03 February 2008

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.

Ecumenical Observance of Lent

Broughty Ferry Churches Group invites our participation in marking Lent:

• Wednesday: Service of Ashes - 7.30 pm, Our Lady of Good Counsel (Westfield Road);
• Wednesdays 13th February - 12th March: events on themed series “Jesus and….” at 7 pm.
• Dundee Methodists have been asked to lead worship / thinking on Wednesday 12th March (venue in BF to be notified) on the theme “Jesus and the community of Broughty Ferry”. Jenny, David & Kate request “Ferry Methodists” especially to contact them with thoughts, material, offers to take part: it would be good to have a number of us involved.

Dundee City Centre Churches will meet in Meadowside St Paul's at 7.30 pm on Wednesdays from 13th February to 12th March. Material used will be from the CTBI “Pathways of Prayer” (downloadable from CTBI website http://www.ctbi.org.uk/228 / copies from Rev David Firth).

Children's Work Group

ALL involved / interested in our work with 'crèche to teens' are invited to Marketgait a week on Wednesday (13th February) from 6.30 pm - 7.30 pm.

Pastoral Committee

Members are reminded of the meeting on Wednesday 13th February at 7.30 pm (ie following the Children's Work Group) - papers by email or next week.

Worship Group up-date

Please note the following information in addition to the points in last week's news-sheet:

There will be a (short) Celebration of Holy Communion at 9.30 am on Easter Sunday (23rd March), conducted by Rev David Firth. This will be followed by shared breakfast.

Charity Number Use - Important advice

Secretaries and Treasurers (and others producing documentation / papers under the name of Dundee Methodist Church) are advised that OSCR will require our Charity Number to be recorded on (virtually) all paperwork wef 31st March 2008. Our number is (NB 0 is figure zero, not alphabet letter)

Scottish Churches House Programme

We are asked to draw attention to the following events

• “A Social Gospel? - What does Christian Social Thought offer to Scottish Christians in the 21st Century?” This gathering, part of a series of Occasional Seminars on the Ecumenical Movement, will take place in Scottish Churches House, Dunblane, over the weekend of Friday 8th - Sunday 10th February, led by Tim Duffy (Roman Catholic Justice & Peace Commission) and Professor Duncan Forrester (founder of the Centre for Theology and Public Issues, at Edinburgh University).
• “Third Wednesday Theology” - a series of 8 open-ended conversations on the 3rd Wednesday of the month throughout the year. They focus on questions of faith and the world we live in, and are led by Elizabeth Templeton, free-lance theologian.
  “People of any faith and none are invited to join in what has proved over the last two years to be an exciting free-ranging exploration of theological and moral issues which emerge from those who attend.”
  The first session is on Wednesday 20th February, starting with afternoon tea at 4 pm and concluding after an epilogue at 9 pm.

For further details of both events see posters on noticeboard, contact SCH: 01786 823588; www.scottishchurcheshouse.org .

Prayer Handbook 2008-9: request!

Material for the next Methodist Prayer Handbook is invited on the theme “Living Fire” (H&P 307). Items can either be original or 'borrowed' (state ©) and may also include photographs or illustrations (no larger than 2.5” / clarity 300dpi at size).

Contributions will be used in the District whether or not published connexionally.

Please send contributions by Monday 18th February at the latest, by post to Fiona Inglis, District Administrator, Methodist Office, Scottish Churches House, Dunblane, FK15 0AJ or email : meth@scottishchurcheshouse.org.

Meetings this week

Support other Organisations

Scottish Bible Society

Our support through the Bible-a-Month Club is invited in February for work in Ghana where it is hoped to distribute over 30,000 Bibles a month over the next 3 years to school children aged 12-13. This project is to cover all parts of the country but with particular emphasis on schools in rural and deprived areas. See library area noticeboard.

Our prayerful attention is drawn this week to:

• continuing work in Ecuador in providing Bibles and outreach;
• work in Colombia among indigenous people and those displaced by violence, also outreach in prisons and hospitals;
• positive moves regarding Venezuelan membership of the United Bible Societies, also acquisition of a Bible House;
• opportunities and resources for contact with China's more 480 million mobile-phone users!

Prayer Points for this week

• The President & Vice-President of Conference in the Chester & Stoke District to Tuesday;
• Methodist Council, High Leigh, Wednesday - Thursday;
• Scotland District Treasurer and Property Secretaries;
• Church Councils in Montrose (Tuesday) and Perth (Wednesday), also Arbroath Ceilidh (Friday);
• projects in the Wolverhampton & Shrewsbury District, provision of security and care (Methodist Homes);
• Sri Lanka (Independence Day on Monday) (Christian Aid);
• Bible Society work in Ghana;
• translation work at the Centre for Christian Studies, Fudan, China ('Feed The Minds');
• The Leprosy Mission's work in Central India;
• we pray with and for all the peoples of the United Kingdom and of Ireland;
• we remember fellow Methodists in the Pontefract and Normanton Circuit (Leeds District), and in Leith (Edinburgh & Forth Circuit).

• 27 January 2008
• 10 February 2008

© 2002—2007 Dundee Methodist Church.