3 April 2016

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.

Easter Offerings

Envelopes may be returned in the regular offering plate today or on coming Sundays (£95 to date).

District Synod - stewarding help requested

Spring Synod this year is to be hosted by our Circuit on Friday 22nd and Saturday 23rd April.

The Ministerial Session will take place in Arbroath on the Friday, the Representative Session in Central Baptist Church Dundee on the Saturday.

Sue Marshall-Jennings, as Senior Circuit Steward, will be grateful to hear from anyone who can offer help in stewarding during the Saturday session.

The Scottish Churches Parliamentary Office: Election Resources

SCPO has put together a collection of topical briefings on subjects including Economy; Constitution; People and Parliament; Policing; Crime and Punishment; Education; Food Poverty, Housing and Homelessness; Land reform; Health Refugees and Migration; Europe and External Affairs, Environment, Energy and Climate Change.

“From deep within” - writing competition

Methodist Women in Britain has organised a writing competition inspired by the life, writing and work of the Revd Julie Hulme.

You are invited to submit a meditative or reflective piece of writing on the theme of 'From deep within' in prose or poetry, maximum 500 words. This must be an original piece of work, not previously published either in print or electronically.

The competition is open to British residents, male and female, aged 16 or over, other than relatives of the organisers or judges. You may submit up to three entries. The closing date is midnight on Sunday 15th May 2016. Full rules and guidelines for entrants.

There will be a prize of £150 for the winner and a runner-up prize of £50.

The winner and runner-up will be announced on 4th July 2016 at a fringe event of the Methodist Conference in London.

Meetings this week

Scottish Bible Society

Our support via the Bible-a-Month Club is invited in April for work in Cambodia.

Our prayerful attention this week is drawn to

• Bible Society of Armenia's The Moving Gospel project to reach out to rural villages;
• Marcia Carneiro's Exchange Programme visit to Scotland from Brazil;
• distribution of Bibles to refugees by the Austrian Bible Society;
• preparation for next SBS Appeal for work in Malawi;
• one-day Bible seminars in Bangladesh for 3,500 children and young people;
• production of scriptures for use in support of radio and television programmes in Algeria.

Scottish Churches Housing Action

• Starter Packs Dundee is an ecumenical venture initiated by SCHA in 2000, responding positively to the problems faced by resettling homeless and needy individuals and families in the Dundee area.. It invites donations of good unwanted basic household goods, bed linen and curtains, which are then re-cycled and made into 'starter packs' by a team of volunteers working on a rota basis. Last year, it responded to almost 700 referrals, and helped over 1000 individuals.
  Contact: 39 Forest Park Road, DD1 5NU, tel: (01382) 223977, starterpacks_dundee@btconnect.com
• Holyrood Elections - 5th May: “Housing and homelessness will be a key issue in the election campaign”. The SCPO's briefings material is commended (see 'Hustings' above).
  5 key areas have been notified as of particular relevance for the parties' proposed policies:
  • Growth of the private rented sector
  • Social Housing
  • Land reform
  • Home ownership
  • Energy efficiency.

The SCHA offices are in 44 Hanover Street, Edinburgh EH2 2DR; tel 0131 477 4500; info@churches-housing.org

Forthcoming events

Prayer Points for this week

• the President of Conference in the Liverpool District from Wednesday to Friday;
• Methodist Council, yesterday (Sat) to tomorrow (Mon);
• property office-holders in the Scotland District;
• church stewards in the Circuit's 5 congregations;
• residents, staff and supporters in the Sheffield District (Methodist Homes);
• current food crisis in Ethiopia - 10.2 million people are in need of assistance (Christian Aid);
• Israeli and Palestinian women working together for peace through the Musalaha Ministry for Reconciliation (Embrace);
• work in India (The Leprosy Mission);
• work in Arnhem Land (MAF);
• Bible Society work in Cambodia;
• we pray with and for the peoples of Timor Leste (East Timor), Indonesia, and The Philippines (WCC);
• we remember fellow Methodists in the Great Harwood Circuit (Lancashire District) and all in Mosspark Ecumenical Partnership (Strathclyde Circuit).

• 27 March 2016
• 10 April 2016

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