Dundee Methodist Church

24 July 2016

Next Sunday
31 July 2016

10.45 am
Coffee available
11 am
Café-style worship led by Jenny Easson

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.

Children in worship

On Sundays in July and August children may use the table at the rear of the worship area; material will be supplied for quiet activities. There will be no rota of adults to oversee children at the table or provide activities downstairs. Adults who bring children will be responsible for them throughout worship; if they wish, they may use the chairs at the head of the stairs for “quiet story telling”.

Scotland District Prayer Diary

As part of a proposal to expand and develop the District Prayer List with a general “One Mission” focus, Jill Baker (Glasgow, District “One Mission” rep to the Connexion) has sent a request for prayer material for possible inclusion in an expanded Diary. This material might relate to local church activities, mission / outreach, overseas links, etc, possibly with photographs. Deadline - Sunday 31st July.

Open Doors Weekend

After consultation, it was decided that Marketgait should again participate in the Dundee Doors Open Weekend on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th September.

The suggested opening hours are

  • Saturday 10am to 3pm
  • Sunday 12.30am to 3pm - with public worship as usual at 11am.

The proposed entry in the programme refers to displays and refreshments; to see the proposed wording, please consult a Church Steward. Sue Marshall-Jennings is receiving any comments or suggestions about the wording and / or our participation in the Weekend. She also will be very grateful to know of people who are then available, able and willing to help - just having people on hand to generally chat to visitors can be useful!

Preaching Plan September - November

The Plan for the next Quarter will become generally available soon. Please note that the Plan indicates Sunday 9th October as a Local Arrangement. This means that responsibility for the act of worship does not lie with an Appointed Preacher but with the local congregation. The Circuit Preachers' Meeting indentified Church Stewards and the Worship Consultation as best placed to take this forward in Dundee, with other appropriate support.

Meetings this week

Date & timeVenueDetails
Saturday 30th July, 10.30am Dundee Methodist Church setting out for Café Service

Support other Organisations

Scottish Bible Society

Our support via the Bible-a-Month Club is invited in July for work in the Dominican Republic.

Our prayerful attention is drawn this week to

  • distribution of Bibles to over 5,000 marginalised children by the Bible Society in Kenya;
  • literacy classes in Khmer provided by the Bible Society in Cambodia;
  • Bible Society in Mali's Scriptures for Better Interaction with the Bible project;
  • translation of the Bete Interdenominational Bible by the Bible Society of CÔte d'Ivoire;
  • introduction of Faith Comes by Hearing programme to village church and group leaders by the Bible Society of Cameroon.

Signpost International sponsorship

Our sponsorship through SI now supports the community of West Habog-Habog in the Philippines, “a barangay (neighbourhood) in the suburbs of Iloilo city”.

SI began working a year ago in this community where

“there are only basic amenities…no health centre or a day-care centre so that women can work, or even proper water facilities. Household income is low, often because of a lack of employment skills”.

SI sponsorship aims to assist in tackling pressing poverty issues:

  • Access to education - assisting poor families through subsidy of school fees and uniform costs;
  • Rights awareness - seminars to tackle local issues such as bullying and abuse of children, and drug-taking;
  • Alternative learning - study provision for young people with incomplete schooling in core subjects (English, Filipino, Maths), in cooperation with the Department of Education;
  • Self-help - 4 groups covering nearly 100 people, focussed on savings schemes and work on local projects (eg 'clean-up operations', relief after outbreak of fire);
  • Community health and hygiene - campaigns to create awareness of good practice (frequent hand-washing, proper disposal of solid waste, provision and use of clean water).

SI reports that, as well as practical results, after a year's input, there are indications of participation, learning of new skills and finding of new confidence by local people.

Forthcoming events

Date & timeVenueDetails
Saturday 20th August, 2pm Victoria Park, Arbroath, at the cliff entrance Our friends in St John's Methodist Church invite all circuit church members, their family and friends to a barbecue.
Please sign the paper on the vestibule table by Sunday August 14th or advise a Church Steward if you hope to attend, as approximate numbers are required for catering.

Prayer Points for this week

  • the President of Conference, the Rev Dr Roger Walton, and the Vice-President, Rachel Lampard;
  • circuits and churches preparing to welcome Ministers and their families;
  • pastoral care throughout the Circuit's congregations;
  • Bible Society work in the Dominican Republic;
  • AD-CHUS's anti-malaria work in Nigeria (Christian Aid);
  • Salaam Centre's campaign against domestic abuse, among the Zabaleen community in Cairo (Embrace);
  • work in Burma and Nepal (MAF);
  • work on the Isle of Man (Methodist Homes);
  • work in Ethiopia, Sudan, and Uganda (The Leprosy Mission);
  • we pray with and for the peoples of Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico (WCC);
  • we remember fellow Methodists in the Ashton under Lyne Circuit (Manchester and Stockport District) and in Girvan (Ayrshire and Renfrewshire Circuit).