John Sherbourne 
Many thanks to all who supported the Fairtrade Stall on Sunday 25th of November – this raised £303 for Traidcraft. This means that in total the 3 autumn stalls raised over £900.
Traidcraft and Traidcraft Exchange are continuing their work into 2019 but in a new format [ more details later]. However, there is a special Christmas Appeal for Traidcraft Exchange.
Anyone wishing to contribute please see Roger Robson.
Over the years Diane Towns and her Moortots team have earned something of a reputation in regard to their nativities. Admittedly Jesus, Mary and Joseph plus of course any number of shepherds, angels and kings are a constant. However, quite how they have got away with introducing to the plot numerous Santa’s, a scruffy life sized dog, an incredibly grumpy innkeeper, Whoopsy Daisy, a hapless angel complete with fairy lights, halo and a tutu and most recently a Super Hero who even the most benevolent of souls would have described as well past his sell by we’ll never know.
But you’ll be pleased to hear that this year is definitely no exception.
As I write, rehearsals – yes believe it or not they do rehearse are under way and from what I’ve already glimpsed this Sunday’s offering promises to be one of the best.
Without giving too much away this year’s innkeepers have a prankster son whose antics (and lines) would earn any self respecting sitcom writer the sack. Of course in the end he comes good when he tidies out a stable and invites a young couple to stay the night. The rest of course is history but this doesn’t prevent mum and dad ruing on Shakespeare’s famous line from King Lear that “jesters do oft prove prophets.”
However, in addition to the promise of witnessing some world class drama Sunday’s Service will also be special for another reason; it will be our Toddler Worker Diane Towns and her “right hand man” Pauline Bridle’s final Moortots session.
Even if you’ve never been part of Moortots please, please come along for 3pm and make this Sunday really special because as the search now begins for their permanent successors it would be great to give these two truly great stars a fantastic send off.
With Shelley Dring making a brilliant Rewind debut and old timer John Sherbourne coming out of retirement MBC this week hosted Rewind to Christmas. For the first time in many years the entire 2018 team was made up of volunteers; a total of thirty people who in four sessions over two days hosted 380 Year four pupils from nine local primary schools.
Once again drama, craft, story telling and quizzes were the order of the day as the team shared with our visitors what we as Christians believe the true meaning of Christmas to be.
However, if pushed to pick a highlight it would have to be the Oscar worthy performances given by our wonderful nine year old Marys and our Josephs.
Many thanks to them, to all their friends, their teachers and helpers for coming and of course to our fabulous team.
The pictures in our gallery were all taken on Tuesday afternoon when Allerton C of E Primary School were our guests. To view a larger version of any of the pictures simply click on the image.
This year, for the first time, we asked all the schools that attended Rewind to Christmas to take enough evaluation forms back to school to allow each of their children to have their say. The results were amazing.
Comments ranged from the best bit being “when all the teachers had to stand up and shout” (a reference to a three minute scene the children always love as it involves their teachers joining them in a knock – knock style drama) to learning that “Christmas isn’t just about getting, but giving.”
There’s a gallery below of just some of the replies we received back from Allerton Church of England Primary School.
See the video we share in church here.
https://youtu.be/g9jBj_cm2ew
Not long ago my friend Haddon Willmer lent me a book, as he shares my interest and concern for our world’s environment. It was the autobiography of Sir John Houghton, former Chief Executive of the Meteorological Office, and a committed Christian. I have indeed enjoyed reading it; it is interesting, informative and also challenging. Sir John was very much involved in setting up the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), of which he served as Chairman while they produced their first three reports. He is a scientist, and his faith and commitment to truth shine throughout the book.
Inspired by John Houghton’s thoughts, in this piece I shall attempt to set out why I believe as Christians, we should take the stewardship of our world more seriously than we often do. The following points largely come from Sir John’s book.
Some of you may have recently watched episodes of Blue Planet II, as I have. Two images stuck in my mind that illustrate the problems that we face through our neglect in caring for our world. Firstly, there was the carcass of a dead whale which had been struck by a large ship. It was being consumed by sharks. The second image was of the great floating masses of discarded plastic materials in the oceans, which are killing fish, birds and other marine life forms. This graphically shows us that nature can clear up and recycle its own mess, but not ours. Nature’s mess is protoplasm, ours is plastic.
