12 December 2010

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.

Christmas Day

The Christmas Day Service at 11 am on 25th December will be a short reflective Act of Worship led by Jenny Easson. As is our long-standing custom, an offering will be uplifted for Action for Children Scotland (AfCS). All are warmly welcome.

Christmas Celebrations

The Christmas Tree in Marketgait, as in recent years, has been purchased in support of the “Caring Christmas Trees” run by the Bethany Christian Trust to generate funds for their pilot Care Shelter in Dundee. The Shelter is “a vital service for homeless people providing overnight accommodation and practical support for rough sleepers, to meet their needs. For the cost of one Christmas Tree, Bethany Trust can provide a homeless person with their hot meal, bed for the night, breakfast and advice. The shelter is open for two weeks in January and offers hope and a future to the people who use this service.”. See www.bethanychristiantrust.com .

Broughty Ferry Churches Group News

Weekly Christian Aid lunches on a Friday have now ceased until Friday 14th January, when it is hoped that weather conditions will not lead to cancellations as in the past two weeks!

Flower Rota

Elaine R writes :

“I have some vacancies on the Flower Rota for this coming year. If anyone feels they would like to join the Flower Rota, please contact me so I can complete the Rota. Thank you.

The dates are January 30th; February 6th & 27th; May 29th; June 26th; September 18th; October 30th; November 20th.”

Rev Benson Chongo

Pictured in snow (“the Courier” Perth and Fife editions but not Dundee!)

Meetings this week

Support other Organisations

Scottish Churches House Prayer Network

Prayers are invited this week for meetings and events in the House, including the Senior Citizens Break (Monday - Thursday) and the annual Christmas Carol Service on Thursday at 5.30 pm.

Prayer is also invited for all involved in consultations, discussions and decisions on the future of the House.

Scottish Bible Society

Our support through the Bible-a-Month Club is invited for work in December in Burkina Faso. See noticeboard for more information.

Our prayerful attention is drawn this week to

• work during the Year of the Child in Paraguay;
• Grow and Learn workshops and Lectio Divina with young people in Venezuela, also ongoing Piaroa Bible translation project;
• Light in North-Eastern Brazil programme seeking to bring physical and spiritual health to people in situations of asocial risk;
• ongoing work by the Bible Society in Ecuador, in city, highland and jungle areas.

SBS Updates and News from 2010 Bible-a-Month projects:

• Georgia (featured in January): the Church in neighbouring Armenia is equally keen to educate a new generation, eg through summer camps for young people, regular donations of Children's Bibles to schools since 1996.
• Thailand (February): distribution to the Urak Lawoi islanders, co-ordinated from Bangkok, has been complicated because of chaotic conditions - killings, land destruction, arson of office premises in Bangkok and Chang Mai. Use of electronic media door Bible Society work is being actively considered.
• Jamaica (March): work suffered disruption in May because of troubles with gun-fights causing fear in local communities.
• Ethiopia (April): in the remote (from, the centre, presumably - eds !) rural district of the south-west, a population the size of Dundee's speak the Bench language. Few there can read Bench but the New Testament is being offered in audio format - with the result that 32,000 people are now meeting in 580 groups to hear and discuss the Scriptures!

Prayer Points for this week

• The President of Conference at a Quiet Day for South East Church leaders on Thursday;
• preparations for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in 2011, using material prepared by Christians in Jerusalem;
• Connexional Team and other staff looking for a welcome period of recreation over Christmas;
• the people of the Brechin Diocese & colleagues in the Scottish Episcopal Church mourning the death of Bishop John Mantle;
• those undertaking the continuance of our worship and pastoral life in trying weather conditions;
• residents and staff in the Liverpool District (Methodist Homes);
• links between the Helen Keller Centre & Exhall Grange School, Coventry, and between Hope School & Harris School, Rugby (BibleLands);
• The Leprosy Mission's work in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and southern Africa;
• International Migrants' Day on Saturday (Christian Aid);
• Bible Society work in Burkina Faso;
• we pray with and for the peoples of Benin, Cote d'Ivoire, and Togo (WCC Ecumenical Calendar);
• we remember fellow Methodists in the Tamworth and Lichfield Circuit (Birmingham District) and Paisley Mission (Ayrshire & Renfrewshire Circuit).

• 5 December 2010
• 19 December 2010

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