22 March 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.

Thought for Today

“Today is Mothering Sunday. By 2010, 1 in 3 children in Africa will have lost one or both parents to HIV-related illnesses.” (Christian Aid, Lenten leaflet 'Count Your Blessings')

Worship Group points to note

At the recent meeting, the following were agreed

• there be a celebration of Holy Communion conducted by the Rev David Firth at 9.15 am on Easter Sunday, April 12th, followed by Family Service at 11 am;
• suggested date for General Church Meeting - Sunday 21st June;
• arrangements for crèche & Children's Group over summer:
• 'quiet activity boards' available for older children's use as appropriate;
• play area in church for younger children;
• crèche if required 'on the day'
• date of next Group meeting - Wednesday 29th April, to plan the café-style worship at the end of May.

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!)

Participation in worship

Jenny Easson would be pleased to hear from anyone willing to

• read Scripture or other material on a regular basis in Sunday worship
• take a (small) spoken part in All-age worship at 11 am on Easter Sunday, 12th April.

Meetings this week

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. Our prayerful attention is drawn this week to

• efforts to engage ethnic and cultural groups with Scriptures, preparations for the Winter Olympics in Vancouver next year;
• indigenous-language translation projects and outreach to youth at risk, soldiers, and non-readers in the USA;
• growing opportunities to produce and distribute material in Vietnamese and minority languages in Vietnam;
• progress on Hakka translation in Taiwan;
• use of Lenten devotional booklet 'Take up Your Cross' produced by the Bible Society of Singapore;
• local and expatriate Christians facing pressure in Tunisia, also process to import Scripture materials;
• completion of the New Testament in Moroccan Arabic;
• growth of work, despite opposition, in Algeria
• good relationships between the Christian traditions in Libya ;
• follow-up to contacts made during last year's 125th Anniversary events in Egypt.

Forthcoming events

Prayer Points for this week

• the President & the Vice-President of Conference in the South-East District this weekend;
• 'One Connexion Project' Group Visit to the Scotland & Shetland Districts, Monday - Wednesday;
• preparations for the Rev Lily Twist's sabbatical, April - June;
• planning for the open 'Circuit Day' in Dundee on 25th April;
• work in the West Yorkshire District (Methodist Homes);
• World Water Day (today) - work of ODE building dams in Burkina Faso (Christian Aid);
• The Leprosy Mission's rehabilitation work with patients;
• Bible Society work in Mali;
• The Armenian Evangelical Torosian School giving training in simple health care (BibleLands);
• we pray with and for the peoples of China, including Hong Kong & Macao (WCC Prayer Calendar);
• we remember fellow Methodists in St Austell (Cornwall District), and in Milton (Glasgow Circuit).

• 15 March 2009
• 29 March 2009

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