Chat Prayer 

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One way to describe prayer is that it is a conversation with God.  And that doesn’t just have to be just with you and God alone.  Others can be involved too!  In fact if you think about it some of the best conversations are had when there is a small group of friends enjoying each others company; just talking about stuff.  How is “stuff” defined?

Stuff = things we enjoy (hobbies, sports, movies, music etc.)

Stuff = things we are concerned about (the news, our health, the health of others, exams etc.)

Stuff = things we are pleased and happy about and things we’re thankful for etc.

Stuff = things we are sad, angry, frustrated, confused and downright befuddled about.

Stuff = things about faith, doubt, the Bible and your walk with Jesus.

Stuff = everything!

So if prayer is a conversation with God, and God has given us others, then if we have good old fashioned chats with Jesus at the centre of them, that’s just as much prayer as anything else we can do!

Us humans are really good at complicating things.  We like to think that we have to say all right the words; do all the right actions and know all the right stuff in order to pray.  That’s A LOT of pressure.  No wonder we feel afraid or too overwhelmed to pray.  

Prayer can be a simple and natural conversation with others when we acknowledge that Jesus is sitting with us chatting.  

So, why not give it a try?

Make yourself a hot drink

Sit down and say, “Thank you Jesus for being here.” (Here’s a secret, you don’t have to say that out loud (you can of course) for him to hear you.

Have a chat about “STUFF.”  If it’s just you and Jesus, Great!  Chat about stuff.  If there are others around, just chat to them and perhaps think about what Jesus might say, how Jesus might listen or how Jesus might respond.  You never know, Jesus might want to use you to answer the other person’s questions or prayers.  Just like he might use them to answer yours.  

When you’re done, say “Thank you for the chat Jesus.”  Or you could of course just say, “Amen.”

Go on give it a try. 
You never know, it might be your new favourite way to pray.

- Phil Hibbert

 

Glenys
Hello and welcome to our church. If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

Planning your Visit

A Warm Hello 


We know meeting someone for the first time can be intimidating and going to a new church for the first time can be nerveracking. We want to help make your first experience at Bethel a great one.

Where and When

We meet at the Chapel (details here) for our Sunday Service starting at 10:30am.
For your first visit, we recommend arriving 10-15 minutes early.  As we don't have our own car park, you will have to find a spot in one of the many public car parks around town.  Don't worry, there is always loads of parking as it's Sunday morning and its.a very short walk.
When you arrive, you will be greeted by one of our welcomers at the door, who will show you where to sit and provide you with a "Contact Us" sheet should you want to us to contact you after the service.

Accessibility: There is wheelchair access, and a sound loop for anyone who needs it. Please let one of the Welcome Team know on your arrival and they will help you to get set up. There are disabled toilets in the church hall.

We see our services on a Sunday like a family get together.  We like to laugh and have fun.  Life can sometimes be very challenging, whether you are young or old; it helps to have support and a place to belong; so on Sundays we do just that.  

What you can expect on a Sunday morning at Bethel is:

A warm, friendly community of people
To be welcomed and included.    
To be supported.
To be given a chance.
To sometimes laugh and sometimes cry.
To be challenged and also to have fun.
To experience the presence of God in us and in creation.
To sing, because music is probably the best way we have of expressing our emotions and gratefulness to God.
A love for the Bible and the truths in it.

Bethel04














What about my kids?

We have a great programme lined up for kids of all ages:

Creche (0 months to 3 years). Children under 6 months are welcome but must be accompanied by their parent/grown-up at all times.
Sunday Club (4 -11 years)
Young people (11+ years) They have a group meeting one week and the next join in the service in the Chapel. 

Children stay with their parent or grown-up at the start of the service for the welcome, a song or two songs, notices and an all age reflection. We really value worshipping God all together as a family. At the end of the notices someone will announce that it’s time for the younger members to go to their various groups.  We suggest that on your first visit, you go along with your child to drop them off and meet the leaders, before returning to the Chapel. 

The kids group activities vary depending on the age but usually there is a friendly welcome, bible stories, testimonies, praying, music, craft, drama, fun games and free play. Please pick your children up as soon as the service finishes.


Getting Connected


Home Groups

While Sundays are a great way to meet new people, it is often in smaller gatherings that you can really get to know someone. Being part of one of our small groups allows you to make new friends, share together and support each other. We have a variety of groups that meet throughout the week, some afternoons and some evenings. Check out Small Groups and see if there’s one that you could join, or we can put you in touch with a small group leader who will be more than happy to invite you along to their group.

Serving and Volunteering

If you want to get involved in the life of the church and help us make Sundays run smoothly, you can sign up to serve on a team. 

Other Ministries

We also run the following ministries:

Men's Ministries
Women's Ministries
Youth Group
Foodbank
Renew Wellbeing Cafe
 

Get in touch with us to plan your visit

If you would like to come and visit the church beforehand you are more than welcome! Get in touch and we can arrange a time that suits you.
 
Name:
Telephone:
Email Address:
Comments / Questions or anything you would like to say?

Next, we will contact you by email to say hello and help arrange anything necessary for your visit.
 

Leadership 

Phil    
Phil Hibbert    
Pastor    
 
We hope that whoever you are, you will feel at home at our church.