9 April 2017

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.

All We Can

The Worship Consultation agreed that opportunity be given today for donations to the work of All We Can through a retiring offering plate. Envelopes, with Gift Aid provision, are available on the vestibule table.

Holy Week

Congregations of the Broughty Ferry Churches Group will mark Holy Week with a series of Services. There will also be the usual distribution of buttered Hot Cross Buns in the Ferry on Good Friday morning - preparation at St Aidan's Centre, Brook Street, donations of buns welcome.

A warm invitation is given to everyone to attend any or all of these activities and Services.

Methodist ClothesBank

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

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

Volunteers please contact Sue or Liz

More clothing is still needed; please have a good spring clean of your wardrobes. Anything is welcome. We will

• keep good adult clothing for the clothesbank;
• send good clothing for children and teenagers to “Togs from Tots to Teens”;
• recycle clothes that are not suitable for either; we can raise money in this way.

Please take a collecting bag from the table at the top of the stairs or ask a helper for one.

Keith Pearson's 50 years as a Local Preacher

A Circuit Service is to be held in Marketgait on Sunday 14th May at 3pm to mark the 50th anniversary of Keith's Recognition as a Methodist Local Preacher and his ministry over these years. The Service will be followed by refreshments and the Church Stewards will be grateful for offers to assist with catering. Please let Jenny Easson or any other Church Steward know if you wish to help with this or other aspects of hosting this Service. Thanks!

Meeting with other churches

Rev Nick Baker writes:

As part of ongoing conversations and developing relationships with the other churches in Dundee I recently met with Revds Alan McGougan and Andria Randall. Alan is the minister of the URC church and Andria the minister of the Congregational Church in Dundee.

We discussed a wide range of things including what is happening in the life of our churches, the ways in which we serve the city, and the way forward recognising the challenges we all face in terms of ministry, people, and buildings. As such we thought it would be a good idea for a couple of representatives and the ministers from each church to meet and reflect on this together, exploring options for working together.

I am writing because I want to keep you informed of these and invite you to share any thoughts if you wish. Jenny Easson and Sue Marshall-Jennings have agreed to attend the meeting on Wednesday 26th April with myself to represent Dundee Methodist Church. No decisions are being made, but rather an opportunity for us to meet and listen to one another seeking God's guidance.

If any of you do have any thoughts about this or the future direction of the church I should be grateful if you would communicate this to Sue, Jenny or myself prior to the meeting.

The General Church meeting at the beginning of June will give us the opportunity to discuss together what was shared at the meeting on April 26th but if you have any particular questions I will do my best to answer them.

Meetings this week

Support other Organisations

Scottish Bible Society

Our support via the Bible-a-Month Partnership is invited in April for work in China.

Our prayerful attention is drawn this week to

• finalisation of the text of the modern Gaelic translation of the New Testament;
• Bulgarian Bible Society's visits to orphanages which are home to over 25,000 children;
• over 600 literacy classes in Cambodia run by the Bible Society and local churches;
• SBS Appeal to support a programme providing nutritious breakfasts and Scripture material for children in Peru.

Forthcoming events

Prayer Points for this week

• the President of Conference in the Bolton and Rochdale District this weekend;
• the Secretary of Conference, the Rev Gareth Powell;
• the Chair of the Scotland and Shetland Synods, the Rev David P Easton;
• marking of Holy Week and celebration of Easter;
• work in the Cornwall District (Methodist Homes);
• provision of medicine through the Shams El Birr centre for children with disabilities (Embrace ME);
• the Big Bank Shift campaign - fossil fuel investment issues (Christian Aid);
• Bible Society work in China;
• work in Guinea and Nigeria (The Leprosy Mission);
• work in Papua New Guinea (MAF);
• we pray with and for the peoples of Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania (WCC);
• we remember fellow Methodists in the Wolds and Trent Circuit (Lincolnshire District) and in Milton, Glasgow (Strathclyde Circuit).

• 2 April 2017
• 16 April 2017

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