26 February 2012

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.

Ecumenical Lent Groups

During the season of Lent, which commenced on Ash Wednesday this past week, study groups are to meet as below. A warm welcome is given to everyone to share fellowship and thinking through the group, every week or as other commitments permit.

• Dundee City Centre Churches: on Tuesday evenings at 7.30pm in Meadowside St Paul's Church Halls using the York Courses, entitled “Handing on the Torch”. This week's study will be led by a representative from the Church of Scotland.
• Broughty Ferry Churches Group: on Wednesday evenings at 7.30pm. This week's venue will be in the St Stephen's and West Halls, Westfield Road, led by Methodist and St Stephen's representatives on the theme of “Discipline”. This uses the CTBI material based on a poem of Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer, under the title “The Way to Freedom”. This will also be the theme of broadcast services on Sundays & weekdays on BBC Radio 4 and BBC local radio.

Holy Week arrangements

• City Centre Churches
  • Maundy Thursday Service in the URC Church, Salem Lane
  • We await confirmation of a Good Friday Service in Meadowside St Paul's Church
  • There will be a Walk of Witness in Dundee City Centre on Good Friday morning, coordinated by the Rev Mary Patterson.
• Broughty Ferry
  • During Holy Week (from Monday 2 April) there will be Services every day in Broughty Ferry Churches (details soon).
  • On Good Friday morning, the now annual Distribution of Hot Cross Buns will take place (arrangements to be notified). There will be no Christian Aid Lunch on Good Friday (6th April).

World Day of Prayer: “Let Justice Prevail” - prepared by Christian Women of Malaysia

On the first Friday in March each year, the World Day of Prayer is celebrated around the globe. This year, our sisters in Malaysia invite us to join in worship, prayer, and thought on Friday, using the chosen theme “Let Justice Prevail”.

They present a vision of a world where fair justice and governance should be the basis for peace and harmony, then acknowledge that this ideal is undermined by corruption and greed, then further distorted when voices of truth and justice are silenced. In the face of this, they pose the question to themselves and others: “Do we engage or stay neutral?” focussing on the “parable of the importunate widow”.

The City Centre Churches, in whose area Marketgait is located, are to hold the Service in St Andrew's RC Cathedral, Nethergate at 2.30pm. The Service in Broughty Ferry is to be in St Stephen's and West Church, Westfield Road at 7.30pm. For services in other communities, see local press.

Important plea for help: Hosting of Synod

The Superintendent Minister, Rev Mary Patterson, has sent the following to the Church Stewards, anent our Circuit's hosting of Synod sessions on Friday 27th April in Perth and Saturday 28th April in Dundee:

Dear Church Stewards,

As you will be aware, this Circuit is responsible for hosting District Synod on Saturday 28th April. We meet in Dundee at the Central Baptist Church premises in Ward Road. In order to make sure the day runs smoothly a large number of people are required and I am hoping that between now and nearer the time, you will be able to gather names of folk who will be willing to give a day, or part of a day to helping at Synod.

We require people to greet folks as they arrive at the Church; perhaps some to be at the railway station to guide those arriving by train (we are hoping to have transport there to take them up to the church); one or two hardy folk to steward the car park at Dundee High School; we need people ready to supervise a creche if required; kitchen staff to provide tea / coffee.

Your help in this is vital and Synod can prove to be an enjoyable and interesting day, especially for those who have not been before so please do encourage your congregations to give this serious thought so that we can give a good welcome as a Circuit to the Scotland Synod.

Thank you. Mary

The Dundee Stewards in turn request OUR help!!

Contact Alan, Liz, Chi Tak, Tom, or Jenny to offer or for more details.

Meetings this week

Support other Organisations

Scottish Bible Society

Our support through the Bible-a-Month Club is invited in February for work in Costa Rica and in March for work in Papua New Guinea. Our prayerful attention is drawn this week to

• meeting of the General Secretaries of Bible Societies in Europe and the Middle East;
• 6 translation projects nearing completion in Mozambique;
• provision of Bibles and audio devices to an extensive network of women's groups in Papua New Guinea;
• funding for completion of Bible House and for literacy & social development projects in Guinea.

Forthcoming events

Prayer Points for this week

• The President and Vice-President of Conference in Sheffield next weekend;
• Connexional Faith & Order Committee, Friday- Saturday;
• The Circuit's Preachers and fellow participants in worship;
• residents and staff in the Liverpool District (Methodist Homes);
• The Leprosy Mission's work in Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Zambia;
• Fairtrade Fortnight starting this week (Christian Aid);
• Mission Aviation Fellowship's supporters;
• Habitat for Humanity, Lebanon (BibleLands);
• Bible Society work in Costa Rica and Papua New Guinea;
• we pray with and for the peoples of Germany and France (WCC Ecumenical Calendar);
• we remember fellow Methodists in Purley (The London District) and in Peterhead (North of Scotland Mission Circuit).

• 19 February 2012
• 4 March 2012

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