At Bethlehem we believe that God has a very simple plan for any person that desires to have eternal life and live in heaven with Him. God does not want us to take on a lot of rules and regulations. Instead, He desires to have a relationship with each and every person. In fact, He loves you so much that He sent His Son to die for you to provide a way to live with Him forever. Here is all it takes…

Admit that you are a sinner
In the bible in Romans 3:23 it says that “ all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” This means that every person ever born (except for Jesus) was born with a sin nature and therefore was separated from God.

Believe that Jesus is the only way to heaven
In the bible in John 14:6 Jesus makes a claim: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”. A Christian believes that there is no other way to heaven except by believing that Jesus was the only perfect person and that He died on the cross as a substitute for the sin of each human being. Eternity in heaven cannot be gained through good works or any effort on a person’s part—eternal life is a gift that Jesus offers and that you need to accept for yourself.

Choose to accept God’s free gift through Jesus…and choose to live for Him the rest of your life
Just like a present that someone may give you on your birthday, you have a choice to accept or reject God’s free gift.
In the bible in Romans 10:9 it says that “ if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved”. Also, in Matthew 16:24 Jesus said, “ If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me”. This means that we give up our rights and submit to the leadership of Jesus. It is a daily process of becoming more Christ-like and desiring to live for His interests, not your own gain.

If you are interested in becoming a Christian, you have several options:

1. You can pray a prayer like this right now. “Jesus, I admit to you that I am a sinner. I know that you are the only perfect person that has walked on this earth and I believe that you are the only way to heaven. I choose today to accept you as my leader and as my savior. I want to become a Christian and start learning more about you so I can truly have a relationship with you. Amen”.
2. You can contact our staff--through email, phone (704-823-1600) or come by in person (office hours are Monday-Friday 8 a.m-5 p.m.). We will respond to your contact very quickly and make ourselves available to answer any questions you may have and/or give you more details about what it means to be a Christian.
3. You can visit Bethlehem during one of our worship service times (9:00 & 11:00 on Sundays). During the invitation or after the service you can meet with one of our staff members or Care Team members who will be happy to assist you.

We are eager to help you as you consider beginning a relationship with Jesus. Please contact us if we can serve you in any way.