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In the most welcoming of ways a shared lunch topped off a wonderful morning of creative worship and praise

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With BMS Missionaries Andrea and Mark Hotchkin leading our morning Service, with Communion and with a terrific shared lunch it’s fair to say that last Sunday, between 11am and about half past two, MBC pulled out all the stops in terms of being a truly community church with  world wide vision. 

Based in a hospital in Bardai, a small oasis town in the north of Chad, surgeons Andrea and Mark are currently in the UK on a month long home assignment. 

As one of their supporting churches it was once again great to catch up with them and to hear first hand exactly what in one of the most challenging environments on earth God is doing in their home life, in their church life and of course at work.

Special thanks to all those people who brought the Service together; to the worship band and Shelley, to Phil and Maria, to the people on the sound desk, to Roger our BMS rep, to those who brought in and served up the food and particularly to those that during Mark’s talk supervised our youngsters as they created some amazing paintings. 

Below is a gallery of pictures taken throughout the morning. To view them simply click on any of the images. 

Jane Coates. Thoughts and prayers, Empty and full

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Empty and full –Father, may I live this day to the full.
 
When we were both working full time with four young children and both sets of aging parents living nearby, my daily and weekly diary was very full. It had appointments for the children, school events and holidays, parents’ evenings and staff meetings, swimming lessons, evening Uniformed Organisations, medical and dental appointments, church events and all sorts of extraneous events to fix in the planner. Life was busy and full. As the children were growing up and moving on then holiday and university visits were added into the planners. One of my busiest periods of time was perhaps the pandemic period when visiting many of our elderly church folk became extremely important. Those busy periods of time seem a long time ago now.
 
These days, my weekly diary looks rather empty. There are some fixed appointments, but now I no longer need that daily check on the diary to see what my day or week will hold- visits, church sessions, shopping trips. The diary has gone from almost full to empty. In many ways our human preference is for these busy daily and weekly markers that perhaps make us feel useful, significant, and essential. These markers and events are important to us and many of us keep our old diaries going way back in time.
 
Yet, I am beginning to learn that every day, -whether empty or full- is a gift from God. Each new day is the day that the Lord has made, to rejoice and be glad in. Psalm 118 v 24. Jesus is present with us in each new day-empty or full. His presence, grace and favour meet us in that day. So, whether your diary is choc a block full, or your week is stretching out in front of you with a rather empty feel and lots of ‘blank’ days, may we be thankful for what God is continuing to do for us and with us in each new day. That new day is a gift from God, and whatever that day holds, is known to God and can be used by Him and us, with thankful hearts. God will meet with us in each new day, -every day.
 
The Lectio 365 daily prayer begins with these words: Father, may I live this day to the full, being true to you in every way. We can give thanks today to our faithful God and He can use us in this day as He can use us at no other time. He has kept us in the past and He waits for us in the days ahead and our unknown future. We receive from His fulness grace upon grace upon grace, a grace that is continuous, inexhaustible, and limitless. May our today be full of His grace and presence.
 
“And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace”.
Words of John the Baptist John 1 v 16 GNT
 
May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Ephesians 3 v 19 NLT
 
Lectio 365 Prayer
Father, may I live this day to the full, being true to you in every way.
Jesus, help me to give myself away to others, being kind to everyone I meet.
Spirit, help me to love the lost, proclaiming Christ in all I say and do. Amen.
 
Jane Coates 
23 October 2024

W/C October 20th. News and updates from Shelley

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Dear friends

We look forward to joining with you tomorrow for our service at 11am in the building and online.  We welcome Andrea and Mark Hotchkin from BMS to lead with us.  We’ll have a group for our younger friends where we will look at the theme creatively together. We’ll share communion together and after the service everyone is welcome to continue the sharing of food in a bring and share lunch.  Do drop your food in the sports hall on the centre tables.  We have volunteers to sort out where it can go.  A reminder to bring cold pre prepared food that can be eaten without needing heating up.  Youth meet in the evening 7-8pm in church.

Monday – Beacon warm welcome café 10-12midday

Tuesday – Stepping stones group for under 5’s and their parents/carers 10.-11.30am

Tuesday afternoon – house group in church, see Rod/Howard

Tuesday evening – deacons meeting in church 7.30pm, do pray for John as he joins the team.

Wednesday – lunch club for all those booked in and the volunteers, see Rachel Beedle

Wednesday evening – housegroup in church, see Andy/Ruth Berry

Thursday – warm welcome craft group 2-4pm in church

Thursday – bible study at 7pm in church, see Gareth Gadd

Friday  – bible study at 10am in church, see Shelley or send a message to Lesley for more information

Friday evening at 8pm – housegroup, see Jonathan/Hilary Darling

Do call or send a message to Lesley or ask Shelley for more information on groups through the week.  Lesley is in the office Monday and Tuesday 9-4pm and Wednesday until 1pm.

