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)

Just Christmas Update

3 Mar 2011 | | Posted in Just ChristmasNo Comments

Just Christmas was a massive success this year – well done everybody!

In total we raised over £32,000 for children at Sholapur School, Maharastra. We presented a big cheque to Joseph D’Souza (Executive Director of OM India  and International President of the Dalit Freedom Network) on the 20th February at our morning family service. Joseph thanked everyone for their donations, encouraging them that ‘this money will make a real difference in the lives of Dalit children in Sholapur.’ Check out www.justchristmas.org.uk for more info on how previous campaigns have changed lives in Maharastra.

A special ‘well done’ to the kids at mbc, who in total raised £125 to feed Dalit children. Someone was so impressed at the mbc kids’ fundraising efforts and their heart for the poor that they doubled the children’s money, giving £250 in all, which allows us to feed 5 Dalit children for a year. When inter:act visit Sholapur in April, they hope to meet some of these children and bring back some photos and stories to share.

Just Christmas Update

13 Jan 2011 | | Posted in Just Christmas, NewsNo Comments

We chose to celebrate a bit differently this year, asking ourselves what a just Christmas would look like not only for us here in Edinburgh, but also for those in the world who live in injustice. If we really believe that the world changed forever when Jesus moved into the world as a baby, shouldn’t that radically affect how we celebrate Christmas?

It’s been absolutely brilliant to see Christmas being celebrated differently at MBC. From cake sales to kids parties, clothes swaps to creative crafting, so far the total donated stands at £16,491.95! Brilliant!

If you haven’t got your donation in yet, don’t panic… Just Christmas donations can be sent to the mbc office, or placed in the Gift Box at the front of church. It would be helpful if donations were gift-aided and recieved by the 13th February, so we can present our total gift for the Dalit Education Centre in Sholapur to Joseph D’Souza when he visits on the 20 Feb ’11.

If you have a children’s ‘feed a dalit child’ box please return the contents, however small, to the attention of ‘Hannah Montgomery’ at the mbc office, clearly labelled with ‘feed a dalit child’.

For more info check out www.justchristmas.org.uk or contact hannah@mbc.org.uk

MBC youth raise over £100 for Just Christmas!

16 Dec 2010 | | Posted in Events, Just Christmas, YouthNo Comments

The mbc youth got busy in the kitchen over the festive period and made over 300 cakes to sell at the Alternative Christmas Service!

All donations for the delightfully decorated Christmas bakes went straight towards the Just Christmas appeal. Donations for Just Christmas are beginning to come in and mbc youth are keen to sponsor a child as part of their way to share the love this Christmas time. Be inspired to do likewise and play your part towards a Just Christmas.

just christmas

10 Nov 2010 | | Posted in Just ChristmasNo Comments

There’s a rule in my house that talk of Christmas is banned until after my husband’s birthday. (November 19th… if you want to get him a card!) I don’t know about you, but Christmas seems to come around earlier every year… and now that I’m working in a church office it seems like it’s even earlier!

However… when the air gets colder, the leaves crisp under your feet and starbucks start bringing out their festive syrups (yum yum) your mind does wander! It’s hard not to dream about gift-wrapped presents & glittering baubled trees, and even harder not to worry about how you’re going to fit Uncle Edward and Aunt Bessie round an already packed kitchen table.

At MBC this year we are looking forward (again!) to doing Christmas differently. Our ‘Just Christmas’ project gives us all a chance, from the youngest to the oldest, to remember what’s really important.

A baby boy, born in the mess and smell of a Bethlehem cow-stable, came to bring about justice for the world.

So as we look forward to Christmas let’s also look forward to this opportunity to remember the greatest gift of all – Jesus – and to give as we have received. Let’s give as we spend this Christmas, remembering those who live in total injustice. Over the next few weeks we’ll explore some more what a ‘Just Christmas’ could look like, so stay tuned for more info both on here and at our Sunday services.