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Shelley’s news for week commencing March 1st

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Dear friends

Last Sunday we started to look at who God is in the book of John.  We see some of this in the miracles, or as John called them, ‘signs’.  We will be exploring some of these over the next few weeks as we journey towards Easter.  The signs are not merely about power but about God’s identity.  What do the signs and the circumstances around them tell us about Jesus and what does that say about our identity too?  How can that speak into our lives and our world today?  Last week we looked at Jesus turning water into wine and this week we look at the raising of Lazarus as Jesus brought him back to life.  It’s a reminder of what John says right at the end of his gospel..

“Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples…But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:30-31)

We start at 11am for all age café church with pastries, fruit and drinks.  There will be things for our younger friends to join in with.

We also welcome artists Rev David Hawkins and Pippa Hale who are leading on an arts project called Blanket in collaboration with Leeds Art Gallery, Yorkshire Sculpture Park and St George’s Crypt.  It’s described as a ‘bold compassionate sculpture sending a message of hope in a fractured world.’ 

After church will be the women self defence class starting at 1.30pm to 4.30pm in partnership with our local community and Blossom self-defence.  More info about what they do here Instagram

In the evening Rock Solid youth groups meet in church building. All youth welcome! Talk to Martyn, Ruth, Val, Nathan 7-8pm

Monday 2nd March 10-12 Beacon warm welcome café for all.  Food pantry available.  A reminder that a police community support officer is often present to listen to any concerns you may have, offering support, advice and crime prevention information.

Tuesday 3rd March Stepping Stones for under-fives and their parents and carers.

Tuesday 3rd March in the afternoon, house group in church.  See Howard D or Lesley for more information.

Tuesday 3rd March Mission Group meet at 2.45-4pm in the church building.  Do get in touch with Phil C or myself for more information.

Wednesday 4th March Lunch Club for those booked on and the volunteer team.  Talk to Rachel B for more information.  This week Rachel also welcomes members of the Yorkshire air ambulance team to share.

Wednesday 4th March PACT meeting open to all.  PACT stands for Policing and Communities together and its a chance to hear about and feed into crime prevention and what’s happening in the ward. Come to the music room.

Wednesday 4th March House Group in the Music Room at 7.30pm carrying on with Zechariah.  Speak to Andy or Ruth or Shelley/Lesley for more information.

Thursday 5th March Craft group warm welcome space.  All welcome to come along and chat or to make something or learn a new skill. 

Thursday 5th March Bible Study in the Music Room 7.00pm – 9.00pm Speak to Gareth, John C or Lesley

Friday 6th March Bible Study in the Music Room 10.00 – 11.00am exploring Ephesians. Speak to Shelley for more information.

Friday 6th March Parkinson’s Exercise Class in the church building 6.30 – 7.30pm Speak to Phil Commons or Lesley for more information

Friday 6th March House group at 8pm in Adel. See Jonathan, Hilary, Steve or Helen.

The ‘Create your own psalm group’ met last Wednesday in the music room at 7pm.  They meet again on the last Wednesday of the month on March 25th and all are welcome, materials provided, come and have a go in a relaxing space.  You will be guided with ideas and then have freedom to explore.  No experience needed. Speak to Krys or Cas.

Every Sunday a small group meet together to pray for Sunday morning and all that is involved.  They meet about 10.40 in the music room. It includes the musicians and often those who pray or lead but it is open to anyone who would like to support in prayer.

If you would like to know more about any of the groups, getting involved, giving resource/money to support the work at MBC and in its community, about membership or baptisms then do get in touch with myself, a deacon or Lesley, who will pass on a message and arrange a time to get together. 

Around the city…

North Church are hosting ‘Care for the Family’ on Wednesday 18th March called ‘Tweens and Teens: what every parent needs to know’ Book a ticket at the link here Tweens and Teens: What every parent needs to know – Leeds Tickets, Wed, Mar 18, 2026 at 7:30 PM | Eventbrite

There will be a Day of Prayer for the City of Leeds on Saturday 21st March with provisional times being between 9:30am and 6pm. This will be hosted by/held at Bridge Community Church. More information coming soon.

Looking ahead…

Thanks to everyone who came to the church meeting in the room or on zoom.  The minutes will be out shortly.  We made some important decisions regarding the future in terms of budgets as well as hearing and sharing some encouraging and informative updates from other areas of the church.  The minutes will be out shortly.  We keep thanking God for his faithfulness and look for His continued guidance.    

Sunday 8th March at 11am service with a Sunday school to explore the main theme creatively, we continue to explore God in John: Healing by the Pool (John 5:1-15)

Sunday 15th March at 11am service with a Sunday school to explore the main theme creatively, we continue to explore God in John: Feeding the five thousand.  We’ll also share communion together.  All welcome.

