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How you can help the BMS Birthday Scheme

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MBC has been an overseas Mission supporting church from its beginning back in 1955. Over the years we, as the church, have sent out people to evangelistic, pastoral, medical and educational service in some of the least evangelised and /or most needy countries in the world. Among them some (Philomena Commons and Roger Robson) are still in membership today, and one couple, John and Sue Wilson, are still working in Pastoral and Youth Ministry in France after over 30 years.

Only a few members have been able to work overseas, but we all can support the work through informed prayer and giving.

This has been done by sending money regularly from the Church’s income and by faithful individuals giving regular or one-off donations. The number of these individuals has declined considerably in recent years. The church’s monthly donation to BMS has inevitably reduced as the effects of Covid and the divisions which happened in lockdown have led to a much smaller membership.

However, the one source of funding which has risen is the BIRTHDAY SCHEME.

This is a very simple idea which we all can take part in because we ALL HAVE BIRTHDAYS ONCE A YEAR!! In fact we encourage folk to reveal the fact in our Sunday services, and reward them with chocolate and a chorus of “Happy Birthday”.

If you join the Birthday Scheme you will receive a Birthday Card, news of BMS’ work, and an envelope/or other methods of making YOUR ANNUAL GIFT TO BMS. You’ll also receive Engage magazine 3 times a year through the post.

All you have to do is give your address and Birthday (NOT your age!) to Roger Robson in church or on 07929100598 or at roger.robson1@ntlworld.com

This is a simple way of making a serious commitment to support the work of the church worldwide and as your response to Jesus’ “ Great Commission” in Matthew 28 v18 – 20 to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you”

A birthday response, thanking God for another year and being thanked by countless people around God’s world.

Besides our Sunday morning services MBC is now providing two Warm Spaces a week as our Craft Group joins Beacon Cafe in bringing comfort, warmth and cheer

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In conjuction with the Lord’s Pantry – MBC’s stock of food and other essentials that are always available for people who may need them  – we have now been able to open another of our projects, that’s our Thursday afternoon Craft Group as a Warm Space. 

Headed up by Karen Ross and her team this is two hours set aside for people to join us and enjoy a warming cuppa, to sit and chat and who knows maybe even do a bit of crafting. 

Fairtrade Fortnight Monday 27th February to Sunday 12th March

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Over the current fortnight look out for the Fairtrade logo on items in your weekly shop -from coffee & tea to chocolate, flowers, bananas, wine etc.

Our regular MBC Fairtrade stalls ceased more than 4 years ago and sadly Traidcraft – the Christian Fairtrade Pioneer- has ceased trading.

However, Fairtrade is still a vital source of income for many overseas producers and choosing to pay a little extra for a Fair trade product is a way of showing concern for those less privileged than ourselves.

Also this year will be a Fairtrade Café and Stalls on Saturday 11th March at Chapel Allerton Methodist Church Hall. 

All are welcome.

Looking ahead. As our community grows Shelley gives out some important dates and themes

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Dear friends

This Sunday we meet in the building and online for café church, starting at 11am.  Drinks, pastries and fruit are available from 10.45 so do feel free to come in a bit earlier to catch up with people or pray before the service starts. We’ll be looking at the story I have called ‘Glory on the mountain’ also known to some as ‘the transfiguration’, another epiphany moment with Jesus.

Do check out the website for the latest news at MBC including photographs from Lunch club’s ‘World Book Day’ special!  If you think you can help in the great work that’s been done at lunchclub, it doesn’t have to be every week, then do let Rachel Beedle or myself know.

I’ve been asked to let you know and to prayerfully consider the latest job vacancies at Caring for life.  You can find them here.. CFL JOBS

We will be welcoming someone from Caring for life at the café church on the first Sunday in June.

Coming up

Monday 6th March – Drop in Beacon café and warm space 9.30-12

Tuesday 7th March – Steppingstones group for toddlers and their carers 10-11.30 (with new calmer break out room)

Wednesday 8th March – lunchclub meets (talk to Rachel Beadle, any of the lunch club team if you know them or myself/deacon)

On the evening of Wednesday 8th March, Gather Leeds have arranged an online zoom get together for anyone with a heart for the city of Leeds.  Its an evening from 7.45 to 9.30pm that will seek to understand how churches, projects and individuals have been working together to serve their neighbours and workplaces specifically over the last two years with all that has been going on following a pandemic and shifts to the structure of what many see as church.  The theme is wellbeing and will involve some presentations and sharing as well as opportunity to pray for the city and talk about what we see happening in our own areas of community/work/life.  Its open to anyone, you are encouraged to register your interest in advance.  For more information click on the link below

Movement For Recovery & Change In Leeds 2023 – Network Leeds

Thursday 9th March – Warm space and craft group 2-4pm

House groups continue including Wednesday evenings, Friday mornings and the Thursday night 7pm overview of the whole bible group with Gareth Gadd on Thursday 9th March in church.

