23 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.

Pastoral Cover

Please note that Ministerial pastoral care for all the Circuit is being provided by the Rev David Firth until the end of this month.

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!

Visit of President and Vice-President to Scotland

To hear about or see (other) photos of the Rev David Gamble at the Link Club,

• ask “Club folk”;
• see the Vice-President's “blog”, including pictures of Ben Nevis summit, accessed via the Home Page of www.methodist.org.

Scottish Churches Parliamentary Office: SCPO

Chloe Clemmons has succeeded the Rev Graham Blount as Scottish Churches Parliamentary Officer, based in The Netherbow, High Street, Edinburgh.

SCPO was created by Scotland's churches to help them build fruitful relationships with the Scottish Parliament and Government. The SCPO involves most of Scotland's churches, starting with the members of ACTS and now also including the Baptist Union, the APC, and the Free Church of Scotland - all committed to working together on this. Other faith communities and groups also use the services of the Office.

The Office produces

• a monthly update
• regular briefings on Parliamentary issues
• interviews with MPs and MSPs.

See www.actsparl.org or contact Bill Reid in our District Office (01786 820295).

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

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

• Nordic Bible Societies 2-day consultation on The Bible and Youth, in Uppsala, Sweden;
• safe travels by Bible Society staff in Burundi under last year's cease-fire agreement;
• distribution by 'The Herald' of extract version of The Glasgow Gospel DVD;
• launch of new Gikuyu Bible in Kenya;
• United Free Church conference in Dunblane on Saturday, with the theme 'Who is Jesus?';
• recording of new Somali New Testament in audio format to meet the challenges of “low literacy levels in a chaotic land”.

Forthcoming events

Prayer Points for this week

• the President & Vice-President of Conference's visit to Shetland;
• the members and influence of the Iona Community;
• circuits preparing to welcome new Ministers and families;
• follow-through of the Blairgowrie Church Council decision for its future witness based around Riverside Methodist Church;
• Greenbelt Christian Arts Festival focus on “100 days' count-down to Copenhagen climate change talks” (Christian Aid);
• projects in Newcastle-upon-Tyne (Methodist Homes);
• Rawdat El Zuhur Primary School, Jerusalem, educating children from mainly low income families (BibleLands);
• The Leprosy Mission's work in Bangladesh;
• Bible Society work in Brazil;
• we pray with and for the peoples of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania (WCC Prayer Calendar);
• we remember fellow Methodists in Runcorn (Chester and Stoke-on-Trent District), and in Portgordon (North of Scotland Mission Circuit).

• 16 August 2009
• 30 August 2009

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