24 March 2013

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, Holy Week and Easter

We are invited to note and support the following ecumenical events and acts of worship, or others in our local communities:

City Centre Churches

• Maundy Thursday Service in Meadowside St Paul's at 7pm - if you can act as a Reader please let Jenny Easson know asap;
• Good Friday Walk of Witness, meet at St Andrew's (RC) Cathedral at 12noon for Walk to “Dragon” statue High Street (City Square unavailable);
• the Meadowside St Paul's congregation are to travel to Tayport for 'Stations of the Cross' in the Catholic Church at 7pm on Good Friday.

Broughty Ferry Churches Group

• See meetings this week: please note that we are invited to bring food for the picnic lunch on Tuesday and that Wednesday is suggested as “a time for personal use and reflection” with no organised gathering that day;
• Hot Cross Buns will be distributed in the Ferry from 10am on Good Friday - gathering-in and buttering from 9.30am in St Mary's;
• there will be NO Soup Lunch on Good Friday or the following week. Lunches resume on Friday April 12th.

Easter Offerings Appeal

Donations are invited in support of the work of the church world-wide through this annual Appeal. Envelopes are available today and may be returned next week or thereafter.

The Easter Offerings Appeal dates from a collection of pennies by women in Manchester at Christmas 1883, extended to an Easter collection through envelopes in London in 1884, thence 'to all country chapels' in 1903 and eventually into the annual Women's Work Appeal. It is now an annual connexional Appeal, still often organised by women.

This year's theme is 'Beyond the Harbour Wall' with an image of journeying into the unknown.

“Through gifts great and small, the Easter Offering has become a significant feature of the World Church.”

For more information, contact 'tricia.

Divine Poetry Competition

This year, aspiring (and established) poets of all ages are invited to submit a poem on the theme 'Chocolate is something to cherish'. The official entry form can be downloaded from http://www.divinechocolate.com/poetry/default.aspx and entries must be submitted by 30th April 2013.”

Superintendent Minister's availability

The Rev Mary Patterson has given the Circuit an indication of her expected holiday dates until September and these will be indicated as appropriate in the news-sheet.

However we are asked to note now - and ourselves to observe in practice - that she hopes to have Wednesday as her “official weekly day off” when she should only be contacted in an obvious emergency.

The Church Council, at its recent meeting, encouraged both Mary to try to identity (and keep!) a regular “day off” each week (in addition to 'holiday periods') and ourselves to support her by observing this also.

Meetings this week

Support other Organisations

Scottish Bible Society

Our support through the Bible-a-Month Club is invited in March for work in Bolivia.

Our prayerful attention is drawn this week to

• completion by the Turkish Bible Society of translation of the Bible in Kurdish Kurmanji for publication in 2015;
• gathering of fundraisers from the UK and Nordic countries;
• the Advocacy Manager of the Bible Society of Kenya and provision of children's Bibles especially among those living with HIV/AIDS.

Christian Aid Tay Bridge Cross

The 2013 sponsored Tay Bridge Cross will take place on Saturday 4th May from 10am to 1pm prompt. (Please note this morning start.) Last year's Bridge Cross raised over £17,000 “in spite of the temperamental Scottish weather”. Support is again invited. Registration form.

A Guide and Order Form are also on the Vestibule table.

The Forth Bridge Cross will be on Saturday 20th April and the Erskine Bridge Cross on Saturday 27th April, both starting at 2pm.

The Cumbrae Challenge (walk or cycle the 10 miles round the Isle) will take place on Saturday 15th June from 10.30am.

Forthcoming events

Prayer Points for this week

• the President of Conference visiting the Channel Islands from Thursday;
• arrangements for the Farewell and Welcome for the out-going and in-coming Chairs of the Scotland District;
• those responsible for Holy Week and Easter observance and worship in our Circuit churches and their communities;
• support of medical and mission work in Tanzania (MAF);
• The Leprosy Mission's work with partners and patients;
• travel and access restrictions on the staff of the Princess Basma Centre, based in East Jerusalem (Embrace);
• projects in the Nottingham and Derby District (Methodist Homes);
• work in support of those with HIV/AIDS and the bereaved (Christian Aid);
• Bible Society work in Bolivia;
• we pray with and for the peoples of Burma and Thailand (WCC Ecumenical Calendar);
• we remember fellow Methodists in Bedford (North) (Bedfordshire, Essex and Hertfordshire District) and our Circuit colleagues in Montrose (Angus, Dundee and Perthshire Circuit).

• 17 March 2013
• 31 March 2013

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