Leeds Vineyard

Digging Up The Treasure 

This is turning into one of those important months in the life of Leeds Vineyard - and therefore in your and my life and in the lives of all those to whom we minister today and to whom we will minister in the years to come.  We are called to win Headingley for the Kingdom and the Project upon which we are embarking is a big step toward enabling the fulfilment of this vision.

Please do join us on Sunday morning at weekly worship where I will make a short announcement about our new staff appointments – key positions to get us into a place where we can start to “dig out the treasure” which God has shown us (Matthew 13:44-46).

Sally Wallace has a wonderful message continuing our series on “Who is Jesus?” in which she asks the question “And who do you say that I am?” And it is Picnic in the Church as well (so do bring your supplies!).

Mothers’ Day

Sunday 26 March is Mothers’ Day (or Mother’s Day or Mothering Sunday). We will take the opportunity to bless and pray for women and mothers and offer them a small gift. It is a good opportunity to make an invitation to your friends, colleagues and family.

Our practice is to honour mothers (because we all had one) but also to honour all women whether or not they have biological children of their own. This is not a patronising male thing (Fathers' Day looms in a few weeks' time and we get our turn) but a recogition that women are an absolutely equal part of God's creation alongside men. Religious language tends to emphasis the masculine - for various grammatical and cultural reasons - but I don't believe God emphasises either gender. Genesis 1:27 says,

So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.


Both male and female are reflected in who God is. He is not gender-neutral - he is full of gender, male and female. So women and mothers reflect as much of who God is as men and fathers do.

Mothers' Day Sunday is also our monthly celebration of communion.  Sarah Byde will be teaching another in our “Who is Jesus?” series and showing how he identifies with us and we with him (whether we are men or women!). It’s a great message.

Fifth Sunday

Sunday 30 April is a 5th Sunday and we’re going to try something different. We will move weekly worship from the morning to the evening. It will take the form of Open Space, i.e. with more of a focus on worship and prayer (but there won’t be any provision for young children).

In the morning we are encouraging people who can to offer lunch in their home – for people who are relatively new to the church. We’ll provide more information soon but it would be great if you could make a note of this in your diary.

Baptisms

Our next baptism service is on 11 June up at Ilkley in the River Wharfe, as is our tradition. If you have not yet been baptised but you are a follower of Jesus then here is your chance! In Acts 2 when the people ask Peter how they could be saved he sums it up by instructing them to do three things: repent; be filled with the Holy Spirit; and be baptised. If you want to know more please ask your small group leader or one of the pastoral staff.

Peace

David