Dundee Methodist Church

6 November 2011

Next Sunday
13 November 2011

10.45 am
Worship, including the Act of Remembrance and Two Minutes' Silence, led by Mrs Jenny Easson

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.

UNICEF “Jars of Grace”

Please return any jars with donations to this year's Appeal to Mary F as soon as possible - thanks!

Meeting to consider our mission

From The Rev Mary Patterson: “The District at the moment is struggling with times of change within the Methodist Church in Scotland and at the District Policy Committee in November discussion will take place around the District Development Review and a new way of structuring the Methodist Church in Scotland.

Needless, to say, this will affect every individual Methodist society so it is the light of this bigger picture of Methodism in Scotland and also changes that have taken place recently within this Circuit, that each church in the Circuit is being asked to take a look at their own society and consider their mission in the places where they are.

A specially convened OPEN CIRCUIT MEETING will take place here on November 23rd at which we expect to hear from our five churches feedback on the discussions which have taken place. This will all be helpful information for the Circuit Meeting and Leadership Team as we try to determine the future of the Circuit.”

As part of Dundee's contribution to these discussions, there will be a LUNCH AND OPEN MEETING after worship today to share views and help inform our appointed representatives and others going to the Open Circuit Meeting. The “Discipleship” booklets and material have been distributed to help our background thinking to both these meetings, which ALL are encouraged to support. If you are unable to attend, please make your views known to the Minister or any member of the Circuit Meeting (Dundee members are Tom, Heather, Alan, David, 'tricia and Lorna).

For the Lunch please bring food to share (or for yourself in case of special dietary requirements) - drinks will be provided.

Meetings this week

Date & timeVenueDetails
Tuesday 8th November 2011, 7 pm University of Dundee Tower Extension Lecture Theatre “Muslim and Christian Perspectives”: inter-faith seminar. Sarah Snyder (Christian ) and Rebecca Masterton (Muslim) will lead a sharing of thoughts and experiences under the heading “Women”. There will be opportunity for questions and answers; refreshments will be provided.
Friday 11th November 2011, 12 noon - 1 pm YMCA 151 Brook Street, Broughty Ferry (opposite “M&S Food”) (map) Broughty Ferry Churches Group Christian Aid lunch. Soup (choice from 3 or more) is served with bread & cheese, followed by coffee (plus occasional shortbread!) for £2, in support of this ecumenical aid, relief and development charity. A warm welcome is given to all to come and share food and fellowship regularly or from time to time.
Saturday 12th November 2011, 10.45am-3.45pm Dunblane District Policy Committee
Saturday 12th November 2011, 1 pm St Paul's Cathedral, 1 High Street, Dundee Music at St Paul's Cathedral: the weekly series of lunchtime concerts continues with music by the Strathmore Singers. Tickets - £4 / £3 / £2 at the door; refreshments after. See poster on noticeboard or www.stpaulscathedraldundee.org.

Support other Organisations

Scottish Bible Society

Our support through the Bible-a-Month Club is invited in November for work in Egypt. Our prayerful attention is drawn this week to

  • outreach in Belarus to homes for children, the disabled and the elderly, also to drug addicts and HIV/AIDS sufferers:
  • leading of Lectio Divina sessions in universities across Scotland;
  • financial support in Lithuania for distribution of material to schools, orphans and hospital patients:
  • completion of a new Bible translation in Latvia.

Forthcoming events

Date & timeVenueDetails
Saturday 19th November 2011, 9.30am to 4pm St Mary's Centre, Kinnoull, Perth “Volunteering in Faith: Obligation or Joy?”
An invitation is extended to ecumenical partners to this Conference organised by the Scottish Episcopal Church's Church in Society Committee. The Keynote Speaker, Anne Morrissey, is a free-lance community theologian, lecturer and author, who has worked in the social responsibility field for many years. There will also be interactive and creative workshops on aspects of volunteering.
Booking now closed.
Saturday 19th November 2011, 9.30am to 4pm St Peter's Free Church, St Peter Street, Dundee SOLAS Conference, on the theme “Being Human”, with speakers addressing issues of Human Freedom, Human Communication, and Human Sexuality. There will also be four seminars on topics as “Discovering your Community” and “Everyday Evangelism - living the missional life”. See www.solas-cpc.org or contact Tom Penman.
Sunday 11th December 2011, 7pm to 4pm Caird Hall, Dundee Dundee Choral Union Christmas Concert, including Fauré's “Requiem” and seasonal works by Poulenc, Finzi, and Vaughan Williams, plus a selection of Christmas carols. Tickets are available from David Easson, Denise & Andy Jackson or from the Caird Hall at the door on the night.
Friday 27th - Sunday 29th January 2012 to 4pm North Road Methodist Church, Durham National Methodist Students' Conference 2012 on the theme 8220;Being followers of Jesus”. Speakers are to include Eunice Attwood (who joined in leading our worship during her Vice-Presidential year), Ruth Gee (Chair of the Darlington District), and Roger Walton (Chair of the West Yorkshire District). For details of venue, price & “what to bring”, see www.durhammethsoc.webs.com. Mary Patterson also has details.
31 March - 8 April 2012 Various routes to Lindisfarne Northern Cross Pilgrimage Lindisfarne. Planning is well under way for the 2012 Easter Pilgrimage, described as an “ecumenical long walk for worship, prayer and fellowship”. It has had a traditional appeal among student populations, but no doubt is supported also more widely! To learn more or register - individually or as a group - contact northcross@northerncross.co.uk or (for tweeters) http://twitter.com/northerncross,co,uk or (for Facebook users) http:// www.facebook.com/northern.cross.pilgrimage.

Prayer Points for this week

  • The President of Conference at the Epworth Rectory, Monday;
  • Connexional Stationing Matching Group, this week;
  • Contacts with students and young people within our Circuit;
  • staff & residents in the Birmingham District (Methodist Homes);
  • The Leprosy Mission's work in west India;
  • “Will Aid” scheme this month (Christian Aid);
  • Mission Aviation Fellowship work in Tanzania;
  • SLED's use of 2 new minibuses to transport children with learning difficulties (BibleLands);
  • Bible Society work in Sri Lanka;
  • we pray with and for the peoples of Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Rwanda (WCC Ecumenical Calendar);
  • we remember fellow Methodists in the Central Sussex United Area (South-East District) and in Clydebank (Glasgow Circuit).