29 November 2015

We give the assurance of our thoughts and prayers to all who are unwell, awaiting or undergoing treatment, anxious, or grieving for the loss of loved ones.

Singing the Faith

The Dundee order for Singing the Faith has now arrived and Singing the Faith will be used in worship on a regular basis from next Sunday, the first in Advent and the start of a new Church Year.

As we have obtained a discount on the bulk order, the following prices will apply for those who have ordered personal copies through the church:

• Words (standard edition) - £7.50
• Words (large print) - £13.50
• Music (standard) - £22.50

Payment for these should be given to David Easson as Church Treasurer, with cheques made out to “Dundee Methodist Church”, please.

No decision has yet been made regarding disposal of our copies of Hymns and Psalms and Common Ground, which will remain available for use if required.

Coffee at the Manse

Nick and Petra extend a warm invitation to all the Circuit churches and their people for coffee at the manse, between 10am and 12 noon on Saturday 5th December.

Flowers - further reminder and request

Elaine wishes to remind those on the flower rota to contact her by the end of this month, if she has not otherwise contacted them, about dates in 2016 on which they would wish to give flowers.

The Stewards can now intimate that a “flower group” is forming among those offering to “do the flowers” for others who still wish to give flowers but feel unable themselves to undertake the necessary purchasing and arranging.

If you would like to either

• offer your floral arranging talents or
• have someone “see to the flowers” for you,

please contact Jenny Easson or Sue Marshall-Jennings as soon as possible, so arrangements and contacts can be in place for January, along with the rota prepared by Elaine.

International Bible Reading Association

IBRA devotional and study material can be ordered through Heather. Please sign the paper on the vestibule table or contact Heather direct.

Preaching Plan

The Plan for December to February has now been distributed by email and a number of printed copies placed on the vestibule table. If you wish to receive a copy either by email or on paper, please let David Easson know.

Junior Mission for All

Two children are now collecting donations for the work of the church world-wide. They ask us to make contributions via their boxes, so please keep an eye open for them and give generously. Ian Goudie, as JMA Secretary, is overseeing this and can supply more details about JMA.

Scotland Methodist District News

• “In Touch”, the new edition of the District newsletter is now available; please take, read, hand out, etc
• At Synod, in Clydebank last Saturday, business was focussed on 2 main items:
  1. Discussion and feedback, but no vote, on understandings of Marriage as part of the process in Methodism in advance of Conference;
  2. Proposal (agreed) for application to the Connexion for a grant for a minister to focus, part-time, on outreach to 'non-church Christians' and 'the Methodist Diaspora' in Scotland.

Further discussion on Marriage will take place at the next Church Council and an opportunity is being given for wider input as part of our Café-style worship today.

Meetings this week

Support other Organisations

Scottish Bible Society

Our support via the Bible-a-Month Club is invited in November for work in Burkina Faso and in December for work in Colombia. Our prayerful attention this week is drawn to

• teaching in Colombia through Lectio Divina for Children project, with the aim of reaching over 3,500 children;
• translation of the Bible into Karen in Thailand;
• work of Bible Society and local churches with over 6,000 street children in Dakar, Senegal.

Barnabas Fund

The Barnabas Fund is appealing for Christianity in Crisis in the Middle East. This Fund is already helping in provision of food, medicines, hygiene supplies, clothing, and bedding. Sawra Tented Village has been established in north Iraq to house displaced people and Operation Safe Havens works to rescue endangered families.

For further information or to make a donation, access Christianity in Crisis in the Middle East; phone 0800 587 4006; write to Barnabas Fund, 9 Priory Row, Coventry CV1 5EX.

Forthcoming events

Prayer Points for this week

• The President and Vice-President of Conference in the Leeds District from Thursday;
• Stationing Matching Group, Monday - Tuesday;
• Class Leaders & Pastoral Visitors in the Circuit's churches;
• residents & staff in Wales (Methodist Homes);
• the Shams el Birr Centre working with abandoned disabled children in Egypt (Embrace);
• work in south India (The Leprosy Mission);
• UN Climate Summit in Paris (Christian Aid);
• Bible Society work in Burkina Faso and in Colombia;
• work in Papua New Guinea (MAF);
• we pray with and for the peoples of Liberia and of Sierra Leone (WCC);
• we remember fellow Methodists in the Ashbourne Circuit (Nottingham and Derby District) and in Findochty (North of Scotland Mission Circuit).

• 22 November 2015
• 6 December 2015

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