On the cross, Jesus said ‘it is finished’, the hour had come. Yet there are some things that are not finished. We know the work, the grace, the love continues. We continue to pray for peace and to work for peace in our world. Lord have mercy, we pray. Help us to follow in the way of Christ.
On Sunday, we welcome Andor and Zsuzsi, and Lori and Kata pastors of churches in Romania. They’ll be sharing with us in word and worship. Andor, Zsuzsi and Lori are also part of a band who travel around Romania sharing music and song. We start at 11am as usual and there will be a bring and share lunch after the service. Everyone is invited!
There will be no Rock Solid youth group this week but Beacon café is back on Monday 13th April. Craft group warm welcome space is on Thursday 16th April 2-4pm. Lunch club and Stepping Stones are back the week beginning 20th April. Stepping Stones team will be having a tidy up this week, talk to Diane or Hilary if you want to help. Housegroups are back on this week too.
Next week…
Thursday 16th April Women and girls self-defence class funded as part of the mayor of West Yorkshire’s Safer Communities Fund and Leeds City Council Inner North Community Committee with Leeds Jewish Housing Association, 1pm-5pm in the sports hall. No cost.
Friday 17th April Bible Study in the Music Room 10.00 – 11.00am exploring Ephesians. Speak to Shelley for more information.
Sunday 19th April 11-12 Church service with a small group for our younger friends to explore the theme together. ‘Jesus through the eyes of John: Jesus appears to.. the disciples’ John 20:19-23 We welcome Helen Harris, Director of Fundraising and Communications for the Baptist Missionary Society who is looking forward to sharing stories of God at work worldwide in our service and linking into our Sunday theme. We will share communion.
Rock Solid youth meet tonight in the building, 7-8pm
Coming up…
Monday April 20th Deacons meeting at 7,30 in the building.
Wednesday April 22nd The ‘Create your own psalm group’ (usually last Wednesday of the month but it’s the third Sunday this month) meet in the music room at 7pm. All welcome even if you haven’t been before, materials provided, come and have a go in a relaxing space. Be guided with ideas and then have freedom to explore. No experience needed. Speak to Krys or Cas.
Sunday 26th April 11-12 Church Service with a small group for our younger friends to explore the theme together. ‘Jesus through the eyes of John: Jesus appears to.. Thomas’ John 20:24-31
Sunday 3rd May 11am Cafe church with breakfast snacks and refreshments ‘Jesus through the eyes of John: Jesus appears on the beach’ John 21:1-14
Sunday 10th May 11am Church Service with a small group for our younger friends to explore the theme together. ‘Jesus through the eyes of John: Jesus restores’ John 21:15-25
Sunday 24th May Pentecost Sunday service at 11am.
Whole Church meeting dates…
Tuesday 12th May (deacons elections), Sunday 5thJuly (after church) Tuesday 22nd September (AGM), Tuesday 10th November.
Please do pray and ask people who you sense God is prompting you about in relation to being a Deacon for the next season of church. An email went out this week. Rod will be stepping down this time. We will be thanking him for his time as a deacon.
Mission group meet on the 9th June 2.30-4pm in the building.
We’ll be hosting voting in the music room on Polling Day, Thursday 7th May. We’ll share some resources from the evangelical alliance on this soon. You may like to pray too. Our groups will still go ahead on that day, maybe just in a different room.
Finally, an Easter poem by E Hamilton from Whispers of Grace.
The morning didn’t end yesterday. It didn’t stay in the garden, didn’t settle at the empty tomb like something finished and ready to be remembered.
It moves. Into streets and kitchens and conversations that don’t yet know they’re about to change.
We wake up again, same rooms, same routines, same lists waiting for us, and still something has shifted.
He is risen. He is risen indeed.
Not just a moment, not just a day we mark and move on from, but a life that keeps breaking in.
The God who is alive doesn’t stay where we left Him, doesn’t belong only to Sunday morning light, but walks into Monday, into the ordinary, into the places we thought were untouched by resurrection. And we might miss it if we’re not paying attention.
In the small turning of a heart, in the quiet lifting of hope, in the courage to begin again when nothing around us has changed yet.
This is how it continues. Not always loud, not always obvious, but steady, like breath returning, like light finding its way through the edges of a day.
The God who is life is not finished. Not with the world. Not with us. And so we carry it forward, not perfectly, not fully understanding, but alive to it, this resurrection that didn’t end on Sunday, that keeps unfolding right here, right now, in us.
