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)

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

 

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!