John Sherbourne 
Between 3-5pm on Sunday the 21st of July our friends here at MBC, that’s those folk who for many a year have supported a number of churches in Romania are holding their annual strawberry cream tea.
This year it’s here at church, and if it’s anything like those they have hosted in previous years it will be superb.
Be sure to put this date in your diary.
Unless we actually attend, it’s not very often that we get to see exactly what our Thursday afternoon crafters get up to.
Well here, and many thanks to Karen Ross for forwarding these images on to us are three beautiful braclets that have been made right here at MBC.
If you have a gift for crafting (of any description) or maybe you just fancy trying your hand at producing something a bit different then speak with Karen or simply turn up at MBC any Thursday at 2pm.
On Monday the 8th of July between 12.30pm and 2.30 Haddon Willmer will be talking about and then leading a discussion based on the book of Luke.
As we are hearing on Sundays, Luke, in both his Gospel and in the Acts of the Apostles told stories of early Christian faith and life. His stories were targeted invitations and searching provocations to turn from darkness to light.
Join us at MBC for a couple of hours to explore how and why Luke told the story and stories as he did.
Bring your lunch.
This session will be repeated on Tuesday 9th July 7.30pm to 9.30pm for those who would like to come on an evening. Feel free to pass this on to those you think are interested.
Monday 15th July at 1pm in the MBC Music Room ‘Wise up to Ageism’.
The course will be led by a team from Leeds Older People’s Forum and will help us to keep developing as an Age Friendly Church.
There are 20 places and if you would like to attend, please email, or call Lesley Murphy to pass your details on to Rachel Beedle or of course directly to Rachel.
If there are spaces left, we will open the course up to the those working locally in our community. .
Visit the Store’s website at www.leedsandmoortown.org.uk
At our March Church Meeting Chris Hutt, the General Manager of the Leeds and Moortown Furniture Store, and Gareth Davies who like myself is one of its trustees said that anyone who wished to join us would be joining a team that over the next few weeks and months would begin to oversee some of the most exciting changes to have taken place in the charity’s 38 year history.
As a result of that appeal three MBC members stepped forward – two volunteered to be trustees and a third, a former trustee, who is coming back to us as a consultant/advisor. So not only do we really appreciate this response, but in terms of commitment to a long tradition of helping people in need it actually takes on extra meaning when I say that at that March meeting everyone in the room voted to hold on to the 50% share that MBC currently holds in the charity’s trading company: LMFS Trading Ltd.
And that’s one of the main reasons why we aren’t simply sitting back and congratulating ourselves on recruiting some new trustees, but continuing to invite applications from literally anyone who thinks they, in any way shape or form, might be able to come on board and help steer the Leeds and Moortown Furniture Store into the future.
As I’ve just said, of the three who have already expressed an interest two are soon to be added to the Charity Commissions register and the third will be called upon as and when his advice is needed; three more people who together with Chris and Gareth will set the agenda and monitor its progress. Between them there is a wealth of experience, but you know they don’t know, and they can’t be expected to do everything, that’s why if you have any experience at all in areas such as fundraising, in the property rental sector or although we have a fully qualified accountant who looks after our books even in finance these are just a few of the gaps that we need to fill.
So that’s it. Gareth, Chris and I are all around to answer any questions you may have, or if you’d like us to contact you just leave your details with Lesley our Administrator and I promise we’ll get straight back to you.
Thank you
John Sherbourn
Last Sunday morning, with the outside air temperature hovering around the 12 to 13 C mark, and a wind blowing that totally redefined my understanding of a light to moderate breeze it was an absolute joy to be in the warm, inside Moortown Baptist Church, to join in the celebrations of not just one, not just two but of three baptisms.
