Building for the Future
Our JustGiving page for BfF is: https://www.justgiving.com/stmatthewschurch-chapelallerton
Simply search on the JustGiving website or App for St. Matthews Church and click on Fundraise for us link or make a single donation by clicking on the Donate button.
WHITE GIFT AID ENVELOPES
For the last year we have been assigning all money given in the one-off pew envelopes to the Building for the Future fund. Thank you to all those who have given in this way. The PCC has now resolved that all future money in the pew envelopes will go towards general funds as we are struggling to meet our day to day costs. If you wish to continue to give to BfF please use one of the large white envelopes by the BfF display or see above.
If you would like to contribute to the upkeep of our beautiful building and make it a place for worship, meetings, drama and music. Please help by making a regular payment to our scheme this is to help with our charitable giving and payment of the various bills we have to pay to keep this building in good working order for all that seek to find God. And also help our local community and those less fortunate.
Please use the attached form by clicking the donate button this will take you to our donation form which you can then fill in. And if you are a UK tax payer please consider gift aiding your contribution this will not affect your pocket, but the Tax Man will give us .25p for every £1.00 you give us. Thank you in advance and remember click donate.
OUR WEBSITE IS STILL DEVELOPING -
This is our (fairly) new and evolving website. Thanks to Fred Rowland for setting this up. The content is still being edited and any comments welcome to Fred or David Keighley.
PLEASE LET US KNOW
if you are aware of anyone from Church who is poorly, or become housebound or in need of some support, and especially those in hospital, and if you yourselves are going to hospital, so that the Pastoral Visiting Team can arrange for someone to visit. Please contact any of the staff team.
EARLY MORNING PRAYERS
Wednesdays at 8am for 20 minutes in the new Community Room, enter by Main Church door. Let’s pray for our country at this crucial time, as well as for our local community. If this time is not possible (e.g. too late for work) let me know – David Robinson.
SEEDS FOR GROWTH
FINANCE MATTERS - Thank you for all those who responded to our ‘Seeds for Growth’ stewardship target. We are very grateful especially to those who have joined the planned giving scheme and ensure a regular income for the Church. We are however still short of our target. We will need to continue to build up our regular giving and if you can help please do so.
COFFEE ROTA - CAN YOU HELP?
The new coffee rota will be out soon and it would be great to have a few more volunteers (male or female). If you can help just 3 or 4 times a year, please let me know. Thanks, Tina Rowe
POWER UP
is our new group for young people aged 9 years at the Gather Together service. Our aim is to help our young people explore questions of faith and connect and grow in their relationship with God.
COMMUNITY CAFE
Why not call in for a coffee and a chat every Wednesday in term-time from 9 -11.30am.
All welcome - pay as you feel.
InterACT
InterACT Church and Community Partnership. Upcoming Opportunities - Help Needed! Did you know...InterACT is a partnership of 5 churches: Holy Trinity Meanwood, Meanwood Methodists, Meanwood Valley Baptist, Stainbeck Church and St. Matthew’s?
AFTER SCHOOL CLUBS (for children aged 7-11 and their families): Wednesdays after school, in 5 week blocks. Volunteers needed to help set up, chat or be a helping hand between 2.45 and 5pm in 5 week blocks. Thank you! Contact info: Ness Brown - 07961 535 767; vanessa@interact.uk.net
CONFIRMATION
Will anyone considering being Confirmed (young people in year 7 or over, and adults) please contact me in the next few weeks. (David Robinson) or 0113 268 3072
CHRISTMAS TREE FESTIVAL
Our first Christmas Tree Festival will be open to the public from Friday 13th to Sunday 15th December between noon and 5pm each day. We have invited businesses, charities, schools, community groups and individuals to come along and join in what we hope will become a popular annual event. There'll be a warm welcome, festive stalls, music and the Community Cafe will be open throughout. For information contact stmatthewsctf@yahoo.com
CAROL SINGING AROUND THE BECKHILLS
Join with Stainbeck Church on Thursday 19th December at 6.30pm for Carol singing around the estates. Mince pies and hot drinks at 8pm – All welcome.
CAROL SINGING AROUND CHAPEL ALLERTON
Thursday 19th December 7pm.
All are welcome to join with Chapel Allerton Methodist Church to sing carols locally around the Norfolks, Pastures and the House of Light. Please come well wrapped up for all weather. Mince pies, tea and coffee available in the Methodist Church afterwards. Charity Collection for Action for Children.
CHRISTINGLE MAKING (For the Christingle/Crib Service 6pm Christmas Eve).Please come and help on Monday 23rd December at 4pm. Refreshments will be provided and if we have as many helpers as last year it will only take an hour. Thanks. Jenny Smith.
CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS DAY WITH InterACT
As part of the InterACT partnership, we are having a Christmas party, complete with Christmas Dinner on CHRISTMAS DAY at Holy Trinity Community Hall between 11am - 4pm. The cost is just £5 (Taxis can be ordered at the end for those needing them).Open to anyone who would otherwise be on their own on Christmas Day, so please do spread the word. Please ring Maureen on 07877 394816 in good time to book your place.
FAITH IN FELLOWSHIP - A SHARED MEAL
Sunday 12th January 11.15am onwards in Church. Meal served at 12 noon.
Cartoon Film for the children / Ice breakers for the adults followed by food and fellowship.
A two course hot meal will be provided. Booking essential. Please use the booking slip available at the back of Church. RSVP by Sunday 29th December please. Offers of help will be appreciated. Please contact Sue Rusholme.
If you have any odd dinner plates at home that you no longer require, please donate them for use at this meal. Similarly if you have any water jugs please donate them. Thank you.
SCRAMBLERS
is for 3-7 year olds. Bible stories, craft activities, songs and fun on Sunday mornings at 10am. Please pick up a programme in Church or contact Susan Robinson
PRAYERS AT STAINBECK
Thursday evenings at 7:30pm, a warm welcome is given to all to gather at Stainbeck URC for half-an-hour to pray, sing, read, speak, listen and keep silence together. A number of different people lead this time, when the service follows a varied pattern from set liturgies (including some from Iona and Taizé) to more informal worship styles. Communion is celebrated, usually on the fourth Thursday of each month.
Every first Thursday prayers focus on the community and are shared with other local churches.
THRIVE
Come and join the cell group team! On Wednesday evenings in term time a great bunch of young people from across our local churches gather at the Methodist Centre to explore faith, hang out and generally have a good time! We're looking for adults to come alongside them and support them in small groups as they chat and think about faith. If you'd like to find out more, contact Ben Cordy
HOST UK
arranges for international students to enjoy brief visits-one day, a weekend or, over the festive period, a three-day visit, with UK hosts. We warmly welcome new volunteer hosts to join us. Learn more. Can you make room for an international student to experience true British Festive hospitality? Hosting an international student will bring a whole new dimension to your Christmas, with a chance to learn about another country’s traditions and enjoy the connection and friendship that such sharing brings.
FOODBANK
We're fundraising for Leeds North and West Foodbank and would really appreciate your help to reach our target of £1,000! You can find out more and donate here Thank you, Karen Burgon and colleagues.
We are currently experiencing shortages of the following foods: longlife milk, longlife fruit juice, tinned meat, tinned fish, coffee, tea bags, rice pudding. Any donations of the above foods would be greatly appreciated.
GREEN BINS
The Church Green Bins are now in the walled enclosure behind the meeting room, away from the road. We have a good chance now of recycling materials from Church! The bins are for clean and dry plastics (1/PET, 2/HDPE & 4/LDPE), foil, cans, paper & cardboard. Sadly paper plates and hand towels do not recycle and wet or dirty items spoil ALL the collection. Thank you in advance for all your help with our ECO-Church group project.
PAFRAS
We continue to support Asylum Seekers through our gifts of food for PAFRAS – thank you for your donations of food.
MEANWOOD VALLEY FARM The Barn Coffee Shop
The Coffee Shop is a Christian Social Enterprise aimed at serving and giving to the community. For more information, please check their website.
InterACT COMMUNITY CAFE
Every Wednesday at the new Community Hall at Holy Trinity Meanwood, 11.30-1.30
IBY KNILL
If you would like to order Iby's book ‘The Woman with Nine Lives’ or her first book, now in it's tenth reprint, 'The Woman Without a Number', please search for Iby's publisher's website.
ST. MATTHEW'S CHOIR
If you are interested in joining the choir, please speak to our Director of Music, Aljoša Škorja, either after the service or by email Aljoša is always very pleased to receive enquiries from potential members of the choir, both adults and children.
LUNCH CLUB for Older People
Every Tuesday from 12.30 - 2pm at The Methodist Centre, Town Street. Cost is £4. Transport can be provided. Phone 268 2513 or 266 1502 for more information and to book.
MESSY CHURCH
is reaching out to many families with little previous contact with the church. Can you help, especially with washing up bi-monthly at Stainbeck Church? Contact Helen Greenwood click here
BEAVERS, CUBS AND SCOUTS
At 7th North Leeds (St. Matthew’s Chapel Allerton) Scout Group. Currently there are over 70 young people in three sections involved in Scouting at St. Matthew’s - Beavers (aged 6-8yrs); Cubs (aged 8 -10½yrs); Scouts (aged 10½ - 14yrs) Scouts of whatever age are encouraged to take part in a wide
range of activities to help them to find out about the world in which they live, encourage them to know their own abilities and the importance of keeping fit, and to help them develop their creative talents. They also have opportunities to explore their own values and personal attitudes as they become older.