Thanks to all those who came to the church meeting last week.  Minutes will be out soon.  Do keep praying and continue the conversation before our next meeting.

Last Sunday in the service, at the church meeting and at Wednesday worship, we spent some time thanking God together for things in our world and our lives that we are grateful for.  Philippians 4:6 reminds us to “..bring up all of your requests to God in your prayers and petitions, along with giving thanks.”  The letter goes onto say that the result will be that the peace of God “…that exceeds all understanding will keep your hearts and minds safe in Christ Jesus”. It does not mean that we ignore what is going on around us, but our requests are balanced with thanks, and this brings safety to our minds and hearts.  God wants us to see and act with passion but he wants our minds and hearts to operate from a place of safety and not fear.  Colossians 3:15 says “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.”  It is this peace that needs to rule, not just have a place or a say, but be in charge, be sovereign, have the final word, over our minds and hearts.  This peace brings us unity with others.  A lack of peace can bring division and a feeling of separation.  We have been reading the book of Ruth together on Sundays.  Naiomi’s husband Elimelech appears right at the beginning and his land is mentioned throughout the book.  His name means ‘God is sovereign’ and it’s a reminder that even though God is not obviously speaking in the book, God is in control as Ruth follows Him.  The story continues.

Further Autumn Sunday dates..

Sunday 27th October 11am service with group for our younger friends

Sunday 3rd November 11am all age café church

Sunday 10th November 10.50am service with a group for our younger friends.  Note the slightly earlier start time so that we can have the 2 minute silence for remembering.

Sunday 17th November 11am service with communion and a group for your younger friends

Sunday 24th November 11am service with a group for our younger friends

Sunday 24th November 4pm Tea for all and a chance to join with John and Sue Wilson from BMS on their retirement visit and to hear some of their stories about mission in Paris.

There will be a short service in November to remember those we miss who are no longer with us.  Date to be confirmed this week.

Ideas for Advent and Christmas are coming together, dates will be out in the next two weeks.  Our Christmas programme will begin on December 7th 1.30-3.30pm, sing along Christmas carols and songs with Steel Crazy steel pan band and festive treats.

Finally, this week at lunch club, Prickly Pigs Hedgehog Rescue visited.  It was great to see a rescued hedgehog, but we were reminded of the decline in hedgehog populations.  Do check out the webpage here A Prickly Encounter – Wednesday 16th October – Moortown Baptist Church and for those who live in the North Leeds area there is a meeting at St Barnabas on 19th November on how to get involved with the local nature recovery plan.  Alwoodley 2030: Climate Action Hub – Nature & Biodiversity

In Christ

Shelley

As MBC lines up to celebrate its 70th anniversary, these words ring as true today as ever

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   1955 – 2025. The past, the present and the future

 In 1980, Roger Robson, who first came to Moortown Baptist Church in 1955 as a ten year old, was asked if he would write a short history of the first twenty-five years of MBC’s life.  This he did, and I suspect that if you’re prepared to search high and low you might still find the odd copy. 

Anyway such was the success of Roger’s excellent account that twenty five years later, and to mark the church’s fiftieth anniversary he was again asked to dig into our archives, collate as much information as he could and update his work. 

You can see the front covers of both of these booklets above. 

The end result was the perfect example of how over fifty years a mix of documented fact, anecdote and old faded pictures can be drawn together to bring the past alive.   

In April next year Moortown Baptist Church celebrates its seventieth anniversary, and at our most recent Church Meeting  those that were there were not only challenged to come up with even more memories but if possible with specific stories that reflect the ups, the downs, the ins and the outs of MBC; a vibrant community church with world wide vision. 

Below you will see a few more quotes from Roger’s second book; the top one is a Charge to the Church issued in April 1955 at South Parade Church in Headingley to mark its founding, the others written since by either former Ministers or members. 

One more thing we can promise is that nearer the time you will hear much more about our forthcoming anniversary, indeed you may even be asked to help. But as for now all we ask is that you put your thinking caps on so that by the time we’re ready to launch our dedicated Anniversary Email address you’ll be all ready to go. 

    1955 – 2025. The past, the present and the future 

 

Wednesday Worship

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Once a month Moortown Baptist Church hosts Wednesday Worship.  Starting at 1.30pm it is exactly what the flyer says, that’s a time for worship, prayer and connection with God. 

