News – Moortown Baptist Church

Catch up with all the news with Shelley’s update for w/c 18th May

May 17, 2025 by Shelley Dring

Dear friends

A big thankyou to all those involved in the plant sale last week! About £1000 was made on plants and another £160 on refreshments with money going to the Sri Lanka Women’s refuge and Caring for life more locally. Thanks so much to Jenny and her team of green fingered and not so green fingered helpers and Gwynneth and team for the refreshments.

The Leeds and Moortown Furniture Store featured in the YBA news this week. Do have a look at the link here and thanks to the new trustees. Do pray for them in their hearing from God and planning for the furniture store in this new season. Have a look at the picture here to see who’s involved and if you want to pass on your encouragement From One Act of Kindness to a Citywide Impact — Yorkshire Baptist Association Thanks to those who have supported this project in the past.. the story continues and builds on the work and prayers of those who have gone before.

Thankyou to those who took part in the church meeting on Tuesday. In the meeting, we elected Jonathan as a new church deacon/trustee. Do pray for Jonathan as he begins his role. We also prayed for the work in the church building and carpark each day, we thanked God for who is coming through the doors and for those who are stepping forward to develop the building and the people. This is an ongoing project, but we are excited for God is doing to prepare us for the next season. There was positive news about financial giving too.

Thankyou to those who went on safeguarding level 2 training this week. Do let us know how you got on if you haven’t already.

On Thursday 22^nd May we will be hosting the Thanksgiving Service for the life of Jane Coates in church. The plan of the day looks like this..

10.45 Video tribute in church

11-12.30 Celebration of the life of Jane

1pm lunch together and time to meet each other in church

3.15pm Cortege leaves for Rawdon Crematorium

4pm Cremation Service at Rawdon.

All of you are welcome. The family have said that you do not need to wear dark colours so feel free to wear something colourful.

Through the week..

Saturday 17^th May Tech and worship play day in church 10.30 until 2.30pm including lunch for those on these two teams. See Andy Berry for more information or if you are interested in finding out about getting involved.

Sunday 18^th May 11am church service with communion and group for younger friends to explore the theme Acts 1:1-9 and John 15:26-27

Sunday 18^th May Discovering Prayer group with Krys in the music room. After church until about 2pm. All welcome to come along whether you have been before or never been. Feel free to bring your lunch

Sunday 18^th May 7-8pm Rock solid for youth in the building

Monday 19^th May Beacon warm welcome café 10-12 midday

Tuesday 20^th May 10-11.30am Stepping Stones for under 5’s and their parents and carers

Tuesday 20^th May afternoon bible study in church

Wednesday 21^st May lunch club trip out. See Rachel B or Lesley for information about lunch club

Wednesday 21^st May Bible study in church at 7.30pm See Ruth and Andy. Also Wednesday night house group, see Diane S

Thursday 22^nd May Warm welcome craft group is postponed this week due to the thanksgiving service.

Thursday 22^nd May Thanksgiving Service of Jane Coates (see details above)

Thursday 22^nd May 7pm bible study in church

Friday 23^rdMay 10-11.15 bible study in church

Friday 23^rd May 8pm House group See Jonathan and Hilary or Steve and Helen

Sunday 25^th May 11am service with communion with group for our younger friends

Sunday 25^th May 7-8pm Rock Solid Youth in church

Coming soon…

If you are aged around 11 to 35, are a parent/grandparent/carer who want to encourage young people you know in their walk with Jesus, you are a young person’s group leader, or simply want to pray for young people to be encouraged to live a life for Jesus then come along with us to the Send worship night at North church 7-9.30pm on 5^th June. Get Tickets – SEND Experience Night Leeds – North Church You can book your tickets here. If you are a young person who would like a lift or have a young person who would like a lift, then let your youth group leader know or myself. We will have a group going from MBC and will have a meet up point at Moortown and then at North Church. Following this gathering, there will be a larger gathering and worship night at Leeds Arena on November 22^nd 2025.

Prayer and worship Day Saturday 7^th June Save the date for now…

“And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” (Romans 5:5)

In Christ

Shelley

Minister

Moortown Baptist Church

Once again MBC’s plant sale raises more than £1,000

May 11, 2025May 10, 2025 by John Sherbourne

On what could easily have passed as mid-summer’s day MBC’s annual plant sale once again proved to be a great event.

This year our two chosen charities: Caring for Life, a Leeds based project which provides “hurting, at risk and homeless” people with long term support, and the Women’s Development Centre in Kandy, Sri Lanka a centre that cares for girls who have suffered gender based violence, will each benefit from the £1,000 + raised here at Moortown.

