Mt. Bethel Church sits on Lower Roswell Road in Marietta, Georgia, anchoring a busy stretch of the East Cobb community. Across its campus the church runs two Sunday services, a Christian preschool, a recreation ministry that fields youth sports leagues and adult fitness classes, and a long list of discipleship programs for every age. The church's own motto is "There's a Place for You," a phrase that captures its effort to welcome newcomers while staying rooted in historic Christian teaching.
The church describes its mission in plain terms: to lead people to trade the pursuit of more for a life worth pursuing in Jesus Christ. Its vision points toward a biblical and liturgical holiness movement and the multiplication of servant leaders for the broader church.
Two Sunday Services in the Sanctuary
Mt. Bethel gathers for worship in the Sanctuary twice each Sunday morning. The 9:30am service follows a traditional pattern, drawing on hymns, choir, and orchestra in the historic Methodist style. The 11:00am modern service uses a worship band and contemporary songs in a more informal setting. Both services include prayer, Scripture readings, a sermon, and a time for response. Each service is also livestreamed, so members who are traveling or homebound can follow along from anywhere.
Visitors can park on the Lower Roswell Road campus and look for greeters stationed around the building. Greeters wear red lanyards and are ready to answer questions, point out classrooms, or simply offer a warm welcome. A short Connect session is also offered to help newcomers learn about the church and ask questions.
A Church Built for Kids
Children have a full schedule at Mt. Bethel. The nursery, located in D Hall, welcomes babies and toddlers from six weeks old through age two during both Sunday services. Preschoolers ages three through young five gather for Station34 in Upper C-Hall, a program designed to feel like a worship service just for them, with large group music and video followed by small group crafts and free play. Elementary children in kindergarten through fifth grade meet for KidCity in Fellowship Hall, gathering first in small groups by grade and then in a large group for prayer, games, and a Bible lesson before returning to their small groups to apply the teaching.
On Wednesday evenings the children's programming continues. Nursery care is available from 3:15 to 7:30pm for children from six weeks through four years old. Children in kindergarten through fifth grade gather in the Upper Preschool Hall from 6:30 to 7:30pm for a lesson mixed with games and science experiments. Programming does not meet during Cobb County school breaks.
The Kids Ministry also walks families through faith milestones, marking the spiritual "firsts" of childhood such as a child's first Bible, first prayer, or other rite of passage. Parents can volunteer to serve on Sundays in the nursery, in Station34, or in KidCity small groups. The ministry publishes a monthly newsletter, available by signing up online or by texting MBKids to 97000.
Middle and High School Students
Students in grades six through twelve have their own corner of the campus. On Sunday mornings from 9:30 to 10:30am, middle schoolers gather in the Upper Room and high schoolers gather in The Garage, part of the Christian Activities Center, for worship, games, teaching, and small group breakouts. Breakfast is served for the high school group. After the Sunday morning hour, students are invited to attend the 11:00am modern service in the Sanctuary with their families.
MidWeek programming happens on Wednesday evenings at 6:30pm. Middle school students meet in the Upper Room and can arrive as early as 6:00pm to hang out in the Cove. High school students meet in The Garage, with the guys heading to the aerobics room and gym for a breakout session and the girls staying in the Garage for their own discussion. On Tuesdays at 7:45am, middle schoolers can meet at the Chick-fil-A on Woodlawn for devotion and breakfast.
The Student Worship Team (WSP 150) rehearses in The Garage on Sundays at 12:30pm, with lunch provided, and leads worship periodically. The Student Ministry also publishes the TALKitUP parenting podcast, available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and produces field guides on topics like relationships and anxiety for high school students. The high school ministry is led by Hannah Hammond, the middle school ministry by Elley Lee, and the children's ministry by Kimmi Lochner.
Recreation: In Jesus' Name We Play
The Recreation Ministry occupies the back side of the campus in the Christian Activities Center, or CAC. The center hosts an indoor walking track, cardio equipment, and fitness classes that are open to church members and the wider community. Gym hours run Monday through Friday from 9:00am to 3:00pm, and pickleball is offered on Sunday afternoons, with three permanent courts in the gym. Beginner clinics are held on the last Sunday of each month, and skills and drills clinics run on other Sundays.
