During this two-year period, every contribution to God through Bethlehem Church is a contribution to our BE/CAUSE initiative. Every aspect of the ministry vision God is calling us towards for the next two years will be funded through BE/CAUSE. There will not be separate funds. Every gift given to Bethlehem Church will go to the key components of this initiative – continuing to invest in our ongoing ministries, increasing our investment in our local and global community, and further expanding our outreach and impact through facility expansion.

First and foremost, we ask that you pray and seek God’s leading on what He is asking of you. Prepare your heart to hear Him and listen to what He says. Engage in a small group during this season if you haven’t already joined one. Engage in personal reflection with God in this BE/CAUSE guide. Talk with your group, spouse, family, friends, or others about what this commitment will mean for this next exciting season of your life.

We are asking that you make a commitment to gospel-driven, surrendered generosity – whatever it is that God leads you to do. Follow His leading.

Finally, prepare to be amazed. We serve an awesome God, and we anticipate He will move in huge ways as we seek an unprecedented impact from our collective BE/CAUSE commitments - something only God can do. Please mark your calendar for Commitment Sunday, November 13, and prepare to experience a life-changing worship service that will forever be remembered as a defining moment for our church and your own faith.

Be creative as you explore ways you and your family can give towards BE/CAUSE. You might have some stocks, property, or other stored resources that God has blessed you with in the past that He might be calling you to give out of during this time. Please let us know if you need assistance with facilitating gifts of property or stock, and we would be happy to help you with that. You can contact Brad Carter at bcarter@bethlehemchurch.us or 770-867-3577 to make a gift of this type.

We are asking that everyone make a two-year commitment. The fulfillment period for your commitment will begin with our First Big Give on Sunday, December 4, 2022, and will culminate in December 2024.

BE/CAUSE is about your total, prioritized, gospel-driven generosity to God’s mission at Bethlehem Church. We believe that God calls us to action in times of hardship just as much as He does in times of abundance, which looks different for every person. BE/CAUSE is about a heart surrender and trusting the promptings of the Holy Spirit in your life – something that is only accomplished by seeking the Lord and responding to His call and His Word. So that may mean that you are challenged to sell things, pick up odd jobs, or even to trust God in faith by making a commitment that you don’t quite know how to fulfill right now but that you believe God will provide for as you seek for ways to sacrifice and work towards that commitment. We would love for 100% of us to be a part of BE/CAUSE so that we can all support, love, encourage, and pray for one another through this spiritually stretching season at Bethlehem Church.

The truth is that none of us knows exactly what our future will hold. That’s the beauty and challenge of taking steps of faith! We want to encourage you that even if you’re not sure if you’ll be a part of Bethlehem Church for the entire span of the next two years, we invite you to still commit to generosity and be a part of this life-changing endeavor God has for our church. If needed, you may modify your commitment at any time. But often, people will continue to support Bethlehem Church even after they’ve left the area as a ministry they continue to be a part of into the future. If you happen to move out of the area, we would love for that to be your story!

If you are someone currently seeking to make payments to pay off debt right now, we commend you for making progress on that. And you should continue to do so. We would be happy to help you in this journey and recommend a budgeting class that might minister to you. Being in debt does not excuse someone from giving. Giving isn’t about what God wants from you; it’s about what God wants for you. So it should be our joy and privilege to give at all times, regardless of the amount or percentage.

Please contact us at bcarter@bethlehemchurch.us if you need assistance with paying off debt while still giving or if you would like to speak with a budgeting counselor, and we would be honored to help.

BE/CAUSE was crafted specifically with you in mind. BE/CAUSE is a “one fund” generosity initiative, which is different from a traditional capital campaign in which you give an extra gift above and beyond your regular giving - thus creating two steps for people who aren’t yet giving. BE/CAUSE is a call to surrendered, gospel-driven generosity for absolutely everyone at Bethlehem Church. If you have never given before, this is your invitation to get in the game with committed giving. We really hope you will!

BE/CAUSE is about the vision for our church and our personal discipleship in giving as followers of Jesus. We believe that the local church is one of the most compelling missions to give towards, and we would love for you to make Bethlehem Church your home and join us in BE/CAUSE. If you are ready for it, this is a perfect time to put a stake in the ground and make this your church. We need you on the team!

Great question. People take different spiritual steps at different times. Some people begin praying before attending church. Others start going to a community group before they begin talking to God in prayer. Giving is another spiritual step, and it comes at different times for different people. Just like other spiritual disciplines, giving draws us closer to God. And God is calling ALL of us to give. Jesus says, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). Whether or not you have taken the spiritual step of baptism, we would encourage you still to join us in this BE/CAUSE initiative. We firmly believe that it will draw you closer to God and hopefully to a place where you are ready to be baptized and fully surrender your life to the Lordship of Christ.