Dear friends
It was great to hear this week that the Warm spaces project has won the award for project of the year in the Leeds Compassionate City Awards 2023. As a registered warm space for over a year, MBC are part of this. Thanks to all of you for making the spaces warm and welcoming through financial support, food, organisation or simply being there. Next year the Owl Award will go on tour going to every warm space as a thank you from the City Council.
“It’s great that we can celebrate the achievements of so many third and faith sector groups coming together to offer safe, warm and welcoming spaces to the communities you are part of.
At the moment, our award (as pictured) is ‘perched’ at Stringer House in Hunslet, but VAL (Voluntary Action Leeds) do not want to hold onto this all year, as it was your hard work that made this project. So next year it will go ‘on tour’ as a small thank you”
This week the food hampers made up with food and toiletries that you gave, have all been made up and given out to those who come to us for help in the week, regular users of the food pantry and to those who may value a package at this time. Some of these have been kindly taken directly to homes or hospital. Thanks again to all of you for your generosity and the small team who made up the hampers. One man was incredibly moved by the gesture and told us that he never received anything like this before. As some of the hampers were being given out at Beacon café we were approached by members of a local food charity who collect excess food from M & S. They gave away fresh bread and pastries and have asked if they can come back every Monday.
2 Corinthians 9:7 comes to mind…
“You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”
We are thankful to God for all the good things he is giving from those who are part of the church and our wider communities.
There will be no Beacon café next week, instead there will be a new year cafe on Wednesday 3rd January 10-12. Then it will resume as usual on Mondays from Monday 8th January.
This week was the lunch club Christmas dinner. Thanks to all who prepared, led and ate! The next lunch club takes place on Wednesday 10th January.
Christmas Craft group welcome space was very much enjoyed today. They will also be having a break this week.
It’s been great to see many of you at the Christmas services including a fantastic cast of all ages in our nativity, from busy innkeepers, stately wise people, friendly shepherds and lively sheep! Those who were there may have noticed that Eunice became unwell and she has asked me to say that she has been checked over and is recovering well. Thanks to those who helped.
Other dates to remember..
December 24th Christmas Eve All age Carols and Christingle service at 4.30pm. (Rock Solid are meeting at 2.30pm on the 24th to make Christingles and share food!)
December 25th Christmas Day together at the slightly earlier time of 10.30am.
(Both these services will last between 45 minutes and an hour)
December 31st 11am all age new year service
January 7th 11am café church
January 8th Beacon welcome space 10-12midday…
All groups are back this week.
January 14th 11am service (with a group for our younger friends) welcoming Tim Parkinson from Caring for Life to share a message with us.
Do keep an eye on the website which is regularly updated and also the facebook page regularly sends out reminders, thoughts and news!
Finally I want to share a picture painted by Kelly Latimore called ‘Christ in the Rubble’ (it’s in the block below together with the “touring” owl trophy). It is based on a recent message from Rev Doctor Munther Isaac, the Pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bethlehem when he described Jesus as being ‘in the rubble in Gaza’ with all those who suffer. You may have seen the nativity scene in his church, now featured on news channels, a mound of rubble with a doll representing baby Jesus lying amongst it. There is much to think about here and to pray about. Actions may come from it. The artist and the organisation Red Letter Christians (who supported the artist) hope that the picture will increase dialogue amongst Christians all over the world about our beliefs and actions can bring about peace. For more information about the painting and the inspiration behind it or about the organisation, follow the link here www.redletterchristians.org Rev Munther Isaac will be holding a short service at 6pm Bethlehem time tomorrow, 23rd December. The UK is 2 hours behind Bethlehem so that will be 4pm for us. It is being streamed around the world and one way to join in is to click the link on the Red Letter Christians website at 4pm tomorrow. Many of us feel helpless but let’s keep praying and focusing on Jesus as we lift this area of the world to God, along with Ukraine and all places of where there is war.
Praying for comfort and joy for you and your family and all those you love and think about this Christmas. Thanking God that he is not distant but He is right in the heart of all we are and do, Immanuel, God with us.
“Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us” (Matthew 1:23)
In Christ
Shelley
Shelley Dring
Minister
Moortown Baptist Church