The service was led by MBC’s minister Shelley Dring, however, for the actual baptisms Shelley was joined in the water by her husband Nathan. Shelley’s theme throughout was built around two of the lost and found stories that Jesus tells and that we find in Luke’s gospel. With songs, prayers and of course readings all chosen to underline this theme it was wonderful to hear the three candidates – Diane Argyle, Candice Ng and Mike Shahid each share something of their journey to faith and ultimately to their baptism.
Followed by coffee and cake it was a wonderful morning of celebration and praise. That’s why we ask that God will continue to bless Diane, Candice and Mike as they start out on this, the next step in their journey with Jesus. But likewise we also ask God’s continued blessing on all those of us who either in the room itself or tuning in on Youtube watched them make this bold declaration of faith.
Following an appeal at our last Church Meeting, three MBC members have offered to join the board of the Leeds and Moortown Furniture Store and/or LMFS Trading Ltd. Nick Taylor and Mike Stoodley are two of them who provided they can satisfy themselves on such issues as trustee liability, the exact difference between a registered charity and a CIO (a charitable incorporated organisation) and the implications of taking on a directorship are both ready and willing to sign up. The other is former L&MFS trustee Rod Russell who has indicated his willingness to return to the organisation but this time purely in a consultancy and advisory capacity.
The Leeds and Moortown Furniture Store Ltd began its life here at Moortown Baptist Church in 1986 when, led by Hilary Willmer a small group of members began collecting and storing used furniture and then passing it on to people in need. Today that ethos lives on, however, with the passage of time L&MFS is now a fully registered charity, makes a total of over 1,700 collections and deliveries a year and unlike the olden days when cellars and garden sheds were used to store donations runs two smart vans and operates from a 10,500 square foot warehouse in Seacroft.
Relatively speaking LMFS Trading Ltd, the charity’s retail arm which sources, supplies and in most cases fits new furniture, furnishings and white goods is a new addition. Formed a decade or so ago, and with Moortown Baptist Church as one of just two shareholders, the trading company does not actually employ its own staff but pays a quarterly management charge to the charity for the time its staff gives over. In theory it also pays over any profit it makes to the charity although over the last year and due to L&MFS narrowly missing out on an LCC procurement bid the chances of there being any profit soon is unlikely.
The addition of two potential trustees and an experienced advisor is a huge boon to the charity. However, recruiting from within i.e. from Moortown Baptist Church is nothing new in that right from the word go there has rarely been a time when this church hasn’t provided either s succession of trustees or of dedicated volunteers.
Naturally the arrival of young or metaphorically speaking not so young blood is wonderful news, particularly so with our enthusiastic new Manager, Chris Hutt, and the Store’s existing trustees seeking out every opportunity they can in making sure that L&MFS’s founding mission continues to be both effective and efficient.
L&MFS Mission Statement… A practical demonstration of Christian commitment to socially and economically disadvantaged people our mission is to relieve poverty by distributing donated furniture,.
You can find out more about the work of the Leeds and Moortown Furniture Store, LMFS Trading Ltd and its new eBay shop by visiting www.leedsandmoortown.org.uk or by asking Gareth, Nick, Rod, Mike or John to share their impressions of one of MBC’s most important and long lasting projects.
Just one more item of news from the Store and that is that after serving for over nineteen years first as a trustee and more recently as Chair John Sherbourne is bowing out just as soon as he is able. Of late John, who is now seventy-five years of age has not been in the best of health which despite outward appearances has actually been pretty draining. So, in many ways perhaps this moment in time is not only the right time for John personally, but also the time when the spark needed to ignite a change that the organisation needs.
Once more takings from MBC’s Plant Sale have crashed through the thousand pound mark which means that in these difficult times this year’s beneficiary, the Leeds and Moortown Furniture Store, is in line to receive a much needed donation of give or take £1,300.
Many thanks to everyone who donated both plants and cakes and of course many thanks to you; the people who came to support us.
We’ll update you on a final total just as soon as we can. That all depends on how many of the surplus plants we manage to sell tomorrow. However, once again this hardy annual proves beyond doubt that the link that has existed since 1986 between L&MFS and MBC is as strong as ever.
