Next Sunday, November 6th, Rachel Beedle will be hosting the first of our Dementia Friendly training sessions.
Immediately following our morning service (that’s as near to 12.30 as we can make it) this 45 minute session will introduce us to how best to go about addressing this increasingly worrying subject.
There’s no need to sign up, simply stay behind this Sunday or turn up on Sunday 27th November for a second run of this fascinating course.
Dear friends
As half term ends we thank God for his faithfulness in October. As we see the leaves changing colour and falling from the trees in the UK we are reminded again that we live in seasons. A friend of mine who moved to Gibraltar said the one thing she missed was the seasons in the way we have it here.
In our two funeral services this week, we thanked God for the life of Joan Baker (Kate Slater’s mum) on Wednesday and for Michael Losits (Magdi’s husband) and in both we heard words from the book of Ecclesiastes, chapter 3
“..there is a season or time for every activity under heaven.” We live in a world of change, it was never meant to stay the same all the time. Ecclesiastes 3:11 goes onto say that although in this world there is a time for beginnings and endings, that God is always the same and he has put something of ‘forever’ in our hearts.
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men”.
So we live in the tension of being ‘forever’ people in an earthly world of change.
Thanks to all those who came to support church family in different ways this week. We know there are a number of people with colds, covid or a mix and we pray for them too. For all who have enjoyed holiday we pray it’s been peaceful and fun.
Talking of change, the clocks go back an hour tonight.
We also have a shift in theme on Sunday too as we move into a mini series on ‘Fruitfulness’. I’ll explain more about this tomorrow and to those I know want to be involved. So it will go like this…
Sunday 30th October – Seed John 15:1-8
Sunday 6th November – Fruit Galatians 5:22-26 (café church)
Sunday 13th November – Planting James 3:13-18
Sunday 20th November – Flower Matthew 6:28-34 (communion)
On the 27th November we develop this into our Advent to Christmas season…
Services are 11-12ish in church and on YouTube. Tomorrow there will be a group for our younger members.
Many of our groups are back next week including Beacon, stepping stones, rock solid, lunch club and craft group. Do check out the website or ask someone if you are unsure.
A reminder about the AGM and church meeting and update at 7.30 on Tuesday 1st November in church and on zoom. Zoom link will go out on Monday.
In Christ
Shelley
To suggest you all stay up until 2am on Sunday October 29th is perhaps too much to ask but please don’t forget that according to a long standing tradition that’s precisely the time we put our clocks back by one hour.
I think I’ll do mine before I go to bed.
Dear friends
Quick email today…lots going on in church, our community and our nation. Lots to pray for but I am reminded of putting on love over all, we are a people of love not fear.
Last week Space took place in church and there’ll be an update on this tomorrow and on the website. It was great have some time to be and worship in different ways.
Zac and I took all the harvest gifts to the food bank warehouse and Caring for life. Thank you so much for all you have given. They were very much appreciated. Immediately some of the food was taken away to be made into something by the chefs at Caring For life for dinner.
Later in the week I was welcomed to a food club in Middleton where they are doing some of the things that we may want to develop as part of our warmwelcome project. This was just an initial visit to see friends doing something great in the community and sharing God’s love in a practical way but they said I could go back and bring with me those who may be interested to see it.
I haven’t a lot of time to follow up with you from what I said last week in the harvest service but we’ll provide some times to chat over the coming weeks and I’ll share more of my thoughts and see what you might want to do in terms of using our building and our resources as a hospitable place for our community.
Tomorrow we are in church 11-12 midday (and online on our you tube channel). We continue discover Paul’s letter to Philippians in a fresh way and there will be the opportunity to share communion. If you are online remember to get your bread/juice ready.
On Monday there will be no Beacon café as some of those who faithfully set up and run the café each week are away. If you’d like to be involved in Beacon then do let me know.
Stepping stones under 5’s group and their carers take a break and chance to plan the new term this week. It will be back on the 1st November 10-11.30.
After church next Sunday (Oct 30th) the Pastoral team meet for lunch and a catch up and then at 7.30pm on Tuesday November 1st we hold bith our AGM and a regular Church Members Meeting.
Do check out the website www.moortownbaptistchurch.org.uk and follow MBC on facebook and twitter for prayers, news and events. On Wednesday MBC hosts the funeral of Joan Baker (Kate’s mum). There will be refreshments afterwards. Thanks to those helping on the day with tech, welcome, music and refreshments. On Friday MBC hosts the funeral of Micheal Losits (Magdi’s husband). Please keep both families in your prayers.
We have had a few technical problems this week with computers and emails so do bear with us if some things have taken longer than expected or you have had bounce back emails.
I am taking next Thursday off and will be in and out of the building the rest of the week (feel free to check the diary in church to see what is going on through the week). You can get in touch with the deacons or myself if you have something to share.
“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called to one body. And be thankful” (Colossians 3:15)
See you tomorrow
In Christ
Shelley
A huge welcome to Lesley Murphy who at the beginning of this week took over as MBC’s administrator.
Lesley will be working part-time; Monday and Tuesday 9am to 4pm and on Wednesdays from 9am to 1.
Right now we are in the middle of trying to sort out what is probably the UK’s most complicated email system so until we can give you Lesley’s new email address perhaps the best way to contact her is via the MBC office on 0113 2693750.
MBC has joined with many other businesses and organisations across Leeds in becoming part of the Leeds Friendly Communities Project which aims to make Leeds an Age and Dementia Friendly City. This involved choosing six actions which we will commit to as a church.
