The where and when of Bethel Lutheran Church.
We are one congregation with two locations.
In Arcadia, Sunday worship is at 8:30 a.m.,
followed by Bible study and Sunday school at 10:00 a.m.
In Galesville, our Sunday worship time is 10:30 a.m.
Bible study and Sunday school happen before worship at 9:00 a.m.
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 Bethel Evangelical Lutheran Church
"Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 1:7)
Take a closer look! We offer:
- An honest message rooted in the ageless text of the Bible – God’s Word.
- A helpful message that addresses our real life needs.
- A caring ministry from a pastor who will know you by name and make house calls.
- A genuine connection with people who are not perfect, but who are forgiven and grateful.
- A unique opportunity to be a part of a growing Trempealeau County-wide congregation.
- A world-wide ministry as a part of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
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Hello from Pastor Jon Cox
Hello! It is good to be able to greet all the visitors to the Bethel Lutheran Church website. While we have this opportunity to "meet", it seems helpful to tell you a little about myself.
Let me begin by directing you to the picture on the left. This is a picture of my wife, Doreen, and I. We have been married since 1990. God has certainly blessed us by giving us a life together. In addition to our shared faith in Christ, God blessed us with five children who range in age from 24 to 15. We have been in the Galesville Arcadia area for over five years. It is such a blessing to live in this area of the state; we love the scenery that God's has provided in the coulee region. The people are so friendly, hardworkding, genuine. We are happy to be at home here.
I grew up in the area of Milwaukee, Wisconsin with my mom and dad and four brothers. God blessed me and enabled me to know the unconditional love of God through his Word and the example of my family.
Having served as a pastor since 1992 in College Station, Texas and Fond du Lac, Wisconsin it is exciting now to be a servant among the people here at Bethel. I am always pleased to meet visitors and anyone interested in learning more about the Christian faith, our congregation, and the WELS.
Feel free to contact me by phone at (608) 582-9998 or email at "pastorcox@bethelwels.org".
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Meet our Preschool Teacher
Mrs. Amy Bohme
A “few” years ago, I grew up in Winona, attended high school at Luther High in Onalaska and continued my education at Martin Luther College. After college I taught in Madison, WI, then Yale, MI, on to Beijing, China, back to the states and Cannon Falls, MN. Most recently I was a teacher for St. John's in Red Wing, MN. During those years I taught anywhere from 3 and 4-year old preschool through 8th grade.
I met my husband while teaching in China. Now my husband, Shannon, and I have the joy and challenge of parenting three lovely girls. The oldest is 10, then 8, and our youngest is 6. We recently moved back to Winona, to the home where I spent half my childhood.
I love teaching. Next to my Savior and my family, this is my passion. All ages of children are a blessing and I enjoy them. The love they show because of their faith, shines in them. The understanding they share of this amazing world God gave us, gives me joy. I love watching children learn and grow in their faith, academics, and abilities.
September 2016 is my first year as Bethel Little Lamb Preschool Director and Teacher. I am confident God will bless this new venture for all involved. I pray God blesses each child and family at Bethel Little Lamb Preschool with His love, patience, and joy.
3 Fun Facts About Mrs. Bohme
1: She has climbed the Great Wall of China 6 times.
2: She can hardly wait to have more animals at their new home.
3: She has never tasted a vegetable she did not like.
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Faith Related Q and A
Thank you for your Q&A site. It is a valuable resource for understanding the truth of God’s word. A recent posting (“Election and salvation”) indicated that God’s desire that all be saved (1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9) and God’s election to salvation (Ephesians 1:3-14) when taken together constitute a mystery that human minds cannot comprehend. But a general desire by God for the salvation of all need not be in conflict with God’s specific actions on election, even to a human mind. For example, they might be reconciled as follows:
1. God wants all people to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4) by living perfect and holy lives (Matthew 5:48), but unfortunately none do (Romans 3:23).
2. So God sent His Son Jesus into the world to so that people could be saved by believing in Him (John 3:16; Romans 3:24).
3. God wants all people to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4) by believing in Jesus of their own free will (Matthew 23:37a), but unfortunately none do (Matthew 23:37b; 1 Corinthians 2:14).
4. So God sends His Spirit into the world to build faith in the hearts of those he elects (1 Corinthians 12:3; Ephesians 1:3-14) in order to build His church on earth.
Do you see a problem with this interpretation? Thanks again.
Thank you for your kind words. I have no problem with people having a better grasp of the Bible’s mysteries than I do. We can always grow in our knowledge of the Bible and our Christian faith (2 Peter 3:18).
You certainly are correct in noting that people fail to live holy lives that God demands, that God provides forgiveness of sins through Jesus’ redeeming work and that the Holy Spirit is responsible for bringing people to saving faith. (With regard to your third statement, people do not have free will to believe in Jesus. All people can do by nature is reject Jesus as their Savior.)
What I wonder about is the intended meaning of your fourth statement. The wording (“So…”) can lead to the understanding that God’s election was in response to people’s actions of some kind. Election took place in eternity, before God ever said, “Let there be…” Election took place before sin entered the world and before Jesus carried out his redeeming work. Your fourth statement seems to put election “in time” rather than in eternity.
The previous question that you referenced laid out the two biblical statements, “God wants all to be saved” and “God has elected some,” to show how the Bible’s doctrine of salvation and doctrine of election present challenges to our understanding.
What is clear to minds that have been enlightened by the Holy Spirit is that God’s word remains true even if we cannot fully grasp its meaning. Christian faith does not mean that I understand perfectly what God has said in his word; it means that, through the power of the Holy Spirit, I believe what God says in his word (Hebrews 11:1). May that faith always be ours!
| Please explain the meaning of the words in the Lord's Prayer that say "Thy kingdom come" so younger children will have an understanding of it. Thank you!
Allow me to pass along this meaning from The Simplified Catechism.
“Your kingdom come.
This Means
God’s kingdom is all the people who believe that Jesus died to save them.
God puts people in his kingdom even when we don’t pray.
God wants us to pray that we will always believe in Jesus and that many other people will believe in Jesus.
How does God’s kingdom come?
God uses his Word, the Bible, to give us his Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit puts faith in our hearts to believe God’s Word and do what it says.”
The Simplified Catechism is available from Northwestern Publishing House.
If you want another version, it could go something like this: “Lord, you made me a part of your kingdom and family even when I did not ask for that. You brought me into your family through the work of the Holy Spirit. He opened my eyes to see and believe that Jesus lived and died in my place. Through the word of God, keep me in your kingdom, help me live for you, and bring many more people into your kingdom.”
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| » | WELS Connection - June 2017
WELS Christian Aid and Relief WELS Christian Aid and Relief provides help and support to those in need while sharing the gospel. Cast: WELS
| | » | WELS Connection - May 2017
Congregational Partner Grant Program Martin Luther College's new grant program makes it easier for congregations to support students going to MLC. Cast: WELS
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Forward in Christ
God offers unconditional forgiveness–for parents, too
 It was a long day at work. I was exhausted. When I finally returned home I stopped by the refrigerator for a glass of milk. I opened the door, grabbed the milk container—empty! There was another full gallon right next to it, but who puts an empty milk container back in the refrigerator? Aren’t there […]
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