Dundee Methodist Church

21 May 2017

Next Sunday
28 May 2017

11 am
Worship, including an Act of Dedication of Pastoral Visitors and of Workers with Children, conducted by the Rev Nick Baker

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.

General Church Meeting

Please note that the annual GCM will take place on Sunday 4th June, combining worship with opportunity for conversation about our work and witness based in and from Marketgait. It will commence at 10.30 am and end before parking charges are implemented from 1pm.

Necessary formal business will include the (re)election of Church Stewards and representatives to the Church Council, as well as formal reports from the Church Stewards and the Church Treasurer. It is intended that there will be ample time to share wider conversation and thinking about our life together and “the way ahead”, including update on conversation with friends from the URC.

Worship Consultation summary

At the meeting on Wednesday those present

  • considered the marking of the seasons of the Church year, especially through visual aids and symbols;
  • agreed that the Local Arrangement Service on Sunday 25th June would be the online streaming of the Methodist Conference Service (see below) from Birmingham; the Service is due to start at 10.45am so it is suggested that the Marketgait congregation gathers round tables from 10.30am - the Service is expected to conclude at or around 12.15pm;
  • a theme was agreed and suggestions made for the Cafe Service on Sunday 30th July;
  • an overall approach to Harvest worship in the autumn, focussing on a celebration of “creativity”, was discussed and agreed;
  • next meeting - Wednesday 16th August at 1pm.

Conference Sunday

Conference Sunday Worship is an Act of Worship including the admission of Ordinands (ministers who have candidated, been accepted for, and undergone training) into Full Connexion with the Methodist Church. They are then formally Ordained to the Ministry of Word and Sacrament at a further Service in the afternoon. The morning Service (streamed online) is held in the Conference venue (this year in Birmingham) and the later ordination Services take place in a number of churches in the surrounding area.

This year Sue Marshall-Jennings attends as an elected representative of the Scotland District.

The District is also delighted that Jill Baker of the Strathclyde Circuit (she is the wife of Andrew, its Superintendent Minister) will be inducted as the Vice-President of Conference at the start of the Representative Session on Saturday afternoon.

All open sessions of Conference will be streamed online; access via Methodist Conference website - also see it for more detailed information on Conference.

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.

Do you have curtains to spare?

Starter Packs are desperately in need of curtains or material. If anyone has spare curtains that they don't need, these would be very much appreciated.

Election Hustings - Dundee East constituency

The Rev Brian Talbot of Broughty Ferry Baptist Church has sent the following intimation:

I am in the process of organising an election hustings for the Dundee East constituency at Broughty Ferry Baptist Church on Wednesday 31st May, 7.30 - 9.30pm. Anyone intending to be present and who has a question they would like to ask can send it directly to me or may equally have an opportunity to ask it from the floor on the evening.

The Baptist premises are located at 86 St Vincent Street, Broughty Ferry, DD5 2EZ.

“In Touch” - Methodist Scotland District newsletter

Copies of the Spring 2017 (issue 8) edition are on the vestibule table; please take, uplift for handing to others, recommend - and read & note the contents!

Support other Organisations

Our support via the Bible-a-Month Partnership is invited in May for work in Scotland.

Our prayerful attention is drawn this week to

  • Bible Society in Guinea-Conakry's provision of the New Testament for Tomo-speaking people and translation of the Old Testament;
  • Bible Society of Lebanon's visits to schools, prisons, and church groups to share Bible stories through use of songs, puppets, clowns, and drama;
  • meeting of the Bible Board in Belfast on Friday.

Prayer Points for this week

  • the President and Vice-President of Conference at the Wesley Day celebrations, Wednesday; the Cliff College Festival next weekend;
  • the Church of Scotland and Free Church of Scotland General Assemblies;
  • 'learning and development' in Scotland and Shetland;
  • the Circuit Leadership Team and its work;
  • work in the Manchester and Stockport District (Methodist Homes);
  • Swedish International Relief Association's school in Bethlehem's work with children with learning difficulties (Embrace ME);
  • staff and supporters in the UK (Christian Aid);
  • work in Arnhem Land Australia (Mission Aviation Fellowship);
  • Bible Society work in Scotland;
  • work in Chad and Niger (The Leprosy Mission);
  • we pray with and for the peoples of the Indian Ocean Islands (WCC);
  • we remember fellow Methodists in the Epworth and Scunthorpe Circuit (Lincolnshire District) and in Netherton (Strathclyde Circuit).