18 February 2007

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.

Lent

• The Broughty Ferry Churches Group will mark the start of Lent with an Ecumenical Service of Ashes on Wednesday at 7.30 pm in Our Lady of Good Counsel Church, Westfield Road, Broughty Ferry. All are warmly welcome.
• City Centre Churches : Lent Study groups will meet in Meadowside St Paul's at 7.30 pm, for five Mondays from 26th February to 26th March inclusive. All welcome. The course will be “Can We Build a better World? Learning from William Wilberforce” - books available from Wesley Owen @ £3.50.

Face 2 Faith Photo Competition

See noticeboard for details of this competition run as part of the Face 2 Faith Initiative of the Methodist Church (as proposed by Youth Conference).

Churches are encouraged take part in Face 2 Faith in 3 ways:

• praying for better inter-faith relations in Britain and the world
• doing something to encourage better relations in their own community
• entering the Photo Competition.

The competition runs to 31st May. See also websites www.methodist.org.uk or www.face2faith.org.uk or write to the Inter Faith Office, Methodist Church House, 25 Marylebone Road, London NW1 5JR)

Charity Regulations - Church Council members

To comply with Scotland's Charity Law and the requirements of The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR), ALL Managing Trustees (ie ALL 20 members of the Church Council) are required to complete & sign forms for forwarding to OSCR via the Methodist Office in Manchester. These accompany the registration forms which Finance and Property Committee have already looked at and are now sent off. David E requests that the last few Managing Trustees who have not returned a signed form to him do so as soon as possible please.

Worship Group Points

Discussion at the recent meeting included

• agreement on rota for 'coming forward at Communion', viz January, April, July & October;
• Lent
• Liturgy at the start of Sunday worship
• Window decoration
• 'Time for Prayer and Meditation' during Pentecost season (1 afternoon, 1 evening)
  • Thursday 17th May - Ascension Day
  • Thursday 24th May - Wesley Day.

Meetings this week

Support other Organisations

NCH

NCH Scotland has written to express thanks for the “generous donation of £277.87 by Dundee Methodist Church” (from donations in envelopes and offerings in December). They confirm that “all money raised in Scotland stays in Scotland”.

NCH Scotland is one of the leading children's charities in Scotland, supporting over 8000 of the most vulnerable children, young people and their families in 66 projects nation-wide, including help through / to family centres, respite care, young carers, the homeless.

Scottish Bible Society

Our support through the Bible-a-Month Club is invited in February for work in Puerto Rico. See library area noticeboard.

Our prayerful attention is drawn this week to

• work and workers in West Bank / Gaza;
• new General Secretary of the Bible Society in Jordan;
• distribution of youth edition of John's Gospel in Israel, opening of new Christian training centre in Nazareth;
• start of translation work on Today's Taiwanese version of the Old Testament;
• 'Just for Kids' drama team in Lebanon;
• distribution of Greek New Testaments by the Ministry of Education to schools in Cyprus.

Forthcoming events

Prayer Points for this week

• President & Vice-President of Conference in the North Lancashire District, Thursday - Sunday;
• staff in Methodist bases in London, Manchester, and elsewhere;
• process to appoint a new General Secretary of ACTS;
• preparations for Scotland District Policy Committee in March;
• members of the Circuit Leadership Team;
• Lenten appeals & observance (Christian Aid);
• The Leprosy Mission's promotional work in the British Isles;
• staff of the Uganda Reproductive Health Bureau, Kampala, Uganda (Feed The Minds);
• Bible Society work in Puerto Rico;
• we pray with and for the peoples of Portugal, Spain, Italy, and Malta;
• we remember fellow Methodists in the Buxton Circuit (Manchester and Stockport District), and in Tranent (Edinburgh & Forth Circuit).

• 11 February 2007
• 25 February 2007

© 2002—2007 Dundee Methodist Church.