Our three actions to become more Age Friendly are: to have a member of staff as an Age Friendly Ambassador; to improve the signage around church so that it is visible and clear; and to make sure that we continue to be open and welcoming to all.
Our three actions to become more Dementia Friendly are: to hold Dementia Friends Information Sessions so we can learn about dementia and how it affects those living with it and their carers; to assess the building for any practical and visual adaptations we can make to help those living with dementia; and to have patience and understanding as we support those living with the repercussions of a dementia diagnosis.
The Dementia Friends Information Sessions will be led by Rachel, our Seniors Worker, who volunteers with the Alzheimer’s Society as a Dementia Friends Ambassador. Each session lasts for about 45 minutes and is for up to 15 people. They will be held regularly so you can find a date to suit you, with the first sessions taking place after church on the 6th and 27th November and more dates to follow in the New Year. If you would like to attend either of these sessions please let Rachel or Lesley, our Administrator, know.
A message from Howard Dews.
I’ve heard from Florin Fodor that he and a team from Cluj are planning to go into Ukraine next weekend (29th/30th Oct).
They will be taking two minibuses with aid for refugees, poor people and schools. Some of this has been bought with the money we have sent.
Prayer needed for safety particularly given the latest situation with bombing across the country.
Ahead of what looks like becoming a particularly challenging winter Moortown Baptist Church has registered as a Warm Welcome Space.
Warm Welcome Space is a nationwide project intended to provide precisely that. However, with Beacon cafe, Stepping Stones, Open Door Craft Group, etc. etc. already in place our thinking is we don’t really need to set up special spaces but simply to invite anyone who may be struggling with the choice of either eating or heating to join us.
You’ll hear more about this as we approach the longer nights and the first heavy fuel bills arrive but if you or anyone you know might like to speak to us about our Warm Welcome Space simply contact Shelley or any of your deacons.
Below there is a link to a PDF explaining what needs to be done to register as a Warm Welcome Space which we hope you will find interesting.
There’s also some late news from Shelley that MBC is also now registered with Leeds City Council’s Warm Spaces project but more news on that later.
This Sunday I am looking forward to welcoming you to our Harvest celebration. Harvest time is probably one of the most exciting times in the life of a grower. I know the excitement we had when we spotted one strawberry in a mass of green leaves after weeks of watching, watering and weeding. Its the time when what has been longed for and worked on is collected in to be enjoyed, celebrated and shared. Just like a garden, our lives have seasons of waiting, or hard work and unseen results but they also have seasons of harvest. Things aren’t meant to continually grow, that’s not how things work. As one of the wisdom books in the bible says, there is a time and a season for every purpose under heaven (book of Ecclesiastes, chapter 3).
So whatever season you feel you are in, we pray that you will be able to join with us in the building or online to remember the significance of Harvest and have a moment to be thankful. There will be tea and coffee and breakfast bits and activities for our younger (and older friends) who want to engage in the theme in a different way. Do look out for our newer friends as each week we are welcoming new people into the building.
If you would like to bring any food to give we are collecting for the North Leeds Foodbank and for Caring for Life. We’ll be taking the food on Monday and Tuesday next week. Packets and jars of things are welcomed.
Suggestions….
UHT milk, sweet and savoury jams/spreads, tinned fish, tinned fruits, tinned tomatoes, sponge puddings, rice, pasta, biscuits, tinned custard, long life fruit juice, teabags, toilet roll, toothpaste, pasta/curry sauce, tinned meat, tinned veg, tinned rice pudding, tea, coffee, cereals, washing powder, sugar, hot chocolate.
Service will be 11-12midday and it will include some updates on what the church is doing in relation to harvest in our communities.
A couple of other things to let you know…
There will be an opportunity to collect a book mark made by a group of Hazara women and girls in Kabul, Afghanistan. The bookmarks along with the story of Masooma Danesh (who comes to the church) and how the bookmarks came to us will be on one of the tables in the church as you come in on Sunday. Do take a bookmark and pray for those who have made the bookmark.
Rock Solid for young people is on in church, Sunday night 7-8pm
Monday morning is beacon café, 10-12midday..all welcome, bring your friends.
If you would like to join a house group do get in touch and we’ll put you in touch. A list of them all will be coming out soon!
Thanks to all those who came to the tech meeting on Tuesday night. We had to contend with a quiz that we didn’t know was happening in the pub at the same time so John S and I recognise it wasn’t ideal but on the positive we all had a drink, over 10 people got together in the same room to talk about the challenges and opportunities we have in terms of access for all both in the building and online and the vital part tech plays in the life of what we do. I’ll follow up with the team who came that night but also if you are interested in helping with this and you couldn’t make it then do keep in touch and I’ll get you involved with those leading it.
Thursday night, 20th October is Space, a chance to bring an instrument, come and sing, pray, draw and find some time to hear from God in a safe space. Starting at 6.30, all welcome.
Next week on the 23rd we continue with the end of Paul’s letter to the Philippians and communion will be part of this service along with activities for younger ones.
This Monday we welcome our new administrator Lesley Murphy. Lesley will be working Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at Moortown. Her first week will be an induction period. Do pray for Lesley, and her family and introduce yourself if you see her.
The church meeting is coming up on Tuesday 1st November
Do check out the website, facebook and twitter for news or talk to one of the leaders if you want to know anything www.moortownbaptistchurch.org.uk
In Christ
Shelley
