Bethesda Lutheran Church of Alexandria, MN

9:30 Sunday Morning

Traditional Service with Communion served weekly

Lent Through Holy Week

Ash Wednesday is the beginning of the 40 days of Lent. The week after Ash Wednesday, Bethesda hosts a soup supper that is open to anyone at no cost. After soup, we retire to the sanctuary where we begin the Lenten Liturgy. This process repeats every Wednesday evening during Lent. It ends the week before Holy week.

During Holy week service is held on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday, but not on Wednesday.

On Easter morning, the day is begun with an egg-bake breakfast, put together by the Community Life Committee. In between the egg bake and Easter Service, the Parish Ed Committee holds an Easter egg hunt. This is open to anyone to attend. Colorful plastic eggs filled with goodies are hidden all over the education wing. Children fly through the building gathering eggs and sometimes finding points (in eggs) to trade for larger items, like stuffed animals.

Easter Service follows. We learn how our Lord and Savior has risen! He is risen indeed!

Reformation Sunday

On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther, a German monk and theologian, nailed his “Ninety-Five Theses” to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. Luther opposed the Catholic Church selling "indulgences" as a way to heaven. He argued that salvation could not be bought but was a gift from God, and could only be received through faith alone. In his Ninety-Five Theses, Luther stated that scripture revealed you could not get to heaven by doing good works or purchasing something. He was adamant in his stance you could only get to heaven through faith, grace, and Christ alone. Reformation Sunday honors and remembers Martin Luther and his "Ninety-five Theses" on the last Sunday of October, annually.

Christmas Candlelight Service

Bethesda honors the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ, with a very intimate Candlelight Service during the afternoon on Christmas Eve. In the middle of the service, each person is given a candle, the ushers come by and light the person's candle on the outside edge of each pew. That person then uses their candle to light the candle of the person sitting next to them, as Silent Night is sung. It is a special experience sharing the light of our Lord and feeling his presence in our midst.