9 March 2014

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.

Preaching Plan

The Plan for March-May has been distributed electronically to those on the list and some printed copies are on the Vestibule table. Please contact Jenny or David Easson for inclusion on the electronic system or for further printed copies.

Preaching Plan: the Plan for March-May has been distributed electronically to those on the list and some printed copies are on the Vestibule table. Please contact Jenny or David Easson for inclusion on the electronic system or for further printed copies.

Observance of Lent

The season of Lent will be marked during worship in Marketgait by the inclusion in Sunday worship of a Lenten Liturgy.

This year, it has been agreed that, as a change from the last two years' absence of a floral arrangement during Lent (as is customary in some of our partner churches), there will be a small vase of flowers on or near the Communion Table each week.

The Broughty Ferry Churches Group extends an invitation to the following Lenten Group meetings this week

• in St Mary's Episcopal Church, Queen Street, Broughty Ferry, at 10.15am Monday led by Jenny Easson;
• in Our Lady of Good Counsel, Westfield Road, Broughty Ferry, at 7.30pm on Tuesday led by members of New Kirk and St Mary's.

The study material will be “Parables and Possessions” prepared by the Church of Scotland for Churches Together in Britain and Ireland; this week's topic is 'temptation' based on the Parable of The Sower in St Matthew's Gospel.

Dundee Methodists and Food Banks

We support the Dundee Foodbank by bringing in any of the suggested items from the Shopping List (on the table on the upstairs landing) and placing them in the large blue Bucket provided nearby. An explanatory slip is also available. There is also need for plastic carrier bags of suitable size; please place any spares by the Bucket. Monetary donations are also welcome. Contact Liz Kay for further information.

End Hunger Fast is encouraging people to fast on Friday 4th April, in support of those who cannot afford to eat.

Church Stewards' meeting résumé

1. At our meeting with the Minister on Tuesday, we agreed to implement, on an initial trial basis, a change in the use of rooms before Sunday worship. This is, in the main, to enable preacher and stewards to remain on one (upstairs) floor and eliminate much of the “going up and down stairs” required hitherto. From today, the upstairs office will be used as the gathering room before worship (instead of the vestry).
   We recognise that this will lead to some re-thinking of the use of both rooms and ask for cooperation, patience and understanding over coming weeks. Please let us have your feedback / suggestions.
   The Link Club is to remove the “computer cupboard” in the vestry and thus release space there. This too will enable reconsideration of the use of this room; the Church Council also recognised that the library area and its contents are now another part of our premises which could benefit from change.
2. The Stewards also agreed that the current large noticeboard in front porch window is proving too cumbersome, not least for changing preacher information each week. We therefore agreed that steps be taken towards provision of a smaller, hinged board, with a more modern poster form of information. If you have any suggestions on this, please promptly contact Sue Marshall-Jennings who has undertaken to liaise with appropriate people and take this forward.
3. If you feel you could act as a door steward, coffee-server, or “collection counter”, please contact Fiona Thomas or any Steward. Our thanks are expressed to all on the current rotas.

Meetings this week

Support other Organisations

Scottish Bible Society

Our support via the Bible-a-Month Club is invited in March for work in Galilee, northern Israel: Nazareth is the ministry base of the Arab Israeli Bible Society.

Our prayerful attention is drawn this week to

• cooperation between religious groups and nationalities, Christian denominations and organisations in the Kyrgyz Republic;
• 30th Anniversary of the Bible Society of Burkina Faso, also completion of the Bible translation into Moore e Dagara;
• work in Malawi building on the 200th anniversary of the birth of David Livingstone;
• completion of six on-going translation projects in Mozambique.

Forthcoming events

Prayer Points for this week

• the President of Conference at the United Reformed Church Mission Council, Monday - Tuesday;
• Connexional Ministries Committee, Wednesday;
• outcomes and decisions from District Policy Committee;
• Church Stewards in our circuit's congregations;
• work of Habitat for Humanity in Lebanon (Embrace);
• serving otherwise hard-to-reach communities in Papua New Guinea (MAF);
• residents, staff and supporters in Cumbria ( Methodist Homes);
• those who feel frustrated at the lack of progress towards justice and peace (Christian Aid);
• Bible Society work in Galilee, northern Israel;
• we pray with and for the peoples of Burma, and of Thailand;
• we remember Methodists in Sherborne and Yeovil (Southampton District) and in Cockenzie (Edinburgh and Forth Circuit).

• 2 March 2014
• 16 March 2014

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