John Sherbourne

Susan Dabrowski and Gill Duffy were our bakers for the cake drop-off on Wednesday 1^st July.  This was a more complicated process than their usual role as Lunch Club cooks, as it had to take into account Leeds City Council guidance on providing food to the public during Covid.  They did a fantastic job of preparing and packaging everything safely.  Gill had worked out a clever way to hang the cake boxes in bags on people’s front door handle (once they had stepped back from the door) so that we could maintain our distance.

Twelve willing volunteers delivered cake boxes with 4 different types of cake to 28 seniors, who were surprised and delighted to receive them!  Several of the volunteers also stayed for a doorstep chat – we had brought our camping chairs and umbrellas and sat outside to enjoy some face to face time together, whilst the seniors remained indoors in the dry!  Some of our seniors have been isolated for a long time, so this was a really welcome time to talk and smile together, and catch up on how everyone is doing.

A huge thank you from me and from all our seniors to the amazing Lunch Club team! We are planning more doorstep chats and another baked drop-off over the next couple of months whilst our plans to meet again in a group remain up in the air.

Carole Smith

My father was an ex coal miner in the Welsh town of Tredegar.  He had left the mine in the late 1930s because of dust on the lungs, and with his father and brother had a fish, fruit and vegetable shop half way up Castle Street which is where we lived.  At the bottom of the street was the Circle and 4 roads led into it with a large clock tower in the centre. On the corner of the next road round from Castle Street there was a small corner office and on the window were the words ‘Medical Aid’

It all started in 1890 when a group of small societies amalgamated into one called ‘Tredegar Workman’s Aid Society’. 95% of the town were members and paid halfpenny each week into the society. By 1909 this was raised to a penny.

Starting from nothing and with help from the Tredegar Iron and Coal Company and also some wealthy people, the Society was able to build a Hospital (I was a frequent attender at its casualty department). There were also two surgeries and a maternity unit (which is where I was born). The Society also had five doctors, two dentists and nurses. There was a pharmacy in both surgeries. A surgeon based at the hospital had oversight of all the medical services provided by the Society. If for some reason there was not appropriate medical support for the patient they would be sent to Newport or Cardiff for treatment paid by the society. I went to Bristol to have my tonsils out.

Aneurin Bevan was the MP for the area and when Labour came into power after the war he became the Health Minister. He was frequently in the town and as children if we saw him we would cheer and shout. He would sometimes speak to the crowds from the clock mound or the veranda of the Castle Hotel which was opposite our shop.  The stones shown in the picture are a memorial to Mr Bevan and his achievements.

The people of the area could see that when the NHS started the vision was based on its Medical Aid Society.  The Medical Aid was finally wound up in 1994 with 114 members who had paid 18p a week.  The assets from the closure were given to the hospital.

When I think of what the NHS has achieved over the years, and particularly 2020, I am pleased to remember those men and women in 1890 who had the foresight to set up the Medical Aid Society which was the foundation for the NHS today.

Robert Owen.

MBC Youth have been meeting regularly throughout lockdown. All of our contact has been virtually on Zoom which has made it possible for us to stay in touch even when apart.

The youth team have been running weekly Sunday evening Zoom calls where we have been exploring the same themes and bible passages as ‘Church at Home’. This has helped us all to feel connected and part of the whole church.

God has been speaking to us about how Christ is the head of the church, which is the people – not the building! We are all still able to be part of Christ’s church, even when we are physically apart.

We have also been running mid-week groups:

• Tuesday evening (weekly) – Deepening Faith (a discipleship group for those wanting to go deeper and find accountability with others)
• Wednesday evening (monthly) – Topical Discussion (a chance to discuss topical issues raised by the young people)
• Friday evening (monthly) – Social (a chance to hang out with each other and play games)

We have been really encouraged by the engagement from some of our young people and have been able to continue to build and strengthen relationships during this time. As we come towards the end of a what has been a long and difficult term for many of our youth, there is certainly a sense of “Zoom fatigue” and a desire to meet together again in-person.

As we head towards the summer holidays, we are discussing as a team what we might be able to offer our young people during the break.

Thank you for your continued support and prays for our amazing young people and their leaders.

Next week we are planning on bringing you a more comprehensive roundup of how other areas of MBC’s ministry are coping with the changes that Covid-19 has forced upon them.  

Following more than three months of hibernation one of Leeds’ most respected charities, The Leeds and Moortown Furniture Store is taking its first cautious steps towards reopening. 

The Store which these days employs eight people and which began life here at Moortown Baptist Church in 1986 collects and then gives away, free of charge unwanted furniture to more than 1,000 needy families each year. However, besides its charity arm L&MFS also runs a wholly owned trading company, and it is this that will reopen first.

Over the last few weeks John Gamson, the Store’s Manager and key members of his team have been busy marking out the charity’s 10,000 sq.ft warehouse, posting vital signage and compiling a comprehensive return to work plan. 