Furthermore, nature’s clean-up systems are solar powered, ours are not; furthermore, our systems require us to burn even more energy which exacerbates the problem. This problem is becoming more dangerous by the day; besides the loss of fish and birds, the danger is that plastics will enter the food chain, and since we stand at the top of this food chain, they could end by poisoning us. Our neglect of the world and misuse of its resources is leading to the loss of many species of plants and animals and we depend on a biodiverse world.
I have not written any items for the website for about 12 months, as I have been engaged on a project to compare mankind’s current level of environmental impact with past episodes of volcanism which led to the five great mass extinctions that have occurred during the past 500 million years. I can say that the natural order that we are familiar with is now in peril.
What can we do?
John Sturges j.sturges@leedsbeckett.ac.uk;
Julia Hyliger Julia.hyliger@hotmail.com;
Haddon Willmer willmerhaddon@gmail.com
Two quotes from George Monbiot’s article: The earth is in a death spiral – https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/14/earth-death-spiral-radical-action-climate-breakdown
It was a moment of the kind that changes lives. At a press conference held by climate activists Extinction Rebellion last week, two of us journalists pressed the organisers on whether their aims were realistic. They have called, for example, for UK carbon emissions to be reduced to net zero by 2025. Wouldn’t it be better, we asked, to pursue some intermediate aims?
A young woman called Lizia Woolf stepped forward. She hadn’t spoken before, but the passion, grief and fury of her response was utterly compelling.
“What is it that you are asking me as a 20-year-old to face and to accept about my future and my life? … This is an emergency. We are facing extinction. When you ask questions like that, what is it you want me to feel?”
We had no answer.
……
Two tasks need to be performed simultaneously: throwing ourselves at the possibility of averting collapse, as Extinction Rebellion is doing, slight though this possibility may appear; and preparing ourselves for the likely failure of these efforts, terrifying as this prospect is.
Both tasks require a complete revision of our relationship with the living planet.
It is with deep sadness that we learn of the death of Margaret Barr.
Margaret’s funeral service will take place here at Moortown Baptist Church at 12.30pm on Friday the 23rd of November and will be followed by a private family burial.
We extend our love and prayers to Arthur and the family.
There will be a special Fair Trade Christmas stall after the morning service here at MBC this Sunday (Nov 25th). This is a wonderful way of supporting Traidcraft, particularly so in this their hour of need.
However, if for one reason or another you don’t get the chance to visit Roger Robson and his team on Sunday don’t forget you can also shop for Traidcraft products at The Beehive on Potternewton Lane or online by visiting https://www.traidcraftshop.co.uk/
This coming Sunday, immediately following our morning service we’ll be clearing church ahead of Rewind to Christmas 2018.
Preparing the Sanctuary and the Music Room in order for over 400 primary school children to join us and share what we as Christians believe the true meaning of Christmas to be is no easy feat. So if your’re on team and you spare us an hour or so we’d love to see you anytime from say 12.15 on wards.
Oh and if you’re in our drama team we’re having a full run through at 3pm.
This year Shelley Dring will be leading Rewind, her first time on team. Please pray for Shelley and all the rest of the twenty strong team as over two days they throw themselves into this – one of MBC’s most important outreach projects.
Chris and Bela have been missionaries with WEC International since 1989 working with the radio ministry, Radio Worldwide (RW).They moved to Rothwell with RW in 1993 and joined MBC partly because of the children’s and young peoples’ ministry. Their son and daughter, Abishek and Anugrah, grew up here. Anugrah is now married living in London and mother of Solomon – Chris and Bela’s first grandchild.
Chris travels around the world training Christians to use Radio and new media for spreading the Gospel and Church planting. His fruitful ministry includes training nationals in closed countries and opening Radio Stations in Africa and elsewhere. He has Masters degrees in Communication and Mission Studies and a PGCE. Bela serves in WEC’s base in Leeds as a book-keeper and administrator and is involved in local church work and in teaching English to women from South Asia in Harehills.
The WEC centre in Rothwell was recently sold and Radio Worldwide moved to new studios in City Evangelical Church in Beeston, where Chris works when he is not travelling. Chris and Bela still live in Rothwell
The best ways to support the Singhs are:
Request to receive their prayer letters by emailing Chris and Bela at chrisrww@gmail.com
Give financial support either through MBC or WEC International OR through Stewardship at https://www.give.net/20022776 OR directly to them. Chris and Bela rely on God for their financial support and totally depend on giving from churches and individuals.
