06 March 2005

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.

“CHILDREN AND GAMBLING” AN OPPORTUNITY TO ACT

An email has been sent requesting immediate support for amendment of the Gambling Bill currently passing through the UK Parliament in Westminster. On Thursday it is due to reach the Committee Stage in the House of Lords where Baroness Howe of Idlicote and Baroness Massey of Darwen have tabled an amendment which would ban children from gambling on fruit machines.

“The Gambling Bill permits children as young as 8 to gamble on certain fruit-machines. Britain is the only western country which allows children to gamble commercially, and this has resulted in as many as 1 in 20 children being classed as problem gamblers”.

The Methodist Church and the Salvation Army have been leading the Churches’ lobbying on this Bill and are now seeking the widest possible support for this amendment.

Please look at the paper on the Vestibule table and consider taking action as soon as possible:

• by signing the online petition www.methodist.org.uk/static/forms/gambling.htm
• by signing the petition on the Vestibule table today – we are to notify numbers of signatures by Tuesday
• by writing to members of the House of Lords by Wednesday
• publicise the above as speedily and widely as possible!

The Bill is almost certain to be enacted, but inclusion of the amendment will help give children needed protection.

Preparing to worship

To help produce a suitably calm & reflective atmosphere before the beginning of formal Sunday worship, it is suggested that the organ cease playing when the Steward enters with the Bible. It is hoped that this will be a signal for a time of general quiet before and as the choir, Steward and Preacher enter.

Holy Week / Easter Ecumnenical worship (21st - 27th March)

• Dundee City Centre Churches will share worship:
  • Maundy Thursday at 7 pm in Dundee Congregational Church
  • Good Friday Procession from St Andrew’s Cathedral to City Square at 12 noon, with “Songs of Praise” in City Square at 12.30 pm; evening worship in St Joseph’s (Catholic) Church, Wilkie's Lane, Hawkhill at 7 pm
  • Easter Sunday “Songs of Praise” in Dundee Methodist Church Marketgait at 6.30 pm
• BFCG Services will take place each evening (21st – 27th March) at 7.30 pm in St Mary’s Episcopal Church, with participation by member congregations. The worship on Maundy Thursday will be a celebration of The Eucharist and include the washing of feet and stripping of furnishings. There will be a Paschal Service on Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday evening will be a Praise Celebration.

Network News Scotland

Issue No 1 for 2005 is now available from the Vestibule table. It contains details / booking forms for forthcoming events.

Meetings this week

Support other Organisations

Scottish Bible Society

In March we are invited to support work in the West Indies where a new Bible for schools has been published; there are plans to issue 15,000 Bibles free-of-charge to teachers in overcrowded schools. See library area noticeboard.

Forthcoming events

Prayer Points for this week

• The President and Vice-President of Conference at the Lay Workers Conference at Hoddesdon on Wednesday, and in the Chester and Stoke District next weekend;
• Connexional Strategy and Resources Committee, Monday – Tuesday;
• continuation and development of the work of the District Evangelism Coordinator;
• Blairgowrie Church Council, Monday;
• projects and partners in Bolivia (Christian Aid);
• family-support projects of Jesus Harvesters Ministries in Botswana (Feed The Minds);
• The Leprosy Mission’s work in Bangladesh;
• Bible Society work in the West Indies;
• we pray with and for the peoples of Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands;
• we remember fellow Methodists in the Exmouth and Buddleigh Salterton Circuit (Plymouth & Exeter District) and all in Rosyth Ecumenical Partnership (Methodist and Episcopal) (Edinburgh & Forth Circuit).

• 27 February 2005
• 13 March 2005

© 2002—2003 Dundee Methodist Church.