“The decision to reopen the trading company,” which says John sources and supplies new furniture and white goods to a growing number of third sector organisations “is hopefully the first step towards a full resumption of services. To begin with we intend to work just part time, informing our clients of our restart and responding to their to orders. Depending on how things go, and in particular on how many furniture donations we receive we are hoping to the charity soon after.” 

Over the years and working in many different guises many MBC personnel have served L&MFS. This is a bond the charity values greatly mainly as it brings a treasured level of continuity to the message expressed in its mission statement: The charity exists as a practical demonstration of Christian commitment to socially and economically disadvantaged people by distributing donated furniture. 

All being well the Store’s next update will be to tell you that full service has been resumed. Until then if you or anyone you know is replacing any furniture (that’s beds, sofas – with fire certificates, dining tables, chairs, wardrobes etc) do try hang on to them because as John says “we have no doubt that with the employment and financial strains the virus has created the demand for the charity’s services post Covid will be even more acute than ever.”   

What I know about terabytes, gigabytes and megabytes you could write on the back of a stamp. In fact it took me the best part of two days to realise that recently when setting up my new shiny laptop the instruction to press “any” button meant precisely that, and that unlike those marked Alt, Fn, and Ctrl there wasn’t in fact an “Any” button.

However, a few people have been in touch recently to tell us that on occasions some of the little thumbnail pictures that we use on the Home Page of our website and also some that appear in our E-newsletter are what is technically termed as corrupt. (See picture, top right in the collage below).

If you have ever experienced this problem can I suggest that in order to rectify it you take John Duffy’s expert advice and refresh your device. To do this I’m told all you need do (I hate it when people tell me that) is go to the website and on a laptop or PC press the Ctrl button (bottom left on your keyboard at the same time as pressing F5 (top row). On a tablet and a phone press the circular arrow that you will find at the top of the page. It is also useful, I believe, to clear your browsing history, something I’m told you do by going to Google (other search engines are available) clicking on the three vertical dots on the right of your screen and selecting History. 

Hope this information will help. If however, you still have any issues please email me via mbcnewspics@gmail.com and I will pass your message on to someone who know what he is talking about. 

Thanks

John Sherbourne

Every Monday morning Jane Coates circulates some thoughts and prayers around the MBC Pastoral Care Team. This week Jane’s message focuses on gardening and growth.  

Every year Sam and I plant sunflower seeds. Our friends, family and colleagues around the country and far off places in the world, New Zealand, Australia, also plant sunflower seeds and then send us images. This year we planted 15 giraffe sunflower seeds that would grow to perhaps 2 to 3 metres tall. It always amazes me that from a small seed we can end up with a plant that is 3 metres tall! We never know how many of the seeds will germinate and thrive and observing our plants this year, we can see that some have already grown tall and strong and some are not growing as well. We need to water them regularly, feed them generous amounts of Growmore and fertilizer, transplant them into larger pots with good compost so that their roots can spread and develop and  as they are growing we need to secure them to garden canes and supports on a sunny wall. Our neighbours walk past our garden and smile at the dinner plate sized sunflower heads nodding at them over the wall. By the time they reach one metre tall, they need to have support which we do with string and garden canes. They are secured safely to the canes and the wall to protect them against the wind.

Our sunflower plants are a useful picture of our growth as Christians.  There are many things that are helpful or essential to me as I grow. There are also things that might limit my growth. I need warmth as I get going-this is a new beginning. I need water and nourishment. I need sunshine, light and the right temperature. I need time and the right environment-this process cannot be hurried or fast tracked. I need a space to expand, stretch and grow if I am to reach my full potential. I occasionally need protection in the days of wind and storm. I need air above and below ground – below ground is just as important so that my roots can grow and spread- or they may fail. I need to be secure and tied into those things that will hold me up and help me to be strong. If any of these things go wrong then this can be a ‘limiting factor’ and my growth can be stunted, I may not reach my potential or I may give up altogether. This would be sad as I would never produce flower or fruit – and with it that potential to start new seed and life.

And so, I need a nurturing fellowship, Bible teaching, the Holy Spirit and prayer to breathe through my being, a space to develop my strengths and work out my gifts, skills and potentials. A place to be rooted and the support of others who will help me to be strong. I need those who are strong when I am in that vulnerable place so that I can be held up. I need to be given time to develop and grow- growth cannot be hurried! I need fellowship and fun, companionship and challenge, networks and inspiration. I need role models and prayer supporters. With His help I will grow tall.

Let your roots grow down into him and draw up nourishment from him. See that you go on growing in the Lord and become strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught. Let your lives overflow with joy and thanksgiving for all he has done. Colossians 2 v7

And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts, living within you as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvellous love. Ephesians 3v 17

Prayer

Lord, be with us this day,

Within us to purify us

Above us to draw us up

Beneath us to sustain us

Before us to lead us

Behind us to restrain us

Around us to protect us.

Patrick c 389-461