MCC Newcastle

Church: A Safe Home?

29/4/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
I’ve just returned from a two week holiday in the USA and had a fabulous time – sun, swimming and bird watching in Florida, then visiting friends in Pennsylvania. They live not far from the home of American chocolate – the Hershey’s factory. The founder, Milton Hershey and his wife Catherine set up a school in 1909 to home and educate orphan boys. The school exists today and still focuses on children from poor and deprived backgrounds.

Some of you will know that the Milton Hershey School has hit the headlines for refusing to admit a teenage boy who is HIV+. There is concern that if the boy becomes sexually active, he will be a danger to other pupils. 

Imagine what this public statement will have done to that
boy and all the other children and teenagers like him. 

Milton and Catherine Hershey founded their school from a
great desire to do good – prompted no doubt by their Christian upbringing. It is profoundly sad that Christian care and compassion has not been extended to this teenager.

This Sunday, we reflect on our bedrock belief that:

Church should be a safe home for all people. We
welcome diversity and believe it brings strength. We believe that ministry is open to everyone and through it, people develop their gifts.


It may seem so obvious that church should a home
for all, that we may might wonder why we even need to state it. However, every day, there is someone, like the boy who has been rejected from the Milton Hershey School, who thinks that there is no place for them.

Every month, hundreds of people visit our website. Every
week I receive comments from people who have read what we believe in, what we value, what our mission is. We are needed; we are each called to make a difference.

I invite you to keep all those affected by HIV in your prayers this week.

God bless,

Cecilia 
 
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Pastor's Blog

    by Rev. Cecilia Eggleston
    Follow me on Twitter

    Picture

    Archives

    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    October 2011
    April 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011

    Categories

    All
    20th Anniversary
    Advent
    Bbc Newcastle
    Bedrock Beliefs
    Bible
    Calling
    Christmas
    Church
    Church Size
    Conference
    Core Values
    David Kato
    Diversity
    Easter
    Embrace The Space
    Faith
    Family
    Gay Marriage
    Gender
    Gifts
    God
    Good News
    Growth
    Hiv
    Holy Spirit
    Homophobia
    Human Rights
    Idaho
    Jesus
    Lent
    Lgbt Rights
    Lindisfarne
    Love
    Main Church
    Music
    New Website
    Prayer
    Pride
    Retreat
    Social Justice
    Trans
    Vision
    Visioning Day
    Worship

    RSS Feed


Worship with us Sunday 6.30pm at St. James's URC, NE1 8JF
Email: contact@northernlightsmcc.org.uk
Phone: 07770543407