21 July 2013

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.

Gift Aid for Small Donations

An addition has been made to the Gift Aid scheme. This new aspect is unrelated to tax and therefore applicable to those who have not been able to join Gift Aid in the past. The Church can now claim on loose collections and envelopes not previously involved. There are however a couple of restrictions which only affect people who have not been able to Gift Aid.

1. we cannot claim on any cheques
2. we cannot claim on sums greater than £20.

This latter condition has one important practical consequence - if you would normally have combined collections for more than one week into one envelope, it is better to submit all the separate ones eg 3 envelopes with a £10 note in each can be claimed against but 1 envelope with £30 or a cheque in it cannot.

If you are not currently a Gift-Aider, please consider this.

Thanks! (David E - Treasurer & Mary F - Gift Aid Sec)

District Services of Farewell and Welcome

Everyone is warmly invited to the following two Services being arranged to say “Farewell” to our outgoing and “Welcome” to our in-coming Chairs of Synod. Both services are to be held in Perth Methodist Church premises and will be followed by refreshments and informal fellowship.

• Farewell to the Rev Lily Twist - Saturday 27th July at 1.30pm
• Welcome to the Rev Dr David P Easton (currently Superintendent, Aberystwyth) - Saturday 31st August at 2pm.

Broughty Ferry Churches news

• St Luke's and Queen Street Church, Broughty Ferry serve an Afternoon Tea on Thursdays between 2pm and 3pm.
• Summer Teas and Coffees are served on Saturdays from 10am to 12 noon in the New Kirk St Aidan's Heritage Centre (former St Aidan's church building).

Link Club stall

The Club has again been given the opportunity by Rotary Dundee to take a stall in City Square on Saturday 31st August.

If you have items you wish to donate for sale please consult Lorna as to suitability and the best ways & means of providing them.

Darling's Coffee Shop

The Link Club has had two trips to Arbroath in recent weeks and visited Darling's Coffee Shop for refreshments. This is a venture under the auspices of Enable (of which the Link Club is a Special Interest Branch). In addition to the usual coffee shop refreshments and a 'pick up a picnic bag to take away' service, Darling's serves a High Tea Menu on Sundays between 4pm and 6pm. There is also artwork on display and for sale produced by local artists from Angus Council's Participate art group.

“Darling's is a social enterprise supporting young people with learning disabilities to gain valuable skills, training and work experience.”

40 trainees have joined the training academy with 13 people moving on to paid employment.

Darling's Coffee Shop is located at 134 High Street, Arbroath DD11 1HN; for further information about its work, contact The Transition Co-ordinators on 01241 238 375.

“Unclaimed property” - can you help?

Lorna is aiming to create an identified and easily accessible space to keep material suitable for children during worship. She has come across several items in the cupboard opposite the upstairs office, about which she requests clarification.

Please contact her with advice on provenance, ownership, suitability of retaining or disposing appropriately of the following:

• wooden rocking cradle - in good condition - surplus to our crèche needs - dispose of via charity outlet?
• large cream coloured bathsheet - retain or dispose of?
• table tennis equipment + set of darts - ex-Youth Club possibly? - to be retained?
• other toys - to be given TLC before retention or disposal.

Music in Worship

Last and this Sunday, (for the first time in living memory?), there was no one available from the Dundee congregation to play a musical instrument to accompany hymn singing. We are grateful to the two Preachers affected, Julya Walsh and Marcia Mackenzie, for their ready cooperation and provision of music for those Services.

Other churches within the Circuit have also, on occasion, found themselves in a similar situation and looked to “mechanical means” for provision of music. The Dundee laptop now has a downloaded set of hymn tunes covering a range of hymns from Hymns and Psalms, Singing the Faith, and other sources; the laptop can be easily linked to the sound system (Dennis and David tried it out on Tuesday) and the tunes heard very clearly.

The memory stick with the tunes and certain details about them has been sent to active Preachers so please contact them for detailed information. We are grateful to the Glasgow Circuit for their initiative in this matter.

Meetings this week

Support other Organisations

Scottish Bible Society

Support through the Bible-a-Month Club is invited in July for work here in Scotland.

Our prayerful attention is drawn this week to

• the Catholic Church's World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday;
• newly-launched 'Hope' booklet in the Gulf States, already translated into 7 languages plus a further 15 language translations under way;
• Arab Israeli Bible Society's monthly Breakfast for Women enabling formation of supportive relationships;
• SBS presence at and contributions to the Keswick Convention.

Prayer Points for this week

• the Secretary of Conference, the Rev Martyn Atkins, and the Assistant Secretary of Conference, the Rev Gareth Powell;
• Lily and Colin Twist in their removal to The Wirral, David Easton in his move to Stirling from Aberystwyth;
• the Rev John Butterfield, joining our Circuit staff from September;
• medical and evangelistic safaris in Tanzania ( Mission Aviation Fellowship);
• The Leprosy Mission's work in China, Korea, and Laos;
• residents and staff in Wales ( Methodist Homes);
• St Luke's Hospital mobile medical services, Nablus (Embrace);
• access to learning, and its absence, worldwide (Christian Aid);
• Bible Society work in Scotland;
• we pray with and for the peoples of Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico (WCC Ecumenical Calendar);
• we remember fellow Methodists in Driffield (York and Hull District) and in Anniesland (Glasgow Circuit).

• 14 July 2013
• 28 July 2013

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