04 January 2004

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.

Stair-chair Use

Guidelines for the use of the stair-chair system are available at the foot / top of the back stairs.

Please note that

• the extended rail protrudes into the back door space near the downstairs kitchen – this will be monitored in coming weeks
• safety features prevent the chair from moving in certain circumstances (see written guidelines)
• advice is available from Norah & David (Jenny & Lorna also have some knowledge / experience)

Many thanks to Norah & David for all their patient & persistent work during the installation of this system.

Scottish Churches House

• Alastair Hulbert, who has succeeded Brian Baker as Warden, is seeking to develop the potential of the House as a “meeting place” – for individuals, existing groups, and gathering of those with a particular interest or purpose. A copy of the 2004 programme is on the library noticeboard – more can be obtained! For further details please contact the House –
• Tel: 01786 823588
• Fax: 01786 825844
• www.scottishchurcheshouse.org
• The District Methodist Office is now located in the House and provides office accommodation for the District Administrator, Margaret Brown, & for the Unit Resource Coordinators (Jill King / Lorna Murray, Bill Reid, Grahame Lockhart, and Helen Wareing). It is also being used as a location for District meetings.
meth@scottishchurcheshouse.org

Meetings this week

Support other Organisations

NCH

• January is designated as “kitchen” month in our request for surplus items for use by the Cowan Grove and Families projects. See Margaret for more details
• Offerings so far
• For NCH - Communion Offering (14 December) - £92.49;
• Christmas Offering (25 December) - £67.90;
• Envelopes - £ 164.50 (plus Gift Aid on £120 thereof)
• Total - £324.89 (plus c £33 in Gift Aid)

Scottish Bible Society

In January the Bible-a-Month Club invite our support for work in Ethiopia where 70% of the population is under 30. The Bible Society’s Officer is working with churches through a new youth programme and the development of opportunities for churches to co-operate together. (See library area notice-board.)

Our prayerful attention is drawn this week to

• work of the Amity Press in China where 30 million Bibles have been produced – paper for printing and distribution vans continue to be made available
• the General Secretary in Singapore whose team of highly-skilled technicians produce Bibles & Selections
• increased involvement in promotion and fundraising by individuals and churches in Taiwan as translators and reviewers continue their work
• three special Scripture portions produced in the Philippines, aimed at drivers, prisoners, and street children; a special New Testament for police officers has also been printed
• visits by SBS staff to churches in the Lothians, Fife and Falkirk areas to promote ‘Bibleworld Experience’
• on-going translation and checking in Mongolia – agreement is still needed for “an appropriate name for God”!
• United Bible Societies committees’ decisions on priorities for distribution programmes and allocation of (inadequate) funds
• collaboration in Hong Kong with the main Church bodies in China for preparation of an exhibition in June – also for fresh openings in Macao.

Forthcoming events

Prayer Points for this week

• The President of Conference at the Stationing Matching Group tomorrow, and, with the Vice-President, at the Conference Business Committee on Thursday;
• The District Administrator and Unit Resource Coordinators;
• preparations for the Circuit Forum;
• Grant allocations (Feed The Minds);
• partners & projects in Somalia & Somaliland (Christian Aid);
• The Leprosy Mission’s promotional work;
• Bible Society work in Ethiopia;
• we pray with and for the peoples of the Arabian Peninsula*, Iran, and Iraq;
• we remember fellow Methodists in the Sherborne and Yeovil Circuit (Southampton District), and in Buckie (North of Scotland Mission Circuit).

* Saudi Arabia, Gulf States (Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates & Oman), Yemen Arab Republic and People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen.

• 21 December 2003
• 11 January 2004

© 2002—2003 Dundee Methodist Church.