19 July 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.

Our Anniversary Celebrations

• To mark the 25th anniversary of “the march of Methodists from Ward Road to Marketgait” on 16th September 1984, the Rev Dr Malcolm Rothwell has been invited to lead worship on Sunday 13th September.
• This opportunity will also be taken to commemorate the 250th anniversary of John Wesley's first visit to Dundee in 1759.
• This may also be an appropriate occasion for Dundee Methodist to take as “Back to Church Sunday” which is commended to all churches by ACTS.

Please note the above date and anniversaries - if you have suggestions for appropriate ways to celebrate, please let Rev Mary Patterson, a Church Steward, or other members of the Church Council know in good time.

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.

Meetings this week

Support other Organisations

Scottish Bible Society

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

• United Bible Societies staff serving in Europe and the Middle East, in situations of change and pressure;
• use of resources produced for this 'Year of Homecoming' in Scotland;
• workers in Africa tackling issues of illiteracy, HIV/AIDS, war, political unrest, famine and poverty;
• workers in Uruguay confronting problems such as abortion and domestic violence, and reaching out to young people in street gangs;
• crew of El Amenecer ('Dawn') ministering to poor communities along the Paraguay River.

The Barnabas Fund

The Barnabas Fund, which has a Branch in Dundee, works to bring “hope and aid for the persecuted church” in many lands throughout the world.

The Fund works by directing aid to Christians, recognising that benefits may not be exclusive to them, with the majority of the aid allocated to those living in Muslim environments. Money is channelled through existing local structures to support projects developed by Christians in their local communities, with no limit to the smallness of a particular project.

Whilst working in equal partnership with local leaders, the Fund can also act on behalf of those persecuted by making needs and injustice more widely known.

The Fund's approach (based on Matthew 25, 40) is one of showing God's love to all people and of treating all people of all faiths with love and compassion, believing in the power of prayer to bring change and grace for endurance in suffering.

See /www.barnabasfund.org; or contact UK Head Office at 9 Priory Row, Coventry CV1 5EX: tel : 024 7623 1923.

There are magazines & prayer booklets on the Vestibule table.

Forthcoming events

Prayer Points for this week

• The President, the Rev David Gamble, at the Conference of European Churches General Assembly, Lyons, to Tuesday;
• Bill Reid's work as Connexional Liaison Officer Scotland;
• stationing invitation process in this Circuit for 2010 onwards;
• projects and supporters in East Anglia (Methodist Homes);
• communities affected by rising temperatures (Christian Aid);
• The Deaf Unit in Cairo's vocational training centre, school and club (BibleLands);
• The Leprosy Mission's work in China, Korea, and Laos;
• Bible Society work in Bulgaria;
• we pray with and for the peoples of Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico (WCC Prayer Calendar);
• we remember fellow Methodists in Congleton (Chester and Stoke-on-Trent District), and in Peterhead (North of Scotland Mission Circuit).

• 12 July 2009
• 26 July 2009

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