Dear friends
Happy Easter!
It was good to join with so many of you through holy week as we remembered the journey of Jesus and joined in worship and prayer, towards Good Friday and Easter Sunday and into this week. We prayed outside and inside, gave out seed crosses and celebrated baptisms and welcomed new families into membership. If that’s something that has prompted you to want to do either of these then do get in touch with me this week. A church is a community and there were many conversations and prayers and cups of tea going on that are not so visible as we walk alongside each other. On the theme of ‘walking alongside’, we move on to look at Luke 24:13-35 this week as the disciples continue to work out what was happening that first Easter. There will be a group for our younger friends, and there’ll be the opportunity to share communion.
The week ahead
Monday 28th April Beacon warm welcome café today 10-12 midday
Tuesday 29th April Stepping Stones for under 5’s and their carers 10-11.30 in church.
Tuesday 29th April House group in church in the afternoon. See Lesley or Howard for more information.
Wednesday 30th April Lunch club, see Rachel B
Wednesday 30th April Bible study in church, see Andy or Ruth B. There’s a Wednesday house group too, see Diane S. They meet fortnightly and are currently following the prayer course.
Thursday 1st May 2-4pm Craft group welcome space in church, see Karen or Diane
Thursday 1st May 7pm bible study in church with Gareth G
Friday 2nd bible study in church 10-11.15 See Shelley for more details
Friday 2nd May 8pm House group see Jonathan or Hilary D
Sunday 4th May All age café church.
Coming up
The next church meeting is Tuesday 13th May 7.30pm including deacons’ elections. A reminder that the last date to nominate a new deacon is Sunday 27th April. Please email them to Lesley or post paper copies to Lesley’s office.
The plant sale takes place at MBC at 1pm on Saturday 10th May! An email went out this week with all the details. Do let Jenny D or Lesley know if you would like to help. If you have any boxes or big bags for people to put plants in can you please bring them to Lesley during the week or bring them to church on Sunday and put them in the music room and we will move them through. The plant sale will support both a local and abroad charity. That’s currently being decided by those involved and deacons.
Worship and tech team Play Day on 17th May 10.30-2.30 in church. This day is for anyone on the tech or worship teams to explore the new sound system and try things out together. Details have been sent out. If you are interested in finding out more about the teams or want to be involved, then get in touch with Andy B or myself.
Prayer and worship Day Saturday 7th June Save the date for now…
If you are aged around 11 to 35, have a heart for young people, parent/grandparent/carer, a group leader or want to simply pray and support young people to be encouraged to live a life for Jesus then come along with us to the Send worship night at North church 7-9.30pm on 5th June. Get Tickets – SEND Experience Night Leeds – North Church You can book your tickets here. If you are a young person who would like a lift or you have a young person who would like a lift, then let your youth group leader know or myself. We will have a group going from MBC and will have a meet up point at church and then at North Church. Naomi Fennell, the Yorkshire Baptist Association young adults and youth lead, is working on an optional meeting point for young people to meet with others from Yorkshire Baptist churches on the night, so we are working together. Following this gathering, there will be a large gathering at Leeds Arena on November 22nd 2025.
We are aware that our journey continues alongside all the events going on in our world and our lives. As we think about journeys, I was struck by a picture of Pope Francis in 2008 when he was Cardinal Bergoglio, travelling on the subway in Buenos Aires in 2008. You may be able to ‘google it’ or we may share tomorrow. No one person is perfect and there are those who share criticisms, but many have commented on the Pope’s humility and down to earth nature in his ministry, from choosing a more modest apartment in the Vatican whilst he was alive, to his choice of burial place. How we journey and who we share our journey with is important. He talked about those in pain through poverty, or illness or war and we hear stories of how he practically reached out, often unknown to the world. In his final address on Good Friday, it was written,
“All those who put their hope in God, place their feeble hands in his strong and mighty hand; they let themselves be raised up and set out on a journey. Together with the risen Jesus, they become pilgrims of hope, witnesses of the victory of love and of the disarmed power of Life.” Pope’s final address, Easter Sunday April 20th 2025.
We continue the journey…
In Christ
Shelley