This magnificent sum is a combination of money raised through the sale of plants and donations made for refreshments.

Led again by Jenny Dixon the entire Plant Sale team deserve a huge round of applause.

Jane Coates Thanksgiving Service

May 11, 2025May 9, 2025 by John Sherbourne

Dear family and friends

We would like you to feel that you are able to come along and join us in the thanksgiving service – no matter which faith or no faith group you belong to. We are on a mission to honour Jane, and
the service will aim to be a celebration of Jane’s very full life, and will be inclusive of the many people she helped, connected with and loved – her family, work, pastoral care and international roles.

There will be plenty of time afterwards to share together for those who wish to stay. Moortown Baptist Church has a very informal building, congregation and ethos – it is very inviting! We promise you that you will not feel at all uncomfortable. You are so welcome to join us.

We are so grateful for the loving responses and depth of care which has been shown to us at such a difficult time, from family, church family, international family and community, reflecting
the many people at home and worldwide who were touched by Jane.

We have had an overwhelming number of heartfelt responses, reflecting the love for Jane and esteem for her. Some of these will be included in the service. This is not the end!

I can’t express how precious Jane is to me (to us), how much I love her and how greatly I respect her, and I will do all in my power to honour her – as I said, we are on a mission to honour her!

She is at rest now after a very difficult year, but a year where she continued to be as focussed as ever on family and others in our church and community. I could not stop her – and would not want to, it was her life. Jane continued every day to follow Jesus, her Lord, and to give herself away to others, being kind to all she met often despite her own pain. I am humbled by such devotion, which I hope encourages all of us to do the same.

Her journey here is finished – but the impact of her life will most certainly continue, and grow. We encourage any donations, including those in lieu of flowers, to be made to Wheatfields Hospice in Leeds (one of the Sue Ryder hospices) where Jane and Phil’s daughter Charlotte worked as a palliative care nurse until her early death in 2014.

Charlotte and her husband Richard both died too young, leaving their son Samuel in the loving care of Jane and Phil, who donated the funds to install a memory tree at Wheatfields giving loved ones one way of remembering and honouring those they had lost.

Jane’s first book, Encounters and Journeys a devotional collection of her weekly encouragements to those undertaking pastoral care, was given away, but donations were requested for Wheatfields. Copies of this book will be available at the Thanksgiving service for Jane. Her sequel book is finished and being prepared for printing. Donation details will be available at the service.

With love,
Phil Coates & family

Keeping it in the family: MBC and the Leeds and Moortown Furniture Store – closer than ever

May 10, 2025May 5, 2025 by John Sherbourne

It’s almost forty years since Hilary Willmer and some friends here at MBC began collecting and giving away unwanted items of furniture as a Christian response to helping people in need. Last year, whilst the core principle hasn’t changed that faith driven kindness has seen the Store grow into one of Leeds’s most respected charities, which in and out handled a total of 8,478 sperate items: from three piece suites, wardrobes and beds to cups and saucers.

Back in 1986 such was the demand that it soon became clear that what had begun as an ad-hoc initiative to support individuals and families who were socially or economically challenged needed to be run in a much more structured way. This in turn led to the founding of the Leeds and Moortown Furniture Store.

That link between L&MFS and MBC has rarely if ever been broken. Whether that be by members volunteering to work on the vans, in the office or on its board of trustees. And today I’m delighted to report that this relationship is as strong as ever for as the picture above shows, five MBC members (that’s Nick, Steve, Gareth, Rod and Mike) now make up it’s entire board of directors, with a number of other MBC regulars helping out as and when they can.

Recently, as part of a restructure the Store has sold its 10,000 square foot warehouse at Seacroft and moved into a smaller but much more efficient rental space little more than a stone’s throw away. It also recruited a new General Manager, a lady with vast knowledge of both the commercial and the charitable sector.

So, at least for the foreseeable future, and provided the local authority continue to provide support, this home grown and still much needed facility looks to be in a far healthier state than it has for a long time.

One final thought, however. For all its new found (if somewhat guarded) optimism, the Leeds and Moortown Furniture Store still needs your support. In fact it needs your support in a number of ways: firstly by donating any furniture you may have, secondly by encouraging Nick, Steve, Gareth, Rod and Mike whenever you see them and thirdly in your prayers.

