles spell out the congregation's life together: being a Christ-centered, joyful community that gathers regularly for worship, the Lord's Supper, study, and prayer; inviting and supporting all people; taking action with bold faith; engaging in outreach near and far; and being faithful stewards of time, talents, possessions, and creation.
How to Find Bethlehem
Bethlehem sits on the north side of East Mount Hope Avenue between Cedar Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, right across from Clifford Park. The church is easy to spot, and the parking lot handles Sunday morning worship plus the monthly food distribution.
For Sunday morning, plan to arrive a little before 10:00 a.m. for worship, or earlier if you want to join Sunday School at 8:45 a.m. or Adult Forum at 9:00 a.m. The service is also livestreamed on YouTube at @bethlehemlansing for anyone who cannot be there in person. Visitors are greeted at the Welcome Center in the lobby, where you can pick up information about Bethlehem, recent issues of The Living Lutheran, Portals of Prayer booklets, and details on current programs. A prayer request form is available on the church's site for those who would like the congregation to lift up a concern during Sunday worship.