9 August 2009

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.

Worship Group Résumé

At the meeting last Wednesday, discussion included

• Harvest worship on Sunday 20th September, led by the Rev David Firth, using Methodist Relief & Development Fund (MRDF) material;
• arrangements for the Anniversary Service on Sunday 13th September to mark “our 25 years in Marketgait”, led by the Rev Dr Malcolm Rothwell, (Minster in Dundee at the time of the move from Ward Road);
• arrangements for café-style worship on Sunday 29th August, focussing on links between Dundee Methodists and other parts of the world. Anyone who has appropriate connections through family or residence, or world church worship material, is invited to contact Keith Pearson (01382 776162) who is planned in Dundee on that Sunday;
• “Early singing” for the first Sunday of forth-coming months;
• agreement for the next meeting on Wednesday 14th October.

Rotas

Mary Foster, Senior Church Steward, would be pleased to hear from anyone willing to serve by helping count the offering, stewarding at the doors or making coffee after worship on Sundays. She is now preparing the rotas for 1st September, so please contact her promptly. Thanks are expressed on behalf of us all to those who serve on any or all of these “teams”.

Prayer Handbook

Mary Foster is ordering the 2009-10 edition; she asks those wishing to order a copy to sign the paper on the Vestibule table today or tell her as soon as possible.

Synod hosted by Circuit in Dundee: Saturday 19th September

The Scotland District Synod will meet in Central Baptist Church, Ward Road, and all offers of help will be gratefully received by Keith Pearson, as Senior Circuit Steward, or by 'tricia Laurie / Sue Marshall-Jennings for catering.

Stewards / Helpers are needed for

• assisting in Central Baptist Church thro' the day
• transport - parking / meeting/ “minibus shuttle”
• catering - lunch, 'coffee' before & after Synod
• possibly also at Marketgait, as a “Doors Open Day”.

Although hosting Synod is a Circuit responsibility, local Dundee folk are being particularly looked to on this occasion. As a good number of our Circuit people will be occupied in being members of Synod, this makes it all the more important to have a good response from others!

Please note the date NOW and contact Keith 'tricia or Sue to discuss how YOU can help!

Vacancy - Circuit Meeting Secretary

The Circuit Meeting is seeking a new Secretary for the year from 1 September 2009. Is this a post which you could consider filling?

As Secretary you would be a voting member of the Circuit Meeting. You would need to maintain a record of the membership of the Meeting and distribute the calling papers and other relevant documents before each meeting. Most of this can now be done electronically. You would keep minutes of each meeting. The Circuit Meeting normally meets twice yearly in March and September.

You would also be Secretary to and a member of the Circuit Leadership Team. The duties would be similar to those outlined above. The CLT meets roughly three weeks in advance of Circuit Meetings to prepare the business, but extra meetings are sometimes necessary to deal with matters which arise between Circuit Meetings.

When the Circuit has to consider whether or not to extend the invitation of a minister or a new minister is required, the CLT, augmented by a Steward from each church, acts as the Circuit Invitation Committee, so you would also be involved in that process.

Please would you consider this carefully and, if you feel that you may be able to help, contact the Superintendent Minister on 01382 223059.

Institute of Biblical Studies Courses

See leaflets on Vestibule table for details of courses at the Carrubbers Christian Centre, 65 High Street, Edinburgh from October 10th or contact direct - tel: 0131 556 2626, website www.ibsedinburgh.org

Meetings this week

Support other Organisations

Scottish Bible Society

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

• Denmark's Good Samaritan AIDS project in Sierra Leone and Swaziland;
• completion this year of revised translations into the 2 different forms of Norwegian;
• impact of SBS-sponsored shows by Bruce Kuhn at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe - Tales of Tolstoy and The Gospel of Luke;
• Brazilian Bonanza in Edinburgh next Saturday.

Forthcoming events

Prayer Points for this week

• planning for the visit of the President & Vice-President of Conference to Scotland from next weekend;
• formation of District Executive and 3 “cluster teams” to coordinate work within the Scotland District;
• 'Wizard Holiday Club' Tuesday - Friday evenings this week in Broughty Ferry New Kirk;
• projects in Liverpool District (Methodist Homes);
• projects and partners in Mali (Christian Aid);
• Hope Secondary School in Bethlehem for refugee children and orphans (BibleLands);
• The Leprosy Mission's work in central India;
• Bible Society work in Brazil;
• we pray with and for the peoples of Aotearoa New Zealand, and Australia (WCC Prayer Calendar);
• we remember fellow Methodists in Northwich (Chester and Stoke-on-Trent District), and in Cullen (North of Scotland Mission Circuit).

• 2 August 2009
• 16 August 2009

© 2002—2009 Dundee Methodist Church Scottish Charity number: SC037954.