Login

News

News items for public viewing

With the focus on Lent, here’s Shelley’s weekly update…

by

Dear friends

Lent began this week, the period of time 40 days before we celebrate Easter when many in the church choose to observe a renewed focus on God. Our lives get full of all sorts.  We carry a lot. Lent has been described as a time to turn away from some things, minimise, clear out so that we can reclaim space for Jesus and all He has for us.  Praying, fasting and giving to others all help, but it might also include other things that help us realign such as reading a verse a day, a walk a day, singing a song a day.  At the beginning of lent we think about the story of Jesus going into the wilderness; choosing to move away from the busyness and distractions to make space to hear God before he started his teaching, healings and journey to the cross.

Listed below are a few resources you may find helpful. 40 ways to give in lent and a devotional for everyday…

40acts: Do Lent generously

40 things to do in lent for all ages outside

Exploring Lent with Younger Kids – 40 Nature Activities Printable.pdf – Google Drive

40 acts youth wallchart

Youth_Wallchart_A4_Black_and_White.pdf

The lectio 365 prayer app (download on your phone) is doing a lent series now.  Do ask me or a Rachel B and we’ll get it sorted for you or point you to someone who can.

If you have something that is helpful do share it with others.

This week looks like this..

Sunday 9th March 11am service with group for young ones

Sunday 9th March Welcome lunch for those who feel ‘new’ and want to meet some other people, in church.

Sunday 9th March 7-8pm Rock Solid youth in church

Monday 10th March 10-12 midday Beacon warm welcome café

Tuesday 11th March 10-11.30 Stepping Stones for under 5’s and parents and carers

Tuesday afternoon house group, see Howard Dews

Wednesday 12th March lunchclub, see Rachel B or send a message to Lesley in the office

Wednesday 7.30-9pm house group in church, see Ruth/Andy Berry, also one in Alwoodley, see Diane S

Thursday 13th March 2-4pm warm welcome space craft group in church, see Karen or Diane S

Thursday 7pm bible study with Gareth

Friday 14th March 10am Bible study in church, any questions, chat with myself

Friday 8pm house group, see Jonathan and Hilary or Steve or Helen

Sunday 16th March 11am service with communion and group for younger friends

Just a heads up that the next church meeting is Tuesday 25th March 2025.  Agenda will be out by mid next week.  It will include budgets and current priorities.  Do pray and keep sharing if you have thoughts on how God is guiding us.

Last Sunday we were reminded of Jesus baptism.  On Easter Sunday we’d love to baptise those who feel they want to be baptised or feel God is ‘nudging’ them about it.  Do get in touch with me or send a message to Lesley to get hold of me if you want a quick chat.   

Last Sunday we connected with Gather25, the highlights are available here if you want to watch again or catch up here Watch the Gather25 Livestream

See you tomorrow

In Christ

Shelley

MBC’s Seniors celebrate World Book Day

by

World Book Day was first introduced by UNESCO in 1995 as a plan to promote reading and books. 

Celebrated, other than in the UK on April 23, the date William Shakespeare was born and died, World Book Day has  now become a hardy annual among MBC’s Seniors.

However, to the avoid the possibility of ever clashing with either Easter or St George’s Day, this year, here at Moortown it was celebrated on Wednesday March 5th, just one day before the official UK date of March 6th. And once again a number of Lunch Club members plus Rachel Beedle, our Senior’s Worker turned themselves into book titles. 

They are (left to right) The Day it Rained in Colour, Little Red Riding Hood, Room on the Broom and the Pipe Piper of Hamelin. 

