Jesus was a refugee - an exploration

Behind this phrase there are a number of layers of meaning. ‘Yes’, Jesus was a refugee; he as a small child and his mother and father fled from Israel because of the tyrannical actions and paranoia of King Herod. ‘Yes’, Jesus was a refugee because he and his small family group managed to travel to and enter into Egypt to find safety.

These are elements from the story in the New Testament recorded by Matthew. What underlies these simple statements in Matthew’s record? What are the emotions and feelings of the family? First are the overwhelming feelings of needing to be safe; will there be those in authority seeking to find and force the refugee travellers to turn back? Travelling as a refugee more often than not means living in poverty with a constant concern for the basics of water, food and shelter. There would have been grieving for what the family had left behind. Maybe travelling with others would mean that some of the tasks for survival could be shared and there would be some camaraderie; however, no doubt tensions arose when priority was given to making provision for individual family members.

Jesus would have spent part of this part of his life being seen as a nobody because of his refugee status. He and his family would have been aware what it feels like to be an asylum seeker, what it feels like to be homeless, and an undocumented migrant.

Living as a refugee could be transformative; it is unlikely that the outlook on life would never be the same again with new perspectives. Perhaps the experience could give the family the opportunities through which they could lift themselves out of poverty. We know that there were communities of Jews in parts of Egypt – would they have provided opportunities for the family to settle? Would Joseph been able to ply his trade as a carpenter; would he have had the power to change the life of his family?

Through all this, it would not be too far-fetched to say that God saw the family as somebodies and was with them in their struggles. Maybe this is the example that has been set before the church – engaging in community transformation work because it’s the church going to where the people are. That’s what Jesus did – he was out there with the people more than he was in the four walls of the temple. That’s the mission for the church – we need to go where people are, rather than calling them to where we are. We need to combine the message of the Bible with actions so that we are a relevant church in this time and with God to transform lives!

Let us pray that refugees will have courage and resilience as they go through their daily challenges. A blessing for refugees: As you travel away from your home, may God bless you with a safe journey. As you grieve for everything you are leaving behind, may God bring you comfort. As you arrive in a new place to call home, may God bring you community and opportunity. As you wonder what’s next and where you go from here, may God provide you with a path before you and grant you peace. Amen. (Prayer taken from Tearfund)

For information about the prayer event on 25 March 2023, please go here.

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.

Visitors click here.

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.

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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 Hibbert
Pastor

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