‘Safe to grow at Moortown Baptist Church’ is a set of agreed policies and procedures for ensuring a safe environment for children and young people within the care of our church. Our policies and procedures cover the ways that we act, monitor, care, recruit and show accountability. They are a guide and protection for volunteers, paid workers and indeed the whole church community. They are one expression of our beliefs and values.
We have three documents:
• the full set of policies and procedures – for reference purposes and for use by anyone with overall responsibility for events, activities and trips;
• our ‘Manual’ which is an abridged version of the full set – for general use by everyone involved in children’s and youth work;
• a leaflet, which summarises key aspects of our policy and procedures in a compact format designed to be kept to hand for easy reference.
These documents are based on the model Safe to Grow policy available from the Baptist Union and available on the Safe to Grow website at www.safetogrow.org.uk).

This Sunday (19/5) we will be focussing on God’s mission of love to the world; both at home and abroad. Guests will be the BMS Action team. We’ll have a time of open worship, testimony from the team and time to focus on our own mission fields, whether at home or abroad.

Pete

I have been visiting the various house-groups over the last nine months and was at the Hardyman’s this week. We briefly raised the interesting question of how we best hear God. Is it by “retreating” from our normal lives to go on a retreat; or in the everyday of our normal lives?

Last week I went on my annual retreat to the Lake District. The format has been the same for the last 12 years; 2 nights on my own with a focus on worship and prayer. It’s an opportunity to reflect on the year gone and year to come, lift them up to God and most importantly; listen to what God has to say. This year it was both encouraging and challenging. Encouraging in that I feel God say to me that he is doing “ a new thing” in my life, but challenging in that I also feel him say that I “have much to learn!”

I have always found retreats helpful in getting space, temporarily removing oneself from phone calls/e-mails/post that needs answering and things that “come up” in everyday life that you weren’t anticipating. Personally, I find those big blocks of time helpful to really go for it in worship, soak myself in scripture, prayer and God’s presence. There’s something about unhurried time and space that helps us connect with God, get on his wavelength, know his presence and hear his voice. We can of course make those times at home.

Yet many of us struggle to find space to get quality time with God at home, never mind the opportunity of going away. Pressures of family (children and grandchildren), work, various other commitments can easily squeeze out “quiet times.” The question raised at housegroup was should we really have to “go away” to be able to hear God? The answer is obviously no, and God can speak to us anywhere; prayer is conversational relationship with God and not a religious ritual that has to be in a set holy place or time. I tend to chat on with God during the day wherever I am, on the bus, in the supermarket, on the M62 on the way to college.

I guess the encouraging things is that we can pray anywhere, at “home and away.”God just likes us to talk with him. The encouraging thing is that the more we pray, the more we focus on him, the more time we spend with him, the easier it gets to hear his voice:

“Draw near to God and he will draw near to you” (James 4:8).

Pete Jorysz

Chairs can tell you a lot of things. They can tell us who they are for by their size and level of luxury – a throne, a stool, a children’s desk chair: They can tell you what they are used for by their comfort and design – an armchair, a bench, a sun lounger.

One of the chairs I remember as a child was not at home but in Hexham Abbey. It is St. Wilfrid’s chair.

It was stone, old and cracked. It was quite small but sat in the middle of the church telling us that whoever sat in this chair was very important and at the centre of things. I also remember how shiny the stone was – I wonder how many bishop’s bottoms had rubbed this stone into a shine!

Being topical I thought of another chair. As the new Star Trek film (Star Trek into Darkness) I was reminded of Captain Kirk’s chair in the bridge. It too was in the middle, not polished but with controls in both arms and able to swivel in any direction. When the chair was empty things seemed out of control – but when Jim was seated at the helm everything was safe – especially at the end of each episode.
The 9^th May was Ascension Day, when we have an image of Jesus sitting powerfully in heaven. He has gone through everything and now sits down with everything in place.

This picture can offer great security for Christians going through all the struggles of living. Whatever we are going through Jesus is in power and seated on a throne.