If you’ve ever thought about making a difference for the young people in Chapel Allerton or giving something back to your local community, now is the time to take up the challenge and join the
adventure of Scouting at St. Matthew’s.
Our Scout group needs your help now, as a Beaver, Cub or Scout Leader or with the Executive Committee to assist the Leadership team in the continued delivery of exciting events and activities. Whatever time you can give, we will value your experience, talents and involvement.
For further details please contact Doug Pollock Group Scout Leader.
Thanks, Doug. stmatthewgsl@yahoo.co.uk
DO YOU BELIEVE IN OUR CHILDREN?
The WOW group on a Wednesday evening is run by our local churches for the benefit of all Chapel Allerton youngsters. A youth group with small groups as part of the time together, which explore topics of life from a faith perspective. The first half of the evening is informal and the young people are welcomed, organise games of sport or table top games, hang out and chat, and make themselves cups of tea and toast in the kitchen. Halfway through the evening we gather to share news, play a game and introduce what we’re chatting about. Then the young people split into four small groups where they explore a topic together. These groups are shaped around those who are part of the group, so each is a little different. We have looked at series such as justice, Jesus’ parables, difficult questions of faith and emotional wellbeing. Is God calling you to be part of the team? For more information talk to the vicar.
LIFTS TO CHURCH ON WEDNESDAYS
We need a couple more drivers willing to bring people to the Wednesday afternoon Communion services once a month. Please contact Carol Blackburn for details.
CURRENT VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES IN MEANWOOD
with InterACT Church and Community Partnership
InterACT run lots of different activities to help bring people from across Meanwood together, and we wouldn’t be able to do any of them without our volunteers!
We are committed to trying to give all our volunteers a really great experience and support to do the job well. You can find out more about us at www.interact.uk.net
Currently, we need volunteers for the following activities:
Monday Night Youth Club: Term time club for young people aged 9-16. Volunteers would need to be available between 6.15 and 8.45pm on Mondays in school term time and could be involved on a rota basis if preferred. This is a traditional-style club with various different activities throughout the night. There are different ways to get involved, so if you’re interested at all, please get in touch.
Make n Do crafts and games sessions: Aimed at adults but open to all, this group runs on Thursdays between 12.30-2.30pm, and it would be helpful to have a couple more people around to welcome and interact with those who come along. It’s a relaxed social session, so of course, you’d also be welcome to take part in the activities as a “punter” at the same time!
Play and Learn: This is our “stay and play” session for under 5’s and their parents/carers. Volunteers will ideally be available between 9.30 and 11.50am on Fridays in term time. Again, their are different ways to be involved, such as setting /packing up equipment, buying and prepping snacks, chatting with parents and children and encouraging play.
After school craft/science sessions: We have two lots of 6 week blocks booked in for these fun “Experimenter” sessions for primary school children and their grown-ups this Autumn. We will need some help with setting up and interacting with those who come along.
If you’d like to know more about any of these activities and how to get involved, please contact vanessa@interact.uk.net NB depending on the role, we may need to carry out a police record check.
PATHWAYS COUNSELLING SERVICE
Pathways Counselling Service based at Moortown Baptist Church. Confidential, non-judgemental counselling for adults of all faiths and none. Daytime sessions available, no limit to the number of sessions offered. You may come with different needs and problems, for example:
Anxiety, Depression, Low self-esteem, Bereavement and loss, Relationship difficulties
Abuse/neglect (includes physical, sexual, emotional, spiritual abuse), Faith-related issues.
Book an assessment at pathwaysleeds.org
£2-£50 per weekly 50 minute session. Affiliated to the Association of Christian Counsellors.
STRUGGLING WITH DEBT?
Free debt counselling for everyone from an award winning charity. This service has recently expanded to cover our area, with sponsorship from Chapel A Baptist Church. If you know anyone who would benefit from this expert service, please ask them to call free on 0800 328 0006.
EVENTS
If you would like to hear about upcoming social events at St. Matthew's (including Loose Women and Men on the Loose), please send your contact details to eventsatStMatthews@yahoo.com to be put on the mailing list. Thanks, Tina.
To submit a notice, please contact the Vicar, David Robinson
(St. Matthew's Church is not responsible for content of external websites).
Thank you.
Planned Giving