Looking ahead

Every third Sunday we share communion, it’s the meal that Jesus shared with His friends and that he asked us to share in remembrance of Him. Often, we ask people to help with getting bread and wine in the week and on the morning of the service, but we know there are some people who would like to know in advance and feel that it’s part of something that God would like them to do in love for others.  If that’s you, can you email or talk to myself, Lesley our administrator or one of the deacons.  We’d love to hear from you and put a few dates in the diary in advance.

We also looking for help with tea/coffee/pastries/fruit at café church (first Sundays) and tea/coffee (third Sundays).  Thanks to those who have offered so far.  If you can help and or want to give a particular date then can you let Lesley or myself/deacon know.  If you feel you would like to help but don’t want to do it on your own or are unsure about what to do then we promise it won’t just be you on your own.

The deacons and I are meeting this Tuesday to follow up from the last church meeting, catch up with what we need to do and sort out inductions for our new deacons.  We appreciate your prayers for Tuesday and for all those who seek to lead God’s people.  At the last church meeting I talked about new wine and wine skins, do keep asking God to help us adapt the wine skin to the new wine (Matthew 9:17).

Easter week starts on Sunday 2nd April with a Palm Sunday café church.  It would be great to journey this week together as a church and as a wider community.  We will be having Easter beacon, some Good Friday gatherings, Easter crafts and seed planting, creative prayer, a midweek talk amongst other things… I will put out more thoughts next week but there is opportunity for all ages to be involved in different ways.  There maybe some of you in a house group who would like to host something simple like a short prayer time, a walk, a study, making something or refreshments.   

Other dates to remember

Sunday 7th May is the Community Coronation lunch…if you can help or you have ideas on how we can make this more inclusive and fun based on the King of Kings the let Karen or myself know.

Saturday 13th May is the Big Plant sale, set up in the morning and sale in the afternoon.  More details to come!

Stay connected

Pop into a warm space

Follow Moortown Baptist Church on facebook or youtube and on the MBC website.

Pop into a house group one week  

Pray with someone after the service

“For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”

(Acts 2:39)  

In Christ

Shelley

Shelley Dring

Minister

Moortown Baptist Church

The first of many, MBC’s foyer takes on a bright new look

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What nicer welcome to any church than to step into a freshly decorated and imaginitively redesigned reception area. And that’s precisely what visitors to MBC are doing each and every time they walk through our main doors. 

Starting with the foyer, the office corridor and the Corner Room a small but incredibibly efficient team of designers and decorators are methodically working their way through our building.

Ahead of them lie all sorts of projects including the possibility of installing new windows into what many of us still think of as the Church Hall – now the creche room and carrying out a thorough examination of the whole building’s insulation. 

On this occasion, however, special thanks go to Liz Knight who masterminded the painting of the foyer (and the assembly of the furniture) and to one of our two new deacons Rod Russell. They of course were ably assisted by a team of willing volunteers.

If you would like to join this team just have a word with Rod, Shelley, Lesley or any of our deacons and we’ll put your name on our list.  

 

Lunch Club embraces World Book Day 2023

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World Book Day is a charity sponsored by National Book Tokens which when our Lunch Club leader Rachel Beedle first heard about quickly realised it was far too good an opportunity to pass by. 

That’s why this last week, dressed as characters from their favourite novels more than fifteen LC regulars appeared ever so thinly disguised as just about anyone and anything from Long John Silver to James Bond.

Besides enjoying their normal splendid lunch our guests also tested their powers of recall with a brilliant book/author quiz and then spent a quarter of an hour or so swopping and sharing memories of books they had brought from their homes.  

As luck would have it this week was also the first anniversary of Rachel taking over the Lunch Club supervisory role which of course gave everyone a chance to sing Happy Birthday but only this time with with 007 Hornby at the piano the word Birthday was replaced by the word Anniversary.

25th February- Shelley’s news update

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Dear friends

We are back in the building tomorrow at 11am and on youtube.  We’ll be hearing more about Peter in the bible and who He thought Jesus was.  There will be practical activities for our younger friends during the talk.

It’s been a full week in the life of Moortown Baptist Church with the church meeting, a new bible study, restarting Stepping Stones after half term and all the regular activities.  We welcomed Rod Russell and Krys Gadd as new Deacons, voted in by the church last Tuesday.  Do pray for them and for the Leadership team as they discern next steps.  They meet again in person on the 7th March. This meeting will include follow up from the church meeting.

