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In her blog Jane Coates returns to the Beatitudes

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Blessed are the persecuted 10 The Beatitudes Matthew ch5 

“How enriched you are when persecuted for doing what is right!  For then you experience the realm of heaven’s kingdom. How blessed you are when people insult and persecute you and speak all kinds of cruel lies about you because of your love for me. So, leap for joy—since your heavenly reward is great. For you are being rejected the same way the prophets were before you.” Matthew 5 v 10-12 

During Covid lockdown periods last year we were not able to meet in our church building for a time, but for many Christians in the countries on the Open Doors World Watch List Top 50 countries where there is persecution, meeting in a designated church building is simply not an option. In many countries, to be a Christian is dangerous. Many Christians do not have the luxury of a building, as they meet covertly, in small groups, and often in the open at secret locations. In some countries, where there is persecution, increased surveillance measures are taken both inside and outside of their meeting places, or their buildings and churches have been closed or demolished by the authorities. Those becoming Christians, may be accused of bringing shame on their family, their community, their culture, and their heritage, and this may lead to the loss of entitlement to education, to employment, essential identity documents, a home and even to imprisonment and loss of life. Isolation is a common problem for many persecuted Christians and yet Jesus says that these people are blessed, that they are enriched, and that they should leap for joy that they have the privilege of suffering in this way. This is a very hard call! 

This week a Chinese bookshop owner will be jailed for seven years for selling Christian books – mainly Bibles.  Chen Yu, the owner of Wheat Bookstore was sentenced in Linhai City Court, in the Zhejiang province of eastern China. He had sold more than 20,000 books to 10,000 customers before being charged with “illegal business operation”. In China, it’s currently an offence to carry out religious activity without the express permission of authorities. Alongside his prison sentence, Chen Yu is being made to pay 200,000 yuan – approximately £23,000. The books sold by Chen Yu include those written by Pastor Wang Yi, who has been accused of “inciting subversion or state power”. The Pastor was jailed for 9 years in 2019.Premier Christian News 

Jesus acknowledges that by following Him and His way this will bring us into conflict with a culture and society that does not recognize His values. This testing of our faith, the lessons and the rewards that persecution, conflict and challenge bring are for now, in the present, but also for the person with his eyes on the future, the heaven that is to come. 

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose” Jim Elliot A Christian Missionary who with 4 others, were killed in Ecuador in 1956.  

PRAY We pray for those who are persecuted for their trust in you. Give them your peace, your strength, reassurance, joy and hope. We pray for your church in China, India, Iran, North Korea, Nigeria, Israel and the countries known to Open Doors. Thank you, Lord, that your church is not a building but the men and women who love and seek to serve and follow you. But we thank you for our building and we pray for fresh vision and opportunity to use it for your kingdom. 

SEEK FIRST. The Cornerstone. New Year – New Vision. Starting on Jan 16th here’s our programme for the next four weeks

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Last Sunday we launched our New Year – New Vision programme. Between now and February 6th we are asking you to talk, think, dream and pray about the direction of travel you feel God is wanting for MBC. Then, together by drawing your suggestions in it will be time to begin to shape a new future. 

In the meantime, here are the texts that Shelley and your Leadership Team have chosen to base the series on:

16th January – Seek first: The cornerstone.  Isaiah 28: 16-18     

23rd January – Seek first: Firm Foundations.  Matthew 7: 24-29 

30th January – Seek first: Warrior builders. Nehemiah 4

6Th February – Seek first: Living stones.  1 Peter 2:1-7

 

New Year – New Vision

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With Christmas behind us, this coming Sunday we as a church will be moving on to a new theme. However, in addition to exploring new, exciting and challenging elements of the Kingdom we will at the same time be inviting you to help us by spending time thinking about, developing and implementing some if not all of the yet unknown elements of something we need you all to play a part in. 

If you were at our last Church Meeting you may recall that right at the bottom of the agenda was an item titled New Year – New Vision. Unfortunately, this item never got an airing as by the time we reached it the clock was past 10pm and it was decided that such a late hour was no time to launch such an important discussion.

So, two weeks into 2022 we are picking it up again and returning to New Year – New Vision which means that over the next month or so we are inviting you to think, to talk – either one to one, at Beacon, Craft Group, prayer or Housegroups, to dream but most importantly to pray so that during February we can all come together, and you can tell us, your leadership team what kind of church you feel God wants MBC to be.

The options and the opportunities are limitless. I could list some of them here, but I won’t because that would only set your minds wandering down some quite specific and dare I say some quite familiar pathways; and that’s the last thing we want. No, this challenge is far wider than that. It’s a challenge that invites each and every one of us to step out of our comfort zone and to take risks. It’s a challenge that instead of seeing us hankering for what has gone, sees us fixing our sights on a down to earth and relevant gospel that having sought God’s guidance we as a church have rooted in grace and truth.   

