24 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.

Methodist - URC Joint Worship next Sunday

• Directions and advice on parking
  Salem United Reformed Church is on Salem Street. This leads off the section of Constitution Road that is north of the inner ring road, and is the nearest street to the ring road on the eastern side; it is just below the Mace Store. The street is very narrow and a dead end, and although taxis can use it, it is not recommended.
  There is on-street parking nearby, but most spaces are taken up on a Sunday morning by the congregation of St Mary Magdalene, whose service starts before 11 am.
  Car drivers are advised to park on the south side of the ring road either in the multi-storey car park, or on-street. There is a subway access under the ring road.
  The church itself is up several steps in its grounds.
• 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”.
• The Communion Service will follow Methodist practice, with the Rev Nick Baker presiding and distribution by URC Elders. Both a Common Cup and individual cups will be used and the Communion wine will be non-alcoholic, as is also customary in Salem URC.
• There will be no Communion Offering; an offering plate will be available in Marketgait the following Sunday for donations to the Fund for World Mission.

Methodist ClothesBank

• Urgently Wanted: CARRIER BAGS
• We now have a rota of volunteers for ClothesBank sessions in September and the October rota is being prepared. If you would be willing to join the rota, please contact Margaret Goudie. Men are especially welcome, since we have more male than female customers.
• There are regular uplifts of rags - 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.
• Nick was able to talk to the First Minister about the ClothesBank, on her visit to Dundee last week.

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!

Caribbean Hurricane Relief

Donations to support humanitarian aid and relief work by the region's United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) can be made

• online via Just Giving;
• by cheque to “The Methodist Church World Mission Fund”, (annotated Caribbean Hurricane Relief) posted to The Fund Raising Manager, Methodist Church House, 25 Marylebone Road, London NW1 5JR
• bank transfer to The World Mission Fund,
  Account number 70951706
  Sort code 40 0206
  marked “Caribbean Hurricane Appeal”

Circuit Meeting résumé

At the meeting in Perth on September 13th, members

• shared “conversation on the work of God” by reflecting further on Synod discussions about connexionalism (what it means to be part of 'wider Methodism' and how far this is recognised and understood, especially in local congregations);
• appointed the Circuit Leadership Team to act as the Circuit Invitation Committee, if required;
• received the report of the Circuit Leadership Team, then shared news and updates on the work in local churches and communities;
• received reports from the Circuit Treasurer, Circuit Preachers, Circuit Mission in Britain and MHA Treasurers;
• noted the new Safeguarding training requirements to be undertaken throughout the Circuit in coming months;
• agreed the next meeting in Dundee on Wednesday 14th March at 7pm.

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 this week to

• Hellenic Bible Society working with the Church in circumstances of continuing economic struggle to provide meals as well as New Testaments;
• SBS team visiting Malawi and their travel with colleagues from the Bible Society of Malawi;
• Bible Society in Ecuador's development of a comprehensive prevention and care programme for drug-using teenagers.

Forthcoming events

Prayer Points for this week

• the President and Vice-President of Conference at the Labour Party Conference in Brighton, Tuesday - Thursday;
• Connexional Leadership Forum, Monday - Tuesday;
• residents and staff in the Bolton and Rochdale District (Methodist Homes);
• Habitat for Humanity's work in Lebanon (Embrace ME);
• Youth Harvest Foundation Ghana working with female farmers and rice processors (Christian Aid);
• the UK-based team (MAF);
• Bible Society work in Bolivia;
• work in Indonesia, Timor-Leste, and Papua New Guinea (The Leprosy Mission);
• we pray with and for the peoples of Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, and Peru (WCC);
• we remember the Waveney Valley Ecumenical Partnership (East Anglia District) and Methodists in Findochty (North of Scotland Mission Circuit).

• 17 September 2017
• 1 October 2017

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