Login

Month: August 2026

Shelley’s news w/c Sunday 23 August

by

Dear friends

Just a little reminder that all the summer services are here…

Sunday 23rd August Service together with a group for our younger friends to explore the same theme – A listening life: Hearing from the God who loves us ‘Hearing through Prophecy’ 1 Sam 3:1-10

Sunday 30th August Service – A listening life: Hearing from the God who loves us ‘Hearing through Prayer’

Sunday 6th September All age café church with breakfast pastries and snacks – A listening life: Hearing from the God who loves us ‘Hearing through Creation’’

If you feel you have something to encourage others on the theme of Hearing from God then do get in touch with me as it maybe something that can encourage or strengthen all of us on a Sunday morning.

Next week we have Beacon warm welcome café 10-12 on Monday 24th August.  Lunch club takes place on Wednesday 26th August and this week it’s followed by Wednesday Worship at 1.30-2pm for a Songs of Praise.  Everyone welcome to come and join in, hear this week’s special song and hymn choices and find out why they have been picked.

Craft group warm welcome space takes a break next Thursday (27th August) but will be back on 3rd September 2-4pm. 

Beacon warm welcome café takes a break on bank holiday Monday on 31st August, back again after this on the 7th September.

Stepping Stones for under 5’s and their families is back on Tuesday 8th September.  Thanks to all those who came to the bug creche clean up last week!

The next Deacons meeting is the 8th September at 7.30pm

The next church meeting is 22nd September at 7.30pm.

The next Wednesday worship after this week is the 23rd September at 1.30pm.

The mission group meet at 2.30pm on 29th September.  See Phil Coates for more information.

Bank holiday weekend…

There’s a lot going on at MBC on the bank holiday.  It’s the men’s breakfast on the morning of the 29th August in the church building, click here for more details!  Men’s Breakfast – 29th August – Moortown Baptist Church

Then in the building in the afternoon it’s the art of prayer art workshop.  Click here for more details. The Art of Prayer. Saturday 29th August – Moortown Baptist Church 

If you want to come to either there are contact details for both or contact Lesley in the office as she will pass a message on.  We are particularly encouraging people to bring others with them so we need to make sure we have enough food for the breakfast and enough materials and space for people to explore the art as we are setting it up so that you have all you might need creating a calm, safe space for all.  Beginners welcome! Children bring an adult with you.

In addition, Howard is now doing a walk around Leeds City Centre following the popularity of last year’s adventure! Details below…Saturday 29th August:  Walk / Stroll in Central Leeds.  Howard Dews (a member of MBC and the Leeds Civic Trust) will be repeating the informative walk he led last summer around the new developments (which you may not be aware of!) by the canal and river in central Leeds. This will include a ride on the water taxi to the Royal Armouries (cost £3.50).  Understanding how our city is changing helps us to pray for the city and its needs.  Meet at 1pm near the entrance to the Queens Hotel in City Square. Please let Howard know if you are coming, if you have any access questions or if you would like to travel together from church.  Or contact Lesley who will pass a message on.  All ages welcome. 

Our Sunday service on the bank holiday weekend will look at prayer as part of our listening life series so its great to have three different but creative ways to pray going on over the church in just one weekend.  Thanks to all contributing and do come along.  Technically you could do two in a day but that’s up to you!

In Christ

Shelley

Shelley Dring

Minister

Moortown Baptist Church

On Saturday August 29th you have a second chance to join Howard and explore the changing face of Leeds’ waterfront

by

Howard is now doing a walk around Leeds City Centre following the popularity of last year’s adventure! Details below…Saturday 29th August:  Walk / Stroll in Central Leeds.  Howard Dews (a member of MBC and the Leeds Civic Trust) will be repeating the informative walk he led last summer around the new developments (which you may not be aware of!) by the canal and river in central Leeds. This will include a ride on the water taxi to the Royal Armouries (cost £3.50).  Understanding how our city is changing helps us to pray for the city and its needs.  Meet at 1pm near the entrance to the Queens Hotel in City Square. Please let Howard know if you are coming, if you have any access questions or if you would like to travel together from church.  Or contact Lesley who will pass a message on.  All ages welcome. 

MBC Newsletter takes a short break

by

Sorry if I’ve created any confusion with my recent Ai graphic but when you get to my age days and dates have a tendency to merge into one. 

