News

With the AJ Bell World Triathlon putting paid to our Sunday morning Services it was left to MBC’s evening team to help us celebrate Pentecost in perhaps the most fitting way imaginable – with not just one, but with three baptisms. 

For Mirabel Ikoe from MBC, for Nati and Selam from Grace Gospel Church and indeed for everyone present this really was an unforgettable experience. It was made up with a rich mix of prayer and reflection, music and multi lingual worship and for those still seeking Jesus a challenging, no nonsense message. 

Below is a gallery of pictures taken during the service. If you would like to view a larger version of any of them simply click on the image. 

Sometime over the next few weeks we will be having a fire drill. The drill will be announced ON THE DAY and not before. However, it will take place during the second service, and after the children have left for their groups. During the drill the building will be evacuated with the EXCEPTION, for safety reasons, of those with limited mobility.

In the event of an actual fire, Stewards will assist those with mobility issues to exit the building safely. If you normally only come to the first service we will ask on the day if you can possibly stay for the second so that as many people as possible are aware of the procedure.

Please read the fire safety notice at the back of church and be aware of all fire exits and routes. Children will be evacuated with their groups (please see the notice for parents on the notice). On the morning of the drill you will be informed of what you need to do in order to evacuate, including which exit to use from where you are sitting.

There are notices in all rooms with full evacuation procedures and fire exit routes from each room with diagrams. In order to comply with health and safety regulations we will need to have annual updates of fire safety procedures (without evacuation) and have a full evacuation every few years.

If you have any questions please speak to Kate.

To launch a new series of services and sermons based on the Old Testament book of Ezekiel, Graham took a most novel approach.

Reading from Ezekiel Chapters 2 and 3, a passage of scripture which describes Ezekiel’s call to be a prophet he asked for a show of hands before picking out certain members of the congregation by trade and profession: teachers, doctors, internet technician, sales people etc.

He then gave them each an A4 certificate (aka a scroll) on which was written a list of the skills they needed to do their work and asked them to tear off a corner, share it with those around them and eat it.

Then, taking five reference points from the text, the headings of which spelled out the word GOALS, we were invited to discuss ways in which through faith the bitter, sweet experiences that happen to us all equip us to live out our beliefs. 

The scrolls of course were made of rice paper – although we’re not too sure about the ink. 

With occasional breaks the Ezekiel sermon theme runs right the way through Pentecost and ends on July 28th with a service with an equally enticing title “Two sticks”. 

Huge congratulations to Jenny Dixon (above left) and her brilliant team for once again organising and staging a superb plant sale.  With everything totted up the total raised was £1,218.97 which means that this year’s two chosen charities: Christian Aid and Pathways Counselling will benefit with over £600 each. 

As you will appreciate getting seedlings and cuttings etc. to their peak takes both planning, patience and skill – particularly as no one quite knows what the weather is going to be like one week to the next. So once again top marks to all our green fingered friends, and of course the bakers and kitchen helpers who between them brought in donations of just over £100. 

                      To see a larger version of any of our gallery pictures simply click on the image. 

Last Saturday, from 10am to 10pm the MBC sanctuary was open for prayer.  Through words, silence, art, music, movement, dance, food, song and more, all ages were encouraged to have a conversation with God.

The day was themed around ‘Abiding’ and there were 4 zones linked to different understandings of abiding.  One zone focused on abiding memories and God with us on the journey, another zone looked at what we cannot abide, a third zone encouraged us to simply ‘abide’ in God and a fourth looked at the theme of kingdom and who we abide by. People were encouraged to move around the zones at their own pace or indeed just ‘to be’ in the space.  A variety of chairs and cushions were dotted around the room as well as space to move. 

There was also testimony, mission stories, mindfulness, sung worship and movement/dance opportunities lead from the front throughout the day that people could choose to engage with on whatever level they wanted.  People prayed for those who were sick, they prayed for their city, the places where they lived and worked, they meditated on Jesus as the vine, they heard personal testimony from mission and prayed for persecuted Christians, they used globes to think about the wider world and they sang songs and picked up flags to declare God’s love and faithfulness. 

There was a welcome stream of drinks and snacks available, including a ‘banqueting table’ with fresh bread, fruit and cake under a canopy of vines. A book was left by the entrance/exit for people to write their thoughts in as they left and it will be a reminder of what God was saying throughout the day. 

Some people dropped in for a short time, others stayed for the full 12 hours, some came on their own and others came with friends and family members.  A number people have given feedback and words that came up quite a lot were space, peaceful, safe, freedom, grow, colour, unity, connected and ‘spring up’.

The whole day came out of discussions in a home group hosted by Abi and Sam Tillie around 24/7 prayer.  The group want to thank everyone who helped to plan, facilitate and take part in the day.

For more information about prayer days/nights see www.24-7prayer.co.uk

To view of a larger version any of our gallery pictures simply click on the image