9 January 2011

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.

Offering Envelopes Scheme

Those who already contribute to the work of the Church through regular weekly offerings are asked to uplift their envelopes for 2011 from the table in Marketgait. It would also be helpful if envelopes could be delivered to those unable to access our premises.

For further information on the Scheme or Gift-Aided giving, please contact Cliff, Assistant Treasurer. It is also possible to ensure regular giving through a bank Standing Order; please contact David, Treasurer, about this.

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity: 18-25 January

Our support is warmly invited by Broughty Ferry Churches Group for their marking of the Week, through Coffee-and-Worship on Saturday 22nd January in the Baptist Church premises, St Vincent Street, Broughty Ferry. Coffee will be served from 10am in the Halls, to be followed by worship in the Church at 11am. This year's theme is “All Things in Common” with material prepared by an ecumenical group in Jerusalem adapted for local use by national bodies around the world.

Methodist participation in the Pulpit Exchange which, in past years has been arranged to coincide with the Unity Octave, will this year be on February 20th when the Rev Dr Brian Talbot (Broughty Baptist Church) will lead worship in Marketgait and Jenny Easson will lead worship in Broughty Baptist Church.

Year of the Bible 2011

Among suggestions for Dundee Methodists' response to the UK-wide invitation to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the publication of the King James Bible in 1611 by revitalising the reading of the Bible by church (& other) folk, have been the following:

• a “Read the Bible in a Year” Bible book group
• 'How to understand the Bible' - Fellowship Group meetings to explore how we understand what's in the Bible
• encouraging people to bring their Bibles to church and offering one of the church Bibles along with hymnbooks and news-sheets
• our first Café service of the year to be on the Bible and the Year of the Bible campaign
• to use the notice boards to create Bible timelines and other visual aids to help people navigate their Bibles

However:

• we ALL need to think about the activities and what we would each like to be involved in!
• this is just the start - The Year of the Bible is just that, a year:
• so how can we really reach out with the Bible this year?
• what would be useful to each of us to help our reading and understanding?
• what might you neighbours and families need?

If you have any thoughts, comments, suggestions or material, please contact the Rev Mary, Tom Penman, any Church Steward or Pastoral Visitor, so this process may include as many people as possible. It would be good to find in this process a means of developing our fellowship with each other, as well as deepening our Biblical and spiritual knowledge.

Bible Translation History: do you know?

• Why are these dates significant (in the history of the British Isles?): 1525; 1539; 1557 & 1560; 1568?
• What happened in Burntisland in 1601?

See www.kingjamesbibletrust.org or wait till next week!

Meetings this week

Support other Organisations

Scottish Bible Society

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

Our prayerful attention is drawn this week to

• the Russian Federation's rejoicing at the completion of the Chuvash Bible translation after 19 years' work, to be followed by printing & distribution;
• King James Bible Trust (former 2011 Trust) meeting in London on Tuesday at the start of this year's anniversary events;
• uptake of the Lectio Divina project in Kazakhstan, with access into Catholic churches and provision of affordable Bibles in remote areas;
• continuing work on the full Kyrgyz Bible amid unrest in the Kyrgyz Republic;
• start of work among Sunday School children by the Bible Society in Togo.

Seven Arches Trust

This charitable Trust, set up in partnership with Scripture Union Scotland, works with young people in Broughty Ferry and Monifieth, through Lisa Hornal, as its Youth Worker. Dundee Methodist Church has been supportive of this venture since its inception, through our membership of Broughty Ferry Churches Group which encouraged the formation of the Trust as part of the churches' aim to be in contact with young people in its area.

The Trust's Youth Workers have been active in developing good relationships with the 2 secondary schools in the Ferry and Monifieth, and through regular activities such as “Beats & Beans”, an acoustic café event in Costa's, Broughty Ferry.

For further details, see website www.7arches.co.uk or material on the Vestibule table.

Prayer Points for this week

• The President and Vice-President of Conference in the Chester and Stoke District next weekend;
• Connexional Leaders' Forum, Monday - Tuesday;
• ACTS Members' meeting on Monday anent the future of Scottish Churches House, Dunblane;
• residents and staff in the Nottingham and Derby District (Methodist Homes);
• Harpur Memorial Hospital in Menouf, & Harpur Community Health Centre in Sadat City, Egypt (BibleLands);
• The Leprosy Mission's work in Ethiopia, Sudan, and Uganda;
• the people of Haiti, a year after the earthquake (Christian Aid);
• Bible Society work in India;
• we pray with and for the peoples of Cyprus, Greece, and Turkey (WCC Ecumenical Calendar);
• we remember fellow Methodists in the Birmingham (West) and Oldbury Circuit (Birmingham District) and in Netherton (Lanarkshire Circuit).

• 2 January 2011
• 16 January 2011

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