5QN Advent Adventures

19 Dec 2011 | | Posted in Events, Missional Expression Stories, NewsNo Comments

Katie Backler reports back after a hugely successful afternoon of advent craft

A few weeks ago the large hall was transformed into a buzzing mass of adults and children making the most incredible array of advent crafts. There was something to suit everyone… nativity mobiles, crackers, candles, fimo jewellery, biscuit decorating to mention a few. There was the chance for adults to have a yarn over a cuppa and mince pie or sing along to their favourite Christmas song!

Loads of friends came and joined us which was hugely encouraging – they loved it and had a blast.

5QN is all about building community with those around us and introducing people to Jesus….we came a bit closer to that vision in doing this.

If you would like to find out more about 5QN please visit the mbc website or email Katie at katie@mbc.org.uk.

Katie

 

MBC Christmas Market 2011

29 Nov 2011 | | Posted in Just Christmas, Missional Expression Stories1 Comment

Last Saturday Restore held our first ever Christmas market at Central Hall. We had a fantastic day with a great buzz in the church for the 4 hours as both church and community members browsed on the various stalls from local traders selling jewellery and artwork to our bric-a-brac, cake and bookstalls provided by donations from church members so thank you very much as well as for everyone who came on the day. The pile in the crush hall grew massively in the week running up to the market for which all funds raised went towards Just Christmas. This combined with donations from traders and members of the public helped us to raise over £500. This is enough provide a Dalit family with economic security for life and help fund the Pass the Baton scheme with the Bethany Christian Trust on top of that. For more information on these projects visit www.justchristmas.org.uk!

At Restore we are focusing on working with and in the community of Tollcross. This market proved a great opportunity to meet people, whether off the street shopping or traders who came to sell their wares. Many people were excited to see inside our church and hopefully this will lead to further partnerships with the community into the future.

The Tollcross Christmas lights are being turned on this Tuesday at 6pm outside 2 Thin Laddies across the road from Central Hall so if you’re in the area and feel like some mulled wine and carol singing please pop by. The event includes performances from Tollcross Primary School Choir as well as both a brass band and a samba band and the lights are being turned on by Alexander McCall-Smith.

Simon

(If you are interested in joining Restore and our work with the community of Tollcross please drop me an email at simon.steele@hotmail.co.uk)

November 24-7. Brilliant.

11 Nov 2011 | | Posted in 247 Prayer, News1 Comment

Well last week marked our first venture back into 24-7 prayer since relocating to Central Hall. Participation throughout the week was brilliant and by the end precious few slots went unfilled (even the silly o’clock ones!). Well done church!

The room itself was amazing thanks to the creativity of a committed team who did a wonderful job of transforming what was once a graveyard for office furniture into an inspiring prayer space. In case you couldn’t make it along, see for yourself, check out some of the photos!

Coming off the back of what’s been a hugely blessed week of prayer for us, here’s an encouragement from Eddie:

I wonder what your experience has been in the 24-7 prayer room this week?  For many the prayer room has been just the catalyst to stop “doing” for a while and instead to practice just “being”, being in the presence of God.

Remember, when we pray it doesn’t change who God is but it does enable Him to change who we are.  We understand a little more of what it means to glorify Him in all aspects of life. We allow the balance to shift from our tendency to depend on ourselves to having an increased dependency on Him. We glimpse some more of Father’s love for those He has created but who don’t yet know who He is. Let’s keep encouraging and enthusing each other on this trajectory of dependence on God. After all He has an infinite, unending store of grace, joy, hope, purpose, love, direction and power to lavish on us. Do you know all we have to do to receive it?

Just ask, that’s it, just ask.

Another week of 24-7 may have ended but lets keep praying and seeking His face! COME ON!

Eddie

24/7 Prayer Week

27 Oct 2011 | | Posted in 247 PrayerNo Comments

The 24/7 prayer week commences at midnight on this coming Sunday 30 October.

This is a great opportunity for coming together to worship God, to listen to Him and cry out to Him for those we are seeking to love and introduce to Jesus through our lives and in our MEs. Now that we have a larger space, as well as enabling individual use, it is much more possible to have groups together in the room, whether small groups or entire MEs.

The room has been creatively set up to inspire prayer and to enable responses in many different ways. 

In the past we have all been so encouraged too at having children in the room and seeing their innocent and yet profound worship as the Holy Spirit speaks through them. Please do take this opportunity to pray together. There is something special about the togetherness of a commitment to pray for our city.

Sign up is easy, just go to www.mbc.org.uk/247/login and follow the instructions. The week starts off with a corporate time of prayer on the evening of Sunday 30 October from 9pm-midnight, again please think about spending some time there. I love Epaphras’ example of ‘wrestling in prayer’ for others (Colossians 3) which signifies real effort on his part. It is a reminder too that prayer is very much for our benefit as it enables us to grow in our dependence on Father God and experience more of the fullness of life He has for us.

So … is it a sacrifice to spend time in the prayer room? Yes

Is it worth it? Absolutely!

Looking forward to hearing your stories from the week.

CAP Celebrate! event – a report

10 Oct 2011 | | Posted in Christians Against Poverty, Missional Expression StoriesNo Comments

On 26th September we had a wonderful evening of praise to God for the way He has been working in people’s lives. We heard moving testimonies from two clients of how the Lord had changed their lives completely, plus an account from a CAP (Christians Against Poverty)  helper of how her life had been enriched through being involved with CAP. There was a real sense of thanksgiving throughout the evening.

