12 October 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.

Today we welcome the Rev Graham Taylor of St Luke's & Queen Street Church, Broughty Ferry, as he leads our celebration of the Sacrament of Holy Communion. Distribution on this occasion will follow the “seated” pattern. The Rev Mary Patterson is leading worship in St Luke's & Queen Street.

Christmas Cards for the Armed Forces

Liz has suggested Dundee Methodists consider support of an initiative intimated by a member of Central Baptist Church, as follows

“Can you give a Christmas Card addressed to 'A Member of the Armed Forces serving in Afghanistan & Iraq'? Tell them we are thinking of them. Please take your cards to pick-up points at Asda Kirkton, Morrison's, or City Chambers 18 City Square. No stamps required as Forces deliver their own.”

The 'last posting date' for this is 25th November.

Rotary Shoe Box Scheme

Last Christmas many members supported the Rotary International scheme to fill a small box labelled with small gifts for a child, teenager, household, or older person. The boxes we collected joined over 500 from Fife driven out to the Ukraine & Belarus for distribution, from where Irina and Pasha Ozeruga wrote

“We would like to express our sincere thanks for your labour and care about the Ukrainian people. Your shoeboxes have been given to needy people: children's orphanages, poor families, prison children, children's tuberculosis dispensaries, street children, and those in hospital. May your hearts be filled with love for your good acts.”

If you would like to help again, I will supply the flat-pack box that make up to a size similar to a shoe box and provide guidance on the types of things to fill them: a visit to the 'one pound shop' would soon fill a box. There is a sheet on the Vestibule table for those interested to sign; boxes will be delivered for collection in early November.

When thinking about Christmas shopping, just think of the joy you could bring to someone who could be celebrating Christmas with no gifts at all. Many thanks for your support. Alan Suttie

Scottish Churches House Prayer Network

Our prayerful support is invited this week, particularly at 9 am or anytime on Wednesday for

• Guests past, present, & future: Third Wednesday Theology; Churches from Salford, England, and Lunen, Germany; Local Collective Ministry Mentors in Episcopal Church
• Phase 1 of the Refurbishment, starting this month
• continuation of the Appeal.

Church Council Résumé continued

• reports received from Pastoral, Service & Mission Secretaries, Treasurer, crèche, children & young people's work, Senior Church Steward;
• purchase of IT equipment for Marketgait agreed;
• next Worship Group to consider “Fifth Sunday” worship, which is to continue in 2009; also opportunities for fellowship through Sunday lunches;
• hosting of Synod in Dundee in autumn 2009 - noted

Meetings this week

Support other Organisations

Scottish Bible Society

Our support through the Bible-a-Month Club is invited in October for work in Nicaragua. See library area noticeboard for more information. Our prayerful attention is drawn this week to

• accessing of Bible by young people in Denmark through New Testament in modern Danish, new website & internet bookshop;
• work in Greenland and the Faeroe Islands;
• use of Faith Comes By Hearing programmes in Niger and in Burkina Faso;
• speaker at St James Parish Church, Broughty Ferry on Thursday;
• work in non-peaceful conditions in Ivory Coast.

Forthcoming events

Prayer Points for this week

• The President & Vice-President of Conference in the Birmingham District this week;
• Methodist Council meeting, Monday-Tuesday;
• relationships with sister Churches in our Circuit and local communities, including the Broughty Ferry Churches Group;
• work in the South-East District (Methodist Homes);
• The Leprosy Mission's work in India;
• the staff and work of the United Nations (Christian Aid);
• Bible Society work in Nicaragua;
• Habitat for Humanity's building and renovating of homes for over 1 million people of all races and faiths (BibleLands);
• we pray with and for the peoples of Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal (WCC Prayer Calendar);
• we remember fellow Methodists in Lowestoft and East Suffolk (East Anglia District) and in Banff (North of Scotland Mission Circuit).

• 5 September 2008
• 19 October 2008

© 2002—2008 Dundee Methodist Church Scottish Charity number: SC037954.