You can see the dates of the next few Services above. However, if you would like to find out more please either give us a call on 0113 2693750 or email admin@moortownbaptistchurch.org.uk 

Shelley’s message for w/c Sunday 13th October

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Dear friends

Last week at our harvest café church, we heard this quotation from Henri Nouwen

“Hospitality means primarily the creation of a free space where the stranger can enter and become a friend instead of an enemy.”

I know some of us are still pondering what this means to us as we journey through the book of Ruth.  Thank you for your generous donations last week towards Caring for Life and the North Leeds foodbank.  Thanks for Geoff for sorting out the financial donations and to Mike and John who helped deliver the food donations to the right places.

Tomorrow we meet at 11am in the building and online as we continue through Ruth 2, specifically reading from 2:5-20.  There is a group for our younger friends who will continuing with some bread activities linked to the story!

Rock Solid meet in the evening 7-8pm. 

Next week we have all our usual activities, if in doubt do ask or email Lesley or pick up a leaflet at the back of church in the foyer.  We also have our church meeting at 7.30pm in the building on Tuesday 15th October.  Do pray for this meeting and for John who is nominated as deacon.  If you are unable to join in person but you can join online, a link has already been sent out with an agenda for the evening.  If you have missed this then do email Lesley on Monday or Tuesday.

Next week on Sunday 20th October we welcome Andrea and Mark Hotchkin, BMS link missionaries working in hospitals in Chad.  Do come along and share in worship with them and hear about what God is doing there and what life is like.  After the service we’ll be having a bring and share lunch.  Everyone is welcome.  For ease and health and safety purposes we ask on this occasion that you don’t bring anything with nuts in or anything that needs cooking or heating up.  Food that can be placed out on a table is easier. Please bring it along next Sunday and you’ll be shown where to put it.  We’ll have space in the fridge for some items if you arrive early and your food need refrigerating.  Its always good to spend time together and catch up over food.

Next weeks service is also communion together.  As we are thinking about hospitality and hearing from other countries, we thought it might be a good opportunity to share bread from different countries at communion.  If you would like to bring some or make some, can you let me, or Lesley know by Wednesday please.  Also, can you let us know the ingredients in the bread if it is homemade, for example if it has gluten in, so that we can support those with allergies?  Thank you    

On the same day, Terefe is travelling to Calais to take clothing supplies and share about Jesus with those who have left their countries and those who have no permanent home.  If you have anything to give him, either a financial donation or clothing, shoes, then do leave them with Lesley or if Lesley is not there then they can be left with me. Do pray for Gods direction for Terefe as he continues to explore how he can serve in this way.

In other news, we are glad to see Bela, Jean, and Howard back from visiting churches in Romania.  We look forward to hearing an update from them soon.

Bela has also brought many balls of wool into church.  If you would like wool to make things with then you are welcome to take some.  The box will be out on Sunday.  If you can’t see it do ask.  If you are in church in the middle of the week then Lesley can direct you towards the wool!

In Christ

Shelley

Sharing our rich harvest

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Above you can see just some of the many gifts that last Sunday were brought to our Harvest.

These, together with cash donations have now been shared between the Leeds North and West Foodbank and Caring For Life.  

On behalf of everyone connected with these two wonderful projects can we say a heartfelt thank you. 

One final post from Howard, Jean and Bela’s trip to Romania – in this one Howard tells of a meeting they had with some Ukrainian refugees.

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Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine a large number of refugees came to Romania with it being close by, and particularly to Cluj as a major city in the north of Romania and a communications centre.

At one time 50 refugees were attending and being helped by Manastur church. At MBC we have sent several thousand pounds to help meet their needs and also for aid which the church was
taking into Ukraine.

On our recent visit Bela, Jean and I had the privilege of meeting many of the refugees from Ukraine over a pizza lunch following the Sunday service. There are now 25 Ukrainians in the church, some of the others particularly from western Ukraine have returned to their homes, others have gone on to western Europe seeking better paid jobs there. However, the level of support available (e.g. from the Romanian government) has reduced due to the cost involved.

We met one young man who has learned Romanian from scratch in the 18 months he has been in Cluj and is now hoping to go to the university. However he and his family would like to return to Ukraine when possible as it is their home.

Two of the Ukrainians (on the left in the photo below) are staying with Nicu and Rita Reparuc (on the right) and I met them at Nicu and Rita’s house. The husband is an electrician and has had work in Cluj but doesn’t have any at the moment. His wife is a music teacher and has been able to continue to do some teaching over the internet. They are from Kharkiv, a large city of 1.4 million people near the Russian border which has been in the news a lot due to the large number of missile attacks.