Jane Coates – Thoughts and Prayers – Banquets and Celebrations

by
Banquets and Celebrations
Phil and I have made many trips to China and one of the Important Chinese customs is to welcome guests on the night of their arrival with a special banquet. This is a very important meal, often formal, where dignitaries, local officials, and staff are invited to attend. It is a time for the exchange of gifts and words of welcome. There is always too much food and during and after the meal, there are toasts with alcohol, words of praise and commendation, and for our Chinese friends, the opportunity to enjoy too much alcohol and merriment. These banquets are often followed by a late-night karaoke session with even more riotous humour, singing, and laughter. The welcome to guests, the gifts, the food, drinking, celebrations and fun, reminds me of the forthcoming celebration of Purim. Purim is the time for fun and feasting for Jewish families, with dressing up costumes, masquerades, the giving gifts, and offerings to the poor all added to the mix.
Purim is celebrated on the 14th of March, when our Jewish neighbours and friends, and Jewish people around the world will celebrate the festival. We learn about the origins of Purim in the Book of Esther, when victory against an enemy, Haman, with his plans to annihilate the Jewish race in the 127 provinces of King Artaxerxes, across what is now Persia, was won through the wisdom, cooperation, trust, fasting and prayer, of two people, Mordecai and Esther and the quiet but unseen presence of God. It tells of the victory of the Jews against a possible massacre.
The festival is one of the most loved and joyous of Jewish holidays, celebrations and perhaps the high point in their calendar. There is plenty of food, the drinking of alcohol, mainly wine, the giving of gifts of food to friends, family and neighbours, and gifts to the poor. Another popular custom is the dressing up in costumes on Purim, perhaps as a reminder that Esther and Mordecai concealed their Jewish heritage at the King’s court.
In the Book of Esther there are so many extravagant banquets! In the third year of his reign, Artaxerxes gave a banquet for all his nobles, officials, princes, and military leaders lasting 6 months. Then, the king gave a banquet, lasting seven days, for those from ‘the least to the greatest’ living in the capital, Susa. Queen Vashti gave a banquet for the palace women. When Esther was chosen to replace Queen Vashti, “the king gave a great banquet, Esther’s banquet”, displaying his affluence. He proclaimed a holiday throughout the provinces and distributed gifts with “royal liberality.” Esther gave 2 banquets, but only for the king and Haman alone, part of her plan to shame the wicked Haman and point to the truth about his plans. When Haman had finally been punished, Mordecai promoted to second in command, and the Jews no longer threatened, there were more celebrations.
“In every province and in every city to which the edict of the king came, Esther’s Decree, there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating. And many people of other nationalities became Jews because fear of the Jews had seized them.”
So, the feast of Purim is celebrated every year as “the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration. He (Mordecai) wrote to them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor.” Esther 9 V 22 NIV
There is a time for celebrations, friends and family meals, anniversaries, weddings and banquets, laughter and games, and putting on the ‘glad rags.’
When the righteous see God in action they’ll laugh, they’ll sing, they’ll laugh and sing for joy. Sing hymns to God; all heaven, sing out; clear the way for the coming of Cloud-Rider. Enjoy God, cheer when you see him! Psalm 68 v 3 The Message
PRAY
Give me joy in my heart keep me praising.

Gather25 – a worldwide gathering of Christians which through the marvels of the internet MBC could play a part

by

There is no emailed update from Shelley this week, mainly because over the last seven days she’s hardly had a minute to sit down and draw breath.

However, instead, what we do have for you is a report and pictures of a truly worldwide event in which we here at Moortown played a part. 

Gather25 which began yesterday (Friday) was an unprecedented 25-hour global broadcast event telling the inspiring stories of the global Church, by the global Church.

Both online and face to face it brought together Jesus followers in churches, campuses, arenas, and living rooms from every continent and denomination across every time zone to worship, praise and pray.

At Moortown we joined the live feed at 1pm on Saturday to listen and watch a rally which was staged in Cluj – the Romanian city with which we have strong links. You can see pictures of this in the gallery below. 

An hour later it was quite literally our time to step up, which for us meant disconnecting from the internet and turning to a time of music, song and prayer. This, for the two dozen people present was a very special time, with a real sense of the Holy Spirit moving among us. 

The last hour which Shelley focused on worship and prayer through movement – both with and without flags.

With one of our sanctuary walls serving as a giant prayer board, and easels and paints feeding the needs of our more arty types, in all, Gather25 was a wonderful experience, particularly so knowing that our church was singing, praying, and even flag waving with fellow Christians right across the globe.  

Again you can see some pictures from the second and third hour Gather25 in the gallery above.  