After today the MBC Newsletter is taking a short break which means that this one (dated August 22nd) will be the last one until on or around September 19th. 

Of course that doesn’t mean that we’re not still in the market for submissions, so if you have anything you would like to share with us please email it to me on mbcnewspics@gmail.com 

One hall, many different uses

by

If there’s one room in MBC that’s had more different uses than any other it has to be the Church Hall. 

On the 5th of June 1955, as the first part of the building to be finished and at different times of the day it served as our Sunday School room and our sanctuary. 

Today (or rather when the schools go back and Stepping Stones gets going again) it will be their room – the room to which our toddlers come and bring their mums, dads, grandmas, granddads or for that matter anyone else they like. 

In between it’s been a dance hall, in fact I remember playing bass guitar there in a beat group (The Leeders) in the mid 60’s. When Rewind was on it became the early home for Beacon. It’s where we held Church Meetings. It’s where our young people held their Prom. It’s been a creche. In fact it’s been just about everything. 

If there’s one thing you can say for certain it’s that as these two pictures show our old Church Hall has certainly moved with the times. It’ll be interesting to see how it looks in another 70 odd years. 

Men’s Breakfast – 29th August

by

Here at church, between 10am and 12.00 on Saturday August 29th we are hosting a Men’s Breakfast. 

Billed as “Breakfast – Friendship and Inspiration” our Guest Speaker is none other than our own Nathan Dring who’s topic is “Not the plan” a story about the things you don’t choose, and the one thing that held. 

Please do come along, eight or so years ago when we last  lauched such a venture we held it in the Queen’s Arms pub on Harrogate Road and it was great.

Maybe as time goes by we might do the same again. 

Who, what, where and when? A guide to all that’s happening here at MBC in 2026

by

If you are viewing this post via the MBC Newsletter we need to point out that it’s possible that at this time of year some of the items listed below may be taking a break.  So as not to disappoint, can we suggest that you take a look at Shelley’s News post that is at the top of this newsletter. 

www.moortownbaptistchurch.org.uk 

It would be nigh on impossible to list everything that goes on here at MBC in just one post as very often we host special one offs – such as Plant Sales, Craft Fairs, Cream Teas and the like. Here, however, are what you might call the basics i.e. the things that take place either on a regular or a semi permanant basis. 

Lasting for just over an hour our Sunday Service starts in church and on YouTube at 11am. The first Sunday of each month is Café Church and on the third Sunday we celebrate Communion.

An important part of our worship is Sunday School which sees a small group of young children learning all about Jesus and the love of God.

Rounding off Sunday we have Rock Solid. Meeting between 7 & 8pm and majoring around having fun. Youth Club style Rock Solid regularly sets our teenagers some serious and not so serious challenges and tasks.

Monday…    Our free Warm Space Beacon Café, 10am to 12noon which runs in conjunction with The Lord’s Pantry, a project that within limits distributes free food and toiletries etc. to people in need.

Tuesday…    Stepping Stones, a toddler group 10 to 11.30am. Term time only. 

Tuesday…   The first of our Housegroups, only this one is in church between 12noon and 2pm.

Wednesday… 10.30am – 2pm. Lunch Club, games, quizzes and always a hearty lunch for our seniors. 

Wednesday… 7.30 to 9.30pm. A hybrid Housegroup with half the group meeting in our Music Room and others online.

Wednesday…  7.30pm – 9.30ish. Ladies Housegroup. This group meets in our Corner Room at Church from 7.30pm till 9.30ish.

Wednesday…  7.30 to 9pm. Country Dancing.

Thursday…     2pm to 4. Open Door Craft Group. Our second Warm Space of the week. No experience needed, Free refreshments and always lots of chat.

Thursday…      7pm to 9pm. Bible Study and prayer in our Music Room.

Friday…            10am to 11am. A second Bible Study, again in church.

Friday…            And finally, between 8pm – 10pm, another Housegroup, again in someone’s home.

On top of all this we also have a Pastoral Team which offers confidential support to anyone who needs it. A Parkinson’s Exercise Class. An excellent worship band that plays regularaly in our Sunday services. Two Extend Exercise Classes (ideal for our older friends). Pilates. Pathways a Christian Counselling Service. Huge input into the Leeds and Moortown Furniture Store. Masses of home and overseas Mission work. PACT (Neighbourhood Policing Teams) and local councillor surgeries.

