Dundee Methodist Church

22 August 2010

Next Sunday: 29 August 2010

11 am
Café-style Worship led by the Rev Mary Patterson

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.

Café Service - next Sunday

We are asked to note and / or act on the following, as preparation for this 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.
  • Sufficient people are needed in Marketgait from c10 am on Saturday 28th to help set up tables and generally prepare for Sunday's café service. If you can help, please come!

Crèche & Children's Group rotas

Following consultations because of the recent changes among our youngest worshippers on Sunday mornings, it has been decided to discontinue the formal crèche rota although provision will be made, if necessary, under Janet Suttie's coordination.

The Children's Group will resume in September but with a different approach to provide support for Lorna & Margaret as 'leaders'. Please contact Lorna & / or Margaret to offer assistance or discuss what is now being considered.

Manse for Rev Benson Chongo

Thanks are expressed for all offers and provision of furnishings for the new Manse in Scone.

IBRA material & Methodist Prayer Handbooks

If you wish to order daily Bible Study Notes or other material, please sign the paper on the Vestibule table or let Heather know. She is also ordering the Methodist Prayer Handbook for 2010-11 on our behalf, so please also sign the relevant paper or contact Heather to place an order.

MRDF Pakistan Floods Appeal: latest news

“Nearly £20,000 raised in a week from Methodist Pakistan Appeal”

  • a £15,000 grant has been sent by the World Mission Fund to the Peshawar Diocese;
  • WMF money is supporting an emergency Relief & Rescue programme for more than 1300 families in Peshawar Diocese;
  • donations to MRDF are helping provide food packages to families in the Swat Valley and Kohistan Districts;
  • gifts are also being used to help buy winterised tents and plastic sheets;
  • vulnerable families in the Swat Valley and Mansehra Districts will have access to medical attention via 3 mobile health clinics.

See www.methodist.org.uk and www.mrdf.org.uk .

Date & timeVenueDetails
Monday 23rd - Friday 27th August 2010 Scottish Churches House, Dunblane “Senior Citizens' Break” Hospitality offered includes coffee, all meals, outing on Wednesday, and evening entertainments.
For details, see leaflets / booking forms on the Vestibule table, contact SCH on 01786 823588, see website : www.scottishchurcheshouse.org, or email reservations@scottishchurcheshouse.org.
Thursday 26th August 2010, 1 to 4.30 pm St Luke's & Queen Street Church, Broughty Ferry Broughty Ferry Information Fayre for Older People. The Broughty Ferry Churches Group has discussed the pastoral care of older people, both within and outwith the church community, in its meetings during the year. BFCG member churches have also become involved in Council-supported consultations to seek to address a perceived issue of “lonely and isolated elderly people within the Ferry”. The Churches, among others, are distributing publicity material for this event.
There will be stalls and workers on hand to provide information on a variety of services, ranging from crime and fire prevention, help for carers, to using a Nintendo Wii or learning about Qi Gong. See noticeboard for details / bookings process.
Thursday 26th August 2010, 7.30 pm St Mary's Scottish Episcopal Church, Queen Street Broughty Ferry (map) Broughty Ferry Churches Group meeting

Support other Organisations

Scottish Churches House Prayer Network

Prayers are invited this week for meetings and events in the House: Senior Citizens' Break (Monday - Friday), ACTS NEWS Committee (Thursday), Golden Wedding celebration (Friday - Monday), International Work Camp (Friday for 2 weeks).

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

  • work of the Arab-Israeli Bible Society under warfare conditions in Gaza and southern Israel;
  • SBS participation in the Church of Scotland Guild Annual Rally in Caird Hall, Dundee on Saturday.

Forthcoming events

Date & timeVenueDetails
Monday 31st August to Wednesday 1st September 2010 Scottish Churches House, Dunblane Ecumenical Exploration in recognition of Pope Benedict's Visit.
“In 1983, a year after the last Papal visit, a group of British Council of Churches members of the Division of Ecumenical Affairs, with some leaders of the Roman Catholic Church in Britain, were invited to a return visit. We enjoyed the hospitality of most major departments of the Curia, among them a memorable conversation with the then Cardinal Ratzinger.”
This gathering in Dunblane will seek to engage with different assertions, made during that visit to Rome, relating to '(the) Truth'. The event is being arranged in connection with the first Papal visit since 1982 and the Guest of Honour is to be the Rt Rev David Jenkins, former Bishop of Durham.
For details, see leaflets / booking forms on the Vestibule table, contact SCH on 01786 823588, see website : www.scottishchurcheshouse.org, or email reservations@scottishchurcheshouse.org.
Wednesday 1st September 2010, 6.30 pm Perth Methodist Church, Scott Street Welcome for Rev Benson Chongo- a warm invitation is extended to everyone to the official Welcome Service for our new Circuit Minister. This Service, led by the Rev Lily Twist, Chair of the Synod, will also include the Recognition of the Rev Mary Patterson as our Circuit Superintendent.
It will help the Welcome Group to have an idea of numbers of people coming from Dundee; offers of food will also be welcome. Please indicate these through any Church Steward or Keith Pearson, Circuit Steward.
Saturday 4th September 2010, 2 pm Portessie Methodist Church Commissioning Service of Jenny Lee as President of Women's Network Scotland, followed by entertainment and tea. The Service will be conducted by the Rev Lily Twist, Margaret Law as the Retiring Network President, and other District Officers. If you hope to attend it will assist with catering to notify this via 01261 821280; jenny.scouts@btinternet.com before Friday 20th August.

Prayer Points for this week

  • all affected by the recent and continuing floods in Pakistan and China, and those seeking to bring rescue and relief;
  • the Vice-President on the Isles of Scilly this week;
  • all involved in preparing for the arrival, welcome and settling-in of Benson and Christine Chongo;
  • Rev Susan Sutherland and Rev Jonathan Bower, new Chair and Secretary of the Broughty Ferry Churches Group;
  • continuing work to rebuild shattered buildings and lives after the earthquake in Haiti (Christian Aid);
  • Hope School's staff and 140 students (BibleLands);
  • staff and residents in homes in Wales (Methodist Homes);
  • Bible Society work in Vietnam;
  • The Leprosy Mission's work in Bangladesh;
  • we pray with and for the peoples of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania (WCC Prayer Calendar);
  • we remember fellow Methodists in the Bury and Heywood Circuit (Bolton and Rochdale District) and our colleagues based in St John's, Arbroath (Angus, Dundee & Perthshire Circuit).