The Bethesda Way

Dear Friends,

Last week we held a staff retreat at the Palm Beach County Food Bank. Since this coincided with our campus closure for termite tenting and fumigation, we figured the timing was perfect for an off-site retreat!

As part of our time together, I shared what I call The Bethesda Way or, channeling the street on the north side of the church, the Via Bethesda. It’s a framework for staff culture that articulates how we relate to one another and to those we welcome onto our campus.

The Bethesda Way recognizes that regardless of our particular roles, we work collaboratively to support the mission and ministry of the church. Our staff have a unique calling: to be bearers of the good news of Jesus Christ — both through our words and in how we live and work together. And it’s built around five guiding principles: High Expectations, Kindness & Respect, Collaboration, Faithfulness, and Representation. 

I give thanks every day for the gifted, loyal, passionate, faithful members of the BethesdaStaff. We’re not perfect, of course. But we all continually strive to live more fully into The Bethesda Way. 

In your interactions with our staff, I invite you to thank them for their ministry. They care deeply about the mission of Bethesda-by-the-Sea and are proud to be part of this community of faith.

Following the business portion of our meeting, we spent a couple hours serving together at the food bank. In the end, we packed 900 meals for families experiencing food insecurity in our midst. 

It was a fitting way to end our day because “Love and Serve” is deeply embedded in The Bethesda Way. That calling extends well beyond the staff. It is something we are all called to do together in Jesus’ name.

Peace,

Tim+