Jane Coates – Thoughts and Prayers. Memories.

by
Memory… is the diary that we all carry about with us. Oscar Wilde
 
We all have a memory bank of stored away images, experiences, joys, sadness, special people, friends, places, and it is important to keep these memories alive. They are an essential part of who we are and our story telling. If we can recapture significant moments, then we can keep those important memories alive. With our fondest, treasured memories, we are not just remembering and sharing old times. These memories come with depth and meaning. We have a million and more recollections and emotions stored away that are like the chapters of books, that go on and on. We have our photo books and albums of photographs that help to keep memories alive and fresh. We must safeguard our memories.
 
It is important that our children and grandchildren build up a good store of memories which will remain with them.
 
“” Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children. Charles R Swindoll
 
These memories are significant and will build into a whole library of books that can be taken out and read once again. It is a library store of happy times, experiences, challenges, successes, holidays, family times, birthdays, friends, songs, laughter, sporting prowess, music and school milestones. Even the sad times, the failures, the losses, the tragedies, the problems, are carefully shared and deposited in their Library. We add tangible objects to their memory boxes -holiday novelties, special T shirts, medals, certificates, badges and a hundred and one small items that may seem ridiculous at the time but will carry so much meaning in the years ahead. The box becomes a rich collection of memories that will remain with them into the years ahead.

You have done many things for us, O Lord our God; there is no one like you! You have made many wonderful plans for us. I could never speak of them all— their number is so great! Psalm 40 v5 GNT
 
When we trust in, and live in Christ, there is a whole new dimension of love and care that we see that He has planned for us. They are plans to give hope and a future. Each of our days and weeks are set before us with their challenges, steps to growth and maturity, stories, friendships, ‘mountain top experiences,’ and fresh insights. These experiences are personal and unique to us. We cannot donate them to our children. They must add them to their own library of experiences. They cannot be second-hand. But we can introduce our children and others to this new section of the library.
 
PRAY
Lord, help us to keep adding to our rich memory store of precious memories, for ourselves, our children, our families and those that we care about.
 
Jane Coates 
1 March 2025

Saturday March 8th, FAIRTRADE CAFE is revived and you’re all invited

by

A message from Roger Robson.

Some MBC folk may remember the Fairtrade Café run by the Beehive in past years. Well, this year the idea is being revived by Churches Together in Chapel Allerton and Meanwood on Saturday 8th March in the Chapel Allerton Methodist Centre from 10am to 1pm.

There will be refreshments, Fairtrade stalls and good company. All are welcome to support Fairtrade and Green Christian organisations seeking to help tackle climate change and help those in vulnerable countries that are most affected.

Please come along.

Shelley’s message… 22 February

by

Dear friends

Just a short email this evening as I will send another email on Monday as we have a number of things coming up.  I took a couple of days out of what I usually do with church to rest (in a Shelley kind of way) but I look forward to seeing many of you on Monday.

Tomorrow, we meet in the building at 11am.  There will be some linked activities using clay to connect in with what Phil C will be sharing.  Last week was a good time of fellowship and hearing from God although we had a problem with the screen and youtube.  Thank you to those who have been working on this through the week, we hope to have a livestream tomorrow.  Rock Solid youth group have a break for half term tomorrow but return the week after.

Just a couple of notices before Mondays email..

A reminder about the deacons meeting next Monday at 7.30pm

The funeral of Gillian Bayliffe takes place in church at 11.30am on Thursday 27th February followed by refreshments in church.  All who remember Gillian or want to support David and the family are invited.

Next Saturday we will be joining in with Gather25 from 1 until 2 (mentioned in last week’s email) then we will be joining to pray together for our world, country, city and church until 3ish.  Everyone welcome

Blessings

Shelley

Jane Coates – Thoughts and Prayers. Trust – in the Fog

by
Trust-in the Fog
 
As I was driving back in the car late-into the evening, the night was bleak, dark and foreboding, and the nighttime sky was heavy with rain, black clouds, and thick gloom. It was difficult to see where the edges of the road were. Our main country road has no street lighting or pavements at either side, but simple grass verges-with major holes, dips and a small beck at the edge. It reminded me of a time, when as a younger, more inexperienced driver, I was driving in deep fog. It was difficult to see even two metres in front of the car and even after trying to follow the white edges of the pavement, I found myself not on the road at all, but on the forecourt of a parade of shops. I judged it wise to stop and get out of the car.
 
