Dundee Methodist Church

17 March 2013

Next Sunday
24 March 2013
Palm Sunday

11 am
Worship led by 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.

Lent Groups

BFCG and Dundee City Centre Churches have arranged the following weekly Study Groups.

  • City Centre:
“Ecumenical Lenten Study Groups Tuesdays at 7.15 for 7.30pm in Meadowside St Paul's Hall Complex (turn left on entry to the Lower Hall, the usual place of our meeting).

The theme this year is “Fit for Purpose” - A Lenten Course in Spiritual Health. This may be purchased at www.kevinmayhew.com or better still through the CLC bookshop.

  • Broughty Ferry Churches Group:

The theme will be “This is our Story: Journeys of Faith”, using material from CTBI (including downloadable pdfs of the materials), also to be the basis of BBC Radio Services (Radio 4 and Local Radio stations) in Lent.

Divine Poetry Competition

This year, aspiring (and established) poets of all ages are invited to submit a poem on the theme 'Chocolate is something to cherish'. The official entry form can be downloaded from http://www.divinechocolate.com/poetry/default.aspx and entries must be submitted by 30th April 2013.”

'The Leading Question'

Our attention is drawn to a recently-published Paper addressing issues of 'women in leadership in churches and ecumenical organisations'.

The Paper, co-authored by Anthea Sully (*) and Ali Green, is supported by the Ecumenical Forum of European Christian Women, Jacqueline Stuyt Legacy Foundation, and the Women's Justice Group, Baptist Union of Great Britain. It has been sent to Synod members.

(*) as Anthea Cox, she was a former member of the Connexional Team, with responsibility for 'public issues'.

Faith in Action

The EMU Partnership (Episcopal, Methodist, URC) commends the monthly leaflets issued by the SEC to help focus our attention on current issues and concerns.

Leaflets contain prayers with suggestions for follow-up actions, with a different topic each month.

Leaflets are downloadable from The Scottish Episcopal Church

Contact or provide feed back to Elspeth Davey of the Scottish Episcopal Church on churchrelations@scotlandanglican.org.

In March, we are invited to focus on 'asylum-seekers'.

Books for Biblical background by Gary Burge

(recommended by Jenny Easson):

  • The Bible and The Land
  • Jesus, the Middle Eastern Story-Teller
  • Jesus and the Jewish Festivals
  • Encounters with Jesus

All published by Zondervan; available via Amazon on Kindle.

Meetings this week

Date & timeVenueDetails
Monday 18th March 2013, 10.15am-11.45am St Mary's Episcopal Church, Queen Street, Broughty Ferry Broughty Ferry Churches Group Lenten Study Group. The theme will be “This is our Story: Journeys of Faith”, using material from CTBI (including downloadable pdfs of the materials), also to be the basis of BBC Radio Services (Radio 4 and Local Radio stations) in Lent. Facilitated by Jenny Easson.
Tuesday 19th March 2013, 7.15/7.30pm Meadowside St Paul's Hall Complex (turn left on entry to the Lower Hall, the usual place of our meeting) Ecumenical Lenten Study Group. The theme this year is “Fit for Purpose” - A Lenten Course in Spiritual Health. This may be purchased at www.kevinmayhew.com or better still through the CLC bookshop. It is adaptable but presents all leaders with a structure from which to work. Leaders this year are from St Andrews Cathedral, The Methodist Church, the United Reformed Church, The High Kirk and MStP's. The Salvation Army has also been invited. The Theme should make for lively ecumenical discussion!
Wednesday 20th March 2013, 7.30pm to 9pm New Kirk Small Hall, Queen Street Broughty Ferry Churches Group Lenten Study Group. The theme will be “This is our Story: Journeys of Faith”, using material from CTBI (including downloadable pdfs of the materials), also to be the basis of BBC Radio Services (Radio 4 and Local Radio stations) in Lent. Facilitated by representatives of Methodists with St Luke's & Queen Street.
Thursday 21st March 2013, 7pm St Anne's RC Church, 21 Whitevale Street, Dennistoun, Glasgow G31 1QW An ecumenical service of prayer and reflection on the theme of "Romero: a prophet of peace for our times"; part of an international 'Romero Week' organised by 'Friends of Romero': information from ACTS.
Friday 22nd March 2013, 12 noon - 1 pm YMCA 151 Brook Street, Broughty Ferry (opposite “M&S Food”) (map) Broughty Ferry Churches Group Christian Aid lunch. A choice of soups (including a vegetarian option), bread and cheese, followed by coffee or tea is available, and a donation of £2 (or more!) is invited to support the work of Christian Aid. A warm welcome is given to all to partake of the food and fellowship, whilst thinking of others worldwide.
No lunch on 29th March and 5th April.
Saturday 23rd March 2013, 1 pm St Paul's Episcopal Cathedral, High Street, Dundee Saturday Lunchtime Concert given by Matthew McAllister, guitar. Tickets - adults: £4; concessions: £3; schoolchildren: free - available at the door. Coffee/tea served after each concert, with the chance to meet the performers.

Support other Organisations

Scottish Bible Society

Our support through the Bible-a-Month Club is invited in March for work in Bolivia.

Our prayerful attention is drawn this week to

  • celebrations of the 200th anniversary of the birth of David Livingstone on Wednesday;
  • distribution of the Scriptures in Mali, especially amid persecution in the north;
  • support for Bible Society work in Cambodia.

Christian Aid Tay Bridge Cross

The 2013 sponsored Tay Bridge Cross will take place on Saturday 4th May from 10am to 1pm prompt. (Please note this morning start.) Last year's Bridge Cross raised over £17,000 “in spite of the temperamental Scottish weather”. Support is again invited. Registration form.

A Guide and Order Form are also on the Vestibule table.

The Forth Bridge Cross will be on Saturday 20th April and the Erskine Bridge Cross on Saturday 27th April, both starting at 2pm.

The Cumbrae Challenge (walk or cycle the 10 miles round the Isle) will take place on Saturday 15th June from 10.30am.

Prayer Points for this week

  • the President of Conference's visit to the West Yorkshire District, next weekend;
  • Pope Francis and Archbishop Justin Welby on the occasions of their installations on Tuesday and Thursday respectively;
  • Connexional Leaders' Forum, Northampton, Monday - Tuesday;
  • support of care for refugees in South Sudan (Mission Aviation Fellowship);
  • The Leprosy Mission's international staff workers;
  • Swiss Evangelical School in Mejdelanjar, near the Syrian Border and within earshot of the bombing of Zabadani (Embrace);
  • projects in Lancashire (Methodist Homes);
  • taxation justice campaigns (Christian Aid);
  • Bible Society work in Bolivia;
  • we pray with and for the peoples of Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Andorra, Monaco and San Marino (WCC Ecumenical Calendar);
  • we remember fellow Methodists in Bedford (South) and Ampthill (Bedfordshire, Essex and Hertfordshire District) and our Circuit colleagues in St John's, Arbroath (Angus, Dundee and Perthshire Circuit).