We make our home in Christ so that we can be a home for the world.
This page aims to demystify our service so you know what to expect when you visit.
In a world of broken people (like us!) from broken places all over the world, it is hard to know what a “home” is supposed to feel like.
If you visit our church, someone in our community will welcome you.
WORSHIP AT BETHANY INTERNATIONAL CHURCH
From the very beginning, Christian worship has been about the “divine conversation.”
God uses means to speak and move towards us, and He has graciously given us means to respond and move towards Him. When we gather for worship, it looks like this…
God moves towards us
Through His Word (Scripture)
We use liturgical worship in our services. This means we hear God’s words from the Bible spoken to us through our order of service and we speak His words back to Him. The Scriptures are also the very center of every sermon.
Through the Sacraments
Scripture says God also moves towards us through the physical means of baptism and the Lord’s Table (also called “Communion” or the “Eucharist” by some). At Bethany, we expect Jesus Christ to be spiritually and truly present with us, growing our faith, and strengthening us for service as we partake of these rituals that preach to our bodies what the Scriptures preach to our souls.
We move towards God
God also gives us prayer so that we might move near to Him by confessing our sins, pleading for His mercy, and giving Him thanks for His many blessings through Jesus Christ. To this end, we corporately pray the Lord’s Prayer and lift up the particular needs of our congregation, city, and world.
Through Prayer
Through Song
Through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, we also respond to God. Our church uses a mixture of biblical psalms put to music, traditional hymns sung by the faithful for centuries, and new songs expressing contemporary insights.
Questions you may have…
Where to find us?
Our church currently rents out the facility at the ABLA Guest House, located at R. Infante Dom Henrique 80, 2775-584 Carcavelos. If coming by car, you can park along the street in the surrounding residential area, especially the larger parking lot near the Parque do Junqueiro. When you arrive at the gate, one of our greeters will be there to meet you and guide you.
At Bethany, we value keeping our children with us during the worship service. However, for younger children aged 2-6, we provide an opportunity for them to be excused in the middle of the service for “worship training” during the sermon. They then return back to the service later.
What about my kids?
What about participation at the Lord’s Table (Communion)?
We currently celebrate the Lord’s Table weekly. Our families come forward to the table to receive the bread and wine before returning back to their seats when we all eat and drink together. Any person who has received Christian baptism and confesses faith in Jesus Christ for their salvation is welcome to join the meal.