Disciple

The Newsletter of

MCC Manchester

Sunday 16th December 2007

Welcome to this newsletter and to the ministry of MCC Manchester.  If this is your first contact with us, know that you are welcome.  You can take part in our ministry through attending our worship services or mid week meetings, or by using the various resources on our website.  You can keep in touch with us in person, by email, or by text.  It is our prayer that our people grow as committed disciples of the Lord Jesus. 

Today's Service marked the Third Sunday of Advent and the start of our Christmas services.  We reflected, through the music, recorded readings and reflections and the visual images on aspects of the characters involved in the Christmas story. 

This and That  On 27^th December we are going to the Last Night of the Christmas Proms at the Bridgewater Hall, this is an excellent concert of lively classical music, again please sign up if you want to come and we will book tickets – there will be tea at Andy and Ian’s home in Hulme beforehand. Tickets cost £17.50 and so far 12 of us have signed up to come along!  Moses thanks everyone who has offered to donate things for his new home in Miles Platting.  He moves tomorrow.   Andy Jenkins has been studying at the University of Strathclyde over the last few years for his doctorate in Business Administration.  He defended his thesis on Monday and passed with flying colours.  Congratulations to Dr Jenkins! 

Thanks.  Thank you for your generosity last week.    41 people worshipped with us and the collection was £107.50.  This is on top of the £1500 or so a month that is given directly to our bank account via standing order.

News from our AGM We held our Annual General Meeting last Sunday after worship, accepted my report, the financial statement for 2006 and a statement giving details of our finances for the first 10 months of 2007, and accepted the report of our external examiner of accounts.  We adopted a budget of £37,300 for next year, elected Philip Jones, Jenny-Anne Bishop, and Margaret Roberts to our Board of Directors, and elected Gwen Parkinson to be our lay delegate to vote on our behalf at General and Regional Conferences.  We amended our constitution in line with recent MCC changes on the length of service of the lay delegate and the disaffiliation process, and gave our Lay Service Award to John Foulds for all his hard work with us over the last year.  We also enjoyed a wonderful meal and five of Neil’s outstanding songs. 

Christmas Services.  Our service next Sunday for the fourth Sunday of Advent will focus on some more characters from the Christmas story.  We have a traditional Midnight Mass on Christmas eve, starting at 11.30pm.  There is no MCC service on Christmas Day but we are warmly welcomed to mass at St Chrysostom’s at 11am.  We have a Christmas celebration on Sunday 30^th and will celebration Epiphany together on Sunday 6^th January.