Dundee Methodist Church

19 November 2006

Next Sunday: 26 November 2006

11 am
Worship led by the Rev Jim Jones, Chair of the Scotland Synod

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.

Pastoral Charge

During the Rev Mary Patterson's sabbatical (ie to the New Year), please notify the Rev David Firth of any request or need for Ministerial pastoral care. Contact may also be made through the Pastoral Secretary (Jenny Easson), Pastoral Visitors, or the Church Stewards. Please note that this week, the Revs Gerald Bostock and Jean Murrie are available in case of special need in David's absence.

Growing From the Inside Out

Comments are being collated by Paddy and her colleague Church Stewards. They will consider these and consult with the Rev David Firth, who will then contact Grahame Lockhart. If you have any 'feedback' or suggestions, please let a Church Steward know as soon as possible.

'Alternativity' Advent Meal

Please note that this meal is to be in Marketgait on Saturday 2nd December at 6 pm - sign the paper on the Vestibule table by next Sunday. See insert from last week's news-sheet for details of this and other seasonal arrangements.

Fire Hazard!

There are a lot of unknown and out-of-date things in the upstairs cloakroom, some of which present a fire hazard.

Please check to see if any of these are yours and still wanted.

Any unclaimed or unlabelled items will be cleared away after the end of November (Property Stewards).

“Momentum”

Copies of the latest issue of the Connexional newspaper are now here - please uplift from the Vestibule table if you do not already have one. Please also distribute to those who cannot come to Marketgait.

Pastoral Committee Résumé

At its recent meeting, members
  • undertook the annual Reading of the Membership List, noting individual circumstances;
  • agreed the figures for return on the Annual Schedule as at 1st November 2006:
  • Membership Total - 88 (up 3 overall!)
  • October Sunday Count - average attendance 43;
  • made provision for care of Pastoral Visitors;
  • discussed pastoral care of children and young people, students and Link Club helpers;
  • reflected on pastoral arrangements during the Rev Mary Patterson' sabbatical, including support for the Rev David Firth;
  • arranged date of next meeting - 15th February 2007.

Meetings this week

Date & timeVenueDetails
Tuesday 21st November, 10.30 am to 3 pm www.scottishchurcheshouse.org Churches Agency for Inter Faith relations in Scotland (CAIRS) - “Christianity & Scotland's Other Faiths” - First Steps in Inter Faith Encounter.
Registration details later. If you wish to be added to CAIRS mailing list, please contact CAIRS at ACTS, 7 Forrester Lodge, Inglewood, Alloa, FK10 2HU; tel: 0772 4456 8259; www.acts-scotland.org/cairs/index.shtml
Friday 24th and Saturday 25th November, 10 am and 3 pm Bonar Hall (map) Dundee Mountain Film Festival. Liz Kay encourages support of this (now 24-year old) event in the Bonar Hall on Friday and Saturday; for details of timings and tickets, see poster on noticeboard / leaflets on Vestibule table, http://www.dundeemountainfilm.org.uk.
Saturday 25th November, 10 am and 3 pm Scottish Churches House, Dunblane THINKING Outside the BOX - The District Evangelism Group invites anyone interested to join them in “taking a fresh look at faith”. A sandwich & fruit lunch will be provided.
If you are interested and would like to know more, please contact Grahame Lockhart, Evangelism Unit Coordinator, tel 01356 624235; to book a place, contact the District Office in Dunblane, tel 01768 820295; email meth@scottishchurcheshouse.org (Please also tell Margaret Brown, Administrator, of any dietary or other requirements).

Support other Organisations

Habitat for Humanity

The poster on noticeboard gives contact details of the “Scottish Methodism in Action” project in Hungary between 21st and 31st July, preceding the Festival of European Methodists in Bratislava from 1st - 5th August 2007.

Scottish Bible Society

Our support through the Bible-a-Month Club is invited in November for work in Russia. See library area noticeboard.

Our prayerful attention is drawn this week to

  • work in Algeria amid difficult political and social circumstances;
  • freedom of worship in Libya, a country “emerging from years of isolation”;
  • BibleWorld Development Group and youth agencies' planning for future work;
  • import and distribution of Bibles in Morocco, also obtaining of permission to print locally;
  • work in Bosnia-Herzegovina where there is much poverty.

NCH

  1. NCH News - 2 copies on the Vestibule table: borrow, read, return ….
  2. Christmas Cards - see flyer on Vestibule table for details. Orders to Margaret please - by today if possible: “if we order four packs or more between us, there will be no postage charge!”

Prayer Points for this week

  • The President & Vice-President of Conference's visit to the Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury District, Thursday - Tuesday;
  • ACTS Forum meeting, Tuesday;
  • Christian Aid's continuing disaster relief work (Christian Aid);
  • The Leprosy Mission's work in Chad, Guinea, and Niger;
  • expansion of “Books for Life” programme (Feed The Minds);
  • Bible Society work in Russia;
  • we pray with and for the peoples of Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal;
  • we remember fellow Methodists and others in the South East Northumberland Ecumenical Area (Newcastle-upon-Tyne District), and in Portgordon (North of Scotland Mission Circuit).