Bethel Methodist Church Bridgtown

15/04/2026

Come and join us at BETHEL Church Union street Bridgtown. All ages welcome. Service led by Graham and Karen Lowther.

05/04/2026

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23/03/2026

Week 6:
Let go of violence, embrace gentleness
Palm Sunday (29 March 2026) is a tale of two processions. Pilate rides in with soldiers and weapons. Jesus enters on a donkey – gentle, vulnerable, unarmed. His power is rooted in love, not force. This is a radical vision of leadership: strength expressed through humility, authority shaped by compassion.
Violence isn’t only about moments of conflict; it is also perpetuated by policies, prejudices and silences that shape whose lives are valued.
Jesus’ gentleness demonstrates strength that dismantles harm, rather than reinforcing it.
This week, Lent invites us to choose gentleness in a world that prizes control. Gentleness isn’t weakness – it’s purposeful strength, power reimagined.

Where could you practise that kind of strength this week?

How might gentleness transform a conversation, a relationship, a community?

18/03/2026

Tomorrow at Bethel we will be holding a service of thanksgiving for the life of Jeanette Cartwright. 10.30 am Everyone welcome

16/03/2026

Week 5.
Ever heard the word respair? It means “fresh hope after despair”. It’s a word we need. Life can feel heavy, broken and stuck. We wonder if things will ever change.


But this week, Lent invites us to believe that restoration is possible, even when hope feels lost.
Ezekiel saw dry bones come to life. Jesus called Lazarus out of the tomb. God breathes life into what feels dead.

Where do you need that breath of hope today?

What would it look like to trust that God is at work, even in the places that seem beyond repair?

Some forms of despair are shaped not only by personal experience but by prejudice, displacement or exclusion. Where might God be breathing life into communities whose hope has long been denied?

Try this spiritual practice
Choose one broken or neglected thing – a torn item, a cluttered drawer, a squeaky hinge – and mend it. As you do, pray:
God, restore what feels broken in me. Breathe hope into my soul.

09/03/2026

Week 4:
Let go of appearances,
embrace what's inside
We live in a world obsessed with appearances: status, image, success. We may make quick judgements based on what we see, often missing the deeper truth. But God sees the heart. This week, Lent invites us to look deeper: to notice dignity in others and in ourselves, to see beyond the surface and recognise the image of God within.
Jesus saw a man born blind not as a sinner to blame, but as someone through whom God’s works would shine. Samuel learnt that God’s choice of king wasn’t about outward appearances, but about the heart.

What would it mean for you to see others – and yourself – with that kind of grace?
How might it change the way you speak, act and relate to others?

02/03/2026

Week 3:
Let go of scarcity, embrace abundance

Scarcity whispers: “There’s not enough”. Not enough time, money, energy, love. It makes us feel anxious, competitive and afraid. Many of us also live with pressures shaped by the way our world is organised – systems that leave some lacking what they need while others hold more than enough. Lent can help us notice both personal anxieties and the wider patterns that weigh on communities.

But this week, Jesus offers living water – a source that never runs dry. We are invited to shift from fear to trust, from scarcity to abundance. This isn’t about ignoring reality; it’s about seeing with new eyes the generosity of God that surrounds us.
God’s grace is overflowing. It’s not about having more; it is about being filled with life and sharing it freely.

What would change if you believed there was enough – enough love, enough hope, enough grace for you and for others?

How might that belief shape your choices, your relationships, your outlook?

23/02/2026

Week 2 lent.
Let go of the form, embrace the spirit
Faith can sometimes feel like a checklist: rules to follow, routines to keep, boxes to tick. We may cling to what feels safe and predictable. But Jesus reminds us that the Spirit moves freely, like the wind – unseen yet powerful, surprising and alive.

Lent invites us to loosen our grip on what feels fixed and open ourselves to mystery and transformation.
Abram left everything familiar to follow God’s call. Nicodemus came to Jesus at night, searching for answers. Both discovered that life with God isn’t about rigid forms – it’s about trust, openness and the Spirit.

What would it look like to let go of the need for certainty and allow God to surprise you this week?

Where might the Spirit be nudging you towards something new?

18/02/2026

Lent week one: Let go of idols, make room for God

Lent is often seen as a season of giving things up – chocolate, coffee, social media. But at its heart, Lent is about making space for what gives life. It’s about loosening our grip on the things that promise happiness but leave us empty, and opening ourselves to the presence of God. This isn’t about punishment or deprivation; it’s about freedom. Freedom from the illusions that weigh us down and the false promises that keep us restless.

This week’s theme
is about idols – not statues, but the subtle things we trust more than God: success, image, control, comfort.
They’re like plastic plants: they look alive, but they can’t grow. Lent invites us to notice those false promises and gently let them go.

What would it feel like to live with less pressure to perform, less fear of failure, less of a need to control?

What might grow in that space?

This is the beginning of a journey toward what is real, rooted and alive.

10/01/2026

Take care everyone treacherous conditions. No service tomorrow 11th.

06/01/2026