Dundee Methodist Church

9 October 2016

Next Sunday
16 October 2016

11 am
Worship led by Mrs Judy Jarvis

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.

Circuit Ministerial Cover

During this week, we are asked to contact Keith Pearson (for the Circuit Leadership Team) if a Methodist Minister is required.

Methodist ClothesBank

Much work has been done and progress made on this long-term venture in our premises:

  • rails and other equipment have been obtained and useful contacts made within Dundee and its area;
  • stocks of clothing continue to arrive, requiring sorting, hanging and creation of storage space;
  • appeal is made for “good quality” clothing and more volunteers (chat to your friends!);
  • training for volunteers has taken place: information can be passed to others.

Sessions will take place on

  • Mondays 10am -12 noon, led by Liz
  • Thursdays 1pm - 3pm, led by Sue

Sessions will commence on Monday 31st October.

The future of our premises

The Property and Finance Committee proposed and Church Council agreed the following:

  • Marketgait is the place to be.
  • We appoint an architect to do a feasibility study on remodelling the front of building to incorporate stairs and a lift and also to create disabled-access toilets and baby changing facilities.
  • A handrail is to be installed, as soon as possible, to assist access to upstairs.

We hope that the alterations can be done in stages, and on a manageable scale. For more details, please ask members of the Finance and Property Committee or Church Council.

Mission Statement

The Church Stewards, using suggestions made at the General Church Meeting, proposed the new wording below. It was adopted by the Church Council for immediate use:

DUNDEE METHODISTS

IN THE CITY OF DISCOVERY

DISCOVERING GOD'S LOVE FOR ALL

We are a group of people

of different ages, cultures, nationalities,

bound together by our common desire

to discover and share,

through worship and service in the community,

the love of Jesus Christ which is for all people.

A supply of laminated cards will be prepared for handout, as appropriate, including this Statement, a concise introduction to “Methodism”, and contact details.

Bible Reading Notes

Fresh from the Word 2017 bible reading notes are now available.

  • Books cost around £10 - depends on the numbers for postage.
  • Digital copies for Kindle can be bought through Amazon only.
  • Other digital formats can be ordered for £7.20 from shop.christianeducation.org.uk.

If you wish to order a book, please sign the list on the table at the top of the stairs, or let Margaret know by email or otherwise.

Support other Organisations

Scottish Bible Society

Our support via the Bible-a-Month Club is invited in October for work in Uganda.

Our prayerful attention is drawn this week to

  • Bible Society of West Indies' training seminars for church leaders, focussing on situations of domestic violence within the Bahamas;
  • Calling the Harvesters project established by the Bible Societies of the west Balkans;
  • translation of the Jola Bible in the Gambia where this language is spoken by 180,000 people;
  • revision of the Tumbuka New Testament by the Bible Society of Zambia;
  • translation of the Gospels into Yukpa by the Bible Society of Venezuela.

All We Can

“ All We Can is a pioneering international development, relief and advocacy organisation that believes in the power of partnership. It has its roots in the British Methodist Church and is inspired by Christian principles to focus on those in greatest need.”

“All We Can helps people to find solutions to poverty and become all that they can, by investing in partnerships that improve the quality of life and create positive long-term changes in some of the world's poorest communities”.

“In 2014-15 All We Can

  • supported 27 long-term local development partner organisations in 11 countries;
  • supported community-focussed work that helped more than 343,000 people to have better quality of life;
  • enabled 9 partner organisations in 7 countries to respond to 6 different humanitarian crises;
  • provided 73,000 men, women and children with appropriate and essential emergency assistance;
  • engaged 5,000 school pupils in the UK and thousands more church members in advocacy and education work on debt and climate change, working with 4 campaign partners;
  • piloted the new Church Community Action for Neighbours (Church CAN) in 2 countries - Haiti and Uganda.”

Prayer Points for this week

  • the President of Conference at the Arthur Rank Centre Conference, Saturday;
  • Connexional Audit and Law & Polity Committees, Tue;
  • the District Ecumenical Forum meeting, Monday;
  • the Circuit Leadership Team;
  • Soteria project in Anafora Retreat Centre to help women overcome abuse in Egypt (Embrace);
  • we pray with and for the peoples of Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan (WCC);
  • World Food Day next Sunday (Christian Aid)
  • work in the Liverpool District (Methodist Homes);
  • Bible Society work in Uganda;
  • work in Papua New Guinea (MAF);
  • work in India (The Leprosy Mission);
  • we remember fellow Methodists in the Bramhall and Wythenshawe Circuit (Manchester and Stockport District) and in Portessie (North of Scotland Mission Circuit).