For children, the Recreation Ministry runs instructional and competitive leagues in baseball, basketball, flag football, soccer, and volleyball for PreK through eighth grade. Practices happen once a week at a consistent day and time, and games are held once a week. The program emphasizes three goals - competency, character, and confidence - and pairs each league with volunteer coaches who go through background checks. Seasons are organized around the school year, with fall sports running late August through October and winter basketball running November through January.
Adults can join Restorative Exercise and Wellness classes on Mondays and Wednesdays at 10:00am in the aerobics room. The ten-week sessions focus on mobility, stability, and strength, and are led by Bev Stegman, a certified restorative exercise specialist. Classes are open to the wider community, with registration by full session.
Preschool and Parents Morning Out
Mt. Bethel Church Preschool serves toddlers through young fives in classes that run two, three, four, or five days a week from 9:30am to 12:30pm. The preschool follows a thematic curriculum with hands-on centers in dramatic play, art, science, cooking, blocks, and pre-reading and pre-math skills. Three-year-olds through five-year-olds visit music, Spanish, and creative movement each week, and the fours and fives also have a monthly STEM class. Tuition is billed in nine monthly installments from August through April, with rates ranging from $265 per month for two-day classes to $405 per month for five-day classes.
Discovery Days, an after-school enrichment program from 12:30 to 1:30pm, offers classes in art, ballet, Lego creations, soccer, tennis, tumbling, phonics, Little STEM Explorers, and Magic Music Makers for potty-trained children three and older. Registration for the following school year opens in January, with current students and church members getting first priority.
Parents Morning Out (PMO) is a year-round program for children six weeks through four years old. The free play environment includes age-appropriate toys, daily story time from 10:30 to 11:00am, art activities, songs, and both indoor and outdoor play. Parents can register online for one or two days a week, and PMO also extends a Lunch Bunch hour from 12:30 to 1:30pm for Mt. Bethel Church Preschoolers who want extra care. PMO is a peanut-free facility and follows an illness policy that keeps sick children home.
Worship in Song: Music Ministry
Music is woven through everything at Mt. Bethel. The Adult Choir, open to men and women ages sixteen and up, rehearses on Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8:00pm and sings weekly at the 9:30am traditional service. No audition is required, and new members are welcomed throughout the year. The Mt. Bethel Orchestra rehearses on Thursdays from 7:00 to 8:00pm for adults eighteen and older with previous playing experience and their own instruments, and leads worship through instrumental music.
Children can join iPraise for grades one through five on Wednesdays from 4:00 to 5:00pm, and iPraise Jr. for ages four and five from 5:00 to 5:45pm. Both programs teach about God's love through music, dance, mission activities, and art, with performances scheduled throughout the year. All music programs are led by Director of Music Ministries Shannon Herring.
A Campus at Prayer
Prayer is woven into the rhythm of the week at Mt. Bethel. On Sunday mornings before services, a group gathers to pray over every area of the building, from doorways to the children's areas to the Sanctuary. On Wednesday mornings the Chapel is open from 8:30 to 9:30am for anyone who wants a quiet space for prayer, with prompts available for those who need suggestions. On Monday mornings at 8:15am, a group of prayer walkers meets in front of the Chapel to pray for the campus, moving indoors to the café when the weather is bad.
The Prayer Team meets via Zoom on Tuesdays at 1:30pm to pray over requests submitted through the weekly Prayer Focus email. Members of the church can follow the church's prayer needs through the Echo Prayer app, which keeps requests confidential. Anyone with a prayer need can submit one online, and a committed group of clergy and prayer leaders lifts up those requests throughout the week. A minister after-hours line at 770.354.5433 is also available for urgent pastoral care needs.
Adult Discipleship: Life Groups, Younique, and the Aldersgate Journey
Adults at Mt. Bethel have several paths for going deeper. Life Groups are small groups that follow a simple rhythm of gathering for fellowship, growing through Scripture and reflection, and going out to serve others. Groups can be started by anyone with at least one or two friends, and the church provides a downloadable meeting outline to keep groups on track. The recommended meeting plan is twenty minutes of fellowship and prayer, fifty minutes of study and reflection, and twenty minutes of planning how to serve and share what was learned.