You can contact L&MFS by telephone on 0113 2739727, by emailing info@leedsandmoortown.org.uk Or of course you can visit their website which you will find at www.leedsandmoortown.org.uk

The blessing of the honeycomb – some thoughts from Gareth Gadd

May 17, 2025May 4, 2025 by John Sherbourne

A couple of weeks ago our Sunday morning Bible reading was an account of Jesus appearing to the disciples. I was particularly drawn to Luke 24:42

THE BLESSING OF THE HONEYCOMB

Reading two versions of the Bible together, while following the reading I wondered why the honeycomb was missing from today’s reading.

Luke 24:42 GNB They gave him a piece of cooked fish,

Luke 24:42 KJV And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb.

This is a message inspired by the Holy Spirit for Moortown Baptist Church on the blessing we may have missed.

The honeycomb is a beautiful symbol in Scripture – representing the sweetness, wisdom, and abundant provision found in God’s Word and presence (Psalm 19:10 and Proverbs 16:24). Just as honeycomb nourishes the body with its rich sweetness, God’s truth nourishes our souls, bringing healing, joy, and spiritual vitality. The honeycomb is also associated with enlightenment and renewed strength (1 Samuel 14:27).

Even when it seems like the honeycomb is missing from our daily experience, we can trust that God’s goodness and blessings remain ever-present.

Sometimes, life invites us to seek deeper, to appreciate the richness of His wisdom and love beyond what is immediately visible.

Let us embrace the sweetness of God’s promises, the wisdom that enlightens our path, and the abundant provision that sustains us.

In every moment, God offers a spiritual feast-full of delight, renewal, and strength-to nourish our hearts and guide us toward a life of harmony and growth.

Remember, the true honeycomb of life is found in God’s enduring presence and the richness of His Word, always available to uplift and inspire us. (Proverbs 5:3 and Song of Solomon 4:11)

Gareth Gadd

Shelley’s message for w/c Sunday May 4

May 3, 2025 by Shelley Dring

Dear friends

From the despair of Good Friday, the joy of Easter Sunday and the confusion of the days that followed, we were reminded last week that Jesus is with us in our grief and anxiety and walks with us as we journey along the road. We talked about ‘hope on the horizon’. This Sunday at café church we look at what happened when the disciples’ recognised Jesus was with them again. What difference does resurrection make? What does Jesus’ resurrection mean to us? We start at 11am for about an hour, all ages together with breakfast snacks and drinks.

Here’s what’s coming up in the next week..

Sunday 4^th May 11am café church Luke 24: 36-49 ‘Hope in the House’

Sunday 4^th May 7-8pm Rock solid for youth in the building

Monday 5^th May No beacon café this week (bank holiday) Back the week after.

Tuesday 6^th May 10-11.30am Stepping Stones for under 5’s and their parents and carers

Tuesday 6^th May afternoon bible study in church

Wednesday 7^th May lunch club. See Rachel B

Wednesday 7^th May Bible study in church 7.30pm

Thursday 8^th May Warm welcome craft group 2-4pm in the building

Thursday 8^th May 7pm bible study in church

Friday 9^th May 10-11.15 bible study in church

Saturday 10^th May 1-3pm House, bedding and perennial garden plants and more. Tea, coffee and cake too. Cash only. All proceeds go to charity to support Caring for life locally and the Sri Lanka women’s project.

Sunday 11^th May 11-12 Service in church with small group for our younger friends. Looking at Luke 24:50-52 ‘Hope on the hill’

Sunday 11^th May 7-8pm Rock Solid for youth in the building

Monday 12^th May 10-12 Warm welcome space Beacon café, everyone welcome

Coming soon…

Tuesday 13^th May at 7.30pm is the next church meeting including deacons’ elections. An email went out this week to share the agenda, minutes, and details of any nominations. If didn’t get it or can’t access emails, please call the office on Tuesday or email admin@moortownbaptistchurch.org.uk We’ll make sure we get something to you. Please continue to pray for all those who are the church at Moortown including all those who lead areas or ministries.

Wednesday 14^th May at 1.30 is Wednesday worship. It will be a Songs of Praise! If you have a song you would like to sing with others on that day then can you let Rachel know, or let Lesley know and she can pass it on for you. You may want to say a few words about it.

Worship and tech team Play Day on 17^th May 10.30-2.30 in church. This day is for anyone on the tech or worship teams to explore the new sound system and try things out together. Details have been sent out to those who are already in these teams. If you are interested in finding out more about the teams then get in touch with Andy B or myself.

Prayer and worship Day Saturday 7^th June Save the date for now…

I will be on a conference next Monday and Tuesday so will not be in the building on those days.

