Dundee Methodist Church

26 April 2015

Next Sunday
3 May 2015

10.45 am
“early singing”
11 am
Worship led by Mrs Jenni Whittle

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.
We welcome the Rev David Easton to Marketgait today and assure him of our prayerful support in his work as Chair of the Scotland District Synod.
We send our best wishes to Jean Roxby, as to all Members and contacts who live at some distance from Marketgait; we assure them all of warm memories of shared tines of friendship and of our continuing care.

Blairgowrie and Montrose Methodists

Our prayers are invited for our friends in Blairgowrie as they leave a much loved church building and look to ways of taking forward the Methodist presence in the community. Last Saturday's Farewell Concert was a most uplifting occasion and musical send off for the organ: its final tune was “Viva EspaÑa” which opens with “I'm off to sunny Spain”. On Tuesday, it began its journey to the church of Santiago (St James) in Alcala de Guadaira, near Seville. We assure all concerned of our support at this time of change - remembering also Montrose Methodist friends who have left a much loved building recently.

Church Redecoration

The interior of the worship area was painted last week - you may notice the difference! The Finance & Property Committee are pleased with the result and hope others are too.

Mediterranean Migration Crisis

The Methodist Church News Service draws our attention to the following documents and news items relating to the current crisis and the Churches' responses:

  • Mediterranean Hope
  • Safe and Legal Paths to Protection - from 7 Christian refugee and migration bodies in Europe
  • Churches Commission for Migrants in Europe
  • Statement by the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

    • The Rev Martyn Atkins is to visit our church partners in Lampedusa during May.

    Christian Aid Week Flower Festival

    Broughty Ferry Churches Group are to hold a Flower Festival in the New Kirk, Queen Street, from Thursday 14th May to Saturday 16th May, on the theme “Count your Blessings”.

    • New Kirk (Queen Street, Broughty Ferry) will be open between 10am and 4pm each day, with an entry fee of £3 including tea / coffee.
    • On Friday 15th May there will be a Concert by the Monifieth Singers at 7.30pm in New Kirk (tickets £5).
    • On Sunday 17th May, there will be a Songs of Praise in New Kirk, at 3pm.

    Dundee Methodists and Food Banks - updates

    Dundee Foodbank logo
    • Our continued support for the Dundee Foodbank has again received thank from its organisers.
    • Please place items in the large bucket on the upstairs landing - clean plastic bags are also welcome.

    Meetings this week

    Date & timeVenueDetails
    Wednesday 29th April 2015, 7pm Dundee Methodist Church, “L” Café Service planning meeting, to consider a possible theme, general structure, material and anything else relevant to the Café Service on Sunday 31st May, when Keith Pearson is planned. Note will also be taken of forthcoming Café or other Services for which planning and participation will be invited. This is an open meeting, at which all are welcome. If you have suggestions or material but cannot come on Wednesday, please contact 'tricia Laurie or Keith before then.
    Friday 1st May 2015, 12.30pm - 2pm, followed by a finger buffet lunch. The Steeple Church, Nethergate Dundee City Council and Workplace Chaplaincy Scotland: The 22nd Annual Lecture for International Workers Memorial Day. This year's lecture will be given by Lesley Howells, Centre Head and Consultant Psychologist of Maggie's Dundee on the subject “Understanding the impact of living with cancer in and beyond the workplace”. To reserve a place, email health.safety@dundeecity.gov.uk.

    Support other Organisations

    Bible Society

    Our support via the Bible-a-Month Club is invited in April for work in Mexico and in May for work here in Scotland. Our prayerful attention this week is drawn to

    • Bible Society work in Finland;
    • ZeBible initiative, youth Bible, phone app, website and Facebook pages seeking to reach young people in France;
    • Faith comes by Hearing programme and audio Proclaimers in The Gambia.

    Forthcoming events

    Date & timeVenueDetails
    Saturday 30th May 2015, 11am to c 3pm - bring lunch, drinks provided. Bankfoot Church Centre, Tulliebelton Road, Bankfoot, Perth PH1 4BS Fresh Expressions Vision Day Imagine Church for those who don't do church. Come and explore new ways of building Christian community. This event, hosted by the Church of Scotland, is for all interested in Fresh Expressions of Church.
    The cost is £12 including soup and sandwich lunch. Booking form.

    Prayer Points for this week

    • the President of Conference in Crich, Derbyshire, the Vice-President at The Deepings near Peterborough next weekend;
    • follow-up of decisions at Methodist Council and Synods;
    • Rev John Butterfield on sabbatical to July;
    • preparations for Conference, Assemblies of partner churches, and Synods this spring and summer;
    • lasting peace in South Sudan ( Christian Aid);
    • programme co-ordinators (The Leprosy Mission);
    • projects in Wales (Methodist Homes);
    • Bible Society work in Mexico and in Scotland;
    • support of eye clinic in Chad (MAF);
    • travel from the West Bank to the Helen Keller School in Jerusalem (Embrace);
    • we pray with and for the peoples of Eritrea and Ethiopia (WCC);
    • we remember fellow Methodists in High Wycombe (Northampton District) and in Anniesland (Strathclyde Circuit).