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Shelley’s news – 9th February
Dear friends
The pictures and reports from Syria and Turkey this week have been so difficult to see and can leave us with a sense of what can we do? Pete Grieg released a basic prayer guide that might be helpful… see the link below…
Pray for Earthquake in Turkey, Syria, and Lebanon – 24-7 Prayer International
Also it may help to pray for the 4 p’s
People affected comfort for those grieving, losing homes, injured, scared
Peacemakers – resilience and resources for frontline workers, rescue teams etc
Politicians – wisdom to coordinate and communicate well, making speedy but good decisions
Pastors – strength as they process their own trauma whilst seeking to support others to care for the poor, bind the broken hearted, lead funerals etc
You may want to give money too… here are a couple of links..
Earthquake response – BMS World Mission
DEC Turkey-Syria earthquake appeal | British Red Cross
Tonight ( 9th February) at Space we’ll be ‘holding a space’ to pray together for those affected in the disaster between 7.30pm and 8pm. Space is a place to play songs together, pray, worship, draw, read, move, just sit and be. It takes place between 6.30 and 9 in the Sanctuary, there’ll be tea and coffee and cold drinks. Do come for part or all of it.
Prayer is listening and talking to God so let us let God guide us in what and how we pray. At the beginning of the bible, Genesis 4:26 mentions people ‘began to call on the name of the Lord’ and right at the end of the bible, Revelation 22:20 closes with a prayer ‘Come Lord Jesus’
1 Thessalonians 5:17 says ‘Don’t stop praying’. If you are unable to get to the building maybe you would like to stop and pray between 7.30-8pm wherever you are.
Here are some useful dates…
Sunday 12th February – service at 11am (and online) with linked creative activities. Epiphany moments continued! This week we look at Mark 4:35-41, Jesus in the storm
Monday 13th February – 9.30-12, Beacon café and warm space with breakfast and drinks, everyone welcome to drop in.
No Stepping Stones or lunch club this week
Thursday 16th February – 2-4pm warm space and drop in crafts
Sunday 19th February – 11am (and online) with linked creative activities. Epiphany moments continued! Jesus walks on water Matthew 22-33 with communion
Monday 20th February– 9.30-12, Beacon café and warm space with breakfast and drinks, everyone welcome to drop in.
Tuesday 21st February – Stepping Stones under 5’s group 10-11.30
Tuesday 22nd February – church meeting in the building and online at 7.30pm
Thursday 23rd February – 7pm new bible study starts with Gareth Gadd.. (see website)
Thursday 24th February – 2-4pm warm space and drop in crafts
Sunday 26th February – 11am-12 service in church and online with linked creative activities. Epiphany moments continued! Peter’s confession
Sunday 5th March – 11-12 midday café church. Epiphany moments continued! Shape shifting…glory on a mountain
We continue to hand out food to those who need it through the week. We are often giving out basics like soup, tinned meats. tea, coffee and sugar. If you would like to donate any then do bring them to Lesley on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday morning or at other times please give to Shelley, a deacon or Rachel Beadle.
This Saturday at 11am, Adam is sharing his knowledge on visuals on the sound desk with two people who have asked to find out how they might be able to help. If it’s something you’d be interested in can you let me know and I’ll help you with the next steps. If other members of the tech team want to come along you’d be very welcome.
I have attached a statement written by Krys Gadd as she has prayerfully put herself forward to serve as a deacon in church. I have talked and prayed with Krys over a few months about this and the Deacons are aware too and some of them have prayed and chatted with Krys too to discern how God might be speaking to her about a leadership role in the church. Do pray for her in this process. This will be on the agenda for the church meeting.
If you want to talk to me about how God may be speaking or calling you or if you are thinking things through and want someone to help discern and chat things over with, even if you are not sure what role that might be, then do get in touch with me.
Moortown Baptist Church – Loving God, living generously, following Christ.
“Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 124:8)
In Christ
Shelley
See some of you later
9th February, 6.30pm onwards… SPACE
Sit, read, pray, draw, play, chill… in fact join us in church to do exactly what you want.
From 6.30pm onwards on Thursday 9th of February MBC opens in doors for you to simply be.
No agenda, no plans, no timetable just a time to be.
Do please join us.
Leeds & Moortown Furniture Store, as much a part of MBC as anything else we support
L&MFS Mission Statement
Leeds & Moortown Furniture Store exists as a practical demonstration of Christian commitment to socially and economically disadvantaged people. Our mission is to relieve poverty by distributing donated furniture.
As much a part of Moortown Baptist Church as anything else we do the Leeds and Moortown Furniture Store this year is well on the way to clocking up four decades of helping people in need. Still, however, there is still much confusion and dare we say a little ignorance.
