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Advent 4. Now it really is feeling Christmassy, Shelley’s update.

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Dear friends

We are looking forward to coming together for Advent 4, our nativity service on Sunday at 11am.  We look forward to some elements from the Stepping Stones nativity on the 8th December led by members of Rock Solid, MBC youth group as well as some additional characters.  If you have mentioned that you want to be in it you are in!  We need you! If you are in the nativity, please arrive between 10.15 and 10.30 so that we have time to put on costumes.  If you want to be in it , including non-speaking parts, just turn up at that time and we’ll put you in!

We’ll have a band to lead our carols that day.

Rock Solid take a break that night.

On Monday we have festive Beacon Café 10-12midday, do come along and share a Christmas snack. All ages welcome. We welcome friends from the Leeds Jewish Housing Association too who are bringing Channukah snacks. We’ll be giving out the completed festive hampers during the café too. Thanks to those who brought things and those who helped put them together last Monday afternoon. We’ll also have a ‘Christingle table’ where people have offered to help make Christingles.  If you want to come do join in to help.

On Christmas Eve we meet for our all-age candlelight Christingle service at 4.30-5.15.  Then on Christmas Day we meet at the slightly earlier time of 10.30am for about 45 mins/hour for a special all age Christmas Day service where we look back at Advent and forward in thanks at the birth of Jesus.

We meet again on Sunday 29th December at 11am where we continue the theme of Down to earth at our all-age service. 

Then its All-age café church on Sunday 5th January.  There will be no beacon or lunch club on the week beginning the 30th December so do look out for each other.

I have attached greetings from our friends in Romania and a thanks for your prayers and support. This also appears in a seperate post on our website.

I also pass on greetings from Michael and Elizabeth Caddick.  Michael was a minister at MBC and now lives in Cornwall.  Michael says.  

“We assure you of our love at this Christmas time and wish you every blessing in 2025”

There is an area of wall in church now near to the entrance where you can put up a Christmas card to the rest of the church family.  You can include a simple greeting or a prayer for Christmas or something you think would encourage people for now or the new year.  It will stay up until the 6th January.

Look out for the extra lights and greetings on the church building…thankyou

“You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colours in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.”

Matthew 5:14

Shelley

MBC’s wreath making workshop turns out some wonderful creations

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Ok, so maybe we didn’t exactly deck the halls with boughs of holly, but few of the 50 or so people that were present at last Sunday’s wreath making workshop would deny that between 3pm and 5 we came very, very close. 

The creativity that each of our guests displayed was quite remarkable. There were wreaths with lights, and wreaths without; there were wreaths with baubles, bangles and beads and wreaths without; there were wreaths weighed down by pine cones, cinnamon sticks and what to me looked like slices of dried up tangerine, and of course there were some without. There was even one wreath that was decorated with strip after strip of cloth. In fact such was the contrast that the only thing this myriad display of eclecticism did have in common was that by the time they were finished what at five to three had started out as a simple 10 inch ring were swathed in enough greenery to cover my back garden.  

Away, don’t take my word for it, judge for yourself. There’s a gallery below which you can view by simply clicking on any one of the images. 

Oh and again, huge thanks to Shelley who owing to a last minute change of plan suddenly found herself leading the entire session, and of course to those who set up, swept up, washed up and served up refreshments.

Stepping Stones Nativity… celebration and outreach at its very best!

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I never can remember who coined the phrase “a picture paints a thousand words” but whoever it was, he or she, was oh so right. 

But if proof were needed these images taken at Sunday’s Stepping Stones Nativity certainly prove the point.

Massive thanks to Diane and all her team, to Rock Solid who played a starring role, to the people who served the refreshments and manned the tech desk – in fact to everyone who either contributed or attended.

To view the gallery simply click on any of the images. 

If over the holiday period you’re thinking of buying new furniture, L&MFS will gladly collect your old stuff and give it away to people in need

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Currently, with its entire board of trustees now made up of members of Moortown Baptist Church, the Leeds and Moortown Furniture Store is going through a period of change… something you’ll hear much more about in the near future. However, one thing that isn’t changing is the need that many people in our city have for some of the most basic items of furniture. 

For this home grown charity, 2025 will mark its 39th year of trading; almost 40 years of service to literally thousands of folk who for one reason or another are far less fortunate than us.

Right now, through to Thursday the 2nd of January the Store is closed, but if over the next week or so you do buy some new furniture: beds, a sofa, a dining table, chairs, wardrobes etc. please call us on 0113 2739727 and we’ll arrange a convenient collection time ahead of passing your donation on. 

Thank you.

MBC’s online newsletter takes a short break

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A bit like Santa, by the time Christmas actually arrives those of us that produce our weekly online newsletter are ready for a bit of a rest. That’s why next week, the time between Christmas and New Year although the church website WILL be updated there will be no newsletter. 

To those of you who already subscribe to the newsletter we say a huge thank you, and for those of you who don’t, well, you don’t know what you’re missing. 

If, however, you do fall into that second category, don’t worry. All you need to do to guarantee your own personal copy is to  sign up in the Subscription box that appears on our Home Page, that’s at www.moortownbaptistchurch.org.uk

After that you can leave the rest to us. 

Merry Christmas… greetings from Florin and Dana Fodor

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Dear Friends, greetings!

In a world of uncertainty, our hope rests in the giver of peace and joy – Jesus. 

May our faith in Him keep us faithful. May your hearts be filled with joy during this Christmas season! Let us pray that we will have a bright 2015.