Not that long ago I was chatting with someone who was saying that despite all the disruptions of the last couple of years Moortown Baptist Church is actually in the perfect place to start afresh. “Just look at it this way” they said, “we own a big building with lots of rooms, and we are situated in one of or close by to some of the most populated parts of Leeds. Yes, admittedly we do have a reduced congregation but already that’s growing with both folk returning and people joining us from other churches. Financially, giving is holding firm. Week by week different people are stepping forward and offering to read, to pray, to run and to stream our audio/visual output, to talk about Jesus to our children and our youth and even to preach.”

In effect what I was hearing was that at its core what Moortown Baptist Church already has, but perhaps isn’t fully aware of is precisely what someone looking to plant a new, outward facing fellowship here in north Leeds would give their right hand for.

Okay in terms of formal leadership (i.e. paying a recognised BU accredited minister) MBC misses the mark but does that really matter when for much of the last eighteen months, and during an incredibly complicated period of face to face or online instability it’s been our part-time Children and Families Lead that has been de facto Minister.

We as a leadership team fully appreciate that not everyone will be ready to share our enthusiasm for throwing this challenge out there. However, if as we are hearing a majority of you do feel we now need to move on surely through coming together in conversation and in prayer this is as good a time as any to do so.

I’ll explain a bit more on Sunday.

John Sherbourne

Fresh Streams – developing inspired and invigorated leadership

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Fresh Streams is a three-day long conference which each January ministers, leaders, elders, deacons, worship leaders, youth and children’s workers attend in order to be inspired and invigorated.  

This year, following on from 2021 the theme is Back to the Future 2 which will build on and continue to use Jeremiah 6: 16 as its key text “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for the souls.”

Shelley and a number of your Leadership Team have already signed up to attend the conference, either in person or online, which is once again being held at The Hayes Conference Centre, in Derbyshire.

With MBC’s search for new vision on the horizon just one look at the conference schedule shows us that Fresh Streams really is a God given opportunity to step out in faith, to open our hearts and minds and to await whatever it is He sends our way.

You can find out more about Fresh Streams, and see the full three day programme of main events and seminars by going online and visiting Conference 2022 – 10–12 January 2022 (Mon–Wed) – Fresh Streams

Christmas and New Year greetings from our friends in Romania

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.From Manastur Baptist Church in Cluj.

Dear brothers and sisters From Leeds, Greetings from Cluj! Thank you for your involvement in our church projects. In this year we continued to support families and people in need, both financially and with food packages. The young people of the church had a camp this year, which was attended by 40 young people. Also this year we organised two youth conferences attended by over 120 young people. Seven young people who attend our church have benefited this year from scholarships of 500 lei (approximately 100 pounds each). We continue the support of brother Hoca at the Roma church in Floresti and the support of the Reperuc family house. From the money you sent, we supported a brother from the church in Floresti, who helps brother Hoca in his work. In the lines below we send you some thoughts from the young people of the church who benefited from your help. We wish you a holiday full of peace and joy! God bless you!

  1. Dear brothers from Leeds, I really appreciate your help and I want to thank you for that. I am a 3rd year student in mechatronics and like last year I am still involved in many of the church activities and events. I am very thankful to the Lord for you and I pray that God bless you all and keep you close to Him. Best wishes, Daniel
  2. Hello, my name is Giura Ioana and I am 19 years old. I am a student at the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences. I would like to thank you for the financial support you are giving me. It is a great help for me. May God bless you and take care of you as you do for me. Thank you once again!
  3. Hi, my name is Veja George and I’m 19 years old. I am a high school student at Emanuel Baptist High School in my hometown, in my last year. I am also an active member in my church, mostly as a cameraman for our live transmission. I want to say a big thank you and God bless you all.
  4. Dear brothers from Leeds, my name is Ban Paul Cristian and I’m so thankful for this opportunity that you gave me to have this money. I’m a first year student at Faculty of Food Engineering and I think this money will help me a lot with my everyday program and going out with friends and buying need for me. I am really thankful to God for you. I pray that the blessings that come from Him to multiply and He bless you and your families. I will pray to God to keep you safe and healthy. With love and appreciation
  5. My name is Fodor Iustin (Justin in english) and I am 18 years old. I study at a Mathematics and Computer Science High School in the 12th grade. In future I would like to study at the Law School. However, may God’s will happen, and I want to thank you for your generosity. I am thankful for this and I really aprecciate it. God bless you!! With gratitude, Iustin.
  6. Hello, my name is Mohamed Zidan, and I am from Palestina – Gaza. I study biochemical engineering in my first year, here in Cluj. I received from the church money you offered me and I would like to thank you for that, and I wish for you a happy Christmas full of God’s love.
  7. Dear brothers and sisters from Leeds, Thank you very much for your support during these particularly disconcerting times. It means a lot to us professionally, as it helps us focus on our studies, but also spiritually, as it shows a deep and Christ-like compassion to us, brothers and sisters who live abroad. I am truly grateful for your support and wish that somehow, sometime in the future – either here on earth or Home, in Heaven – I will be able to see you face to face and to thank you in person. May God bless you with peace, health and joy in the years to come, and have a very happy Christmas! Sincerely, Rebecca Cojan

