11 January 2004

We give the assurance of our thoughts and prayers to all who are unwell, awaiting or undergoing treatment, or anxious or grieving for the loss of loved ones.

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 18-25 January

The theme for this year is “My peace I give to you” which will form the basis on which the Unity Octave is observed world-wide. The Week will be marked by the Broughty Ferry Churches Group in its now usual 2 ways:

• Coffee-with Worship on Saturday, from 10 am to 12 noon, in Broughty Baptists’, St Vincent Street
• Pulpit Exchange on Sunday, as part of which Mr Isdale Anderson of Broughty Ferry Baptist Church will lead worship in Marketgait, the Rev David Firth will lead in Broughty Congregational Church, and Jenny Easson preach in St Mary’s Episcopal Church.

Unity Octave

“They chose this text because of the desire for peace in their fragile situation in the turbulent area of the Middle East, a place of conflict and tribulation. In doing so they express a longing for a peace, which is more than the absence of war.”

The material (an Ecumenical Service & daily reflections) was prepared by Church leaders, and then discussed and revised by an international preparatory group. This group is convened by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (Roman Catholic Church) and the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches. Members met at the Pastoral Secretariat in the headquarters of the Episcopal Conference of Sicily.

Further work for the British Isles was then undertaken by a group of 13 people, appointed by the national Ecumenical Instruments (eg ACTS) and Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI), gathering in Scottish Churches House, Dunblane. This meeting took place during March 2003; the seventh anniversary of the shootings at Dunblane Primary School was observed locally at this time.

Traidcraft

There will be the regular “stall” of fair-trade goods for sale next Sunday – advance orders to Margaret please.

Stair-chair Use

Guidelines for the use of the stair-chair system are available both at the foot and the top of the back stairs.

Please note that

• the extended rail protrudes into the back door space near the downstairs kitchen – this will be monitored in coming weeks
• safety features prevent the chair from moving in certain circumstances (see written guidelines)
• advice is available from Norah & David (Jenny & Lorna also have some knowledge / experience)

Many thanks to Norah & David for all their patient & persistent work during the installation of this system.

Meetings this week

Support other Organisations

NCH

• January is designated as “kitchen” month in our request for surplus items for use by the Cowan Grove and Families projects. See Margaret for more details
• Further donations have been received through the Christmas Envelope Appeal – please return envelopes through the collection plate or direct to Margaret - thanks.

Scottish Bible Society

• joint project in Borneo to translate for the nomadic Penan tribe – the first printed book (Acts, 1970) was produced in Scotland!
• development of Scriptures in different formats – video, CD-Rom, Braille
• Regional Centre staff in Asia - Pacific, working over vast distances;
• use of ‘The Surfer’s Bible’ in Australia.

Post-Christmas Recycling

Prayer Points for this week

• The President and Vice-President of Conference at the Connexional Leadership Team meeting, Ampleforth, York Monday – Wednesday;
• District, Circuit, and local Treasurers in Scotland;
• the Circuit Forum discussion and follow-up;
• local field–workers and supporters (Feed The Minds);
• fund-raisers’ meeting in Derbyshire this week (Christian Aid);
• The Leprosy Mission’s work in Ethiopia, Sudan and Uganda;
• Bible Society work in Ethiopia;
• we pray with and for the peoples of Cyprus, Greece, and Turkey;
• we remember fellow Methodists in the North Dorset Circuit (Southampton District), and in Portgordon (North of Scotland Mission Circuit).

• 04 January 2004
• 18 January 2004

© 2002—2003 Dundee Methodist Church.