That’s because from its roots here in 1986 until today there has been an unbroken chain: from Hilary Willmer right the way through to today’s Chair of trustees and two serving board members, the names of MBC and L&MFS have been synonymous. In fact John Gamson, who until he retired last July had been the charity’s General Manager for well over ten years. This of course prompted the arrival of a new manager, Hannah Metcalf, who has joined us with over twenty years’ experience of working in the charity sector and who from what we have already seen appears to have lots of new ideas in her locker.
Funding, of course is always difficult. That’s why a number of years ago and in response to an urgent request from Leeds City Council the Store set up a trading arm – a social enterprise called LMFS Trading Ltd which sources new furniture and white goods. To keep the whole thing going and as a massive part of the charity’s funding strategy LMFS Trading Ltd also pays over a management charge and any profit it may happen to make.
So what does L&MFS actually do? Well, to put it bluntly it cares for people and it protects the environment. It is based in a 10,000 square foot warehouse at Seacroft from where it runs two charity vans (supplied by LCC) and its own trading van. It employs a total of six people and enjoys the services of three full time volunteers. It receives a grant from LCC which when combined with the trading company’s management charge just about covers the annual running costs.
As you can imagine dealing with any local authority is never easy, particularly when your total annual grant is near to £80,000. However, we’re pleased to say that after a long, long wait LCC did eventually pay their 2022/23 dues in full. But alas that doesn’t help with bringing in stock: the sofas, tables, chairs, wardrobes, beside cabinets, beds, mattresses, cutlery, crockery etc. etc… things that you and I take for granted but for some are absolute luxuries. No! that’s where we rely on you.
If you have any furniture which you are due to replace please give us a call on 0113 2739727 or drop us an email at info@leedsandmoortown.org.uk and we’ll be glad to arrange for one of our teams to call round and collect it. There is of course also our website www.leedsandmoortown.org.uk which gives you much more detail of the way we work.
Over the years we have tried out quite a number of catchy straplines including Addressing the needs of the people in Leeds, and alongside an image of a young girl with a baby staring through a window Help us turn this house into a home but with little success. That’s why now, at the start of a new year we are reaching out to you.
Don’t get me wrong, we’re not downhearted and although well down on the past this last year’s stats were nevertheless still good i.e. to the clients of more than 50 or so voluntary and statutory agencies, and in a totally non-discriminatory way L&MFS completed 780 deliveries, made up of 4,970 separate items. That’s 4,970 items that if we hadn’t been there may well have ended up either being incinerated or buried in landfill.
So the next time someone asks you if the Leeds and Moortown Furniture Store still has anything to do with MBC you can say with pride yes – for nigh on forty years.
Shelley – some dates and reminders
Dear friends
Just a quick update today to remind you of the following dates
Café church 5th February 11-12ish in church and online…following on with epiphany moments in the gospels..with creative activities for all ages
Warm space beacon café 9.30-midday on 6th February
Stepping Stones 10-11.30 in church 7th February
Warm space and bring a craft, or join in one provided or have a chat or read a book on 9th February 2-4 in church
Space at 6.30-9pm 9th February. Drop in and bring an instrument or drawing book or some and sing or just be. Refreshments and pens/paper/flags provided for all ages.
Service in church 11-12 midday on 12th February…following our series on epiphany moments…with separate activity for our younger friends or those who learn in a different way
A look ahead also to…21st February 7,30pm church meeting in church and online
For house groups do get in touch or pick up a sheet in the foyer
There are a number of people who are poorly or experiencing loss at the moment as well as those who have some new jobs or adventures coming up. We’ll keep praying for each other and our community as we journey together and look forward with our gracious God who has us all in the palm of His hand
In Christ
Shelley
MBC – what’s on when and where
Many thanks to Phil Coates for putting together this up to the minute Welcome leaflet. Copies are available in church, from any of your leadership team or from Lesley in the Admin Office.
Shelley’s message Jan 28th
Dear friends
Tomorrow we meet at 11am in the building and online to see what we can discover about Simeon’s epiphany moment in Luke 2:25-35. Thanks to all those who came and shared last week in the service. If you have anything you’d like to share this week then there will be an opportunity.
Some dates for you…
Sunday night 7-8pm Rock solid group for young people in the church building
Beacon cafe meets 9.30-12 on Monday in the building
Stepping stones (toddler group) takes place on Tuesday 10-11.30.
Drop in craft group and warm space on Thursday 2-4pm (bring something or join in with something) or just have a drink/snack or play a game.
