Dear friends
We look forward to joining with you tomorrow for our service at 11am in the building and online. We welcome Andrea and Mark Hotchkin from BMS to lead with us. We’ll have a group for our younger friends where we will look at the theme creatively together. We’ll share communion together and after the service everyone is welcome to continue the sharing of food in a bring and share lunch. Do drop your food in the sports hall on the centre tables. We have volunteers to sort out where it can go. A reminder to bring cold pre prepared food that can be eaten without needing heating up. Youth meet in the evening 7-8pm in church.
Monday – Beacon warm welcome café 10-12midday
Tuesday – Stepping stones group for under 5’s and their parents/carers 10.-11.30am
Tuesday afternoon – house group in church, see Rod/Howard
Tuesday evening – deacons meeting in church 7.30pm, do pray for John as he joins the team.
Wednesday – lunch club for all those booked in and the volunteers, see Rachel Beedle
Wednesday evening – housegroup in church, see Andy/Ruth Berry
Thursday – warm welcome craft group 2-4pm in church
Thursday – bible study at 7pm in church, see Gareth Gadd
Friday – bible study at 10am in church, see Shelley or send a message to Lesley for more information
Friday evening at 8pm – housegroup, see Jonathan/Hilary Darling
Do call or send a message to Lesley or ask Shelley for more information on groups through the week. Lesley is in the office Monday and Tuesday 9-4pm and Wednesday until 1pm.
Thanks to all those who came to the church meeting last week. Minutes will be out soon. Do keep praying and continue the conversation before our next meeting.
Last Sunday in the service, at the church meeting and at Wednesday worship, we spent some time thanking God together for things in our world and our lives that we are grateful for. Philippians 4:6 reminds us to “..bring up all of your requests to God in your prayers and petitions, along with giving thanks.” The letter goes onto say that the result will be that the peace of God “…that exceeds all understanding will keep your hearts and minds safe in Christ Jesus”. It does not mean that we ignore what is going on around us, but our requests are balanced with thanks, and this brings safety to our minds and hearts. God wants us to see and act with passion but he wants our minds and hearts to operate from a place of safety and not fear. Colossians 3:15 says “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.” It is this peace that needs to rule, not just have a place or a say, but be in charge, be sovereign, have the final word, over our minds and hearts. This peace brings us unity with others. A lack of peace can bring division and a feeling of separation. We have been reading the book of Ruth together on Sundays. Naiomi’s husband Elimelech appears right at the beginning and his land is mentioned throughout the book. His name means ‘God is sovereign’ and it’s a reminder that even though God is not obviously speaking in the book, God is in control as Ruth follows Him. The story continues.
Further Autumn Sunday dates..
Sunday 27th October 11am service with group for our younger friends
Sunday 3rd November 11am all age café church
Sunday 10th November 10.50am service with a group for our younger friends. Note the slightly earlier start time so that we can have the 2 minute silence for remembering.
Sunday 17th November 11am service with communion and a group for your younger friends
Sunday 24th November 11am service with a group for our younger friends
Sunday 24th November 4pm Tea for all and a chance to join with John and Sue Wilson from BMS on their retirement visit and to hear some of their stories about mission in Paris.
There will be a short service in November to remember those we miss who are no longer with us. Date to be confirmed this week.
Ideas for Advent and Christmas are coming together, dates will be out in the next two weeks. Our Christmas programme will begin on December 7th 1.30-3.30pm, sing along Christmas carols and songs with Steel Crazy steel pan band and festive treats.
Finally, this week at lunch club, Prickly Pigs Hedgehog Rescue visited. It was great to see a rescued hedgehog, but we were reminded of the decline in hedgehog populations. Do check out the webpage here A Prickly Encounter – Wednesday 16th October – Moortown Baptist Church and for those who live in the North Leeds area there is a meeting at St Barnabas on 19th November on how to get involved with the local nature recovery plan. Alwoodley 2030: Climate Action Hub – Nature & Biodiversity
In Christ
Shelley