18 March 2012

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.

Important plea for help: Hosting of Synod

The Superintendent Minister, Rev Mary Patterson, has sent the following to the Church Stewards, anent our Circuit's hosting of Synod sessions on Friday 27th April in Perth and Saturday 28th April in Dundee:

Dear Church Stewards,

As you will be aware, this Circuit is responsible for hosting District Synod on Saturday 28th April. We meet in Dundee at the Central Baptist Church premises in Ward Road. In order to make sure the day runs smoothly a large number of people are required and I am hoping that between now and nearer the time, you will be able to gather names of folk who will be willing to give a day, or part of a day to helping at Synod.

We require people to greet folks as they arrive at the Church; perhaps some to be at the railway station to guide those arriving by train (we are hoping to have transport there to take them up to the church); one or two hardy folk to steward the car park at Dundee High School; we need people ready to supervise a creche if required; kitchen staff to provide tea / coffee.

Your help in this is vital and Synod can prove to be an enjoyable and interesting day, especially for those who have not been before so please do encourage your congregations to give this serious thought so that we can give a good welcome as a Circuit to the Scotland Synod.

Thank you. Mary

The Dundee Stewards in turn request OUR help!!

Contact Alan, Liz, Chi Tak, Tom, or Jenny to offer or for more details.

Traidcraft

New catalogues are now available. Please feel free to take them away, and ask Margaret to order items you would like.

Ecumenical Lent Groups

During the season of Lent, study groups are meeting as below. A warm welcome is given to everyone to share fellowship and thinking through the group, every week or as other commitments permit.

• Dundee City Centre Churches: on Tuesday evenings at 7.30pm in Meadowside St Paul's Church Halls using the York Courses, entitled “Handing on the Torch”. A member of the Salvation Army will lead this week's study.
• Broughty Ferry Churches Group: on Wednesday evenings at 7.30pm. The Group will meet this week in the New Kirk Halls (St Vincent Street) premises, and will be led by the Rev Graham Taylor (Minister, St Luke's & Queen Street) on the theme of “Suffering”. This uses the CTBI material based on a poem of Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer, under the title “The Way to Freedom”. This will also be the theme of broadcast services on Sundays & weekdays on BBC Radio 4 and BBC local radio.

Holy Week arrangements

• City Centre Churches
  • Maundy Thursday Service in the URC Church, Salem Lane (off Constitution Road, north of the inner ring road).
  • There will be a Walk of Witness in Dundee City Centre on Good Friday, from St Andrew's Cathedral, Nethergate, leaving at 12 noon for a Service in City Square.
  • The evening service will be in Meadowside St Paul's at 7.30pm.
  • Easter Sunday: “Resurrection Day” - Caird Hall - 6.30pm
• Broughty Ferry
  • During Holy Week (from Monday 2 April) there will be Services every day in Broughty Ferry Churches.
  • On Good Friday morning, the Distribution of Hot Cross Buns will take place. There will be no Christian Aid Lunch on Good Friday (6th April).

Easter Sunday

• 'tricia Laurie, as Worship Group Convener, requests that gifts of spring flowers be brought to Marketgait on Easter Sunday (April 8th) for decoration of the plain Cross which has symbolised, with additions, our observance of Lent.
• The ecumenical open Celebration Event “Resurrection Day” will again take place in the Caird Hall at 6.30pm.

Pastoral Committee résumé

At the meeting this week, members shared news & concerns, undertook a thorough revision of the Contacts List, and agreed the inclusion of an Act of Commissioning for all Pastoral Visitors during the Covenant Service on Sunday 2nd September.

Next meeting: Wednesday 24th October at 7pm.

Meetings this week

Support other Organisations

Scottish Bible Society

Our support through the Bible-a-Month Club is invited in March for work in Papua New Guinea. Our prayerful attention is drawn this week to

• Bible World and Film & Bus volunteers in Netherlands Antilles;
• Bible Society staff and work in Poland;
• new ecumenical Bible in Slovakia, which has been warmly received

Forthcoming events

Prayer Points for this week

• The President and Vice-President of Conference in Cumbria to Wednesday;
• Connexional Stationing Committee, Wednesday;
• Methodist Council next weekend;
• preparations for business and hosting of Spring Synod;
• Treasurers and Finance Committees in the Circuit's churches;
• residents and staff in the North Lancashire District (Methodist Homes);
• The Leprosy Mission's international offices and staff;
• Mission Aviation Fellowship's outreach from Kenya into South Sudan, and into Somalia when safety considerations allow;
• all caring for children especially in AIDS-affected sub-Saharan African communities (Christian Aid);
• Beit el Nour Beirut's rehabilitation programmes (BibleLands);
• Bible Society work in Papua New Guinea;
• we pray with and for the peoples of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam (WCC Ecumenical Calendar);
• we remember fellow Methodists in Teddington (The London District) and in Cullen (North of Scotland Mission Circuit).

• 11 March 2012
• 25 March 2012

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