Join us every Sunday at 10:30 am for worship!
Our Mission is to extend God's welcome and love to all as we
grow in faith, serve our neighbors and nurture community.
Bethany Christian Church
In person worship begins at 10:30 am. The service is also livestreamed.
The above link will take you to our YouTube channel where you can view our services.
Sunday School for children and adults is at 9:30 am, September to May.
Bethany Christian Church is a faith community that welcomes all God's people to come together, share their stories and grow in relationship to God. Our Mission is to extend God's welcome and love to all as we grow in faith, serve our neighbors and nurture community. In an environment of hospitality and acceptance, all people are made to feel welcomed and needed, and are encouraged to discover and share their gifts in service to others.
A variety of Christian education experiences are offered for all ages. We are blessed with a staff of faithful volunteer teachers and leaders who are dedicated to God and the mission of the church, and who care about persons and their growth as postmodern disciples of Jesus Christ.
Whether you are curious about the Christian faith, or a new or long-time member of the church, we invite you to come and grow spiritually here at Bethany.
We are a member congregation of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). We are an open church – open to helping each other grow by sharing our doubts as well as our faith, our fears as well as our hopes. We believe that real spiritual growth is possible only in an atmosphere of acceptance, love and support.
We are people of every background and theology who gather together to worship. We are bound together in fellowship and service by belief that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of the world. On all other matters the church recognizes the right of its members to freedom of opinion.
We readily welcome people from all backgrounds and denominations.
Bethany Christian Church
Disciples of Christ
1645 North Cotner Blvd.
Lincoln, Nebraska 68505
(402) 466-1957
Our Pastor
Rev. Rick Modglin-Green serves as Pastor of Bethany Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). He is passionate about helping people grow in their faith, building authentic Christian community, and sharing the inclusive love of Jesus Christ with all.
Before coming to Bethany, Pastor Rick served as Pastor of First Christian Church (DOC) in Findlay, Ohio. Earlier in his ministry, he served as Associate Pastor of Central Woodward Christian Church (DOC) in Troy, Michigan, and previously founded and pastored Praise Fellowship Christian Church for 11 years.
Rick holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Admin/Accounting from Western Kentucky University and a Master’s in Theology. His ministry combines biblical teaching, pastoral care, and a commitment to helping congregations live out the Gospel through worship, inclusion, discipleship, service, and justice.
In addition to congregational ministry, Pastor Rick has served as President of the Board of Directors of Hands Across the Waters, an adoption and foster care agency based in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
As an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Pastor Rick believes Christ’s table is open to all. He is committed to creating a church where every person is welcomed, valued, and invited to grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ.
Rick and his husband, Wes, have shared life together since 1995 and were legally married in 2013 by a DOC colleague. They are proud parents of their son, Richard, and are grateful to call Lincoln home.
Who we are
Are you looking for a faith community? Consider Bethany Christian Church. We are a congregation of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) whose mission is "to be and to share the Good News of Jesus Christ, witnessing, loving and serving from our doorsteps 'to the ends of the earth' (Acts 1:8)." We practice:
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Inclusion. Disciples seek to provide a welcoming space in which our language and practices encourage inclusion. We are committed to promoting a fair and just environment for all ages, social classes, cultures, gender identities, and differing abilities.
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Diversity of opinion. Disciples are called together around one essential of faith: a belief centered around the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Persons are free to follow their consciences, guided by the Spirit, and find more grace in the search for understanding than in dogma and creeds. Perhaps there is more value in questions than in absolutes.
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Importance of church unity. All Christians are called to equip one another for the work God calls us to do: striving for peace and justice among all people. The way we behave toward one another and all God's creatures is the fullest expression of what we believe.
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Open Communion. The Lord's Supper, or Communion, is celebrated weekly and open to all. We understand the sharing of bread and cup in Jesus' name to be a representation of an ancient vision of God's feast for all people.
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Baptism by immersion. Baptism is a sign of God's grace in Jesus Christ, and a promise to live in faithful response to that grace. A person's decision to be baptized marks the formal beginning of a lifelong journey with God through the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. While Disciples practice baptism by immersion, other forms of baptism such as infant baptism are seen as valid and not barriers to membership in the body of Christ.
Where we started
In November 1889, students and faculty of Cotner University, along with many Bethany residents, met to conduct the first worship service of the Christian Church of Bethany. On January 2, 1890, the new church moved into a newly completed dormitory on the Cotner campus with Dr. William P. Aylsworth, Chancellor of Cotner University, as its pastor. Upon completion of the college chapel that same year, the church moved into the home it was to occupy for the next 18 years.
Plans were made for a church building of its own apart from Cotner University. The new structure was dedicated the first Sunday in October of 1908 and stood on the same location as the present church. It seated 1,500 worshipers and was one of the largest and most magnificent religious buildings in the state. It housed the Bethany congregation until November 20, 1928, when it was destroyed by fire. Immediately, the congregation decided to rebuild, in spite of the Great Depression. On March 22, 1931, the formal dedication of the present Bethany Christian Church was celebrated. Within two years, Cotner University closed the nearby campus and relocated across from the UNL East campus.
The Easter Pageant, "Cross Triumphant", was given birth in 1939 by Faythe Leavitt, former Cotner professor, and performed during Holy Week for 38 years.
Shaped by the history of generations past, empowered by a vision of God's peace, we are called to bring light and life to our world!
Disciples of Christ Churches in Lincoln
Bethany Christian Church is one of eight Disciples of Christ churches in Lincoln, Nebraska. Each of the Disciples of Christ churches has their own “personality.” We would love to have you join us for worship and be a part of our church family. However, if we are “not a good fit” for you, we invite you to worship at one of the other Disciples of Christ churches.
CrossBridge Christian Church Havelock Christian Church Trinity Chapel Christian Church
2800 CrossBridge Place 6520 Colfax Avenue 550 West Rokeby Road
Lincoln, NE 68504 Lincoln, NE 68507 Lincoln, NE 68523
crossbridgelincoln.org havelockcc.org
Edenton Christian Church SouthPointe Christian Church
7001 Edenton Road 7010 Helen Witt Drive
Lincoln, NE 68516 Lincoln, NE 68512
edentoncc.org southpointecc.org
First Christian Church Southview Christian Church
430 South 16th Street 2040 South 22nd Street
Lincoln, NE 68508 Lincoln, NE 68502
fcclincoln.org southviewchristian.church