They showed me a video on their phone of Kharkiv before the war with its beautiful buildings and parks. Also on their phone were some recent photos sent from friends in Kharkiv showing the terrible destruction there has been. I was shocked to see a photo of their apartment block which had been damaged with the windows of their flat blown out. This made what is going on in Ukraine seem very real.

Please pray for them as they decide whether to go back to Kharkiv in November to secure their flat with all the risks that may entail. There is a wider connection as Leeds has recently become twinned with Kharkiv partly as an expression of solidarity.

It also struck me what a difference smartphones have made with people able to keep in touch from a distance and work over the internet. How did we communicate you might ask? They had an app on their phone and they could speak in Ukrainian and the words appeared on the screen in English!

Shelley’s message for w/c October 6th

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Dear friends

Thanks to everyone who was involved in celebrating the baptisms and dedication last Sunday.  Let’s keep Rachel, Amber and Jess in our prayers.

We look forward to our harvest thanksgiving café church tomorrow at 11am in the building and online.  If you are able, donations of food or money or a bit of both are welcome for the North Leeds foodbank and Caring for Life charity.  The food bank have specifically asked for…

Milk (UHT), soup, long life fruit juice, sweet and savoury spreads, long life sponge puddings, tinned vegetables, pasta/curry sauce, tinned fish, tinned rice pudding, tinned custard, tinned tomatoes, tinned meat, biscuits, rice, teabags, toilet roll and powdered milk (not baby milk)

We’ll have breakfast pastries, fruit and drinks to share during the service which will focus on ‘what is harvest?’ and the beginning of Ruth chapter 2.  There will be creative activities to join in with for all ages during café church.

Please ask about midweek activities, pick up a leaflet at the back of church or look on the website.  These include Beacon warm welcome café at 10am on Monday, craft group welcome space on Thursday at 2pm, Stepping Stones on Tuesday at 10am (please ask Diane Sunter or Lesley if you are new as the group is getting full and they want to make sure they can get you in!) and lunchclub on Wednesday.  There are housegroups and bible studies throughout the week.  Do ask if you are unsure or would like to try them out.  You don’t need to commit to being there every time and can go to more than one at a time. There’s Tuesday afternoon in the building (see Rod Russell or ask Lesley), Wednesday in the building at 7.30pm, Wednesday evening (see Diane Sunter), Thursday in the building at 7.00pm with Gareth Gadd. Friday morning at 10am (see Shelley) and Friday eve in Adel at 8pm, see Jonathan Darling.  Rock Solid for youth meet on Sunday evening at 7pm.

A reminder that there will be a get together with Krys Gadd for anyone who attended any of the prayer course, in the building after café church, tomorrow 6th October, bring some lunch.

It’s the next church meeting on the 15th of October at 7.30pm in the building and online. Please do come along.  Part of the meeting will be voting for a new deacon as well as saying thank you to those stepping down.  Lesley sent out the agenda and minutes last week, along with a zoom link for those who are unable to attend in person.  Please keep sharing what you think God is saying to us as a church.  We are looking ahead over the autumn and towards Christmas as well involving more people in welcoming and providing space for those new to the community to have chance to get to know others. We’ll have chance to continue this conversation at the meeting.

We have Andrea and Mark Hotchkin, BMS missionaries working in Chad, leading the service with us on 20th October at 11am followed by lunch together.  More details to come!

This is the same day Terefe leaves to visit those in Calais who need food, clothing and to share the news of Jesus.  We will be praying for him on the 16th October in the service.  He is looking for good quality clothes or shoes to take, financial support and prayer.  Please can items be brought to church and left with Lesley rather than around the building.

We continue to pray for situations of conflict all around the world. I was struck by an interview from March this year about youth praying in Lebanon.

Youth in Lebanon are Discovering Prayer – 24-7 Prayer International

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17)

Shelley

In church or on YouTube, join us this Sunday for MBC’s Harvest

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This coming Sunday, that’s 6th October is our harvest thanksgiving café church!

In church there will be a selection of breakfast pastries, fruit and drinks, and as in previous years two local charities – Caring for Life and the North Leeds and West Foodbank will be the beneficiaries. 

In this instance Caring for Life have asked us for monetary donations, whereas the food bank have more specific requests including: milk (UHT), soup, long life fruit juice, sweet and savoury spreads, long life sponge puddings, tinned vegetables, pasta/curry sauce, tinned fish, tinned rice pudding, tinned custard, tinned tomatoes, tinned meat, biscuits, rice, teabags, toilet roll and powdered milk (not baby milk).

However, on Sunday for those of us who for one reason or another find ourselves “gift less” there’ll be an opportunity during the service to give money directly online.

Thank you. 

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