As well as celebrating what the Lord is doing through this ministry, many opportunities for getting involved in the work were highlighted. It was great to see how many of the clients put their names down for specific roles, a clear expression of how much they appreciated what had been done for them.

The event was held at our old Holy Corner premises and we’d like to thank Elim who were so hospitable and helpful to us.

If you would be interested in finding out more about how to get involved with CAP, please contact Jill Smith [CAP Centre Manager] at jillsmith@capuk.org

 

inter:act twenty-eleven

10 Oct 2011 | | Posted in InteractNo Comments

Coming soon, to a venue near you… the inter:act 2011-12 team has started!

This year’s team sees Vicky Allen, Lindsay English, Cathy Gill, Kathy McFadzean, Robert Rattray, Ely Wapler and Jack Wilson get stuck into a huge variety of our missional expression communities across the city, whilst inter:act theatre students Stephanie Hazel and Kirsty Nicolson drama it up with Fiona Stewart at Foolproof Theatre. This team have committed a year of their life to God, wanting to grow to be more like Jesus. What heroes!!

The team started last week with a new full time week-long induction programme, exploring what it means to be a child of God, loved by their Heavenly Father. After that, the team comes together every Tuesday for teaching and training seminars, exploring how they can increasingly live as missional disciples. Alongside our own staff team here at mbc, we’re very blessed to have a number of outside speakers and pastors from across Edinburgh join us through the year to share this teaching programme. Tuesday also sees the team commit to growing together, with accountability groups, bible study, prayer and – of course – cake! (It wouldn’t be inter:act if there wasn’t cake….)

 

Try Praying ME Story

6 Oct 2011 | | Posted in Missional Expression Stories, Try Praying1 Comment

I took the new Children’s Try Praying booklet home to my 12 year old daughter. She doesn’t come to church, but I wanted to see her reaction. She just put it by the side of her bed and said, when I asked her to read it “If I must!!”

A couple of days later, I asked her about the booklet and she was very excited. She said “I don’t have to give it back, do I?” When I asked further, she said it was a fantastic booklet. She had read it all and couldn’t do it day by day as she needed to read it all at once.

I asked if there was anything in particular she wanted to talk about. She said she was very pleased that God could hear the prayers that she said in her head, so that meant she could pray at all times — she didn’t know this. Previously she had prayed out loud behind close doors in her bedroom.

Stories from our MEs

5 Oct 2011 | | Posted in Missional Expression Stories, Soul Surfers, SwitchNo Comments

Soul Surfers

We’ve stocked up recently on some Christian Surfer resources and felt we were in the right position with a few individuals to give them Bibles or other books, dvds etc. We’re praying for the impact of those resources daily, and for the relationships we have and that we make in the surf community.

At our recent Beach Day a family none of us had met before joined us after finding out about the Beach Day online. They chatted with some people from church and it was obvious they were hungry for the Bible. We sent them a Surfers Bible and Walking on Water DVD, a few copies of Second Day magazine and Lyfe Bible study notes. The whole family are now speaking about the huge impact this has had on their lives, and how their hunger has grown. We’re excited about being in relationship with them, and encouraging them as their lives change in response to what God is doing.

 

Switch

God has been speaking to members of Switch about learning to dwell well and become more involved in the community they long to reach and see changed. Six members of the Missional Expression now live in the Gracemount area and are getting to know and love their community better. Wherever they go, usually on foot to increase the likelihood of encountering people, they meet young people they know from Switch‘s work in the area.

Friday nights are busy for Street Team and good relationships have been forming. Some young people have been coming to pray with them before going out on a Friday night. They’re so encouraged!

Celebrate! with CAP

19 Sep 2011 | | Posted in EventsNo Comments

Monday 26 September, 7pm ’til 9.30pm at Edinburgh Elim

(Edinburgh Elim is on Morningside Road – formerly mbc Holy Corner)

The mbc CAP Misisonal Expression is for those within our fellowship who have a heart for people experiencing financial and other difficulties which surround debt.

Whether  you are currently involved with Christian Against Poverty (CAP) or not, please join us on Monday 26 September  for an evening of worship, thanksgiving, inspiration and hope.

We want to celebrate all that has been achieved so far! There will be music, prayer and worship; dvds and displays, CAP stories and testimonies, refreshements, and an opportunity to find out how you can be involved!

Thursday 28 April – half night of prayer 6pm ’til midnight

27 Apr 2011 | | Posted in 247 PrayerNo Comments

Church Family – it is time to get on our knees and pray to our God, the God of this City.

Here is a rundown of the half-night of prayer taking place at mbc Holy Corner - we would love to see you at as much of the evening as possible!

  • 6-7pm: God of our Families… God of our Schools (Family-friendly, all-age prayer led by Heather McCormick and Co.)
  • 7-8pm: God of our Churches… God of these Streets (Led by George Hazel)
  • 8-9pm: God of our Workplace… God of our World (Led by Heather McCormick & Co.)
  • 9-10pm: God of Mission (For all those involved in mission)
  • 10-11pm: God of our Universities… God of our Elections (Led by Tim May)
  • 11-12pm: God of our Church… God of our Hearts (Led by Karl Martin)

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