There are times in life when we are in a place of confusion, disappointment, lacking clarity and a clear focus for the way ahead. It can be distressing ‘not to know’ the way ahead, not to the o be sure of the outcome, and not to know if the desired result or answer to a prayer will be realized. There is a risk of going off the road and on to the forecourt where we are stuck for a while, or of trying to manufacture our own solution to a desired result.
 
Many will be familiar with my C journey. The very worst part of that journey was the five months of chemotherapy with its unpleasant and disabling side effects. Initially, the powerful drugs seemed to be effective but then during the second round of chemo an MRI scan clearly showed that the tumour had doubled in size and that the move to surgery was essential. The surgical team were superb, and the final pathology report and further MRIs confirmed that there was no spread of the cancer. So, although that news was excellent, I was still left confused, and saddened, that after the five months of treatment with its significant delay to resolution, those months seemed to be wasted, bleak and fog bound. But with God nothing is wasted, there are always lessons to be learned. I had trusted Him.
 
It is in those times of weakness and disorientation that you need the prayer support of others. Prayer needs energy, patience and vision. There are times when you have none of those. At those times of confusion, we need to trust a loving God and surrender to His outcome. I was so glad of the prayer support of our Leaders, the Sunday prayer team, the church prayer link, the church fellowship, friends around the country and abroad, and anyone who prayed at that time. On the day of the surgery, the presence of Jesus was tangible. It was so evident that He was with me.
 
So, when we are in the fog, don’t keep pushing ahead. It is safer to stop and reach out to friends for prayer and help.
 
Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the centre of your life. Philippians 4 v 6 MSG
 
PRAY
Have I trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
I should never be discouraged;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Can I find a friend so faithful,
Who will all my sorrows share?
Jesus knows my every weakness;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
 
Am I weak and heavy laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still my refuge!
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
 
Adapted from words by Joseph Medlicott Scriven
 
Jane Coates
February 2025

Shelley’s message for w/c 16th February

by

Dear friends

We meet on Sunday at 11am to hear from the next part of Luke in Luke 3.  There will be a group for our younger friends and communion too.

Next week is half term so if you want to go to a housegroups do check with the leaders or contact Lesley although to date I haven’t heard about any changes in housegroups/bible studies.  There will be no Lunch Club this week and youth meet on Sunday night at the usual time of 7pm.  They will break for a week on 23rd February and be back again on Sunday 2nd March. Warm welcome Beacon café and craft group are on this week as usual too.

We love to make space for people to chat over a drink and food and we do this every first Sunday of the month at café church (as well as Mondays, Wednesday and Thursdays).  Lesley sent out an email this week to ask if anyone could help every so often with topping up water, sorting cups etc for café church.  If you can, can you let Lesley know please, it won’t be every month but if we have more people, it will help share the roles a bit and make other things possible.

Gather25

On 1st March Gather25 takes place across the world.  It’s a livestream of worship, prayer and stories live from 8 worldwide locations plus the persecuted church.  We want to partner in prayer and worship with brothers and sisters around the world.  The livestream will be broadcast in many languages.  We will be broadcasting in English and will be showing the livestream from 1pm in church which happens to be live from Cluj in Romania.  You will have chance to watch, sit, write, pray, sing during this time. Between 2 and 3pm we will have some live sung worship, art area and activities, map of the world, prayer.  Then 3pm-4pm I will lead a movement workshop ‘Prayer for 2025’ with props including flags for all ages and no experience needed, just come and learn how to move in prayer. Adjustments will be made for different fitness levels/abilities. The livestream will continue… the livestream then moves to Kigali in Rwanda and then to the UK at 7pm. www.gather25.com  I will send a separate email out this week but if you know you can contribute then can you let me know and everyone else just come along and feel free to invite people.  This isn’t about an ‘event’ but it is an opportunity to pray at the same time with many other brothers and sisters around the world and to be encouraged and challenged by how God is working across the world and to motivate us where we are.

Notice of funerals

We will be hosting the funeral of Gillian Bayliffe at 11.30am February 27th followed by refreshments.  All those who would like to remember Gillian or support David and her family are invited to come along.

We will be hosting the funeral of Jenny Trout at 4pm March 6th. More details to follow.