From Romania with gratitude and love.

Florin and Dana

Jane Coates – Thoughts and Prayers. Perfect timing…

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Perfect Timing
 
Have you ever felt that you have just walked into the right place at the right time and met the right people? The timing feels to be perfect and precise, -as if it was always meant to be.
 
In the narrative of the birth of Jesus in Luke 2 I was challenged by the two elderly prophets, Simeon and Anna. Clearly, their arrival on the scene, just as the family arrived for Jesus’s dedication in the Temple at Jerusalem, was no happenstance. It was no coincidence or just good timing, because they were frequent attenders to the Temple Court. No. These two faithful worshippers were directed by the Holy Spirit to that very point, on that very day, at that very time, when Mary, Joseph and the infant Jesus arrived in the Temple Court.
 
The Holy Spirit was upon Simeon and prompted by the Holy Spirit he came into the Temple enclosure at the perfectly planned, precise time. ‘Prompted by the Spirit, Simeon came into the Temple enclosure; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for Him the custom required by the Law, Simeon took Him into his arms, and blessed, praised, and thanked God’. Luke 2 v 27-28 AMP. Prompted by the Holy Spirit, Simeon spoke prophetic words over the child, calling Jesus a Light for the revelation of the Gentiles, and God’s salvation. Simeon then addressed Mary with prophetic words. Simeon had been promised, again by the Holy Spirit, that he would not see death until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Simeon’s arrival, actions, and words at this point, were all directed by the Holy Spirit. He had waited many years for this precise moment in time.
 
Anna spent her days at the Temple serving and worshiping night and day, with fasting and prayers. But, at the precise time that Simeon was speaking with Joseph and Mary, she came along to that very spot, at that very time to the Temple enclosure. ‘She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she also began thanking God and telling everyone in Jerusalem who had been awaiting the coming of the Saviour that the Messiah had finally arrived’. Luke 2 v 38 TLB.
 
The Message version says, ‘At the very time Simeon was praying, she showed up, broke into an anthem of praise to God, and talked about the child to all who were waiting expectantly for the freeing of Jerusalem.’ Anna sang an anthem of praise to God. Anna had waited patiently for many years for this precise moment in time.
 
Simeon and Anna were two faithful worshippers, filled with the Holy Spirit, waiting for the arrival of Messiah. The Holy Spirit prompted their attendance at the Temple when the timing was perfect. They had listened to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
 
The Holy Spirit will prompt us too, with His peace, and His Presence. We need to be patient as we wait for God’s perfect time. God is never in a hurry and though the waiting is hard we should not rush on ahead. There may be something that we have longed for, prayed for and we have become impatient and even discontented. But trust His timing. He knows the perfect time.
 
 From long ago no ear has heard and no eye has seen any God besides You, who works for those who wait for Him. You meet him who finds joy in doing what is right and good, who remembers You in Your ways. Isaiah 64 v 4-5NLV
 
He has made everything beautiful in its time. Ecclesiastes 3 v 11
 
PRAY for God’s perfect timing and for patience in the waiting.
 
Jane Coates
16 December 2024

Advent 3. The pace quickens. Shelley’s update.

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Dear friends

Katherine May says in her book ‘Wintering’ (not written from a Christian perspective) that communities of spiritual and religious gatherings are ‘awe- inspiring’, ‘elastic, stretching to take in all kinds of people, and bringing unexpected perspectives and insights. We need them now more than ever’.  They challenge us to not stick within tight circles.  This advent, as we move to Advent 3, over half way through our advent journey, we are thankful for the stretchiness of our community and those who provide hospitality, thought and welcome to those who find themselves part of it, even for a short time.

This Sunday we start at 11am for worship together with communion.  There will be a group for our younger friends, looking at Luke 2:8-20.  After the service a small group are going to carol sing at a local home for elderly people and then we have the wreath making workshop 3-5pm.  Rock Solid youth meet 7-8pm in the building.

Please see the website at www.moortownbaptistchurch.org.uk for an update on activities and services.

A couple of things to highlight…

There is a Beacon café at 10-12 as usual on Monday 16th December and a Festive Beacon on 23rd December, when some of our friends from Leeds Jewish Housing association will be coming along and bringing Hannukah snacks along with our Christmas treats.

Next Sunday at 11am we have our all-age nativity service with carols/Christmas songs.  If you want a part, then do let me know, we’d love to have you.  We’ll also be seeing some of our stars from the toddler nativity last week.

No Rock Solid on the 22nd and 29th December and Beacon café takes a break too on the 30th December, back on the 6th January.  If you know someone who is struggling over Christmas do get in touch or let us know.  Food pantry is available if needed but we won’t be running an official session on 30th.

It will be lovely to join together at our All Age Christingle service on Christmas Eve 4.30pm to 5.15pm where there will be oranges with candles and sweets for all.. it’s always a special ‘pause’ moment before the big day and we often have many from our local community and their family and friends. Then we are together on Christmas Day at 10.30 for a short service designed for all ages as we celebrate Jesus on our advent journey together!

In Christ

Shelley

Steel Crazy get our Christmas programme off to a flying start

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What better way to begin our Christmas celebrations than by getting together and singing along to a steel band. And that’s precisely what eighty or so people did last Saturday afternoon when Steel Crazy, the group that our Senior’s Worker Rachel plays in visited MBC.

There’s a gallery of pictures below which, simply by clicking on any of the images you download or view.  

 

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