Younique is a gospel-centered life planning process led by certified coaches in a six-week cohort format. Participants work through practical tools to discover and name their Life Call, set time-bound goals across a three-year dream, one-year objectives, ninety-day goal, and right-now rhythms, and live out a Life Plan with daily, weekly, quarterly, and annual rhythms. The Younique Coach at Mt. Bethel is Dr. Elaine Friedrich.
The Aldersgate Journey is a course of study focused on deepening faith and understanding of Wesleyan theology. The classes are designed as building blocks for equipping disciples, and new groups form regularly.
Other adult discipleship paths include short-term Bible studies that run in two- to twelve-week sessions almost every day of the week, Sunday School classes for various life stages, One-With-One mentoring that pairs people together for one-on-one discipleship, and support groups for specific needs such as grief and recovery. Right Now Media is also available to church members as a free library of Bible studies, conference talks, and other resources.
Women, Men, and HOME
Women's ministry at Mt. Bethel includes the One-With-One mentoring program, short-term Bible studies, and Hearts of Moms Encouraged (HOME). HOME is a monthly gathering for moms in any stage of motherhood, meeting on the fourth Monday of each month from August through April in the Upper Room from 10:00 to 11:30am. The program includes a guest speaker, fellowship, and prayer, with childcare provided for children ages four and under. Registration for the program includes an annual fee that covers speakers, materials, and supplies.
Men's ministry focuses on Life Groups, social events, mission trips, and retreats. The men's Life Groups are built around close friendships among men in similar seasons of life. Men can also sign up for short-term Bible studies or join One-With-One mentoring.
Care, Handy Helpers, and Knitting Angels
The Care and Support ministry walks alongside members through life's joys and struggles, including births, marriages, financial emergencies, and health crises. Support groups meet for specific needs, and the ministry's Caring Connections program is devoted to assisting those in and around the Mt. Bethel community.
Two volunteer outreach ministries extend care beyond the walls of the church. Handy Helpers does construction, home repair, and maintenance projects for neighbors who have lost a spouse, are living with a disability, are navigating single parenthood, or are aging. Projects are approved after an intake assessment, and volunteers are trained if they have no previous home repair experience. The Knitting Angels group meets weekly to craft items for donation to ministries and assistance organizations. Members knit, crochet, or use round looms, and those who don't yet know how are taught.
Mission Partnerships Near and Far
Mt. Bethel Church organizes its mission work around four areas: children and the disenfranchised, homelessness and extreme poverty, trafficked and enslaved persons, and unreached and persecuted people. Local mission partners include BackPack Blessings, which packs bags of food for children experiencing food insecurity on the second Thursday of each month during the school year; The Table on Delk, which serves women and children living in motels along Delk Road on the first Saturday of each month; Seeds Thrift Boutique, a thrift store run with ministry partner The HOPE Center on the last Saturday of each month; and MUST Ministries Hope House, which serves three meals daily to families and individuals experiencing homelessness and welcomes volunteer groups to prepare and serve breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
The church also runs mission trips that have included both local and global destinations. Baptisms are performed almost every Sunday in the services, and weddings and funerals are hosted for members, with counseling required for couples planning to marry at the church.
Bedrock Beliefs and Core Values
Mt. Bethel Church describes its beliefs around six foundational doctrines. The church believes in one almighty God who exists eternally in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It believes that Jesus Christ was God's only Son, who lived a sinless life, died for the sins of the world, rose again after three days, and ascended to Heaven. Salvation is offered by grace to all who accept Jesus Christ as savior. The Bible is believed to be the true Word of God, written by humans under the direction of the Holy Spirit. Christians are called to live for the glory of God, guided by the Holy Spirit, growing through prayer and obedience to Scripture. The Church is the body of Christ, called to love like Christ. Baptism is understood as a public demonstration of faith in Jesus Christ and the start of a new life as a disciple.
The church's three core values are Truth, standing firmly on the authority of Scripture; Freedom, celebrating the leading and empowering presence of the Holy Spirit; and Purpose, finding purpose in Jesus' redemptive mission in the world. Six Pursuit Marks describe what spiritual growth looks like at Mt. Bethel: abide in the Word, speak the truth in love, heal the broken, contend for the faith, entrust the faith to others, and give to glorify God.
Worship, fellowship, study, and service at Mt. Bethel all flow from the same goal: leading people to trade the pursuit of more for a life worth pursuing in Jesus Christ.