Thursday 8^th May marks the 80^th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day. Although we will not be holding an official gathering for this, it maybe a good day to pray for peace, thank God for the peacemakers and to pledge ourselves again to being peacemakers in our everyday lives. Leeds Minister will be holding a VE/VJ evening on May 10^th with proceeds going to the British Legion Poppy Appeal. Tickets are available here for £5 concessions are free http://www.leedstickethub.co.uk/whatsonevent/80th-anniversary-of-ve-vj-day-commemoration-concert/

A reminder that the 11^th May is the Rob Burrows Leeds Marathon starting at 9am in Headingley, going into Leeds city centre and out of the city up the Otley Road. The Marathon raises huge amounts of money for Leeds Hospitals Charities and the MND Association. Please check the marathon map if you live further over towards West Leeds as your journey may be affected www.runforall.com/events/marathon/leeds-marathon/

Many of you will know that one of our church family, Jane, sadly died on Monday following her admission to hospital when the aggressive tumour that was thought to be clearing had in a very short timeframe spread. Jane’s journey with cancer became something she would reflect on in a weekly piece of writing she would call ‘Monday thoughts and prayers’. These thoughts and prayers were initially written by Jane to encourage the pastoral team she led, but over time, they went further afield, were turned into a book and regularly appeared on the website. Jane even made sure that Phil sent her Monday thoughts and prayers out this week despite her hospital admission and you can read them here on the website at www.moortownbaptistchurch.org.uk Do continue to hold Jane’s family in your prayers.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

In Christ

Shelley

Shelley Dring

Minister

Moortown Baptist Church

“Share and share a like.” Via email, WhatsApp, Facebook etc. help MBC expand its outreach

May 3, 2025 by John Sherbourne

Share and share a like

Did you know that each week, with your help Shelley’s Message, the MBC Newsletter, our live YouTube broadcasts and the numerous Facebook feeds we use, have the wherewithal to reach literally thousands more people than they currently do.

For example, take for instance the image you see above. Were it not for us “sharing” a Facebook post and then supplying the YBA (The Yorkshire Baptist Association) with the raw material the wonderful Easter Day service we had here in church would have remained, even locally, our little secret. Then there’s the stories that we’ve recently begun to post on the Alwoodley Ward Residents Facebook page: almost 300 extra likes and/or shares for our Good Friday and Easter Day services.

So, no matter what you think about social media – whether you love it or loath it – the one thing you cannot deny is that it neither should not nor cannot be ignored.

You see unlike 2000 years ago when word of mouth and story telling were the order of the day, I believe that today it’s our responsibility to fully embrace today’s technology, and by that I mean that by what ever means possible promote the good news of Jesus.

And that’s why when the News Letter drops into your inbox, or you spot one of our posts on Facebook I urge you not simply to “like” it, but to share it. That way, if enough of us respond not only will MBC’s outreach agenda grow and grow but that old saying… “share and share a like” will take on a whole new meaning.

Jane Coates – Thoughts and Prayers – The Cancer Journey for Children and Teenagers

April 30, 2025 by Jane Coates

The Cancer Journey for Children and Teenagers

The cancer journey for anyone is particularly tough and can be lengthy. But I have become aware of how challenging this same journey is for small children, young people, and their families. Many family things, careers, jobs, must be ‘put on hold’ while the focus is placed on the child with cancer.

At the hospital today, my eyes were drawn to a new poster in the reception area. It introduced you to a young child who has Ewing Sarcoma, which is a rare type of bone cancer. He was diagnosed with this cancer when he was six years of age. Initially, he required 14 cycles of chemotherapy which was given over ten months, which was then followed by radiotherapy.

His mum says “the chemotherapy was horrific. He had 14 cycles with a 2-week gap between each cycle, but his body took so long to recover, that in total it took around ten months. Besides being extremely tough on our son. It was difficult for the whole family. I had three children then, and I now have four, and it was hard for our other children not to lose their parents completely. We took it in turns each night as we didn’t have childcare.”

“The treatment is brutal, and the chance of relapse is terrifying. We have to do something. We need to pull some good out of everything we went through.”

Now 11 years of age, he now faces long term side effects including thyroid and growth hormone problems, and he relies on emergency cortisone injections to help his body recover from any shocks.”

The words of this loving mum and the journey of this young man really impacted me. I have a phrase that I read in a motivational book some years ago that keeps coming back to me. You can ‘forge meaning’ out of any difficult situation or trial that you are forced to endure. We can turn things around for good, for ourselves, and for other people. Our experience may help others who are facing what seem to be insurmountable challenges.

Pray

For families with young children who are navigating the cancer journey. For the siblings who may feel overlooked. That they may all have times of relief, fun, joy, and peace in the middle of the turmoil.