We have similar security of an important and trustworthy person sitting in an important chair. (Jesus who saves us, prays with and for us and who is with the Father).

However that’s not the whole story – our sense of well-being and life is not just because Jesus is on the bridge up in heaven but because he is with us and all the purpose and hope he showed is growing among us. This is what Jesus called the Kingdom.

More than that this kingdom isn’t just something that occurs up in heaven but here in our lives today. That’s why we pray your kingdom come… on earth as it is in heaven.

So ten days after Ascension Day comes Pentecost when we celebrate that the Spirit comes among us. The reality is that the transformation, joy, hope and resilience of Christianity is not locked on one person on a throne but is in and among all who follow.

What does this mean practically? To find purpose in living we look to Jesus (risen and ascended) but we also look around us to what God is doing here.

Then I went a bit further in my thinking about chairs. What do our chairs tell us about our lives – about who we are? What we do? How we spend our time? How we relate together?

What do the chairs in church tell about us?

Here’s a selection:

The dark brown chairs in the main church room

The bright big cushions

The armchairs in the foyer

The plastic chairs lining the walls in the hall

The silver cafe chairs in the lounge

The toddlers chairs in the creche

What do the chairs in your home tell about you?

Graham Brownlee, May 2013

At the prayer evening last Sunday we focused on the Holy Spirit.

We had prayer stations which explored six signs of the Spirit.
People reflected and prayed at each station and we shared what we believed God had been saying to us.

We listened to God for the city of Leeds, our church and ourselves.

The six signs were:

fire
A box of matches.

Invitation to write on paper something about the aspect of life that stands against God and his love, justice and hope.

Light a match and allow the paper to be consumed in the flames.

water
Jug of water and glasses. Reflect on the refreshing qualities of water.

Pray for refreshing in our lives and this city.

light and cloud
A picture of light and clods in the sky.

As light and cloud led the people through the wilderness – pray for God to lead his people in this city.

dove
An origami dove.

Consider the things that make for peace and the situations that need peace.

wind
Sitting around a fan blowing air.

Pray for the Spirit to move, disturb and enliven.

anointing
A jar of oil.

To reflect on call, purpose and anointing.

To pray for the purpose of the activity and services in our city and an anointing of the Spirit across the city.

For our own living : an opportunity to anoint each other with oil.

As we listened and shared one word or idea came to the fore:

Longing or yearning

A move of God so often begins with a desire or longing – whether that be for things to change, an encounter with God; for hope and care; for a difference to be made.

As in the parable of the lost Son (Luke 15) the son’s longing was a prelude to him coming to his senses, returning home, and being welcomed back by his father.

We also reflected upon the breath of the Spirit enlivening the dry bones as told in Ezekiel 37.

We prayed for a longing and hunger of the ways of God in the city of Leeds, throughout our church and in our individual lives.

Thank you so much for all the continued messages of support , offers of  help and completed application forms received so far. Things are moving along now with the proposed development of the Leeds  (North) Foodbank, and we just wanted to update everyone on the latest  developments, and forthcoming opportunities to get involved with this exciting  project.

We now have Karen Burgon in place as a Project Manager (as a volunteer )  and will be appointing people to Volunteer coordinator and Distribution Centre  Manager posts very soon it is hoped.

A Volunteer Training morning is being arranged for Monday 10th June from
9.30am to 1.30pm and will be held at our distribution centre in  Moor Allerton, please let Karen Burgon know if you would like a place on this  training session so sufficient materials can be provided, by emailing karenburgon@leedsnorth.foodbank.org.uk

It would also be really helpful if application forms were completed by people proposing to come along to this session so we can start the processing of  these once our Volunteer coordinator is in place.

Blessings and Thanks,
Karen Burgon (with Paul & Clare Maslin).
Launch Pilot-Team co-ordinators, Leeds (North) FoodBank.

