Dundee Methodist Church

12 November 2006

Next Sunday: 12 November 2006

11 am
Worship led by Mrs Heather Dean, with members of an Edinburgh Inter-Faith Group, followed by a shared lunch

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 Charge

During Mary's sabbatical, from now to the New Year, please notify the Rev David Firth of any request or need for Ministerial pastoral care direct and / or via the Pastoral Secretary (Jenny Easson), Pastoral Visitors, or the Church Stewards.

Growing From the Inside Out

Comments following last Sunday's worship and conversation are being collated by Paddy and her colleague Church Stewards. They will consider these and consult with the Rev David Firth who will then contact Grahame Lockhart. If you have any 'feedback' or suggestions, please let a Church Steward know as soon as possible.

Habitat for Humanity

Worship next Sunday will include a presentation by representatives of an Edinburgh Inter-Faith Group of which Nicolson Square Methodists are members.

It has recently provided an interfaith working party in Kyrgyztan under the auspices of “Habitat for Humanity” whose work in Kenya we supported through sponsoring a group of Dundee Architecture students some years ago. After worship, there will be a shared ('faith') lunch to continue our learning about this area of working together. Please bring food to share - drinks will be provided.

Worship Group Résumé

Please note / support the following:

  • Communion in December will be 'coming forward'; a supply of the book 'Share the Feast' will be ordered for general reading
  • “early music / singing” will take place on the first Sunday of forthcoming months
  • Date of next meeting - Thursday 1st Feb, 7.30 pm.

“ALTERNATIVITY” Advent Meal

Saturday 2nd December - 6 pm

An open invitation is given to anyone who wishes to have a time of reflection about the meaning of Advent whilst sharing a simple meal together. It is also hoped that this will help us to continue some of the devotional / prayer experience of the recent 'Pray Without Ceasing' Initiative.

The format, which 'tricia and Sandy have offered to guests in their own home, uses a simple liturgy including the lighting of candles, with the serving of simple food - soup, jacket potatoes, and fruit have been suggested.

Please

  • contact 'tricia or Sandy if you wish more details
  • sign the paper on the Vestibule table or contact 'tricia, no later than Sunday 26th November.

Advent Worship: 3rd - 24th December

  1. “Early music” on 3rd December will be from Handel's “Messiah” Part 1.
  2. Each week, there will be an opportunity to focus on a particular theme:
    • 3rd December - people
    • 10th December - places
    • 17th December - pursuits
    • 24th December - presents
    The theme will be introduced by the appointed Preacher and members of the congregation will participate by
    • preparing a simple visual display on the theme
    • lighting the candle & leading a spoken liturgy
    • bringing small items to add to the display
    • assisting after in mounting a 'summary' of the theme on the Display Boards.
    The simple display will be arranged on a table at the front and include the Advent Candles and items symbolising the theme. Members of the congregation will also be invited to place items they may have brought on the table (to be retrieved after!).
    The Display Boards will be used to provide an element of visible continuity of the theme for coming weeks.
    'tricia will be coordinating assistance with the display and liturgy - please contact her with offers of help.
  3. Mince pies will be served after worship on Christmas Eve (Sunday 24th December).
  4. NCH envelopes will be available for return on 24th December or thereafter.
  5. Christmas Day - All-age Worship at 11 am will be led by Heather Dean. The offering will be for NCH, as is our custom.
  6. Christmas Cards
    1. It is proposed that 'communal cards' - ie those for the congregation as a whole - be placed together on ribbons attached to the “Advent Candles” banner in the church.
    2. Cards addressed to individuals can be placed in the box on the Vestibule table for distribution on Sunday 24th December.

Meetings this week

Date & timeVenueDetails
Sunday 19th November, 6.30 pm St Mary's Scottish Episcopal Church, Queen Street, Broughty Ferry (map) Evening service. The Rev Maudeen McDougall (Meadowside St Paul's) will give the homily. A warm invitation is extend to us all.

Support other Organisations

NCH

  1. NCH News - 2 copies on the Vestibule table : borrow, read, return ….
  2. Christmas Cards - see flyer on Vestibule table for details. Orders to Margaret Goudie please - by next Sunday if possible : “if we order four packs or more between us, there will be no postage charge!”

Scottish Bible Society

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

Our prayerful attention is drawn this week to

  • work in Moldova via the new Children's Bible, also outreach to the armed forces, the poor and the marginalised;
  • completion of Bible House in central Moscow;
  • distribution in Albania of Interconfessional and Orthodox New Testaments, a Bible for the Roman Catholic Church, and a diglot Albanian-Italian St John's Gospel.

UNICEF Jars of Grace - annual appeal

Jars are being distributed today for return on Sunday 26th November. Please contribute as you are able - usually by coins placed in the jar at mealtimes.

This year's focus is on ensuring the fulfilment of every child's right to an education:

“Education is vital to ensuring a better quality of life for all children and a better world for all people. It's critical to a child's well-being and development, and equally important to social stability and economic development.”

Did you know? More than 121 million children in the world are not in school.

  • £4 provides 10 children with a sketchpad and set of 8 crayons.
  • £12 provides a whole school with pencils.
  • £19 provides 160 exercise books to last the entire year.
  • £80 provides 6 weeks of teacher-training for one individual.
  • £125 supplies a 'school-in-a-box' of materials to set up a temporary school for 80 children in an emergency.

Forthcoming events

Date & timeVenueDetails
Tuesday 21st November, 10.30 am to 3 pm www.scottishchurcheshouse.org Churches Agency for Inter Faith relations in Scotland (CAIRS) - “Christianity & Scotland's Other Faiths” - First Steps in Inter Faith Encounter.
Registration details later. If you wish to be added to CAIRS mailing list, please contact CAIRS at ACTS, 7 Forrester Lodge, Inglewood, Alloa, FK10 2HU; tel: 0772 4456 8259; www.acts-scotland.org/cairs/index.shtml
Saturday 25th November, 10 am and 3 pm Scottish Churches House, Dunblane THINKING Outside the BOX - The District Evangelism Group invites anyone interested to join them in “taking a fresh look at faith”. A sandwich & fruit lunch will be provided.
If you are interested and would like to know more, please contact Grahame Lockhart, Evangelism Unit Coordinator, tel 01356 624235; to book a place, contact the District Office in Dunblane, tel 01768 820295; email meth@scottishchurcheshouse.org (Please also tell Margaret Brown, Administrator, of any dietary or other requirements).
  • The President of Conference's visit to the European Parliament;
  • Methodist Youth Conference, Norwich, next weekend;
  • District Training, Vocation, and Appraisal Officers;
  • Perth Methodist Church Christmas Fayre, Saturday;
  • Christian Aid AGM, tomorrow (Christian Aid);
  • The Leprosy Mission's promotional work in Scandinavia, and in central Europe;
  • work of The Communication Foundation of Asia with children in the Philippines (Feed The Minds);
  • Bible Society work in Russia;
  • we pray with and for the peoples of Italy and Malta;
  • we remember fellow Methodists in the Tynedale Circuit (Newcastle-upon-Tyne District), and in Buckie (North of Scotland Mission Circuit).
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