The Encourager - March 2002
"Thinking Ahead and Keeping in Touch"

Barney Bears

Moor Allerton Elderly Care

CHURCHES TOGETHER MOOR ALLERTON & SHADWELL

Child Rescue International Sponsor Tour

 Nigel writes about:
"Thinking Ahead and Keeping in Touch".
One thing about being a Vicar is that you always seem to end up thinking about the next event or season in the church calendar (others may have to do the same in different contexts, of course). As I write, Lent has just started and yet in thinking ahead, the planning for Holy Week and Easter is taking place. And rightly so. As it is said, "those who fail to plan, plan to fail." The church's year seems to come round faster and faster. The advert is right "If you have no time to stop and stare . . . "
    We can be so caught up in the daily rounds of life and church that we lose the wider perspective and the longer term focus. At the moment, the buildings at St Barnabas' are the focus of much attention. There are many questions and issues with a variety of views and opinions. But one question for me is: what should St. Barnabas' Church look like in 5 years time? I hope it looks and feels different! I hope that we will have moved on with the Lord in faith and love and mission and discipleship. If the church is not different, if we are not different then we will have lost our way.
    A former Bishop of Pontefract visited a church and talked with a man who had been Churchwarden there for 40 years. "You must have seen some changes in the church during your 40 years" said the Bishop. "Yes, I have", replied the Churchwarden, "and I have opposed every single one of them".
    For any church today there are many things which can be done. There are hundreds of options, programmes, policies and courses which could be pursued. But the main thing is to keep focused on our God. He is the ultimate planner. You can see this in creation - the pattern and rhythm of the seasons. You can see this in the life and ministry, and death and resurrection of Jesus. Lent is the traditional time for asking the question - are we keeping in touch with the Lord? Are our priorities right? Are we keeping focused? This is the time to stop, not to stare, but to seek the Lord while he may be found, to pray and to ask the searching questions.
    The Lord declared through Isaiah, the prophet, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your ways my ways. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
    For if we do not keep in touch with the Lord then the church will become redundant. As David Watson wrote, "the church that will not listen to the voice of God or will not respond to the promptings of the Spirit, will be quite unable to speak with relevance or power to the rapidly changing world in which we live."

Barney Bears for 0 - 5's
Come and make new friends at a short, informal service for babies, toddlers and pre-school children, their parents or carers. Action songs. Fun activities. A story. Prayers. Crafts. Refreshments. A time to chat and play. We meet on Tuesdays in church at 10am and finish at about 11.15am. Date of next meetings: 5th and 19th March.  For more details please contact Sarah.

Moor Allerton Elderly Care.
We are holding a fund raising event to provide vital support for the elderly in the area. Some of the support that is available includes; Home visiting, Car scheme, Gardening, Advice and other beneficial services. Please support us on Tuesday 19th March from 1.30pm to 3.30pm at St Stephens Church, Cramner Bank. Entertainment will be provided by the 'Feeling Good Theatre Company'. There will also be a bring and buy stall. Tickets cost £2 and are available from MAECare Office or Celia Martin.
Thank you for your support. (Celia Martin St Barnabas MAECare representative.)

   CHURCHES TOGETHER MOOR ALLERTON & SHADWELL
A sponsored walk has been organised for Saturday 16th March in aid of Emmaus Leeds. The walk will start at St. Paul's Shadwell at 10am and call at all the churches in the area, lunch will be provided at St. Johns and tea and cakes at St. Barnabas at 3pm. Sponsor forms are available Rita Wright.  Please support this ecumenical event. If you are unable to walk the full distance of 6 miles you could do part of it or help by sponsoring or greeting walkers, making tea or providing cakes. Our MP Fabian Hamilton will be at St. Barnabas to accept the Christian Aid Trade for Justice cards which we have been asking you to sign. Emmaus now have a property in Leeds but £1,000,000 is needed to refurbish and equip the property before homeless people can be offered a new start in life.

Child Rescue International Sponsor Tour 23rd - 30th March 2002.
I will be joining 13 other people on a tour of Romania and Moldova on the 23rd of March visiting 10 children's homes, where we will meet the children, helpers and talk with the Directors of the homes.
I will also have the opportunity to meet Christian Mihai our sponsored child, spend some time with him and hopefully communicate our love and support for him.
One of the main objectives of the visit apart from meeting the children we sponsor, is to give support to the helpers and Directors of the homes by meeting with them, and by being able to provide financial support and goods to make there life more easier.
The cost of the visit including the Flight and accommodation I will fund myself, where I would like to the church family to contribute is for financial support in the following ways.

1. We will be visiting around 10 Homes and each person on the trip sponsors a child in one of those homes. Some of the money donated will go directly to the children in the homes by providing pencils. writing paper, footballs, games etc., etc.,.
The Managers of the Homes have very little income so we take them coffee and items that they cannot easily obtain or afford to buy.
Your money will be used to purchase the above, the gifts will then be given to the children during our visits to the Homes.

2. Every Home has a requirement for a new project to be started, for a New Kitchen, replacement of the Central Heating or New Beds etc., etc.,.
With your Money we will have the opportunity to fund one of these projects if there is a genuine need. If we agree to fund a project then C.R.I. will provide updates on a regular basis on the progress of the project and more importantly confirm that the project has been completed.
Early this month I hope to have the opportunity on a Sunday morning to give more information on the trip.
If you would like to contribute then please contact myself or one of the Church Wardens.

Terry Crabtree