And of course at certain times of the year we also host some special services such as Baptisms, Easter, Harvest and Christmas.

For more information about any of these please email Moortown Baptist Church on admin@moortownbaptistchurch.org.uk

Moortown Baptist Church. 204 King Lane, Leeds LS17 7AA

www.moortownbaptistchurch.org.uk

Shelley’s news – August 15th

by

Dear all

Last week I was able to lead worship, pray and dance at the Edinburgh International Festival with a group called Movement in Worship. It was a reminder of our theme this week, how God speaks through community, how we hear God when we move together.

Just a reminder that in the Summer the email from myself and the newsletter are sent out less frequently than normal. Believe or not, this is the short version!  So, if you would like to see what is happening this week and next week then have a look for the email called friendly email 6th August 2026 that was sent on Thursday 6th August.  If you can’t find it its also here on the website dated 7th August.  You can click on this link or go straight to the website and look for it Shelley’s news 7th August – Moortown Baptist Church  You’ll also see some updates on whats been happening in the building over the last week with painting, new furniture and a toy clean planned next Tuesday. Thanks to all who offered to get on and do this in the gaps between the groups!

A reminder that Beacon café will take a break on 31st August on the bank holiday and craft group will take a break on Thursday 27th August. Thanks to those who have been stepping in to help over the Summer months whilst some people are away or have been ill.  If anyone would like to know more about helping with either of these groups and the different roles involved, either as a one off or more frequently, then do get in touch with myself, Lesley (who will pass a message on) or one of the group leaders.

The next few Sundays in our Summer series look like this…

Sunday 16th August All age communion – A listening life: Hearing from the God who loves us ‘Hearing through Community’ 2 Kings:1-14

Sunday 23rd August Service together with a group for our younger friends to explore the same theme – A listening life: Hearing from the God who loves us ‘Hearing through Prophecy’ 1 Sam 3:1-10

Sunday 30th August Service – A listening life: Hearing from the God who loves us ‘Hearing through Prayer’

Sunday 6th September All age café church with breakfast pastries and snacks – A listening life: Hearing from the God who loves us ‘Hearing through Creation’

Just a reminder too that it’s the Leeds ironman race tomorrow taking place in North Leeds.  Some roads will be partially closed or completely closed.  Those affected should have had a letter through their door a few weeks ago.

If you live in Moortown, the roads are fine. Its beyond that where it can get messy, although the ring road is ok too.  If you are not sure then have a look here…The yellow routes are open roads.

IMLEE Bike Overview 2026 Opt4.cdr

26 IMLEE Run Course Closure Map.pdf

IMLEE Harewood House Access Map.pdf

After church you may want to go cheer them on!

I may have an interesting journey tomorrow!

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” (Hebrews 10:24)

In Christ

Shelley

Shelley Dring

Minister

Moortown Baptist Church

 

Behind the scenes at a very warm MBC

by

If you’ve spent the last week or so bemoaning what looks like it may well become the new British summer i.e. temperatures above 30 degrees C, spare a thought for Mike, Paul and Rod who have spent the last week emulsioning the long coridor that runs between the vestibule and the ladies loo. 

With typical modesty Rod claims that his only involvement was to supervise the scaffolding and his was his mates who did the real work. 

Whether that’s true or not l can’t say but many thanks to you all, because between you you are doing a great job.

Out with the old and in with the even older. In 1969 our ailing electric organ was replaced with something far more grand.

by

MBC’s first ever organ, described in Roger Robson’s Moortown Baptist Church – The first twenty five years book as “electric and ailing” was installed in 1957. However, although I’ve been around for  what seems a life time I have to admit I can’t remember it. What I do remember, however, was its replacement that you see ablove! 

The new organ arrived in 1968 in what can only be described as kit form from a Congregational Church in Morley, something that Roger describes quite literally as “in hundreds of parts.” Built on the stage at the rear of the church this majestic beast was dedicated in a service held on the 6th of September 1969. 

It stayed there until 1993 when to the best of my knowledge it was replaced by the much smaller organ we currently have that sits at the front to the right of the communion table. 

PHP Code Snippets Powered By : XYZScripts.com