02 April 2006

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.

Pastoral

Please note that urgent pastoral concerns this week should be referred to a Church Steward and / or the Rev David Firth.

Holy Week and Easter Services

Broughty Ferry Churches Group Services

• Monday 10th - Friday 14th April in New Kirk, East Building (St Vincent Street) at 7.30 pm on the theme “The Road to Calvary”
• Saturday 15th April - Paschal Service in St Mary's (Queen Street) at 7.30 pm
• Sunday 16th April - 'Easter Celebration' in New Kirk (East) at 8 pm.

City Centre Churches

• Maundy Thursday (13th April) - worship in Dundee Methodist Church at 7.30 pm
• Good Friday (14th April)
• 12 noon Walk of Witness to City Square
• 7.30 pm Worship in Meadowside St Paul's.

Circuit Prayer Workshop

A warm invitation is given to everyone to meet with friends from our own congregation and others in the Circuit in Marketgait from 10.30 am to 3.30 pm on Saturday 29th April. Leaflets are on the Vestibule table, giving an outline of the programme, which, it is hoped, will help us to explore and enrich our prayer life in private and in public. Please let Jenny or 'tricia know if you hope to come - to give an idea of numbers.

The Workshop proposal arose from a District event some time ago, but happily now falls within the Pray Without Ceasing initiative being followed throughout the Connexion. Scotland District will be the focus during the week August 11th- 18th with our own Circuit allocated responsibility for Thursday 17th August. The Circuit Leadership Team has been asked by the Circuit Meeting to coordinate 'our day'.

Circuit Meeting News

Please note the following from Wednesday's meeting:

• appointment of Circuit Officials from 1st Sept:
• Open Circuit Gathering to follow up “Fresh Expressions” (last Saturday in Rosyth), including viewing of DVD & other materials - Dundee - Saturday 7th June
• outcomes of local discussions on “What Sort of Bishops?” to be reported direct to Connexion and also intimated to Circuit
• hosting of Synod on Friday 5th / Saturday 6th May
  • Ministerial Session - Friday - Perth Church
  • Representative Session - Saturday - Perth Academy - volunteer helpers requested - contact Rob Sibley
• Musicians - volunteers sought for rota to help provide music for Sunday worship in Circuit churches: contact Paddy initially.

From News-sheet Editors

• Jenny and David request details of advertised events for publication in the news-sheet before posters are pinned on notice-boards. The information can go on the (updated) Church's website also. Thanks!
• Please note that there will be a reduced news-sheet next Sunday; it will contain the Litany but not a printed Order of Service.

Meetings this week

Support other Organisations

Scottish Bible Society

• Our support through the Bible-a-Month Club is invited in April for work in Palestine - see library area noticeboard.
• Our prayerful attention is drawn this week to
  • work among Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank* where Christians are a minority (8%) in a community in turmoil;
  • distribution of material and expansion of work in a now peaceful Angola;
  • the recently-dedicated Munukutuba Bible and soon-to-be-completed Lari New Testament in Congo (Brazzaville);
  • outcome of elections and HIV / AIDS work in Democratic Republic of Congo;
  • translations of booklet to assist young people in self-protection from HIV / AIDS in South Pacific islands;
  • recruitment of a new SBS Chief Executive.

* For up-to-date information on the situation in Nablus, contact Dundee Nablus Twinning Association.

Forthcoming events

Prayer Points for this week

• Pray Without Ceasing focus: North Lancashire District;
• Vice-President of Conference on the Isle of Man this week;
• Methodist Council, Thursday- Friday;
• “Fresh Expressions of Church” developments in Scotland;
• Blairgowrie Stewards' Meeting, Thursday;
• World Health Day on Friday (Christian Aid);
• Inter-faith dialogue at the Al-Liqa Centre for Religious & Heritage Studies in the Holy Land (Feed The Minds);
• The Leprosy Mission's work in India - Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh;
• Bible Society work in Palestine;
• we pray with and for the peoples of Sudan and Uganda;
• we remember fellow Methodists in the Nottingham (Trent Valley) Circuit (Nottingham & Derby District), and with Episcopalian colleagues in Rosyth (Edinburgh & Forth Circuit).

• 26 March 2006
• 09 April 2006

© 2002—2006 Dundee Methodist Church.