03 December 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.

Meadowside St Paul's Anniversary

We give greetings to our friends at Meadowside St Paul's as they celebrate the Silver Jubilee of the Union of Meadowside Church and St Paul's Church. Jenny Easson is representing us at the Anniversary Service this morning (& see below).

Pastoral Charge

During the Rev Mary Patterson's sabbatical (ie to the New Year), please notify the Rev David Firth of any request or need for Ministerial pastoral care. Contact may also be made through the Pastoral Secretary (Jenny Easson), Pastoral Visitors, or the Church Stewards. Please note that this week, the Revs Gerald Bostock and Jean Murrie are available in case of special need in David's absence.

Christmas Tags

Clare reminds us that these are available on the Vestibule table: help church funds - support recycling - save a tree!

FIRE HAZARD!

There are a lot of unknown and out-of-date things in the upstairs cloakroom, some of which present a fire hazard. Please check to see if any of these are yours and still wanted. Any unclaimed or unlabelled items were to be cleared away by this weekend.

Advent / Christmas Worship

• read leaflet for details of arrangements - contact 'tricia Laurie about practical aspects;
• note that next Sunday's worship includes reflection on 'places', including an introduction, opportunity for congregational participation, and liturgy;
• note that cards to named individuals may be placed in the Posting Box on the Vestibule table for distribution on Christmas Eve;
• place any cards which you give or arrive by post for the whole Church in the 'tray' marked “cards for Church”;
• note that NCH gift envelopes, available today, are to be returned on or after 24th December.

“Momentum”

Copies of the latest issue of the Connexional newspaper are now here - please uplift from the Vestibule table if you do not already have one. Please also distribute to those who cannot come to Marketgait.

Preaching Plans

Plans for December - March are now available, free, on the (glass) Vestibule table.

Please also note that requests or information for the next Plan (March-May) should be notified by or soon after 5th December to the Superintendent Minster, Rev David Firth, or Heather, who is a member of the Plan-making Team as Circuit Preachers' Secretary.

Meetings this week

Support other Organisations

Scottish Bible Society

Our support through the Bible-a-Month Club is invited in December for work in China. See library area noticeboard.

Our prayerful attention is drawn this week to

• literacy and other work of the Sahel Project in West Africa;
• peace in Guinea-Bissau and steady growth of work;
• SBS Board meeting on Wednesday;
• resumption of translation in Fouta Toro and completion of the Sereer Bible, the first in a local language in Togo;
• publishing department in Cambodia working on the Khmer-English diglot New Testament.

Habitat for Humanity

Laurent & Joe left copies of the Interfaith Project report, “Turning Hope into Homes”, after last Sunday's most interesting visit - please ask to see one.

Also see www.hope-into-homes.org.uk; www.habitat.elcat.kg.

“Hope” Photo Exhibition: by Jon Lee, documenting the culture of Kyrgyzstan, in the Edinburgh University Chaplaincy Centre, 1 Bristo Square, from 27th December to 31st January, Monday - Fridays 9.30 am to 5 pm. Laurent & Joe also recommended this!

Forthcoming events

Prayer Points for this week

• The President & Vice-President of Conference visiting the Leeds District next weekend;
• Connexional Strategy & Resources Committee meeting, Wednesday;
• Appraisal, Vocational and Development training in Scotland;
• worship in the Circuit during Advent and Christmas;
• care for those living with HIV / AIDS (Christian Aid);
• The Leprosy Mission's partnerships with other agencies;
• exciting new study programme for women and men of different traditions in the Alexandria School of Theology, Egypt (Feed The Minds);
• we pray with and for the peoples of India and of Sri Lanka;
• Bible Society work in China;
• we remember fellow Methodists in the Ryton and Prudhoe Circuit (Newcastle-upon-Tyne District), and our witness based on Marketgait (Angus, Dundee & Perthshire Circuit).

• 26 November 2006
• 10 December 2006

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