11 June 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.

General Church Meeting business résumé

• Appointments of Church Stewards, Representatives to Church Council and Auditors were made.
• Reports were received from the Senior Church Steward), Treasurer, & Property Convener.
• 'What Sort of Bishop?' - report to be considered more fully at a meeting to be arranged (comments deadline is end of October)
• Invitation to NCH Visitor / Speaker later this year to be arranged by Service & Mission Committee

Service & Mission Committee résumé

• proposal for NCH Speaker to visit - suggestion of 'Coffee-with-Dialogue', on a Saturday in January
• suggestions for World Church Sunday in autumn
• reports from Broughty Ferry Churches Group, including “John Bell Weekend”, and City Centre Churches United Services
• Traidcraft
• Chaplaincy issues
• Mission in Britain, including “Fresh Expressions” District Day at Rosyth and Circuit Event (last Thur)
• Date for next meeting - Wed 20 Sept at 7.30 pm.

Methodist Conference 2006 - Edinburgh

Conference is coming to Scotland for the first time in its modern form, hosted on behalf of the 5 Northern Districts in Heriot-Watt University.

The Ministerial session is on Thursday 22nd June, Ministerial and Diaconal Sessions on Friday 23rd, Representative Session from Saturday 24th (afternoon) to Thursday 29th (lunch).

Our District is represented by Jim Jones (as Chair), & Janet Murray, Margaret Brown, Jenny Easson, Rev Joan Pretorius, Mr Eric Lougheed (all elected by Synod).

Conference is residential in Heriot-Watt, but it is hoped that all Methodists in Scotland will feel involved:

• A Prayer Bookmark has been produced to enable us all to support those actively hosting (see front of news-sheet for text),
• 'Isles of Prayer' have been created as 'quiet places' by Local Preachers
• Those acting as stewards will be on duty in Conference rooms, information desks, at Ordination Services….

Although some events are limited to ticket-holders, please note and, if you can, support any or all of the following:

• Peak Lecture at New College - Friday 23rd 8.15 pm : Dr Stephen Plant - 'In the Bible it is God who speaks'
• 'The Big Sing' with John Bell (Iona Community) in Central Hall, Tollcross - Sunday 25th - 7.30 pm
• Wesley Historical Society Annual Lecture - Nicolson Square - Monday 26th - 7.30 pm : Dr Margaret Batty: 'Primitive Methodism in Scotland'
• Inter-Faith - Monday 26th - 8 pm for 8.15 pm : 'Freedom of Speech: Responsibility and Respect'
• Beckley Lecture - Tuesday 27th - 7.45 pm in the Scottish Parliament, by Elish Angiolini QC, Solicitor-General for Scotland.

See www.methodistconference.org.uk or downstairs noticeboard.

Church Council

Please note that papers for the Council on Wednesday 21st June should be with Moriamo this week.

Crèche

As the Worship Group has asked that there be a crèche during July - August, will anyone on the rotas who will be available please contact Elaine.

Meetings this week

Support other Organisations

Scottish Bible Society

Our support through the Bible-a-Month Club is invited in June for work in Burkina Faso. In the north of this landlocked country of West Africa, there are only a few churches but a love of Bible stories and Scripture material. See library area for details.

• Near completion of translations into Ostuncalco Mam, Coatan Chuj, and Pokomchi in Guatemala
• Distribution of Bibles to students and parents in state schools in Honduras
• Security of staff in El Salvador, the most crime-ridden nation in the Americas
• Young people from Scotland travelling to Malawi to take part in 'Moni Malawi!' distributing material
• Distribution of 2000 'Light to the Home' Bibles to newly-housed families in the Philippines.

Forthcoming events

Prayer Points for this week

• Pray Without Ceasing focus: Southampton District;
• President and Vice-President of Conference at the Irish Methodist Conference to Tuesday;
• preparations for Methodist Art Collection in Edinburgh;
• young people, especially AIDS orphans, young mothers, & street children (Christian Aid);
• SAT-7 TV company's literacy projects in the Arab region* (Feed The Minds);
• The Leprosy Mission's work in South India - Kerala, Tamil Nadu;
• Bible Society work in Burkina Faso;
• we pray with and for the peoples of Liberia and Sierra Leone;
• we remember fellow Methodists in the Blackpool Circuit (North Lancashire District), and in Shettleston (Glasgow Circuit).

* 65 million adults in the Arab region cannot read or write - 2 out of 3 are women.

• 04 June 2006
• 18 June 2006

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