From Zsuzsi and Andor Ferko, pastors at the Hungarian Reformed Church at Udvarhely.

Dear brothers and sisters! It is so good to see and to hear as this message is delivered invisibly, in silence by the presbyters of our church. We know, deep in our hearts, that the eternal and true God tells this to us, since as member of one body we were called to peace by his son, Jesus Christ. He is our Lord who at the first Christmas showed himself to the world as a vulnerable infant, being a gift of faith whom we can recognise and acknowledge as our Saviour and our Redeemer.

In these days our lives have been tossed like boats in the unpredictable storms on a surging sea. We have been tossed by the waves of discouragement or fear. During this year we could have experienced several times as boats of our lives sprang lakes as we, together with the Master, were sailing towards our life goals. It saves lives when we can hear: “Don’t be afraid!” says Jesus, who has come that we may have life and have it to the full.

“Fear is the man’s most torturous enemy. It is opposite of creative, productive power. It narrows the human’s horizon, in both figurative and literal meaning. It splits the person apart and it makes him diffuse. It may benumb or paralyze you completely. Firstly, it makes you unable to work, then it might make you unable to live”, says Gyökösi Endre. However, according to Eugen Peterson “the root meaning in Hebrew of salvation is to be broad, to become spacious, to enlarge. It carries the sense of deliverance from an existence that has become compressed, confined and cramped.”

Truly, god does not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of strength, of love and of self-discipline, through which we can cry: Abbá, our Father! The horizon is expanded by him, fear disappears, we are released from the condition of hopelessness, aimlessness. The gospel of Christmas becomes reality, source of power for us. Can we be glad about this?

It can be lifesaving to hear: Rejoice!

Joy in biblical meaning does not denote an increased emotional condition, but condition which can overcome bad and good days. This source of joy, the faith could guide the wise man to be brave enough to confess that: I’m not able to carry my life in my hands. I cannot keep my life but I know the God who keeps the world in his hand.

Dear brothers and sisters!

We wish that love of Christ fills your homes and lives and it makes you realise how much God loves you and you are not alone. Our heavenly Father came to bring joy, redeem and salvation.

Andor & Zsuzsi & Bence & Abigél From Nicu Reparuc in Cluj

From Nicu Reparuc in Cluj. He and his wife Rita run the Bethany family house providing a home for a number of children. Nicu also has an evangelistic ministry in villages elsewhere in Transylvania.

Thank You for your card I have received (from us at MBC) The Christmas time has gone and the new year is approaching. The last days are passing from this year so that we are thinking of the previous year how many people suffered (from coronavirus) and dead among them. Rita’s parents both of them died during eleven days in November…. Rita was also staying in The Hospital about 30 days. She is home now but is not feeling very well. But anyway is better now. So many people have died this year…in our country. We are living by God’s grace, and working in the Lord’s ministry…..at Bontida, and some other villages like: Bercea and Topa Mica….. Lord Jesus is coming!

Please pray for us! We wish you a Happy New year! Greetings to You all (The leadership team staff and Romania support group). May The Lord bless You richly in the new year!

With much Christian love Reparuc Nic

New header for MBC Facebook page

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Love it or loathe it there’s one thing you cannot do with Facebook… and that’s avoid it. 

Following on from our Christmas posts which promoted both our in church and our on line services we have now designed the very simple message that you see above. 

This sits at the top of our Facebook Homepage and quite simply states who we are and what we base our faith on. 

Making the news. MBC’s Christmas Appeal sees almost £1,200 going off to BMS World Mission

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A bold decision to try something new has seen MBC send almost £1,200 to one of the Baptist Union’s most respected outreach projects. 

The move meant abandoning MBC’s traditional Toy and Gift Service and instead donating money to BMS – World Mission’s Protect a Child this Christmas appeal.

