8 August 2010

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.

Invitation to Broughty Ferry Churches Group

Our friends in Our Lady of Good Counsel, as other congregations in Scotland, have received their enhanced allocation of tickets for the Mass to be celebrated on Thursday 16th September in Bellahouston Park, Glasgow, during the visit of Pope Benedict XVI.

They have intimated that they “are delighted to offer these to our friends in the BFCG on a 'first come first served' basis.” at an overall charge of £20 per head.

If you are interested, please contact Phil Kearns of OLGC no later than today, and also advise David Easson so further details can be supplied. Phil's contact details are (01382) 774681; email philip.kearns@talktalk.net.

Café Service - 29th August

Following the meeting of the Worship Group this week, we are asked to note and / or act on the following, as preparation for the above Service on the theme of “Picturing God”:

• Rev Mary Patterson invites us to bring “an item which has shown something to us or helped us understand more about God”. There will be opportunity during worship to say something about your chosen item to others, in an informal setting;
• serving of coffee will NOT be from 10.45 am as in previous Café Services but refreshments will be served and available during the Service;
• it would also be helpful for there to be sufficient people in Marketgait from c10 am on Saturday 28th to help set up tables and generally prepare for the café service. If you think you can help, please come!

Property News

Warm thanks are expressed to all who have been involved in the ordering, purchase and laying of the new downstairs carpet, with particular mention of Liz and her helpers, not least for their furniture-moving work and the taking-up-and-away of the old carpet.

Manse: Rev Benson Chongo & family

The Rev Benson Chongo and family arrive in our circuit at the end of August. They will live at a newly purchased manse at 82 David Douglas Avenue, Scone, Perth. The next task is to furnish the manse as the family will not be bringing household items with them from Zambia.

'The Welcome Team' is therefore asking Perth, Blairgowrie and Dundee churches if members have any spare items of furniture they would be willing to donate to the manse.

Several items were included in the purchase of the property and there is a budget for such things as beds for the family.

The main items we need to source are:

• Occasional furniture, such as coffee table, small side tables, bedside tables, chests of drawers, book cases
• A kitchen table and chairs to seat 6 people, matching cutlery set
• Iron and ironing board
• Glassware, serving dishes, mixing bowls, pots and pans, casserole dishes, oven ware, saucepans
• Garden tools such as spade, fork, edging tools
• Good quality items of bedding, such as sheets, etc

If you have any of the above items that you would be willing to donate, please make one of the following people aware of this:

• Barry and Chris Parkin chrissandbassa@hotmail.com
• Rev Jean Murrie jean@murrie.org
• David and Jenny Easson jennyeasson@care4free.net

PLEASE DO NOT BRING ANYTHING TO PERTH AT PRESENT. At this stage we just want to be aware of what might be available, and avoid duplication of items.

Support other Organisations

Scottish Churches House Prayer Network

Prayers are invited this week for meetings and events in the House: Walking Week (Monday - Saturday), Companions of God (Monday), Rainbow Turtle Group (Friday - Saturday).

Scottish Bible Society

Our support through the Bible-a-Month Club is invited for work in August in Vietnam. See noticeboard for more information.

Our prayerful attention is drawn this week to

• new Bible House in Panama, also continuing work on the translation of the Bible into Kuna;
• training of the Papiamentu Study Bible Team for the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba;
• launch of Luke's Gospel in Jamaican Creole, also funding for the National Bible Quiz in schools;
• fundraising and distribution work in the Bahamas and in Belize during the current economic crisis;
• creation of new materials to reach diverse ethnic groups especially First Nations, in Canada.

Forthcoming events

Prayer Points for this week

• The Vice-President of Conference continuing her visit to Kenya; the President of Conference in Cameroon for MRDF from Wednesday;
• The Churches' presence at the current Edinburgh Fringe and the International Festival which starts next Sunday;
• Holiday Clubs in Broughty Ferry churches;
• liaison between people in Scotland, London, and Zambia coordinating arrangements for the Chongo family;
• International Youth Day on Thursday (Christian Aid);
• Bethlehem Arab Society for Rehabilitation, including their care for road traffic accident victims still in comas (BibleLands);
• homes, staff and projects in the Bolton and Rochdale District (Methodist Homes);
• Bible Society work in Vietnam;
• The Leprosy Mission's work in central India;
• we pray with and forthe peoples of Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia (WCC Prayer Calendar);
• we remember fellow Methodists in the Rossendale Circuit (Bolton and Rochdale District) and our colleagues based in Scott Street, Perth (Angus, Dundee & Perthshire Circuit).

• 1 August 2010
• 15 August 2010

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