Please put the date of 28th March in your diary for now as we look to offer a creative workshop as we begin Holy week.

We’ll be having a service on the morning of Good Friday and then at 2.30pm we’ll be joining with other local churches on Alwoodley Green for a short service to share worship and readings. More information to come.  Some other ideas for holy week are being explored as we speak so I we’ll be able to firm this up by next week.  On Easter Sunday we will come together for all-age Easter café church starting at 11am.  After Easter we will be welcoming some of the leaders of the churches in Romania who have relationship with us here in Moortown and hearing some of their stories.

On Sunday 19th April we welcome Helen Harris, Director of Fundraising and Communications for the Baptist Missionary Society to share stories of God at work worldwide, in our service.

Do check out the website for all the latest news and stories.

In Christ

Shelley

Shelley Dring

Minister

Moortown Baptist Church

MERF – what it stands for, and what it does

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One of the projects mentioned in a recent Church Meeting was MERF. It’s name came up when we were discussing how best to allocate the MBC tithe, and in particular the small amount of ‘unallocated funds’. And it struck me that unlike some of our major beneficiaries such as BMS, Home Mission, LMFS, MAF etc. when it comes to choosing who should benefit from a small number of equally worthy causes MERF is perhaps the least know of them all.

MERF stands for the Moortown Emergency Relief Fund, a registered charity steered by three trustees: Phil Commons, Martyn Gray and Rod Russell. And MERF does exactly what it says on the tin… it sends out emergency funding, often at very short notice in response to particular health and/or housing issues. 

Currently MERF’s main area of concern is in Jhum Para, a small village in the Chitagong region of  Bangladesh where the charity’s agent is a senior staff nurse in a local hospital. 

But instead of me explaining it to you let me quote directly from a flyer I picked up recently in church, it explains far better than I can how MERF actually works.

“Many, many people particularly in Developing Nations are extremely poor but manage to ‘get by’ until an emergency happens particularly in health or housing. In some instances people may be able to obtain a loan but at extortionate interest rates which decimate their lives for years. 

MERF can provide support and transform life and also help people to help themselves. 

Because of modern technology/communication it is possible both to hear of an emergency and also provide funds for that emergency at very short notice. Emergency details/information is provided by a trusted local agent on the ground and requests for funds are considered.  With modern banking facilities it is possible to provide the funds at short notice, 24/48 hours.”

If you would like to know more about MERF, or as an individual you would like to offer your support speak with Phil, Martyn or Rod. I’m sure they would be delighted to talk with you. 

Blossom, self defence courses for women and girls

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As part of grant funding from the Mayor of West Yorkshire’s Safer Communities Fund and Leeds City Council’s Inner North Community Committee, LJHA are working with Blossom Training and Development to offer free confidence and self-defence training for women and girls of all ages.

The next session will take place on Sunday 1st March from 1.30pm-4.30pm at Moortown Baptist Church.

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.

  • Is it fun?Absolutely
  • Is it serious?Sometimes
  • Is it physical?Only as much as you want
  • Is it empowering?We guarantee it!
  • Is it for everyone?Yes, all ages and abilities welcome!

Watch this video for more information on what to expect! https://www.instagram.com/reels/DTpqQxJjeQt/

For more information, please contact Simon Phillips at simon.phillips@ljha.co.uk or enquiries@blossom-uk.co.uk

Jean Hiley, a Service of Thanksgiving and Celebration

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Last Thursday afternoon MBC held a Service of Thanksgiving and Celebration for the Life of Jean Hiley. Jean who was 99 when she passed away on January 9th was the widow of Norman who for many years worshipped and served here at Moortown as well as helping to lead MRSG – our Moortown Romania Support Group.

One particularly poignant part of the Service was when Jean’s 6 year old great grandson Tayn read what in the Order of Service was headed Reading of Jean’s Words – a response to her family’s recent request to share with them “something you want us to know about you.”

Standing on a chair, and in a loud clear voice little Tayn said this:

I praise the Lord continually for the life he has given me.

From my upbringing in a lovely home with loving parents.

For a loving husband of so many years.

For 2 good sons gone too soon.

For those I enjoy now. Grandchildren and even lovely Great Grandchildren.

My biggest hope for the future is?

Well, To get to Heaven!

News from Krys, Bela and friends in Sri Lanka

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Half way through their visit to Sri Lanka, Krys, Bela and their three friends have sent us an update on how their visit to the Women’s Development Centre in Kandy is going. 

