we are Following in the footsteps of those who have gone before us, FOR those who will come after us - because we care about what God cares about most!

We are following in the footsteps of those who have gone before us, FOR those who will come after us - because we care about what God cares about most! At the heart of God are people who matter to us.

At Bethesda, we are FOR everyone; our families; our city; and connections. You belong here. People are more spiritually open than ever before, but our facility isn’t keeping up with our consistent and rapid growth. Sunday Gatherings, Children’s Programs, Conversation Cafe and beyond are experiencing challenges due to the limitations of space. Can they belong if there’s no room to invite them in? Growth has already happened, if we don’t address growth we will learn to be okay with decline. In fulfilling our mission to our community, we are committed to finding solutions to welcome, love, and serve those who matter to God. We passionately believe that God has a future purpose for Bethesda’s uniqueness as a church in the East End of St. John’s.

Let’s dream for our future together where our children and grandchildren sense the love of God in engaging and safe environments, where small groups grow together, and where our future impact in our community is strengthened through strategic services and mission. Let’s dare to dream of a future that benefits those we may never meet, so that years from now, a future generation will be strong in their faith because we chose to be strong in ours today.

We are deeply thankful for the 113 year legacy of prayerful, faithful, and bold steps that have led us to where we are today. This legacy gives tremendous faith for our current season.

In this season of anticipation, we are prayerfully considering our next steps, God’s direction, and blessing.

One faith step as we prepare for our future is in giving to our future through the Forward Offering Fund.

On Sunday, May 26th we distributed a booklet which included highlights from the Needs Assessment Report, our Four Motivating FORS, Financial Realities, and Goals. You can find a digital copy of that booklet via the button below:

We are inviting you to join us in this journey as Prayer Partners. We’ll send out prayer prompts, devotionals, and updates as we take this journey together as a church.

To join simply text, ‘pray’ to 709 701 3336

This Sunday (June 9), everyone who joins as a prayer partner during the 9 & 11 Services will receive a For Our Future Mug as a thank you gift.

1911

In December 1910, Alice Belle Garrigus arrived in St. John’s with the Pentecostal message, and on Sunday, April 16, 1911 (113 years ago) she opened the doors to Bethesda Mission on New Gower Street. The mortgage was paid in full in 1962.

1964

Bethesda purchased land at 30 Aldershot Street. The mortgage was paid in full in 1976.

1979

In 1979, Bethesda opened doors at its current location. The mortgage was paid in full in 1995.

1999

Bethesda launched Sunday 2 services for the first time & launched a needs assessment team.

2005

To accommodate its growth, Bethesda’s current building underwent expansion renovations.

2016

In 2016, Bethesda returned to 2 services, and has seen consistent growth since.

2021

Church expansion paid in full! FORward offering was launched. Launch of Needs Assessment in 2023 & results in 2024.

Bethesda at it’s beginnings on New Gower Street from 1911-1964.

Bethesda also found it’s home on Aldershot Street from 1964-1978.

To gain a better understanding of the challenges experienced by our growth, the church board established a team to conduct a thorough assessment of the building’s requirements in the summer of 2023.

The Team: Rick Hunt, Freeman Ralph, Kelly Loveless, Khamadi Ojiambo, & Natasha Hancock

This team concluded their study and presented their findings to the board in April 2024.

Comprehensive surveys were distributed to the GENERAL congregation and all ministries within the church. the gathered information illuminated the multifaceted goals of each ministry. simultaneously, current constraints that hinder the realization of their visions were identified.

Investing in a future that lasts, for eternity.

Our mission is to turn those who are far from Christ into fully devoted followers. We believe that more space means more opportunity to belong, believe, and become.

We desire to have a heart for everyone by offering both spiritual and practical care and support

Over the next 3 years we want to see FOR everyone:

• Support Groups, Counselling Services, Grief Care, etc.

• Relevant and welcoming ministry environments that support individuals and create space for belonging.

investing in our future through our next generation now.

We desire to create engaging and safe environments that will provide families with much needed belonging.

Environments where children & teens feel that they are truly seen, known, and loved because they meet their spiritual and developmental needs.

We want every family to know that Christ is FOR them.

Over the next 3 years we want to see FOR our families:

• New Spacious & Creative Environments.

• Addressing Accessibility & Neurodivergent Needs.

• Potential Additional Support Staff.

growing our partnerships and supporting our city in its deepest needs.

We hear our city calling out for help with the most basic needs (food, shelter, parenting supports, mental health, etc).

We dream of opportunities to partner with a facility that can serve our community in such tangible and impactful ways.

Imagine saying yes when our city asks for help?

Over the next 3 years we want to see FOR the city:

• Onsite tangible ministries to help obvious social concerns.

• A mid-size state of the art building that will be used as a tool in our city.

belonging means so much more when you’re new to a community & culture.

We are committed to doing our best to help anyone new to Bethesda/St. John’s settle well!

We desire to continue following where God is leading Bethesda in connections. To do that we need space for additional offices, seminar spaces, storage, and more.

Over the next 3 years we want to see FOR Connections:

• The creation of a Cultural Awareness Team.

• Extending our influence locally & provincially.

• Potential additional Support Staff.

Prayer Partners

Prayer is the engine room of the church.

We are inviting you to join us as prayer partners for this season of our 113 year history. We will continue to gather for Worship & Prayer as a church, because prayer is the engine room of the church.

If you join us as a Prayer Partner, you will receive prayer prompts and devotionals to unify us in our prayerful efforts.

On May 26th visit The Our Future display in the church foyer for a packet with prayer prompts and visual reminders.

We are looking forward to providing you more information in the next few weeks.

SHORT TERM SOLUTIONS

We realize that our present growth requires us to make some adjustments in the short term as we seek long term solutions. Our children’s ministries and weekly programming need space and storage options in this current season.

In accordance with the Needs Assessment recommendations, we are considering what options are available to us in expansion of our current building/modifying the structure to make it more flexible, etc. One such option is the placement of a temporary portable structure on our parking lot to accommodate growing programs/need for storage, etc. This is a financially responsible and viable short term solution to meet our present needs.

PROPERTY EXPLORATION TEAM

We are in the process of assembling a Property Exploration Team to seek property opportunities for purchase in the East End of St. John’s. This team will report back to the board with viable options. Following the discovery of a viable option the church will be informed.