Disciple

The Newsletter of

MCC Manchester

Sunday 18th May 2008

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 Trinity Sunday.  We know God in three distinct ways which are traditionally labelled as Father, who created the world, Jesus the Son who died for it, and God the Holy Spirit who came upon the first disciples to fill us with power to change the world.  St Augustine described God the Holy Trinity as God the Lover, Jesus the Beloved and the Holy Spirit as the Love which flows between them.  The Trinity is a mystery which we are called to experience.    

Thanks.  Thank you for your generosity over recent weeks.  29 people attended on 4^th May and gave £88 in the collection  and 40 people attended last week giving £128.  This is on top of the £1200 or so a month that is given directly to our bank account via standing order.  Our Smartie Tube fundraiser for the Immigration Unit has raised just under £600 so far.  We will be finalising this in the coming week so please let Andy know if you have anything to give.  We will present this to new director of the Unit in worship on Sunday 1^st June.    

Prossy Starts Her Campaign to stay in the UK

Over recent weeks we have been blessed to get to know Prossy who is from Uganda.  She fled to the UK 8 months ago and whilst the Home Office accept she is lesbian and has endured horrific treatment they seem to think it would be safe to return to another town in Uganda where she is not known.  This ignores the fact that homosexuality is illegal all over Uganda, the press conduct witch-hunts for gays and lesbians and one needs a reference from one's former village or town to settle into a new one.  Over the next few weeks we will be letting you know how you can help in the Prossy Must Stay campaign - it will involve signing petitions, writing letters and possibly helping at the Pride festival to get others to sign up as well.  We know the huge difference that Moses' campaign made to him and helped get his eventual successful decision to stay in the UK.  Watch this space for more details. 

Rev Nokuthula Dhladhla, Pastor of Hope and Unity MCC, Johannesburg, South Africa needs our prayers and support.  She has been diagnosed as having a large tumour growing on her spine. The surgeons believe that this tumour is the reason why her legs will no longer work and she has been confined to a wheelchair for the last few months.   A surgical team will be operating in the next few days and I ask you to join with MCCers across the world in prayer for Nokuthula, her family, the surgical team and Hope and Unity MCC.   Surgery will cost in the region of £4000 and the universal coverage for health in South Africa won't cover this operation.  Some donations have already been made to Nokuthula from MCC members across the globe and we will have a special collection for her next week.  We will put our money together with money from Bournemouth and South London MCCs so only one set of fees needs to be paid. 

Social

We are off for a meal after church next week - the Bank Holiday weekend.  We will be going to Tai Pan on Upper Brook Street.  They have disabled access and plenty of safe parking.  Please let Andy know if you wish to come along. 

Next Sermon Series

In June we will have a set of four sermons based on clips from the American cartoon series The Simpsons.  They have been called Americaâ€â„¢s most famous, and most dysfunctional, family and the biting humour in the series is complemented by some very deep insights into the human condition.  Andy and Dan will be preaching the sermons which help us to reflect on how we live our lives!  We may even supply a few donuts!