John Sherbourne

This year our Christmas gifts are going to Homestart Leeds and Living Local. Both charities support local families that are going through difficult times. Many children in these families will not be receiving presents this Christmas, and will be very grateful for our gifts. 

Here are some suggestions:

• 0 to 3 year olds: rattles, stacking toys, building blocks, pull-along toys, musical toys (please, nothing with small parts or soft toys unless for a child under 12 months old). 
• 3 to 12 years: Selection boxes, age appropriate toys (please, no craft items or jigsaws).
• Teenagers: Smellies (both both male and female), bags, beanie hats, gloves and scarves, T-shirts, vouchers for WH Smith/HMV etc.

Please could you bring new toys (not second hand) and would you please leave them unwrapped – this way we can ensure that each child is given an appropriate gift.

Thank you for your generosity. 

Once again our Children’s Worker Cas Stoodley and her twenty strong team of volunteer helpers have been busy sharing the good news of Christmas with over four hundred local Primary School children.

Over two days pupils from almost a dozen local schools visited MBC to experience Rewind to Christmas, a long running project at which, through story telling, drama, and craft we share the nativity story. 

Each of the four ninety minute sessions also gave the children the chance to speak to a couple of “real life” shepherds as well as quizzing our very own “wise men.” 

On Cas’ behalf can I just say a huge thank you to everyone who helped. 

Below there is a gallery of pictures taken at REWIND 2017 . To view a larger version simply click on the image. 

Last Sunday we had a morning service with a difference. We deliberately shortened it to make time and space for a meeting for everyone to join together and consider how young people are part of our whole church and what should be our priorities for a future youth appointment. Naturally our young people joined us in the meeting so all in all around 120 people participated.

Led by Tom Shaw we involved everyone in a very simple way: all were invited to think about a question for 30 seconds, then to pair up with one other person and talk about their thoughts. Finally people were to share anything  that had come through strongly. As someone shared, and as each point was made everyone was invited anyone to put up their hand if they identified with what was being said.

In what was an hour of thinking and listening many insightful comments came to the fore. This was particularly valuable as they came from such a wide variety of people: different ages, different backgrounds each endorsed to a greater or lesser degree by the number of hands that went up to express a common view.

And what were we talking about?

Our shared experience of faith and life, the relationships that help us grow and the opportunities we have to try out our faith in action.

We then talked about the focus for a future youth pastor; someone who helps young people to follow Christ and in living their lives encourages them to take part in both the mission of the local church and in the wider world. In this respect the term “young people”  included young adults too.  One early observation was that people thought this person would be alongside young people, team and parents.

It was a great time, and overflowed into the shared lunch. It was  exciting to learn from people, hear their honesty and pick up on their passion.

Unless you are a member of the Moortots family I suspect that the little corridor that links the kitchen to the Corner Room is one part of the MBC labyrinth you might rarely visit. However, can I suggest that the next time you’re in the building you do just that. 

That’s because if you do you’ll come across the Moortots wall; a space reserved for Diane Towns, Pauline Bridle and the rest of the toddler team to use exactly as they wish.

Currently this is a message board a place where their regulars can post their opinions and views. 

These are terrific, ranging from one that says “Harriet’s favourite part of tots group is the  toast and the red car” to another that speaks volumes… “helping each other get through tough times.”

Moortots meets four times a week and besides providing scores of little children with a programme that’s safe, secure and stimulating each session also offers some much needed R and R to parents, grand-parents and carers. 

Across the top of the wall runs this headline: God is working here… read on. 

Never has there been a truer word!

Spring Harvest is a teaching and worship event for everyone, and next year it’s being held just up the road.

Described in its advertising literature as “A unique break for all ages: holiday, festival, conference and an encounter with God” the 2018 event is happening between the 3rd and the 7th of April at the Harrogate Convention Centre. 

Each day there will be any number of age and interested related features ranging from The Big Start an all age, high-energy start to the day to in depth bible teaching. 

Prices for the event vary, depending on when you book your tickets. However, once booked the one ticket gives you admission to everything in the entire four day programme.  

There are a number of Spring Harvest brochures at the back of church or you can of course find out more online (including viewing the Spring Harvest Harrogate video) by visiting www.springharvest.org/harrogate   

This morning (November 5th) Faith Builders, Excavate and Inters began a brand new Sunday School programme. Over the next few weeks they’ll be looking at the subject of GRATITUDE, and in particular they will be thinking about all the things we are grateful to God for. Cas and her team have called the new project PULSE and as the material they’re employing emphasises how we always need to focus on the right things they dug some old camera out and set the children a week one challenge of photobombing a picture that one of their leaders was taking… for the uninitiated photobombing is taking a normal photograph (in this case: of someone with blue eyes, of three pairs of shoes, of two people wearing the same colour, of someone wearing a superhero outfit and someone of looking either scary or scared) but with the people in the background doing some ridiculous. You can see the results in the gallery below.

Of course PULSE also contains a high level of bible teaching, a time of praise and worship and some amazing craft ideas; and with a load more pictures we’ll be reporting on all that later in the week. However, as this first session went so well we thought we’d waste no time letting you all see just what fun they all had photobombing!