Bethany Lutheran Church

Welcome to Bethany Lutheran Church. Our congregation is a growing and vital Lutheran community of Christians taking our early heritage from the Swedish immigrants who called the Cromwell area their home at the turn of the 20th century. We are currently more than 400 confirmed members in a parish covering the areas of Cromwell, Rocky Hill, Middletown, Berlin and other surrounding towns in central Connecticut.

We are a congregation of the New England Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) – the largest Lutheran church in the US with over 5 million members. Our members are from every walk of life and background – some having been with us since their birth, but most having made Bethany their worship and spiritual home within the last few years.

Our accessible facility plays a key role in our community not only in worship, but also in providing a home for our Preschool school and an active meeting place for local organizations. Our members are also served by our national Lutheran Fraternal Organization – Thrivent Financial for Lutherans – providing a vast array of social and financial benefits.

What Lutherans Believe – click here to read what grounds us in our faith!

People join Bethany in one of three ways – through baptism (regardless of age), transfer from another congregation, or as new adult members who have not recently been active in another congregation. Our Pastor would be happy to discuss membership with you. We would love to have you join our fellowship and share our lives in the Lord!

Directions: Click on this link for turn by turn directions to our church and facilites from MapQuest.

Worship
We worship at Bethany every Sunday. As Lutherans, we believe in the real presence of Christ in the sacrament of Holy Communion, and when we celebrate Holy Communion as a family we receive forgiveness of sins, new life, and the promise of eternal life. If you believe the same, you are welcome to share the sacrament with us on each Sunday and on special Holidays. Please join us!

If you are visitor or new to the area, we welcome and encourage you to come and worship with us. We recognize that different styles of worship can touch each of us in very different ways. That’s why we offer a number of different worship experiences to fit your needs and schedule.

Sunday Morning Early Riser Service – 8:00 am

If you prefer an early start and a quiet, reflective worship of the Lord, this service might just be for you. We use an abbreviated version of our traditional liturgy and sprinkle the service with simple, but meaningful music.

We celebrate the sacrament of Holy Communion on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month at this service - join us in God's table of grace!

This service normally lasts approximately 40 – 45 minutes.

Twice a month, join us after the Early Riser service for coffee, light refreshment and fellowship in the hall to the rear of the sanctuary.

Sunday Morning Community Service – 10:30 am

This service celebrates God’s creative and redemptive power in the rich liturgical and musical tradition that marks the Lutheran church. It is a full service in which the Word is read and preached, and also sung by one or more of our choirs. Our worship life is often enriched by special music from soloists and even our own Bethany orchestra.

We celebrate the sacrament of Holy Communion on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of each month at this service - please join in God's gracious gift to us!

This service normally lasts approximately 1 hour.

As a community service, we are happy to have our children participate in as many ways as possible. For those children who tend to get restless during the service, we provide ‘quiet bags’ of noiseless toys for your child’s use as well as the rear Narthex of the church which has the audio portion of the service provided over speakers. For children in kindergarten and younger, we provide a nursery to care for the youngest in God’s kingdom each Sunday.

Join us each week after the Community service for coffee, light refreshment and fellowship in the hall to the rear of the sanctuary. Cookies for the kids and a cup of coffee shared in fellowship are sure signs that God intends for us to be happy!

Sunday Morning SUMMER Service – 9:30 am

During the summer months – from mid-June to mid-September – our Sunday worship schedule is trimmed to one service. We still have much of the same liturgy as our Community service, but with special music in lieu of the choir music. The earlier hour of this service allows families and individuals a bit more time for summertime activities and still have the opportunity to participate in a meaningful weekly worship.

We celebrate the gracious gift of Holy Communion on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of each month during the summer season.

This service normally lasts less than one hour.