There have been lots of changes to the building too as the foyer and corridors are decorated and thanks to those who have contributed in different ways.  Other spaces around the building are being looked at according to need and if you have any thoughts, want to join in then do let me or the deacons know.  There may be a set date when we tackle certain areas so watch out for this but again if you are willing then let us know.

We have decided to start refreshments again on the 3rd Sunday of the month after having some feedback after last week from some of you.  Thanks to those who have offered help. Lesley/myself will be in touch this week. This means that we will have refreshments every 1st and 3rd Sunday. Next week is café church where we look at glory on the mountain from luke 9 (28-36) so if you can help with this and you haven’t let Karen, Lesley or myself know yet then can you let us know very soon.  

Continue to pray for our new members Jan, Matt and Mandy.

This Wednesday, the Wednesday night housegroup in church are hosting Krys Gadd who is leading a session called ‘Mining for Gold’ that looks at purpose in God and practically what this can look like in our own lives as a whole both out and in church.  If you would like to go and you don’t usually go on a Wednesday, the group have said they would be really happy for you to come along.  Its starts at 7.30m and finishes at 9pm.   I’d highly recommend the session.  Come ask me  or Krys if you have any questions.

This Thursday a new bible study started at 7 in church looking at an overview of the whole bible and what it means to us today.  It was decided on the night that they would like to continue again this Thursday coming so if you would like to know more or go along then do speak to Gareth Gadd or myself.

There will be more news about Easter soon but if you have any ideas or thoughts about Easter this year then do share them with us.  It will be a combination of what we as God’s people want to bring to Him, and listen to Him in pray and worship over that time and how we share this with our community.

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”

Shelley

Turkey/Syria earthquake disaster fund

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If you missed the email Shelley sent out last weekend and you wish to give a donation towards the cost of providing humanitrian aid to the people of Turkey and Syria so recently caught up in one of the largest and most catastrophic earthquakes in living memory may we recommend you to do so via this website. 

Already with upwards of 35,000 people killed and millions more losing their homes DEC works alongside 15 different charities – each specialists in their own particular field and best prepared to respond in the most appropriate way. 

The Turkey – Syria page of the DEC website can be reached at Turkey-Syria Earthquake Appeal 2023 | Donate Now | DEC from where you can also make your own, private donation. 

Thank you. 

Shelley’s news for 18th February

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Dear friends

Tomorrow, we meet at 11am in the church building and on zoom to pray, worship, meet together and see what God wants to say to us through an epiphany moment for Peter when he walks on water (Mark 6:45-56). We are excited to share communion and also to welcome new members to MBC.  We’ll have tea and coffee afterwards as you stay and chat and maybe say hello to someone you don’t yet know. If anyone is able to help with this do let me know.

Next week many churches observe the beginning of Lent, a word from the old English meaning ‘Spring season’ or from the Latin meaning 40th. This links to the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday following Pancake Day or Shrove Tuesday where people traditionally used up left-over eggs and sugar.  Some people like to read something new or follow prayers or readings.  Here are a few in case…

Books…

Images of Grace by Amy Scott Robinson. A journey from darkness to light at Easter                                       

Failure by Emma Ineson… What Jesus said about Sin, mistakes and messing up  (connected to this is Emma’s study guide for Lent called ‘Dust and Glory’, there is also a children lent journey too).

A place for us by Lavinia Byrne and Jane Mc Bride. ..  A course for small groups or individual reflection for Lent based on the musical west side story

If you prefer to use your phone or have it read to you, the Lectio 365 app is following the whole of Marks gospel through Lent beginning on the 22nd February.  See details here or ask me if you need a hand getting it on your phone or ipad.  

As well as the usual groups and warm spaces next week (please see the website or pick up an A4 guide in the foyer) we host the church meeting at 7.30 in the building and online on Tuesday 21st February.  Everyone welcome.  Agendas have gone out but if you need to talk to anyone beforehand get in touch with Lesley our administrator, Shelley or one of the deacons.  Please pray for what God is doing and wants to do on earth by the power of His spirit.

Thanks to some kind donations and your giving we have been able to start re decorating and re designing the foyer at church and one of the corridors.  We are looking at all the spaces in church over time.  We are keen to make MBC a safe, positive, clear and welcoming space for all our community.  If you want to chat to me about ideas, artwork, words…I’d love to hear from you.

February 24th marks 1 year since a full-scale invasion of Russia into the territory of Ukraine. There will be prayer and time to pay tribute to those who gave up their lives for freedom in Dortmund Square in Leeds City Centre at 7.30pm on Friday 24th February.  All welcome.

Please continue to pray for and give to those involved in the Syrian/Turkish earthquake. Donatiomns can be made via  Turkey-Syria Earthquake Appeal 2023 | Donate Now | DEC  

 “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Cor 5:7)

In Christ 

Shelley

Minister

Moortown Baptist Church

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