20 January 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.

Photo Coffee Morning - telling our story

A Coffee Morning is to be held next Saturday from 10.30 am to 12 noon to give an opportunity of compiling a record of the Dundee Methodist story, through photographs of events and people, past and recent. Avril has offered to coordinate this process and will bring the albums she has purchased and begun to fill. A warm invitation is given to EVERYONE to come - bring photographs (any size!), either to be placed in an album if you wish or just for others to look at and talk about.

Volunteers for setting out tables, making & serving of coffee would be welcome - please let Avril know during the week if you can help with this.

Unity Octave: 18th - 25th January

This year marks the Centenary of WPCU: in 1908 an American Minister, Paul Wattson, began the tradition of prayer for Christian Unity over the course of 8 days, from 18th - 25th January. The 2008 resources for worship originate in the United States, and are adapted and published here for Churches Together in Britain and Ireland.

We are reminded of the strength of prayer not only with brothers and sisters across the world, but of the prayers of all Christians over the past century.

Bookings reminder

Those responsible for church meetings on our premises are asked to make sure that the booking is entered as far in advance as possible in our church diary (in the office upstairs) and / or notice given to Liz, our Bookings Secretary.

Meetings this week

Support other Organisations

Scottish Bible Society

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

Our prayerful attention is drawn this week to:

• use of Scriptures in prisons and indigenous clinics in Argentina, also translation projects into two forms of the Toba language;
• psycho-social work among the poor and drug addicts in Chile;
• new projects complementing the work of churches in Uruguay;
• Bible versions already published in many languages in Paraguay.

BLESMA

Following the sending of our November Communion Offering to the British Limbless Ex-Service Men's Association Home in Crieff, we have received a copy of the winter edition of the magazine “Blesmag”; this includes an article on 'Activities Week, Crieff'. See Vestibule table; information also on www.blesma.org.

World Leprosy Day - 27th January (next Sunday)

Points upon which to ponder and pray:

• Leprosy, also known as Hansen's Disease, still affects millions of people.
• Leprosy is capable of causing disability and even blindness if untreated.
• Leprosy is the least contagious communicable disease: most people are naturally immune but millions in developing countries are susceptible. However, after only a couple of days' treatment sufferers are no longer infectious.
• Over 90% of those affected by leprosy live in countries where resources are scarce.
• Leprosy is curable with multi-drug therapy (MDT)
• More than 14 million people have been cured since the early 1980s, usually by a 6-month course of treatment.
• Between 3 & 4 million people already suffering or threatened with permanent disability can have this expectancy reduced by 50%.
• Leprosy is still prevalent in many parts of the world - more than 300,000 new cases were diagnosed in 2006.
• Leprosy is a public health problem in 6 countries, according to WHO: Brazil, DR Congo, Madagascar, Mozambique, Nepal, and the United Republic of Tanzania.

Scottish Churches House

The Appeal was launched last Wednesday in Stirling: the mailing of Appeal literature is to take place at the end of this month.

Prayer Points for this week

• The President of Conference's MRDF Visit to Kenya, Wednesday to 30th January;
• work of the Connexional Stationing Review Group;
• planning for District Resourcing Day on 14th June;
• Blairgowrie congregation meeting, next Sunday;
• projects in the Southampton District, MHA office-based staff (Methodist Homes Prayer Diary);
• unity in the quest for justice and peace (Christian Aid);
• Alexandria School of Theology, an initiative of the Episcopal Diocese of Egypt and North Africa, providing education to all denominations ('Feed The Minds');
• Bible Society work in Peru;
• The Leprosy Mission's work in Ethiopia, Sudan, and Uganda;
• we pray with and for the peoples of Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Western Sahara, and Tunisia;
• we remember fellow Methodists in the Epworth and Crowle Circuit (Lincoln & Grimsby District), and in Tranent (Edinburgh & Forth Circuit).

• 13 January 2008
• 27 January 2008

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