John Sherbourne
Crib Service and Carols – a festive mix of angel wings, elf suits and dickie bows
On Sunday December 23rd our build up to Christmas continues to gather pace. A Crib Service (complete with lots of fancy festive outfits) was followed just a few hours later by a Carol Service. There’s a gallery of pictures taken at these services below. To see a larger version of any of them simply click on the image.
South Sudan, Albania, Thailand and Llanelwn (Wales) just a few of the places that figure in the latest MBS World Mission ENGAGE mag
The 48th edition of ENGAGE, the BMS World Mission magazine includes news stories, update and features from across the world and it’s available now, totally free of charge either through the post or on line.
Included in the package comes the first part of the BMS World Mission Prayer Guide. This runs from January to April 2019 and focuses on support and encouragement for field workers and action teams working in Africa, Asia, South America, Europe and the Middle East.
There are a few copies of the new ENGAGE magazine at the back of church. There are also a number of pre paid sign up cards which you are invited to fill in and return to BMS HQ in Didcot. That way you would be guaranteed free delivery of this brilliant publication.
Roger Robson is the Moortown Baptist Church lead on all things BMS so if you want more information he’s the man to speak to. Alternatively go online and type in www.bmsworldmission.org and follow the links to ENGAGE.
16th of December & our Christmas really begins to take shape
The third Sunday in Advent was our annual Gift Service. Once again this year’s donations are being passed on to Leeds Home Start, the local branch of a national charity whose staff and volunteers help families with young children deal with the many challenges they face.
However, for our 5 to 11 year olds in Pulse their part in the build up to Christmas was very much a hands on experience as Ann Kapolio led the group through the Bethlehem story.
With a real Angel holding a “real baby Jesus,” two hastily recruited shepherds and a more scriptural angel who came fully equipped with a heavy duty battery powered torch all that was left was for the children to employ their finest method acting skills and the scene was set.
Next Sunday, at 10.30am is of course our Crib Service and the invitation is there to come dressed as a nativity character. However, don’t worry if you’re clean out of gold, frankincense and myrrh or you haven’t a suitably shepherdy dressing gown because we’re planning on raiding the Rewind costume cupboards and providing a full rack of carefully selected outfits.
Sunday December 9th… a day for saying thank you, a day of blessing and a day of challenge
Saying goodbye to someone you’ve known and loved for a long time is always hard. However, when one becomes two something difficult turns into something virtually impossible. And that was the feeling on December 9th when Moortot’s lead Diane Towns and her long time “right hand man” Pauline Bridle officially stepped down after fronting and coordinating this wonderful project for 11 and 8 years respectively.
That said the morning service wasn’t quite their final appearance as immediately after both then sped off to prepare for the traditional Moortot’s Alternative Nativity and a whole string of boisterous Christmas parties. Here’s a picture of the production’s finale together with a link to a rather iffy video.
Besides saying goodbye, the service also gave us the opportunity of saying hello to three month old Diana Baniamer. Diana’s mum and dad, Abbas and Atieh, had brought her to church in order to introduce her into the fellowship through a service of blessing and dedication.
Then as part of our prayer time friends joined Graham in praying for Terefe and Denenesh as they celebrated their Silver Wedding Anniversary.
Finally, it was also great to welcome a visiting speaker. Emma Worrall who is a staff member at mission project Open Doors shared some amazing stories of the resilience and the sheer courage of Christians living in some of the world’s most dangerous areas and how they hold their faith in the face of state persecution. 
MBC is looking to recruit a new Children & Families Worker
You can download an application form here: https://www.moortownbaptistchurch.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Application-form.doc
A big thank you from Traidcraft – but there’s still much work to be done
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.
Moortots Alternative Nativity. As the search for their successors starts join us at 3pm this coming Sunday to say au revoir and thank you to Moortot’s dynamic due Diane and Pauline
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.
Rewind to Christmas and the light of the world shines brightly
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.
Say it as it is! some wonderfully honest feedback. Read and see what our young guests thought of Rewind to Christmas
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
