Dundee Methodist Church

8 March 2009

Next Sunday: 15 March - Lent 3

10.45 am
Coffee available
11 am
Worship, including the Sacrament of Holy Communion, conducted by the Rev David Firth
Sacrament - Communion Offering for Mission in Britain

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.

Preaching Plans for March - May

Nnow available on the Vestibule table: please take copies for yourself and for others.

“Where are we going next?”

Please read the paper, available on the Vestibule table, and forward any comments, thoughts, responses or questions to either of the Ministers, in advance of the Circuit Meeting on Wednesday 18th March if possible.

Further background to this is available from the Ministers, Circuit Stewards (in Dundee, Keith Pearson), Circuit Meeting or Church Council members.

Lent 2009

  • Dundee City Centre Churches study group meetings will be on Tuesdays at 7.30 pm in Meadowside St Paul's Halls (downstairs) using the CTBI material “Sense Making Faith”, linked to current broadcasts:
    • Sundays at 9.30 am on BBC Radio4.
    • Daily Service at 8.45 am on Radio4 (LW)
    • BBC local radio stations, variously.
  • Broughty Ferry Churches Group continue their Lenten journey, also using the CTBI material.
  • Resources to help us observe Lent individually:
    • Christian Aid www.christianaid.org.uk
      • Journey to Jerusalem
      • Count Your Blessings”
    • Methodist on-line reflection “Still Time” (www.methodist.org.uk)
    • Books in Wesley Owen and other shops (or borrow previous years' purchases from friends!)

Scottish Churches House

Copies of “Inscape”, giving SCH news and Programme, are on the Vestibule table. Please also see leaflets on the downstairs noticeboard giving details of

  • “Homecoming” Lent Retreat - for literature lovers - led by Dilly Baker and Alison Thompson on Tue 17th - Thur 19th March.
  • “Grasping Nettles” on the first Wednesday of the month : topics to come
    • “The Bible - literal truth or metaphor?” on Wed 1st April
    • 'Easeful Death?' on Wed 6th May.

More details from SCH, 1 Kirk Street, Dunblane, FK15 0AJ Tel: 01786 823588 or http://www.scottishchurcheshouse.org.

Methodists in Mission Conference

Information is to hand for this year's World Mission conference on the theme “Christians and Muslims - Side by Side and Face to Face” at The Hayes, Swanwick, Derbyshire from 5th - 7th June.

The Keynote Speakers will be

  • Dr Ataullah Siddiqui of the Markfield (Islamic) Institute of Higher Education (Leicestershire)
  • Mr Julian Bond and Dr Musharraf Hussain of the national Christian-Muslim Forum
  • Ven Michael Ipgrave, Archdeacon of Southwark, and previously National Adviser for inter-faith concerns for CTBI.

For details see poster on noticeboard, or contact Meg Bailey, 63 D Green Lane, Heaton Norris, Stockport, SK4 3LH; tel: 0161 432 3854; email meg@baileymm.fsnet.co.uk or book online: www.mwm.org.uk.

Meetings this week

Date & timeVenueDetails
Tuesday 10th March, 7.30 pm Meadowside St Paul’s Halls (downstairs) (map) City Centre Churches Lent Group, using the CTBI material “Sense Making Faith” downloadable from http://www.ctbi.org.uk/355
Wednesday 11th March, 7.30 pm St Mary's Episcopal Church, Broughty Ferry (map) Broughty Ferry Churches Group Lent Meeting on the topic “Journey into the Imagination and into Hearing” (ie weeks 2 and 6 of the course) led by members of St Mary's and Dundee Methodist Church. All are welcome.
Friday 13th March, 12 noon - 1.30 pm YMCA 151 Brook Street, Broughty Ferry (opposite “M&S Food”) (map) Broughty Ferry Churches Group Christian Aid lunch. The weekly lunch (£2) comprises a choice of home-made soups, bread & coffee, plus conversation with friends 'old and new'.
Saturday 14th March. Coffee at 10.30am, 11am start, 4pm finish. Saughtonhall URC, 85/87 Saughtonhall Drive Edinburgh EH12 5TR Coffee at 10.30am, 11am start, 4pm finish. The Methodist District, together with our ecumenical partners, has organised a “Messy Church Training Day”. The event speaker will be Lucy Moore who is part of the BRF's Barnabas team. The event is a must for anyone interested in building a Christ-centred community where parents, carers and children can share their creativity, eat a meal and worship together outside of Sunday worship.  Cost £10 only.
See poster on noticeboard for details and Vestibule table for registration forms (the Ministers, Lorna & Margaret, & the Eassons can supply more).
It seems like an event at which Dundee and the Circuit should have representation from among Ministers, Preachers & Worship Leaders, workers with children, Stewards, anyone interested ……. Lorna is interested to know of anyone else who plans to go from Dundee.

Support other Organisations

Scottish Bible Society

Our support through the Bible-a-Month Club is invited in March for work in Mali. See library area noticeboard for more information.

6ur prayerful attention is drawn this week to

  • outreach programmes, social projects for street children, vulnerable women and others in need in Mexico;
  • ministry through Bible Exhibition and Film & Bible Bus in Curacao, Netherlands Antilles;
  • Quarterly meeting of the SBS board on Friday;
  • first-ever translation project in Jamaican Patois, the normal language of millions.

Forthcoming events

Date & timeVenueDetails
Monday 16th March, 7 pm Dundee Methodist Church, “L” Pastoral Committee
Tuesday 17th March, 7.30 pm Meadowside St Paul’s Halls (downstairs) (map) City Centre Churches Lent Group, using the CTBI material “Sense Making Faith” downloadable from http://www.ctbi.org.uk/355
Wednesday 18th March, 6 pm Dundee Methodist Church, “L” Circuit Treasurers' Meeting
Wednesday 18th March, 7.30 pm Dundee Methodist Church, “L” Circuit Meeting
Saturday 21st March 1 pm St Paul's Cathedral, 1 High Street, Dundee “Music at St Paul's Cathedral”. Lunchtime concert given by Jonathan Kightley (viola) and Blair Cargill (piano), including music by Bach & Schubert. Tickets (£3.50 / 2.50) at the door, tea/coffee served after.

Prayer Points for this week

  • the President & Vice-President of Conference at Methodist Lay Workers' Conference, Wednesday - Friday;
  • Methodist Diaconal Order Convocation, Monday - Wednesday;
  • District Superintendents' Forum, Tuesday - Wednesday;
  • Consultation in Circuit on “Where are we going next?”;
  • work in the Sheffield District, remembering Tony & Betty Pepper in Moorlands, Hathersage (Methodist Homes);
  • Bible Society work in Mali;
  • International Women's Day today and work of Diakonia in South Africa, to combat gender violence (Christian Aid);
  • The Leprosy Mission's work in Bangladesh;
  • The Armenian Evangelical High School, Beirut (BibleLands);
  • we pray with and for the peoples of Burma (Myanmar) and Thailand (WCC Prayer Calendar);
  • we remember fellow Methodists in St Just and Penzance (Cornwall District), and in Woodlands (Glasgow Circuit).