10 September 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.

Harvest Celebration of Gifts

Everyone is invited to bring, if practicable, an item which they have designed or made, to share and display as part of our Harvest Celebration on Sunday 24th September. For more information, contact Sue Commander.

Wanted: volunteers, rag bag items and jeans

• We now have a rota of volunteers for ClothesBank sessions in September. There is still a vacancy for a helper on Monday 18th from 10am to 12noon. If you can help with this, or would be willing to join the rota, please contact Margaret. Men are especially welcome, since we have more male than female customers.
• There will be an uplift of rags on 20th September. Any item of clothing or footwear can be contributed, the heavier the better. Money from the sale of rags enables the ClothesBank to buy underwear and socks for our clients.
• Donations of men's jeans for the ClothesBank will be especially welcome. We do not have space at present for many more women's clothes, so please keep these at home, if possible, meantime.

Traidcraft

Copies of the new Autumn catalogue are now available on the vestibule table. Please take one away, and return to Margaret with your order!

Safeguarding Training

A training session will be held in Marketgait on Thursday 21st September from 10am to 12noon; please notify Marcia Mackenzie if you plan to attend.

Methodist Prayer Handbooks 2017-18

The supply has now arrived - please see Jenny Easson for a copy, including Large Print editions.

Circuit Preaching Plan

The Plan for September-November has been circulated by email with some printed copies also available on the vestibule table. Please let David Easson know if you wish your name to be added to either list for regular distribution.

Methodist - URC Joint Worship: practical points

Following on from last Sunday's first joint service of worship in Marketgait, it may be helpful to note the following:

• For the giving of offerings at joint services, members of the congregation are asked to contribute as usual when worship is on their own premises, and to refrain (or give a “token amount”) when elsewhere. For Methodists at worship in Salem this means retaining offering envelopes for a subsequent week; the URC do not use an envelope system. All “loose cash” given at the offering is to be allocated to the “host church”.
• Advice about parking and any other practical details of worshipping at Salem in October to follow.
• The Communion Service on 2nd October will follow Methodist practice; that on 12th November will be according to United Reformed Church custom. It may be helpful to know that both a Common Cup and individual cups are used by the URC; the wine used at Communion is non-alcoholic in both churches.

Meetings this week

Support other Organisations

Scottish Bible Society

Our support via the Bible-a-Month Partnership is invited in September for work in Bolivia.

Our prayerful attention is drawn in coming weeks to

• Bible Society of Armenia's Moving Gospel project in border villages;
• Bible Society of Syria seeking to equip, encourage and support church leaders and teachers, especially in the face of challenges posed by conflict and refugees;
• Bible Society of Tanzania's distribution of scriptures to children in kindergartens and primary schools;
• Ukrainian Bible Society's work in eastern Ukraine among families, and especially with displaced children, forced to leave their homes due to fighting and war;
• Bible Society in The Gambia's translation of the Bible into the Jola language;
• SBS team of volunteers' visit to Malawi;
• production of a Vietnamese Study Bible for pastors, leaders, and theological students;
• preparations for SBS Appeal in support of work in Cambodia.

Forthcoming events

Prayer Points for this week

• the President and Vice-President of Conference visiting Action for Children Scotland, Thurs September 14th;
• Connexional Ministries Committee, Tues 12th, Strategy and Resources Committee, Wed 13th September;
• the Circuit Leadership Team and the Circuit Meeting;
• residents and staff in the Birmingham District (Methodist Homes);
• work of BLESS with blind young women in Egypt (Embrace ME);
• partner World Outreach Initiatives in Burundi (Christian Aid);
• work in Timor-Leste (MAF);
• Bible Society work in Bolivia;
• work in Botswana, D R Congo, Zambia, (The Leprosy Mission);
• we pray with and for the peoples of Ghana & Nigeria (WCC);
• we remember Methodists in the Norfolk Broads Circuit (East Anglia District) and in Banff (North of Scotland Mission Circuit).

• 3 September 2017
• 17 September 2017

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