The pictures we have received so far show lots of activity in the vocational learning centre for adults with special needs, a school for children with learning disabilities and the Centre’s weaving area. However, don’t get the impression that the trip is all work and no play; on the contrary says Krys “we’ve also had some fun” which included elephant watching, getting up close to two animals which to me look like some type of monkey and even a visit to watch the Sri Lanka cricket team lose to England.  

Above and below there are a couple of galleries showing all the pictures we’ve so far received. 

Clowning around. Lunch Club tries out a spot of juggling

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Whenever professional juggler Matthew Tiffany turns up at Lunch Club there’s never any shortage of volunteers wanting to get in on his act. 

Whether that act be juggling, plate spinning or for that matter anything else designed to mesmerize you can bet your bottom dollar that before long there’ll be no end of people – all old enough to know better – wanting to join in. 

And that’s precisely what happened at this week’s Lunch Club when Matthew paid a return visit. 

Well done Rachel for arranging this special treat. Just occasionally being able to act your shoe size rather than your age is something that I’m sure most of us would benefit from. 

Sixty years of MAF service to Chad links MBC to our BMS mission partners Mark and Andrea Hotchkin

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Since 1966, MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship) has been delivering help hope and healing to the remotest parts of Chad.

From fighting famine to delivering healthcare and improving literacy, MAF continues to serve isolated communities through a range of partners. MAF’s Claire Gilderson looks back through the ages.

Claire’s report talks about the part MBC’s Mission Partners Mark and Andrea Hotchkin play in the story.

You can read it by hitting the link below. 

Happy 60th birthday MAF Chad!

News from Banglabesh, and in particular from Jhumpara

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Sharing a recent email sent from Bangladesh, Phil and Rod report on the support that the villagers of Jhumpara continue to receive. 

If you would like to find out more about MBC’s link to Jhumpara here is a post that appeared here in February 2010 and was written by Dr Michael Flowers who with his wife June served for many years in Bangladesh with BMS. 

There is a third project supported by the Bangladesh Fund, the Jhum Para Project. Back in the 1960’s there was a shift in the management of leprosy world wide, and all patients except those needing specialist hospital care were to be discharged from Leprosy Homes into the community. Inevitably, as in our case, there were some who were unable to live independently because of disability, or who had nowhere to go, because of ostracism. For them we obtained a plot of land where we built simple bamboo houses for them to live in.

We left Bangladesh soon after that and we lost touch. Although we began to visit Chandraghona again with medical teams from 1985 onwards we were unable to visit the village because of the civil war. It was only after the peace deal was signed in 1997 that June, during one of our team visits, was taken to the village and found the people there, some of them the original patients, with their children and grandchildren, all living by begging, and in abject poverty.

June was appalled and felt a compulsion from God to do something. We began to make plans and the following year a team from this church conducted a careful survey to see how we could help best. So the Jhum Para Project was born.

The urgent needs were for food, (instead of milk, or eggs, or fish, or meat, they ate snails and frogs), for drinking water, for house repairs, and most importantly, for education for the children, none of whom were at school. As an income generation scheme the initial idea of purchasing piglets for them to raise for meat or to sell was an attractive idea when raising funds at home!

Over the years the provision of school uniforms and equipment, tutors for coaching, mosquito nets, blankets, latrines, sewing machines, and adult literacy classes, have brought about an astonishing transformation.

More recently textile training for the girls and driving instruction for the young men, have brought some hope of employment, and the appointment of a pastor has resulted in many conversions and baptisms. The most recent facility has been a brick-built schoolhouse to serve the whole community.

YTV’s Calendar features the Leeds & Moortown Furniture Store to highlight furniture poverty

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The Leeds and Moortown Furniture Store was formed here at Moortown almost forty years ago. Since then a constant stream of MBC members have served it in one capacity or another, in fact even as I write five of our members are trustees while numerous other people help as volunteers.
 
As one of Leeds’ most valuable and respected charities LMFS is at the forefront of the battle against furniture poverty. Hence the reason YTV chose to visit its Seacroft warehouse and also why shortly after the feature was aired Rachel Dodson, the Store’s General Manager took to social media… here’s what she wrote.
 
On Tuesday January the 20th ITV Calendar, that’s Yorkshire Television’s regional news programme featured a piece on furniture poverty and how some local authorities are cutting the welfare scheme that supports people living in crisis with furniture. If you would like to watch it it’s 14.54 mins in and available on ITVX).
 
As a charity the Leeds and Moortown Furniture Store supports 100’s of people a month that cannot access this scheme and with other items that this scheme does not offer.
 
The referrals for furniture are increasing and any support you can give us with furniture donations, volunteering or raising funds to buy furniture is always very much appreciated.
 
You can get in touch with us by calling 0113 273 9727 or by emailing info@leedsandmoortown.org.uk
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