Special thanks to Jenny Dixon and her team who never cease to amaze us with their planning and their expertise.
To find out more about the work of the Leeds and Moortown Furniture Store please click here to visit their website.
Dear friends
It’s been great to be back with you over the last week or so. Thank you for all your well wishes and prayers for our time off and the Paris marathon. I did think of you all as I went into the last section of the marathon through the woods! Also, when I saw the cheering, I was reminded again of the verse from Hebrews 12:1
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” There is a focus and a commitment here to keep going, in times of difficulty and joy on the way and the promise of joy to come.. as the verse goes on to say.. “for the joy set before Him”, one step, then another step. Of course, Jesus was going to the cross, but it’s a reminder of the place of joy. It suggests that there will be times on the way when we may have to adjust our pace, reassess whether we are carrying things that we don’t need. At 9km I threw my family in the crowd an awkward shaped bottle of juice I thought I needed at the start as it was just an extra thing I didn’t want to carry, worse still the sloshing of the juice just kept making me think I needed the toilet! Maybe I needed it to start with but I definitely didn’t need it as I ran on. There are things in our lives too that we carry for a time, maybe they give us confidence, help us to feel safer, maybe everyone else is carrying it so we think we need it in our race as well? Regular moments to check what we are carrying and our running direction are needed on our life journey so we can reassess too. What am I carrying that I don’t need anymore? Is there anything that I have got used to carrying that God is asking me to do something about because it’s affecting my run negatively? Maybe God will bring some of this to mind for us as the 44th London Marathon takes place tomorrow…
Tomorrow we meet at 11am for a service with communion and a separate group for our younger friends during part of the service. We will be online on youtube too on the channel @moortownbaptistchurch. We’ll be continuing a theme of Resurrection.. what did Jesus do post resurrection? What does his journey post resurrection tell us nowadays? Tomorrow we will look at Luke 24:13-35. Its something we’ll be exploring over the next few weeks.
Dates for this week and beyond…
Sunday 21st April – 11am service
Sunday 21st April – 7-8pm rock solid youth group (see Val Boyd, Martyn Grey, Adam Argyle or Nathan Dring for more info)
Monday 22nd April – Beacon warm welcome café 10-12 midday
Tuesday 23rd April – Stepping stones for under 5’s and parents and carers 10-11.30
Tuesday 23rd April – housegroup in church in afternoon.
Tuesday 23rd April – Deacons meeting 7.30pm – 9.30pm in church
Wednesday 24th April – lunchgroup – see Rachel Beadle for more information
Wednesday 24th April – housegroup in church and online at 7.30pm (see Ruth/Andy Berry)
Thursday 25th April – Warm welcome craft group in church 2-4pm (See Karen Ross/Diane Argyle)
Friday 26th April – Bible study at 10am. Please see Shelley Dring or Robert/Carol Owen for more information.
Sunday 28th April – 11am service in church and online with a group for our younger friends
Local elections will be using one of the rooms in church all day and evening on the 2nd May. Do ask Lesley Murphy of you have any questions. All groups should be going ahead as planned even though the room may be slightly different!
Sunday 5th May – café church 11-12midday
Saturday 18th May – 1-3pm plant sale in church (See Jenny Dixon for information). Any cuttings or plants that can be donated then do let Jenny know. There’ll be tea, coffee and cake on the day. Do come along and tell your friends!
What a joy it was to be part of the baptisms at Moortown on Easter Sunday! We have some more baptisms planned from our community at MBC on 9th June so if you would be interested in being baptised on this day or another then do have a chat with me.
Thank you to those who helped with the funeral and thanksgiving of Barbara Dews after Easter, Do continue to pray for Howard, his family and all those who grieve the loss of a loved one.
Thank you to all those who continue to pray for our community, our city and our wider world.
And something to ponder… (click on the link below)
See you tomorrow
In Christ
Shelley
