11 December 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.

Methodist ClothesBank

Mondays 10am -12 noon (i/c Liz Kay)

Thursdays 1pm - 3pm (i/c Sue Marshall-Jennings)

The number of referrals continues to rise and the need for this work is quite evident, albeit extending somewhat beyond “formal wear”.

Links are being forged with similar groups offering clothing and other necessities - eg for children and young people, or for less formal activities.

Donations of good quality clothes from people known to us can be brought in as stocks are being well used: ask Sue or Liz Kay for advice.

ClothesBank sessions take place on Mondays 10am -12 noon (Liz Kay in charge) and Thursdays 1pm - 3pm (Sue Marshall-Jennings in charge).

Coffee Morning

Warm thanks are expressed to Nick & Petra for organising this very successful event in cooperation with Council personnel; to all groups & individuals that took part, including Starter Packs, Toys to Teens, & Fair Trade; and of course to those who attended and bought! Over £400 was raised for the ClothesBank funds.

Beryl's accreditation

At the Preachers' Meeting on Wednesday, it was unanimously agreed that Beryl Cowling be recommended to the Circuit Meeting for Recognition as a fully accredited Local Preacher, having completed the course of study undertaken the required Trial Services and conversations at the Meeting. Her colleagues are all delighted at this successful outcome to Beryl's period of study and training. The Meeting proposes that the Circuit Recognition Service be on Sunday April 30th.

The Nativity Set

Read the true story told to the Preachers' meeting by Julya Walsh via a Skype link to Bulgaria.

A Very British Nativity

This new film produced by a coalition of four Church denominations in the UK - the Baptist Union of Great Britain, the Church of Scotland, the Methodist Church and the United Reformed Church - highlights some of the challenges facing asylum seekers in the UK through a modern retelling of the nativity story.

Its release comes the day after new figures from the Government were published revealing that in September of this year 37,958 asylum seekers in the UK were in receipt of accommodation and / or financial support of less than £6 per day. This often comes on top of trauma already experienced elsewhere.

Dundee Food Bank

Liz Kay wishes to pass on thanks to all who make donations to this still vital work.

A special request has been made for any items appropriate to or suitable for the Christmas season.

Plan Dec 2016 - Feb 2017, including amendments

The Circuit Preaching Plan for the next Quarter has been distributed by email and some printed copies are available on the vestibule table.

If you wish your name added to those who receive either an electronic or printed copy, please let David Easson know.

Please note the following amendments:

• NO Services in St John's Methodist, Arbroath on Sundays 25th December or 1st January
• Final digits in Rev Stewart Young's phone number: 7738

Flower Rota

“Elaine writes: I would like to thank everyone on the flower rota for this past year and the flower arrangers who have given of their time to do the flower arrangements.

I do have some vacancies on the flower rota, if anyone feels they could do one. I hope to have the new rota out by the end of December.”

Meetings this week

Support other Organisations

Scottish Bible Society

Our support via the Bible-a-Month Club is invited in December for work in Uzbekistan.

Our prayerful attention is drawn this week to

• Bible Society of Nigeria's translation of the Bible into the Epie language;
• revision of the Mofa translation of the Bible by the Bible Society of Cameroon;
• provision of free Bibles and New Testaments to poor families by the Bible Society in Cambodia;
• provision of children's Bibles and story books to orphans, by the Bible Society in Bulgaria.

Prayer Points for this week

• the Vice-President of Conference at a United Methodist Church Board meeting, Washington, DC, this weekend;
• the Chair of the Synod at the Chairs' Consultation in Oxford, Wednesday - Thursday;
• ecumenical partners preparing for Christmas;
• worship during Advent and Christmas in the Circuit;
• work in the West Yorkshire District (Methodist Homes);
• J L Schneller School in the Bekaa Valley, near the Lebanon - Syria border (Embrace);
• partners in South Sudan (Christian Aid);
• Bible Society work in Uzbekistan;
• work in Mozambique, southern Africa, and Zimbabwe (The Leprosy Mission);
• work in South and Central America (MAF);
• we pray with and for the peoples of Benin, CÔte d'Ivoire, and Togo (WCC);
• we remember fellow Methodists in the Manchester Circuit (Manchester and Stockport District) and in Inverness and the Highlands (Inverness Circuit).

• 4 December 2016
• 18 December 2016

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