I have now done my research, actually traveled to visit the church with my friends, talked with attenders and obtained other resources which have convinced me of this:
I have no reason to be concerned about my friends attending Bethel church. This is a vibrant community of people passionately pursuing the will of God to see it accomplished "on earth as it is in heaven". Is it perfect? Probably not, but what does the Bible say:
Where no oxen are, the manger is clean,
But much increase comes by the strength of the ox.
The "ox" in this case would be zeal with which people seem to be pursuing Jesus here and seeking His glory.
Regarding the issue of "grave sucking" that I referenced in my first post, this video just posted, and in it the pastor Bill Johnson directly responds to the issue:
YouTubeDuring my visit there I experienced loving and welcoming people, excellent Biblical teaching, powerful worship and fairly common charismatic behaviors that I have been exposed to before (these might be somewhat uncomfortable for someone who has never been to a pentecostal church).
Anyway, I hope this benefits someone who may have heard some of the rumors like I did (but doesn't have time to travel and investigate like I have been fortunate enough to be able to do).
Grace Y.