John Sherbourne 
No sooner had our Romania visitors Andor, Zsuzsi, Kata and Lori flown in fom Bukarest than they were whisked down to London for a sightseeing tour.
Here they are by Tower Bridge. Let’s hope they’ve recovered from all this gadding about by Sunday when they join us for our 11am service.
Easter Day is always special, of course it is, it’s the day that Jesus rose and regardless of circumstance guaranteed our future.
However, for Isabella, Rachel, Michaela, John, Graham and Carol Easter Day 2026 was extra special; the first two were baptized, and then following another Baptist tradition the others were welcomed into membership.
Our gallery of pictures below capture, as best as still images can the sheer joy that yesterday pervaded MBC. Through Shelley’s talk based on John chapter 10, music, readings, prayer, some boisterous flag waving and even an Easter egg hunt the whole congregation demonstrated precisely what Jesus’ resurrection means to them.
This morning’s Eggstravaganza was brilliant. Upwards of a hundred people, from babes in arms to some very senior seniors came together to celebrate Easter in a whole host of different ways.
There were Easter gardens to be made, Easter biscuits to be decorated, Easter quizzes to be answered, an Easter bunny’s name to be guessed and even that old chestnut how many sweets in a jar – to name but a few, not to mention some fabulous home baking.
Many thanks to Claire and her team for organising this great event, and oh if you’d like to join us tomorrow for our Easter Celebration (complete with baptisms) we start at 11am.
To view the picture gallery above simply click on any of the images.
During last year’s Alwoodley Village Green, Good Friday Service it poured down; this year it went one better, for not only did we have driving rain but the added bonus of gale force winds.
This however, didn’t prevent more than 100 people from community groups and churches right across LS17 coming together to reflect, to sing and to pray on this, one of the most significant days in the Christian calendar.
As you can see from the gallery of pictures above many came prepared, but alas some hadn’t heeded the warnings and left somewhat deshevelled.
Hopefully, at least weather wise, Easter Day will be a little less challenging – currently the forecasters are predicting only gusty winds and light rain. But what ever the weather that won’t stop us and millions of fellow Christians across the world celebrating Jesus’ resurrection.
If you would like to join us we start of Cafe Style Church Service, which includes baptisms at 11am and you will be very welcome.
Special thanks to Howard for passing this message through to us. And don’t forget, next Sunday our “old” friends Andor and Zsuzsi Ferko, pastors at a Hungarian Reformed Church in Romania together with two of their friends will be here with us at MBC.
Whether you’re young or old, there’s one thing we all have in common and that is that every single year each one of us has a birthday. And when you think about it what better day than your birthday to think about others, about people less fortunate and donate to the BMS (Baptist Missionary Society) World Mission Birthday Scheme.
But what is the Birthday Scheme, how does it work and who benefits? Well to be honest it’s really very simple…
On a day when we have so much to celebrate, Birthday Scheme members choose to make a donation to help others in need. Your Birthday Scheme Co-ordinator, in our case that’s Roger Robson helps you do this by sending you a birthday card along with a birthday message from BMS. Inside the card you’ll find a bulletin sharing just some of the projects your money will go towards, and a gift envelope to make their donation. You then give the gift envelope back to Roger, who will send it on to BMS.
This really is a wonderful scheme, and one which has been running here at MBC for more years than many of us can remember.
You can find out more about all this by speaking with Roger or by visiting https://bmsworldmission.org/birthdayscheme
Many thanks to Krystyna for passing through these words and pictures.
On the 28th of March Liz Pattinson, a retired art teacher and Christian, led a reflection on Holy Week. 23 people came and with Liz’s prompting, created artworks to reflect their thoughts on Holy Week. Take a look in the Sanctuary at what they created.
You will notice a cross too, created collaboratively by the whole group. On the cross is everyone’s self portrait, showing we are part of the cross.
If anyone is interested in connecting with God through creative ways, the next Creative Psalm Writing session is on the 22nd of April 7-9pm. Let Lesley know if you would like to attend. Admin@moortownbaptistchurch.org.uk
A message from Simon Phillips the Community Engagement Officer at the Leeds Jewish Housing Association.
Hello everyone
Following the first session at the start of this month, the next Blossom self-defence and empowerment training takes place on Thursday 16th April from 1.30pm-4.30pm at Moortown Baptist Church near LJHA.
The half-day course is a 50/50 split of theory and physical skills. By end of the course, participants will understand the world in which we live more clearly and be a whole lot better equipped to deal with its challenges. It is for women of all ages – not all of the training is physical, so you benefit from the theory behind the training as well.
Watch this video for more information on what to expect! https://www.instagram.com/reels/DTpqQxJjeQt/
Please let me know if you would like to book or would like more information. If you attended the last session, you are welcome to attend again and please tell your friends and family!
Thank you
Simon Phillips
Following Karen Ross’s visit to Romania in February we are preparing to welcome Zsuzsi and Andor Ferko and who will be spending a week with us in Leeds shortly after Easter. Zsuzsi and Andor are (husband and wife) pastors at a Hungarian Reformed Church in the middle of Romania. They are known to a lot of us at MBC as they spent a year here shortly after qualifying as pastors. They will be accompanied by another Pastor, Lori and his wife Kata. They will all be joining us for the Sunday service on 12th April after which there will be an opportunity to meet them over a “bring and share” lunch.
We also have links with Manastur Baptist Church in the city of Cluj-Napoca in the northwest of Romania. We have recently had news from the gypsy church in the suburb of Floresti which we support through Manastur Church and which they say is going well.
“Dear brothers and sisters,
Warm greetings from Cluj. We are thankful to God for the way you partner with us, supporting the ministry in Floresti. The congregation is gathering three times a week. Sunday 10.00 and 18.00; Wednesday 18.00. The church has 38 members. Brother Hoca Iosif (former pastor), whom you supported, is sick in bed. Now they have a leadership committee of three people: Hoca Nicolae; Muza Nicolae; Muza Gavril.
May God bless you.”
Many of you will remember Florin Fodor from Manastur Church who together with his wife Dana and daughter Irene visited us 3 years ago. He works for Campus Crusade in Romania and continues to keep very busy. He has just returned from a deputation visit to the US and this weekend he is involved in organising a conference in another city for 60 teachers on the subject of “Life Beyond Teaching”, where they will address personal and inner life things that touch our lives. Earlier this year Manastur Church elected a new leadership team, and Florin is now serving on the committee.
Last year we sent a total of £4,250 to Romania. Of this £2,100 was used for young people’s summer camps in the three churches we support and £600 each for people in need, student bursaries and the gypsy church. In addition, we sent £2,000 to help with the needs of Ukrainian refugees who are attending Manastur church and £350 for Campus Crusade. We will be sending the funds available for this year at the end of April. Further donations are welcome and can be put in the church offering in an envelope marked ‘Romania’. If gift aided, cheques should be made out to MBC and again in an envelope marked ‘Romania’.