Jane Coates

April 2025

MBC Plant Sale – 1pm to 3pm, Saturday May 10th

April 30, 2025April 29, 2025 by John Sherbourne

Once again MBC’s Plant Sale draws near, in fact it’s being held here on Saturday May 10th.

Shelley’s update for w/c Sunday 27 April

April 26, 2025 by Shelley Dring

Dear friends

Happy Easter!

It was good to join with so many of you through holy week as we remembered the journey of Jesus and joined in worship and prayer, towards Good Friday and Easter Sunday and into this week. We prayed outside and inside, gave out seed crosses and celebrated baptisms and welcomed new families into membership. If that’s something that has prompted you to want to do either of these then do get in touch with me this week. A church is a community and there were many conversations and prayers and cups of tea going on that are not so visible as we walk alongside each other. On the theme of ‘walking alongside’, we move on to look at Luke 24:13-35 this week as the disciples continue to work out what was happening that first Easter. There will be a group for our younger friends, and there’ll be the opportunity to share communion.

The week ahead

Monday 28^th April Beacon warm welcome café today 10-12 midday

Tuesday 29^th April Stepping Stones for under 5’s and their carers 10-11.30 in church.

Tuesday 29^th April House group in church in the afternoon. See Lesley or Howard for more information.

Wednesday 30^th April Lunch club, see Rachel B

Wednesday 30^th April Bible study in church, see Andy or Ruth B. There’s a Wednesday house group too, see Diane S. They meet fortnightly and are currently following the prayer course.

Thursday 1^st May 2-4pm Craft group welcome space in church, see Karen or Diane

Thursday 1^st May 7pm bible study in church with Gareth G

Friday 2^nd bible study in church 10-11.15 See Shelley for more details

Friday 2^nd May 8pm House group see Jonathan or Hilary D

Sunday 4^th May All age café church.

Coming up

The next church meeting is Tuesday 13th May 7.30pm including deacons’ elections. A reminder that the last date to nominate a new deacon is Sunday 27^th April. Please email them to Lesley or post paper copies to Lesley’s office.

The plant sale takes place at MBC at 1pm on Saturday 10th May! An email went out this week with all the details. Do let Jenny D or Lesley know if you would like to help. If you have any boxes or big bags for people to put plants in can you please bring them to Lesley during the week or bring them to church on Sunday and put them in the music room and we will move them through. The plant sale will support both a local and abroad charity. That’s currently being decided by those involved and deacons.

Worship and tech team Play Day on 17^th May 10.30-2.30 in church. This day is for anyone on the tech or worship teams to explore the new sound system and try things out together. Details have been sent out. If you are interested in finding out more about the teams or want to be involved, then get in touch with Andy B or myself.

Prayer and worship Day Saturday 7^th June Save the date for now…

If you are aged around 11 to 35, have a heart for young people, parent/grandparent/carer, a group leader or want to simply pray and support young people to be encouraged to live a life for Jesus then come along with us to the Send worship night at North church 7-9.30pm on 5^th June. Get Tickets – SEND Experience Night Leeds – North Church You can book your tickets here. If you are a young person who would like a lift or you have a young person who would like a lift, then let your youth group leader know or myself. We will have a group going from MBC and will have a meet up point at church and then at North Church. Naomi Fennell, the Yorkshire Baptist Association young adults and youth lead, is working on an optional meeting point for young people to meet with others from Yorkshire Baptist churches on the night, so we are working together. Following this gathering, there will be a large gathering at Leeds Arena on November 22^nd 2025.

We are aware that our journey continues alongside all the events going on in our world and our lives. As we think about journeys, I was struck by a picture of Pope Francis in 2008 when he was Cardinal Bergoglio, travelling on the subway in Buenos Aires in 2008. You may be able to ‘google it’ or we may share tomorrow. No one person is perfect and there are those who share criticisms, but many have commented on the Pope’s humility and down to earth nature in his ministry, from choosing a more modest apartment in the Vatican whilst he was alive, to his choice of burial place. How we journey and who we share our journey with is important. He talked about those in pain through poverty, or illness or war and we hear stories of how he practically reached out, often unknown to the world. In his final address on Good Friday, it was written,

“All those who put their hope in God, place their feeble hands in his strong and mighty hand; they let themselves be raised up and set out on a journey. Together with the risen Jesus, they become pilgrims of hope, witnesses of the victory of love and of the disarmed power of Life.” Pope’s final address, Easter Sunday April 20^th 2025.

We continue the journey…

In Christ

Shelley

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