Worship
Please join us in worship Sunday, January 18th at 9:30 a.m.
SECOND SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY JAN 18, 2026
First reading
Isaiah 49:1-7
Psalm
Psalm 40:1-11
Second reading
1 Corinthians 1:1-9
Gospel
John 1:29-42
Lively music, reading, and preaching with special guests and a warm welcome. Communion on First Sundays.
When the Magi came in search of Jesus, they went to Herod the Great in Jerusalem to ask where to find the newborn "King of the Jews". Herod became paranoid that the child would threaten his throne and sought to kill him (2:1–8). Herod initiated the Massacre of the Innocents in hopes of killing the child (Matthew 2:16). But an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and warned him to take Jesus and his mother into Egypt (Matthew 2:13).
Egypt was a logical place to find refuge, as it was outside the dominions of King Herod, but both Egypt and Judea were part of the Roman Empire, linked by a coastal road known as "the way of the sea",[2] making travel between them easy and relatively safe.
Flight Into Egypt by Henry Ossawa Tanner (American, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 1859–1937 Paris)
People pick up battery-operated votive candles and write their prayers during a Jan. 9 prayer vigil hosted by Minneapolis’ Park Avenue United Methodist Church. The church is just two blocks from where a federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Good. At Sunday services, worshippers at Park Avenue and other United Methodist congregations remembered Good, mourned the week’s violence by federal officials and took comfort in God’s presence. Photo courtesy of Park Avenue United Methodist Church.
“We all know here in the Upper Midwest that the way you care for ice is that you throw a little salt on it. So, I invite you to go into the world and be salt and light.” — Bishop Lanette Plambeck, who leads the Minnesota and Dakotas conferences.
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Hundreds of people gather on Jan. 10 in Portland, Ore., at a candlelight vigil for those killed or injured by federal immigration agents. Photo by Paul Jeffrey, UM News.
Ministries
Missions
We raise money to support local food banks, shelters, and charities, including our Good Samaritan Fund for needy neighbors. We cook for Emmanuel Dining Room and host a perpetual
food drive all year to feed the hungry.
To volunteer please call Nancy.
Contact Nancy Storer
storernancy@aol.com / 302-475-3549
In the old stone church, we are full of affordable treasures & staffed by
volunteers. The proceeds go to charities such as Claymont Food Closet, Sojourner's House, Sunday Breakfast, Friendship House, and others.
Open Wednesday, Thursday & Friday 10-3
Volunteers needed Mon morning 9-11 to stock & price; Wed, Thurs. & Fri half day at checkout counter. Call Dora to help!
Presently we enroll 85 children, in three classes for ages 2-5. We are a Christian preschool and daycare. Hours are full or part-time with lunch options as well as a summer camp.
Contact Vicki Antignani
chester.bethel.Preschool@gmail.com
Tel: 302-475-0377
Music Ministry
Carmella Selvaggio-Lynch is our Director of Music and organist. There is a bell choir headed by
Pam Manocchio and many opportunities to sing God's praise.
Contact Carmella Selvaggio-Lynch
carm12340@comcast.net | Tel: 302-475-3549
Weddings and Funerals
Weddings in the sanctuary are available to church members, their families, and folks in our surrounding community.
If you are interested in holding a funeral here, Pastor Kelly is ready to minister to you and your family, schedule permitting, regardless of your membership. Please contact the office at 302-475-3549.