Bibles study’s continue through the week so check out the website, pick up a flyer from the entrance hall or get in touch if you want to find out when they are.
Next Sunday its café church 11-12 midday where we find out about an epiphany moment in the synagogue.
9th February ‘Space’ from 6.30pm in church. Bring your instrument and play along, sing, draw, pray, read, dance, creative worship.. drink tea.
23rd February, new Bible study in the evening (time to be decided but probably about 7/7.30) the first of 24 sessions giving an overview of the whole Bible from Genesis to Revelation and seeing what that big story means now in our lives and our world, meeting at church fortnightly with Gareth Gadd see https://moortownbaptistchurch.org.uk/learn-the-bible-in-24-hours-an-exciting-new-course-starts-here-at-mbc-in-february/
The date of the next church meeting is Tuesday 21st February at 7.30pm where we will be sharing budgets for the year and talking about some of the church’s work at the moment and where God seems to be leading us. We are arranging that this will be on zoom too. The wifi isn’t the best at the moment in the sanctuary but we are working to improve this. There are many things a church can do, has done, could do and sometimes this can be confusing or challenging but also exciting as we turn from simply making our own solutions to praying for God to show us and help us. Let’s put prayer at the forefront of all we do, plan and imagine. You could pray on your own, meet with others or if you are in a housegroup you might want to pray for God’s leading together. If you have anything you would like to bring to the meeting do let Lesley know.
If you have anything you want to chat about then do get in touch with me or a deacon or contact Lesley on (0113) 2693750 or admin@moortownbaptistchurch.org.uk Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings and she’ll let me know or sort a suitable time.
“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert” Ephesians 6:18
In Christ
Shelley
21 January – an update from Shelley
Dear friends
Last week some of our church family made a banner showing the different names of Jesus. Each week we’ve looked at ‘epiphany’ moments, a realisation moment when something is revealed. The banner linked well with this theme as the names reveal something about Jesus. The banner will be shown in church this Sunday. My daughter was rightly questioned about the name she wanted to write on the banner, when she asked how to spell ‘baguette’. She wanted to write ‘baguette of life’. She was told that one name of Jesus is the bread of life. If you know my daughter, she hates bread, but the one bread she will eat is a French baguette. It could be silly, or could it be that she recognised Jesus as the bread that she liked, the only bread she’d eat?
This Sunday we read from John 1:43-50 about how Philip and Nathaniel recognise Jesus. We meet at 11-12 midday in the building and online. Pray that God will reveal more of Himself to us as we journey together.
We’ve had a number of new people over the week coming in for a cup of tea/company thanks to our warm space big sign in the car park (they said they saw it and came in) Do pray for all those who come into the building and for those who welcome them. If you don’t know much about warm spaces and you are interested in finding out or coming along, setting up a new session, helping with getting food, then do get in touch.
Other dates…
Sunday night 7-8pm Rock solid group for young people
Beacon cafe meets 9.30-12
Drop in craft group happens on Thursday 2-4pm (bring something or join in with something) or just have a drink/snack. This week someone came to play chess. If you can play and want to play with others come along.
Stepping stones (toddler group) takes place on Tuesday 10-11.30. We are now at capacity so do talk to Diane Sunter, Hilary Darling or myself if you know someone who wants to come or if you can help.
Bibles studies and House Groups continue through the week so check out the website, pick up a flyer from the entrance hall or get in touch if you want to find out when they are.
On Thursday myself and the deacons meet to pray and plan (including budgets). There will soon be a church meeting, date to be confirmed.
9th February ‘Space’ from 6.30pm in church. Bring your instrument and play along, sing, draw, pray, read, dance, creative worship.. drink tea.
23rd February, new Bible study in the evening (time to be decided but probably about 7/7.30) the first of 24 sessions giving an overview of the whole Bible from Genesis to Revelation and seeing what that big story means now in our lives and our world, meeting at church fortnightly with Gareth Gadd see https://moortownbaptistchurch.org.uk/learn-the-bible-in-24-hours-an-exciting-new-course-starts-here-at-mbc-in-february/
It’s been a busy time over the advent/Christmas period in church but I’ll be in touch after the weekend with some more updates and catch ups. If you have anything you want to chat about then do get in touch with me or a deacon or contact Lesley on (0113) 2693750 or admin@moortownbaptistchurch.org.uk Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings and she’ll let me know or sort a suitable time.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.(Psalm 34:18)
In Christ
Shelley
Christmas Appeal tops £1,200
With the final amount now counted and the money transfered MBC’s Christmas Appeal this year reached £1,234. Which means that Martin House and Lingfield’s Living Local each received £617 .
Again many many thanks to you all for your generous donations.