Dundee Methodist Church

23 April 2017

Next Sunday
30 April 2017

11 am
Café-style Worship led by the Rev Nick Baker, with Jackie Close (Development Coordinator, Faith in Community Dundee)

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 Offering envelopes

Easter Offering envelopes are available with an invitation to support the work of the world-wide Church, through this long-standing annual Appeal. These can be returned through the offering plate today or on coming Sundays.

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.

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.

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!

Meetings this week

Date & timeVenueDetails
Wednesday, 26th April, 10.30am Dundee Methodist Church, upstairs Dundee Ministers' meeting
Friday, 28th April, 12.30pm Steeple Church (entry by west door at tower) International Workers' Memorial Day Lecture: this year's topic is “Poverty and Obesity - Breaking the Link”, to be given by Dr Drew Walker (Director of Public Health, NHS Tayside).
There will be a free finger buffet lunch - register by email - iwml@dundeecitycouncil.gov.uk.
Saturday, 29th April, 10.30am to 3.30pm Dundee Methodist Church “Living Word” - a day of fellowship and study.
The Circuit preachers have invited Bob Bartindale, the Connexion's Ministry Development Officer, to visit Scotland and lead them and others in exploring our engagement with the Bible for use in worship.
Bob will also explain some of his responsibilities and have opportunity to learn of the challenges and opportunities for Methodists in Scotland.
A warm invitation is given to all Preachers, Worship Leaders and people concerned with worship (perhaps in Local Arrangements). Please bring food for picnic lunch - soup and beverages available.
More details from Keith Pearson (Preachers' Secretary)
Saturday, 29th April, 4pm Dundee Methodist Church setting out for Café-Service (by preachers!)

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

  • Suriname Bible Society providing Bible-based child trauma healing in Guyana;
  • United Bible Societies conference in Austria;
  • Indonesian Bible Society's literacy programmes for peoples living in the mountains and hills;
  • Bible Society in Swaziland's work with vulnerable children lacking parental guidance.

Signpost International

Easter Greetings have been received from Christian Paul Calero (known as “Toto”) in the Philippines, whom we sponsor; a Cross-shaped card from him is on the noticeboard in the porch. This is a little like an Advent calendar in that each section opens up to reveal a text. So please look at this and the accompanying note.

Toto lives in West Habog Habog and our sponsorship of him assists in providing resources and empowerment for his whole community. Most residents of the area are economic migrants from the north and often live in non-permanent housing, vulnerable to the elements.

Signpost International programmes work to provide clean water, education of children and adults, livelihood training & income-producing opportunities, safe & secure shelter, health programmes, medical & accident cover, and recreational facilities.

David Easson is our contact with SI.

Forthcoming events

Date & timeVenueDetails
Saturday, 13th May, 11am to 3pm City of Edinburgh Methodist Church (Nicolson Square) Methodist Women in Britain District Fellowship Day. The Speaker will now be the Rev Sally Binyin, a Methodist Minister connected with The Bread Church in Liverpool, since the Rev is then to be in the USA representing British Methodism.

Prayer Points for this week

  • the Vice-President of Conference in Shetland, tomorrow to Thursday;
  • Connexional Authorisations Committee, Tuesday, Strategy and Resources Committee, Thursday;
  • taking forward outcomes of Synod;
  • our Circuit ministers, active and supernumerary;
  • work in the East Anglia District (Methodist Homes);
  • the ante- and post-natal work of mobile clinics at St Luke's Hospital, Nablus (Embrace ME);
  • continuing recovery from the 2015 earthquake in Nepal; World Malaria Day, Tuesday (Christian Aid);
  • work in Kenya (MAF);
  • Bible Society work in China;
  • work of programme coordinators (The Leprosy Mission);
  • we pray with and for the peoples of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia (WCC)
  • we remember fellow Methodists in the Grimsby and Cleethorpes Circuit (Lincolnshire District) and in Shettleston (Strathclyde Circuit).