Adopted into God’s Family 

Based on sermon on 31 August 2025 by Ian Beresford

You can read the story of Ruth from the book of same name in the Bible here.

Ruth’s Story: From Empty to Full

Ruth and Naomi had lost everything—husbands, homes, hope. They returned to Bethlehem empty-handed, unsure what the future would hold. Ruth set out simply to pick up scraps of grain left behind by harvesters.

But what she found was overwhelming kindness. Boaz noticed her, welcomed her, and made sure she had food, water, protection, and even a place at the table. Ruth expected survival, but she received blessing upon blessing.

Boaz’s Generosity: Beyond Obligation

By law, Boaz only had to let Ruth glean. Instead, he went further. He crossed boundaries of race, status, and circumstance to welcome Ruth into his family and community.

Boaz’s kindness is a glimpse of something greater—the love of Christ.

Jesus Our Redeemer: More Than Mercy

Boaz foreshadows Jesus, the ultimate Redeemer. Jesus doesn’t just forgive us; He welcomes us as His own. God could have stopped at mercy, but He didn’t. Through Christ, He adopts us as His children.

Adoption changes everything:

  • We receive a new identity as beloved children.
  • We gain a new belonging in God’s family.
  • We share in a new inheritance that can never fade.


The Church: A Family, Not a Crowd

The church is more than a Sunday gathering—it’s God’s family. We’re not spectators or visitors, but brothers and sisters bound together by grace. Just as Ruth found belonging in Boaz’s household, we find belonging in God’s household.

Ruth came expecting scraps, but was given abundance. Likewise, we often approach God with low expectations, yet He longs to give us more than we can imagine.

As John reminds us: “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are” (1 John 3:1).

Living as God’s Adopted Children

Being adopted into God’s family isn’t just a truth to believe—it’s a life to live out. Here are four ways to grow into it:

  • Rest in your identity – You are God’s child; stop striving to prove yourself.
  • Enjoy the Father’s care – Bring your needs and fears to Him, trusting His provision.
  • Live in family, not isolation – Invest in church community, building real relationships.
  • Reflect God’s welcome – Extend grace and hospitality to others, making room at the table.

You are not a stranger—you are family. And in God’s family, there is always room for more. 

The full service on 31 August, including the sermon is available to view on our Youtube Channel.  
No need to go anywhere . . . it is below:
 

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.