Please Remember to Pray for...
1. Members of Bethel who have lost their jobs with this economic crisis.
2. Ruth Golden, for God's protection against cancer, fear, and worry.
3. The Lord to mercifully bring this virus threat to an end.
4. The Lord to use this hardship to help believers trust God more.
5. The Lord to cause the Gospel to spread globally as believers share their faith.
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"Peace to you!" from
Pastor Jon Cox
Thank you for visiting the Bethel website!
Bethel is a family of believers in the one true God. He has done all that the world needs to be saved from sin.
Jesus Christ, is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Through faith in his life, death, and resurrection, all people may have forgiveness of sins and life in heaven.
No matter what troubles may confront us in this life, God promises to provide for all life, to care for his believers, and to work through all circumstances to bring about good for those who love him.
I have been a pastor since 1992, and have had the privilege to serve many people in various situations. I want to serve you too.
If you would like any spiritual or pastoral care from me, questions answered, prayers prayed, or just a listening ear, please call me on my cell phone or send an email message to me.
Pastor Jon Cox
608.582.9998
jon.nathan.cox@gmail.com
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Pastor James Mumm
Jim and Gail Mumm
608-881-0445 - dakota1940jm@gmail.com
622 Bennora Lee Ct. #4026 La Crosse, WI 54601
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Faith Related Q and A
| I am a practicing WELS member and want to say thank you for having courage to answer so many questions that, in my view, are not really questions seeking understanding. They are questions designed to say "I got you" or to discredit biblical truths. Considering this, do you publish all questions submitted to this website or do you edit or throw some out because they are inflammatory or not appropriate given the mission of our church body?
Thank you for your kind words. It is a privilege to interact with and respond to questioners from around the country and the world.
I can assure you that the great, great majority of questions (95%+) submitted to the website receive responses that are also published on the website. If questioners receive a private response, it is because the subject matter is not appropriate for the website or the information provided by questioners could potentially identify individuals or congregations. Any editing of questions takes place because the submissions are lengthy or contain writing errors.
God willing, all questioners receive biblical responses that are helpful for their Christian faith and living.
| Should WELS churches take government money meant for small businesses? Church is non-profit? Is this part of separation of church and state?
One of the programs of the CARES Act was the Paycheck Protection Program. It was “designed to keep small businesses, including qualifying non-profit organizations, afloat during mandated Coronavirus Disease 2019 (‘COVID-19’) related closures.” The program provided potentially forgivable loans for small businesses, which included nonprofit organizations like churches. Each WELS congregation had the responsibility of determining whether or not to participate in that program. Below is information that WELS shared with called workers in April 2020:
“One program under the CARES Act receiving quite a bit of attention is the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Under the PPP, certain businesses, including nonprofit organizations (which would include WELS congregations and WELS affiliated ministries) may be eligible to receive a potentially forgivable loan through the Small Business Administration (SBA). Generally, the loans are for the lessor of $10,000,000 or 2.5 times the 2019 average monthly payroll cost. PPP loans may be helpful to nonprofit organizations by providing money to those organizations to pay for certain qualifying expenses, such as payroll costs for called and hired workers who are still employed, mortgage and rent payments, and utility costs.
“We do not view this as a dependence on the government for carrying out ministry; rather it should be viewed as a type of restitution to compensate for financial hardships resulting from government actions to mitigate the spread of the infection.
“We also encourage all of our members to realize that financial assistance from the government is not a substitute for faithful Christian stewardship. Please remember to support your congregation’s ministry and called workers with your faithful offerings, even if you are not able to gather for worship.”
Another provision of the CARES Act provides charitable contribution incentives. That provision created a new “above the line” deduction (i.e. for taxpayers who take the standard deduction). This deduction will permit them to deduct up to $300 of annual monetary contributions.
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| | » | WELS Connection - April 2020 (captioned)
For more than 150 years, Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon, Wis., has been training men to be pastors, professors, and missionaries around the world. In this edition of WELS Connection, discover more about the school’s overall ministry and its vision of service to the Lord and his people.
| | » | WELS Connection - May 2020 (captioned)
This edition of WELS Connection focuses on the important work of the Mission for the Visually Impaired. Part of WELS Special Ministries, this organization produces devotional and other materials in braille, large print, and digital files and distributes them free of charge throughout the world. See how its work can impact WELS members and non-members alike.
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Forward in Christ
| A thought: Good job!
 Good job and thank you! I thought this but couldn’t say it to everyone I thought should hear it. As I write this, we have been asked—mandated—to avoid unnecessary contact with others in order to limit the spread of the virus. So I’m working remotely exclusively these days. But many people must work and come […]
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