M: 0795-8646-509 (Paul)

M: 0790-6921-554 (Karen)

Fax: 0113-3505-671

Skype: paul-mas

Email: info@leedsnorth.foodbank.org.uk

News Updates at: www.networkleeds.com

Web: (Soon to be personalised!) www.leedsnorth.foodbank.org.uk

Office & post: Leeds (North) Foodbank, 162 Stainbeck Lane, Leeds,
LS7 2EA (Within Stainbeck Community Hall)

Centre: (will be) Moortown Methodist Church, Alderton Rise,
Leeds, LS17 5LH (Nr. Homebase’s shop at Moor Allerton Centre)

As the name implies being a member of a BMS (Baptist Missionary Society) Action Team is a pretty full on affair. First of all there’s the selection and training process, then there’s six months abroad in your chosen location and finally when you return there’s a grueling eight week tour around the UK talking about your experiences.

For the Lebanon team that’s: Hannah Pickering from Huddersfield, Joe Barnes from Bridgend, Liverpudlian Laura McHale and our own Alex Lui one part of that tour brings them to MBC.

Having spent half a year working in churches, schools and orphanages in and around Beirut you might think that these four nineteen year olds deserve a bit of rest; well if their visit to Moortown is anything like typical, rest is the last thing on their packed agenda. This week alone sees them either leading or visiting two school assemblies, a joint Housegroup session, Rock Solid and RS2, Day Care, Sunday School, a number of school clubs and two Sunday services.

At Wednesday evening’s Rock Solid Alex wasted no time in showing his friends around his old stamping ground, very soon introducing them to the tuck shop and the drama props box. For the rest of the session the team led a seriously funny game which as you can see from our pictures was most definitely designed  for contortionists rather than normal humans before going on to share their fascinating story with twenty eight eleven to fourteen year olds.

Next week, week five of their road trip, the team head off to Laura’s home church in Liverpool… on behalf of everyone here at Moortown, thank you so much for visiting us and God bless you all.

To see a larger version of our gallery images just click on the image.

All donors and friends of the Bangladesh Fund are invited to the home of Michael and June Flowers at 7, The Crescent, Adel LS16 6AA on Friday 31^st May at 7.30 for 8.00 to hear news of Sue Headlam’s latest visit to Chandraghona and Jhum Para and to make important decisions about the future. Refreshments will be served

On the evening of the 28th of June all children in Year 5 and 6 that come to Family Church and Live Wires are invited to a sleepover at church.

The aim of the evening is to have a lot of fun, playing games, eating food, watching a film and hopefully getting some sleep.  There will also be some time to think about times when we all need to rely on God for strength and direction.  We will be thinking about the verse:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart.   Never rely on what you think you know.

Remember the Lord in everything that you do, and He will show you the right way to go. Proverbs 3 v 5-6

There will also be a competition that you need to prepare for before you arrive – the challenge is to come up with the best sleep joke you can make up or find….  There will be prizes!!!

We (the team and I) are looking forward to having fun and laughing a lot…. and I really am hoping that I will get some sleep!!!

To take part in the sleepover please ask your parent or carer to complete and return the consent form that you will find at this link.

When one of Leeds’ most popular events funnels 6,000 people past your front door surely the least you can do is put the kettle on and offer them a cup of tea. OK so maybe after slogging their way up Stonegate Road the majority of them have more important things on their mind but for their army of supporters the unofficial MBC tea tent once again proved a big hit.

Cheer leader Val

This year its official partner charities are: St Gemma’s and Sue Ryder Wheatfields in Leeds; Martin House Children’s Hospice in Boston Spa; St Michaels in Harrogate; Sue Ryder Manorlands in Oxenhope; St Leonards in York; Overgate Hospice in Elland; Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice in Huddersfield; Marie Curie in Bradford; and the Jane Tomlinson Appeal.

So well done to our own Richard Thompson who took part in the run, commiserations to race regular Moyra Richardson who this year sadly injured herself in training and there has to be a special mention for Val Boyd (left) who from the very moment the first of 6000 runners came into sight kept up a constant, forty five minute wave of applause and encouragement.

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

Time for a cuppa? maybe not