Dundee Methodist Church

11 July 2010

Next Sunday: 18 July 2010

11 am
Worship, including the Sacrament of Holy Communion conducted by the Rev Gerald Bostock
Communion Offering for Friends of Nablus and Surrounding Areas

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.

Methodist Homes

Envelopes in support of Methodist Homes are to be returned in the offertory plate today or as soon as possible.

Methodist Conference 2010

If you wish to hear about this year's Conference in Portsmouth - people, discussions, decisions, events - talk to David Easson. See also www.methodistconference.org.uk.

“Exciting Job Opportunity for a young person”!

As part of the Methodist Church's Youth Participation Strategy, the Scotland Learning & Development Forum is seeking to recruit a young person aged 16-23 to support its work with young people in the District Development, “Holiness and Risk”, and other events specifically for young people. The person appointed will also meet with others across the Methodist Connexion in similar posts.

The post is for 15 hours per week from September 2010 to September 2011.

Applicants need not be Members of the Methodist Church but should be sympathetic with the aims of the Methodist Church and comfortable with being in the company of Christians. Closing date for applications is July 31st, with interviews in Edinburgh on August 10th.

For advertisement, job description & application form, contact Helen Wareing DistAdmin@scottishchurcheshouse.org, see website methodistchurchinscotland.org.uk or ask members of Synod to whom papers may have been forwarded as e-mail attachments.

A Word of Thanks

Rev David Gamble, the ex-President of Conference, has expressed his written thanks to those involved in hosting himself and the Vice-President during their year in office. The President & Mrs Gamble visited this Circuit in August (dropped-in on the Link Club, then had lunch in Perth before a District gathering in Dunblane). The letter reads:

“It has been a wonderful year, with so many opportunities to see exciting things and meet people with important stories to tell. (We) have been made most welcome on our travels and have been grateful for all the arrangements that have been made for us and delighted at the many opportunities that have been opened to us.
Many people have given generously of their time and hospitality. Some have fed and watered us and we have been helped to feel 'at home' whether we have stayed overnight or visited just for a short while. It has been great to see 'old friends' again and catch up with news. And I feel I have made huge numbers of new friends as the year has progressed. So, for all this and for your part in it, I write to say 'Thank you'”.

Friends Of Nablus and Surrounding Areas

Following Andrée Ryan's sharing of her experiences as an Ecumenical Accompanist in Israel-Palestine last year, it has been decided that a Communion Offering be allocated to the above local organization. Methodist Conference in Portsmouth has also passed a Resolution anent the current situation in Israel-Palestine, encouraging our awareness of and support for those affected thereby.

FONSA is a Charitable Trust (SC038502) , created by Trustees linked to Nablus through twinning experiences, to alleviate poverty and further education in Nablus and its surrounding areas. The Trust aims to support the education of young and mature students in a range of courses (plumbing, nursing, IT) as well as university degrees, plant olive and fruit trees in vulnerable villages, provide water tankers for remote villages, whilst looking for new projects in response to local needs and working with other charities and organisations on the ground.

Date & timeVenueDetails
17th July 2010 12 noon to 5.30 pm Scottish Churches House, 1 Kirk Street, Dunblane, Perthshire, FK15 0AJ Scottish Churches House Jubilee Birthday Open Day. This will begin with a “Gathering” at 12.15 pm and conclude with a Celebratory Act of Worship in Dunblane Cathedral at 5 pm. There will be events in the House through the Day, provision of crèche & activities for children, displays in and tours of the House, refreshments served in the dining room. For more details see the invitation / poster or contact Jenny Easson.
It is hoped that visitors will include “old/new” friends. Those who cannot be in Dunblane but wish to make a “birthday gift” are invited to consider a donation to the Jubilee Fund which will support development of the House Programme and bursaries for younger people to assist participation in ecumenical events.

Support other Organisations

Scottish Churches House Prayer Network

Prayers are invited this week for meetings and events in the House, especially Roost Visitor training (Tuesday - Thursday), SCH Interim Board meeting (Tuesday evening), Tertiary Order of the Holy Paraclete, Methodist meetings (Wed), hospitality for Open Day (Friday - Saturday).

Scottish Bible Society

Our support through the Bible-a-Month Club is invited for work in July in Syria. See noticeboard for more information.

Our prayerful attention is drawn this week to

  • New Bible House, literacy work with children in Niger;
  • new Board of the Bible Society in Chad and plans to purchase a new distribution vehicle;
  • completion of the Boomu Bible in Mali and ongoing translation work, also plans for a new vehicle to expand distribution work, and land for a Bible House;
  • completion of John's Gospel by the Gaelic translation panel and continuation of work on the New Testament;
  • launch of the Khoekhoegowab New Testament in Namibia;
  • the positive reception of the Kalanga New Testament with Psalms in Botswana, also translation of Naro and Kalanga Old Testaments;
  • new Executive Secretary taking up his post in Angola;
  • preparation for Bible Sunday on 24th October.

Prayer Points for this week

  • The President and Vice-President of Conference at “Breakout” youth event, Cliff College, this weekend;
  • taking forward of Conference discussions and decisions;
  • Methodist ministers and families moving during the summer;
  • Chaplains and missions to sea-farers: today is “Sea Sunday”;
  • projects, partners and peoples in Brazil (Christian Aid);
  • El Saray Evangelical Church social programmes (school, drop-in clinic) in Alexandria, Egypt (BibleLands);
  • Bible Society work in Syria;
  • The Leprosy Mission's promotional work in Europe;
  • homes, staff and projects in London (Methodist Homes);
  • we pray with and for the peoples of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Panama (WCC Prayer Calendar);
  • we remember fellow Methodists in the Gordano Valley (Bristol District) and in Buckie (North of Scotland Mission Circuit).