13 July 2008

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.

Church Photographs

1. Just a reminder from Avril that we should not have any photographs of present children in the albums without their parents' permission. If parents are willing for the photos to remain, will they please sign the backs of each photograph. If not, please remove the relevant photographs.
2. The space beside each photograph has been left for the owners of each photograph to write in the information they want known (and / or write on the back of the photograph).

Josie Pasane Petition

The announcement was made on Thursday that Josie Pasane (of Broughty Ferry) has been granted permanent resident status in the UK, following the review of her case by immigration officials. Grateful thanks are expressed to all who supported her, not least by signing the petitions organised on her behalf.

Back to Church Sunday

Churches throughout Scotland are being invited to participate in this existing programme to rekindle church-going among people who have given it up. The suggested date is Sunday 28th September which has been designated as “Back to Church Sunday” for this year. It is hoped that regular church-goers might feel able to invite friends who have not been in church for a while to join them there, and that, on that Sunday, the congregation will make an especial effort to be particularly “user friendly”. It is understood that on the equivalent Sunday in 2007, people in 2000 churches invited and welcomed some 20,000 friends across the country. For more information, see www.backtochurch.co.uk.

A Quiet Day for Scotland

The Church Life Network of ACTS, through a Task Group, is initiating a National Quiet Day in Scotland on St Andrew's Day (30th November). The suggestion is that, during that day, a moment be taken to stop in quiet reflection or prayer, possibly with focal points organised locally (eg in shopping centre office, park, on a walk or picnic, …… )

Further details are available from ACTS - email shonapaterson@acts-scotland.org ; tel: 01259 222362.

Methodist Homes for the Aged

A total of £97 has been sent to the Circuit rep, for passing on, as our response to this year's envelope appeal. Some £55 of this was gift-aided and will accordingly raise a little more for MHA.

Meetings this week

Support other Organisations

Scottish Bible Society

Our support through the Bible-a-Month Club is invited in July for work in Papua New Guinea. See library area noticeboard for more information.

Our prayerful attention is drawn this week to

• access to the Word of God for people in North Korea where religious freedom is not permitted;
• production of high-quality material centred in South Korea to serve many other places;
• contact with young people through summer holiday clubs and SU camps;
• translation and checking of two versions of Mongolian Scriptures;
• display at Market Place in CLAN Gathering in St Andrews next weekend.

Feed the Minds New Project (3) After School Ghana

This initiative aims to improve literacy and academic performance among children in three rural villages through publishing folk-stories for reading clubs; this involves production of materials and training of tutors for workshops with 50 children at any one time, with an anticipated 1200 children and young people being given access.

Forthcoming events

Prayer Points for this week

• continuing process of hand-over in the Connexional Team;
• members of District Policy Committee;
• projects in the Newcastle-upon-Tyne District (Methodist Homes);
• The Leprosy Mission's work in North-east India;
• training of church leaders in Botswana by Kgolagabano College of Theological Education (Feed The Minds);
• work in Iraq and with Iraqi refugees in Syria and Jordan, Iraq Republic Day - Thursday 17th July (Christian Aid);
• Bible Society work in Papua New Guinea;
• we pray with and for the peoples of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Panama;
• we remember fellow Methodists in the Downham Market Circuit (East Anglia District) and in Castlehill (Lanarkshire Circuit).

• 6 July 2008
• 20 July 2008

© 2002—2008 Dundee Methodist Church Scottish Charity number: SC037954.