There will be a coffee morning and table top sale in support of MBC’s Romania Fund between 10am and 1pm on Saturday 21st of March. Please see Karen Ross if you would like to book a table; tables cost £10.
News
News items for public viewing
Spring Harvest, Harrogate 14 – 18 April
Spring Harvest, a brilliant teaching and worship event is running in Harrogate from the 14th to the 18th of April. For more details visit www.springharvest.org
MBC’s regular meetings, and other useful information
Sunday mornings follow a similar pattern every week, except on the third Sunday of the month when everyone is invited to breakfast at 9.30am and the service at 10.45 which is a communion service.
Beacon Café: for all the community, Mondays 10am to 12pm
Oasis Café: Tuesdays 9.15am to 11.45am
Seniors Lunch Club: Wednesdays 10.30am to 2pm
Moortots: Thursdays 9.45am to 11.30am
Bible Study: Fridays 9.30am to 11am an open discussion and prayer on the bible passage from the previous Sunday
Home Groups: our Home Groups meet at various times in different locations. Check with the office or speak to Graham or Shona to find one near you
Church Office: Kate Slater – 0113 2693750 moortown.baptist@btconnect.com
For a visit: Graham Brownlee 07979 343857, Shona Shaw 07735 458661
To volunteer in church or a group contact the church office
To find out more about our youth programme: James Wilde 07867 387003
To find out more about children’s, toddlers & families groups: Shelley Dring 0113 2693750
To find out more about our seniors work: Carole Smith 0113 2693750
Jihan Ha’s baptism – a day of praise, joy and hope
A packed church is always a welcome sight but when that congregation includes the family and friends of someone being baptised the to call a service “special” seems hardly adequate.
Such was the case last Sunday when 14 year old Jihan Ha was baptised. With Shona, and for the first time in his career our Pioneer Youth Lead James Wilde supporting Jihan through his remarkable testimony and then his baptism God’s presence was tangible.
We pray for Jihan, we pray that as he continues his education and then later when he moves into the world of work he will forever call on God to guide him.
This Sunday, an update on how MBC’s support for BMS World Mission is being utilised
In the old days this coming Sunday would have been called Mission Sunday, and it would have been a time when we would have listened to stories – some full of daring do, others more mundane from the mission field.
Today, however, whilst we do still hear lots of first hand accounts of how the work people are engaged in through or by affiliation with BMS World Mission is providing both spiritual and practical support across the globe, what we will pick up on Sunday is much more personal: it’s a glimpse at how the support we here at Moortown Baptist Church provide for our named Mission Partners has and continues to be playing out in Afghanistan, Nepal, France and Chad as well of course as via Radio World Wide over the air waves.
In 2019 this church by way of tithe and a number of different gift schemes sent BMS World Mission a fraction short of £14,000. How you can help boost this total is one of the things Roger Robson will be speaking about on Sunday.
Happy New Year, Chinese style and a sweet update from Faith Builders and Pulse
Saturday January 25th was a very special day for many of our congregation, as for them it was New Years Day. The Chinese New Year which last weekend saw in the Year of the Rat is a hugely important date in the Chinese calendar.
It originates from several ancient myths and customs. The festival was traditionally a time to honour deities as well as ancestors today, and while certain elements are considered universal local and regional customs and traditions vary widely.
It was fascinating to hear and see first hand from Maria, Ivan, Charles and Teresa how they themselves are keeping these traditions going here in Leeds.
With parts of China currently at the centre of a new and potentially deadly virus we pray for this great nation and its massive population.
Meanwhile at the other end of last Sunday’s second service the children who make up Faith Builders and Pulse came back into church to share with us some of the things they have doing.
In Pulse they had been looking into the difference between knowing of something and knowing about something. Their analogy was a Mars bar. We all know, said Shelley what a Mars bar is but until you have actually tasted one (whether that’s as it comes, as a flavour for an ice cream or as is the custom in Scotland deep fried) you can’t really talk about one with any degree of knowledge. 
Substitute the Mars bar for God/Jesus/faith and you’ll get some idea of where this particular example was heading. As for the props, two bags of bite sized Mars bars, they were handed out.
Faith Builders, meanwhile, had been unpacking Proverbs Chapter 2 and verse 6. The Lord gives wisdom, knowledge and understanding, all come from his mouth. And it was good to hear that on the second time of asking the congregation got the gist and joined in: wisdom, knowledge and understanding indeed.
A winter newsletter from PAFRAS
Hilary Willmer has just sent us this. It is a winter newsletter from PAFRAS (Positive Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers). In a note accompanying the newsletter Hilary adds her thanks to all those people at MBC who by donating food and toiletries continue to support this important charity. You can find out more about PAFRAS by visiting www.pafras.org.uk and of course you can always make a personal donation by placing it in the PAFRAS box in the MBC Meeting Area. 
Youth Residential, West End Outdoor Centre, 3 – 5 April
James Wilde is organising a youth residential between the 3rd to the 5th of April at West End Outdoor Centre, near Harrogate.
If you’d like to go see James asap to get hold of a consent form.
Also if you’d like more information about the centre itself visit https://www.westendoutdoorcentre.co.uk/
CHRISTMAS GREETINGS FROM MANASTUR CHURCH IN CLUJ, ROMANIA
Shortly before Christmas we received the following greeting and letter from Manastur Baptist Church in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. The comments in italics have been added by Howard Dews.
Dear members of the Romanian Support Group in Leeds,
We hope that this finds you all well and also that everything is well with your families.
With this letter, we want to inform you about the way we spend the money you sent to us this year.
– We continue our collaboration with the Gypsies church in Floresti, we offer to brother Hoca Joseph (every month, a financial aid worth 500 lei equivalent of £ 100
(We provided £500 of the pastor’s salary the remainder coming from Manastur church)
– We support brother Nicu Reparuc and his work with the children.
(Nicu and his wife Rita have adopted a number of children and we provided them with £500)
– We offered 6 scholarships for students in financial need.
(We also received individual letters of thanks from the students. We provided £500 for students who from who attend Manastur church.)
– We were able to help 15 poor families in our church who were in need
(We provided £500 for this.)
– We prepared for Christmas and offered 375 food packs for needy families in Manastur church and other sister churches
– We supported several summer camps (children, young people, young adult families)
(We contributed £500 for this.)
As a church, we want to thank you very much for your support this year. Because of your generosity, God used you to touch many lives.
We are looking forward to continue our partnership with you.
Yours in Christ,
The church board, through Pastor Daniel Lacatos
Santa joins Moortots to say goodbye to Holly
Ever since Diane Towns and Pauline Bridle stepped back from leading Moortots, the responsibility for running this long standing and much loved MBC project has been in the very capable hands of Holly Button.
However, last Thursday was Holly’s last day with us as she too is bowing out only in her case to develop her counselling and family support work skills within the prison service.
Presenting Holly with gifts and cards Shelley thanked her for all she had done for Moortots and wished her well for the future. Holly won’t, though, be leaving us completely as she hopes that she and her toddler Billy will when work and study permit still be able to pop in; but from here on in as a mum not a leader.
There’s a few more pictures taken at this week’s Moortots Christmas party below.