Change of Date for MBC plant sale It’s now 10th May!  It seems a long way off, but Jenny says “if anyone is splitting up perennial plants that have got too big, then it would be great if you could save and pot up the bits they don’t want so they will be nice and big and healthy by May time!  Probably not something anyone is going to want to be doing this weekend though due to the weather!”.

Wednesday worship songs of praise

There will be a songs of praise at Wednesday worship at 1.30pm on 26th February.  If you have a favourite hymn or bible reading to share can you let Rachel B know please.

Seminar on Cristian considerations of potential changes in law regarding “assisted dying” Venue: Woodlands Methodist Harrogate Date: Saturday 22th February 2025, 10.00 – 12.00 noon with breakfast available from 9.30 am Tickets: General admission: £5 Under 18s: free Tickets: On EventBrite Seminar – February 2025: Assisted Dying – Harrogate School of Theology & Mission  Session delivered by David Hanson, retired Consultant ENT surgeon, who in addition to his medical career, has been a leading supporter of WYSOCS (West Yorkshire School of Christian Studies) which became the Thinking Faith Network https://thinkfaith.net/about/

Shelley

Shelley Dring

Minister

Moortown Baptist Church

 

 

Jane Coates – Thoughts and Prayers – Everything

by
I am a great fan of the BBC Series Call the Midwife, and in a recent episode we saw a new, trainee midwife, Sister Catherine, moving into Nonnatus House to complete her training. 
 
Not long after Sister Catherine’s arrival Sister Monica Joan, a much older, experienced nurse seeks ‘the new girl’ out and engages her in a fascinating and challenging conversation asking if this is the life she imagined, and what changes a life given entirely to God would entailed.
 
Sister Catherine, who by now we have learned used to enjoy  trampolining and golf begins to list her thoughts…  “my time, pear drops, my cat Maude, mascara, coffee in the percolator, my brothers and sisters, waking up in my flat with my friends. Choosing what to wear, choosing what to eat, choosing what to do… sometimes, it’s the choosing that I miss most of all.”
 
In other words, you could say that as Sister Catherine sees it God demands her all, He doesn’t pick and choose. If her new life means she is to follow Him, He demands her everything. 
 

Hearing her say this I began to think about the word ‘everything.’ It is rare for someone to relinquish, surrender their rights or to give up their control of something. It would usually apply to property rights, part of an inheritance, or in rare occasions, the rights to the care of a child. Sister Monica Joan was born into a wealthy, aristocratic family who had disapproved of her choice of a Midwifery career and even more so of her being a Nun, taking her vow of poverty. Sister Catherine, at the beginning of her own journey, was honest about the challenge of ‘letting go,’ and the right to choose for herself.

 
We sometimes sing the old hymn ‘I surrender all.’ I find it immensely difficult to sing this hymn. It is hard to relinquish control, to ignore our material ‘stuff,’ and things that we like to have around us. We have our home, our car, our salary, our pensions, our holidays, the electronic devises that connect us to family and others. We have daily plans, schedules, and the things which entertain.
 
All to Jesus I surrender
All to Him I freely give
I will ever love and trust Him
In His presence daily live
 
All to Jesus I surrender
Humbly at His feet I bow
Worldly pleasures all forsaken
Take me, Jesus, take me now.
 
Immediately after Jesus was baptized, He was taken into the desert for a time of severe testing. In the third and final test Jesus was taken to a very high mountain, shown all the kingdoms of the world, their magnificence, and their delights, the devil, announcing, “everything there I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” “Away with you, Satan!” replied Jesus, “the scripture says, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve’.” Matthew 4 v 8-11 NIV
 
The devil offered Jesus ‘everything.’ Everything can be yours, but only if you will worship me.
 
Jesus was tested to the extreme, which gives me hope that He understands my struggles, my confused priorities, my muddled thinking, my pressures and my weakness.
 
PRAY
What do I hang on to at all costs? What time swallowing task could I let go of?
Jesus, shape my life so that it may more resemble yours.  Prune my priorities and desires.
 
Jane Coates.
February 2025
 
 
 
 

Subscribe to the MBC Newsletter

Weekly news and stories about everything that is happening at Moortown Baptist Church

PHP Code Snippets Powered By : XYZScripts.com