The money raised by the appeal, which ran throughout the whole of December and ended on Christmas Day will be targeted at towns and villages in northern Uganda where many children and young people are living their lives in fear of physical and sexual abuse.

As you see from the cutting above that The Baptist Times reported our story in its latest online edition, a fitting testimony to MBC’s belief in the worldwide love of God. 

The video which we used as the basis for our appeal is still available to view. You can access it or pass the link on by clicking HERE.

YOUR CHURCH NEEDS YOU! Painters, plumbers, electrical engineers… oh and also fetchers/carriers, sweeper uppers and tea makers

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One of the most popular programmes on TV right now is The Repair Shop. If you haven’t seen it it’s a show which sees members of the public bring much loved but sadly either broken or shall we say on their last legs items to a team of experts who somehow manage to restore them to their full, former glory – and all within an hour!

Well, speaking with Rod Russell last Sunday he reminded me that some time ago he had offered to launch MBC’s own version of The Repair Shop that, maybe not to the standard of our TV experts, could nevertheless set about tackling some of the dozens of jobs that need doing right here at church.

So, if you are a highly skilled plumber, a fully certified electrical engineer or an apprentice trained painter and decorator your Church Needs You. However, on the other hand if like me you’re more at home fetching and carrying, sweeping up or maybe just making the tea don’t write yourself off because let’s be honest, without the likes of me and you the plumbers, the mechanics and the painters would be lost.

If you can offer some time and your skills please contact Rod direct by emailing rodianru@gmail.com    

A circle prayer for MBC

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Jane Coates shares the circle prayer we heared last Sunday.  

A Circle Prayer for our Church 

As we have brought 2021 to a close, and we enter a new year, it may be helpful to use a circle prayer, as together we bring 2022 into the centre of our worship. 

It says in Psalm 103 He surrounds me with loving-kindness and tender mercies.  

Circle us, Lord with your presence 

Father you surround us with your loving-kindness and tender mercies. 

We can never leave your presence. If we go up to heaven you are there. If we go to the farthest ocean, you are there. You are always there.

 Circle us, Lord with your grace and forgiveness 

Forgive us all that is past- for harsh words, for unkind thoughts, for past mistakes and wrong decisions. For hurts, losses, and griefs that we have known in the past year. Forgive us. 

 Circle us, Lord. Circle our families and friends with your presence and your peace
Be with those who have lost loved ones.  

Be with those who are fearful and anxious. 

Bring strength to those with health concerns. 

Bring hope to those who are frustrated or in despair. 

Bring comfort to those living alone. 

 Circle us, Lord. Circle us with your guidance and grace 

Be with our families, those that we care about and those that we are responsible for. 

Be in the workplace and the home. 

Protect us in the decisions that we face in 2022. 

Where there is change and uncertainty may we be strong.
Safeguard our homes and our relationships. 

When things are tough and the way is unclear, then be our guide.

 Circle us, Lord. Circle us with your wisdom and protection 

We pray for those people and places in our world where there is little peace or stability. 

For Afghanistan with its new Islamic Emirate and the Taliban. 

For Nigeria, Afghanistan, India and China and wherever there is persecution.  

For Uganda and the Advent Appeal for vulnerable children.  

For countries where there is fighting and civil war that has caused the displacement of people.  

We do not know what to do and the news is disturbing. We pray for those in a position to make changes. Guide them well. 

Circle us Lord. Circle this church and each person with the joy of your Salvation
Keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.  

Help us to be sharers of your good news. 

Show us those people who need our help and your Gospel.
May we point others to the love, peace, hope and joy that can be found in you. 

 Circle us Lord. Circle us with your blessing as we enter this new year.

Amen 

Engage with the BMS – new mag out now

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As sure as night turns to day you can guarantee that the beginning of a new year sees BMS – World Mission publish its latest Engage magazine. And this one, Issue 52, is extra special as across its centre spread it features the Protect a Child this Christmas Appeal that we here at MBC adopted. 

You can read elsewhere on this website just how much money we raised when we responded to a suggestion that rather than holding our own traditional gift service we backed a more outward facing crisis. However, the appeal is just one of a number of stories from around the world in which BMS World Mission is currently working. 

Indeed, on page 7 you can read a report headed Winds of Change in which “our own” Sue and John Wilson unpack an account of how the pandemic has put the Bible back on France’s  best sellers list. 

Alongside the magazine there is of course the first of 2022’s Prayer Guides which covers January through to April. 

Getting hold of both these publications couldn’t be easier; simply speak to Roger Robson here at MBC who will arrange for them to be delivered by post and free of charge to your home or follow the Engage link that you will find at www.worldmission.org

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