Each year, on the first Friday in March, Christian women invite everyone to join in the world-wide chain of ecumenical Services.
This year’s theme is “Come – Everything is Ready”, using material prepared by our sisters in Slovenia.
Please look online and in local press for details of services on Friday in your local community.
The Service in Broughty Ferry will take place at 7pm in St Stephen’s and West Church, DD5 1DW.
The meeting of the worship consultation on 7th November decided
To mark the centenary of the end of World War I, an offering plate is available
for contributions in support of BLESMA (The Limbless Veterans) and Help for Heroes.
This open meeting in Marketgait at 1pm on Wednesday will include conversation and decisions about marking the Advent-Christmas season. Please give apologies, suggestions, suitable material and thoughts about our worship life to Sue C, its Convener.
A meeting of members on Thursday night agreed that we would continue to meet upstairs for worship.
The new Stewarding Team of Mary, Fiona, Sue and Sue, met together with Nick on Thursday evening and discussed many aspects of church life, including the proposal to worship downstairs with effect from the Harvest Service on 23rd September.
Whilst recognising that many people have concerns about this proposal, we do feel it is something that we should take forward, so want to give everyone the chance to talk about this openly and share their concerns.
We are therefore holding a meeting in the church on Thursday 13th September at 7.30 pm and invite everyone to come along. If anyone is unable to attend but has views that they wish to make known, please speak to any of the Stewards or to Nick. The move will also be discussed and reviewed at the Church Council meeting on 24th October.
We sing this from time to time, but I have been challenged to take it more seriously. I was very impressed with the arrangements at Methodist Conference to make the Conference accessible in all sorts of ways including a ramp up to an adjustable podium.
This came after learning that someone was not able to attend worship at our church because they turned up in a wheelchair. This is a matter of regret and something we have the ability to do something about. In addition, I recognise some of our own members struggle with the stairs. Whilst we are working on plans for a lift as part of the refurbishment, this will take quite some time. At the worship consultation we discussed meeting downstairs for worship on a Sunday. Whilst there are some practical issues, these can be resolved and we are small enough in number to fit comfortably downstairs. I would like us to try this so that we truly are a welcoming place of worship.
Welcoming all can also mean going out of the building to let people know they are welcome. The first Dundee Pride takes place on Saturday 22nd September. I have reserved a space in the march for Dundee Methodist Church. I shall be going along with a few others. If any of you would like to join us or find out more, please speak to me.
Nick
Wednesday afternoon’s discussion included the following:
All interested are invited to the planning session in Marketgait on Monday 11th June at 12 noon,when worship and other activities on Sunday 29thJuly will be further considered. The Worship Consultation suggested an act of worship followed by eating together away from Marketgait – on the pattern of a church family picnic. Come, if you can, to the planning meeting or contact Sue Commander with ideas.
As part of a Connexional initiative, the Circuit congregations will focus on looking at the Old Testament book of Jonah during worship in June / early July.
It is also planned to hold supporting Group meetings in each church; in Dundee these will be on Wednesdays 6th and 27th June at 7pm in Marketgait. Everyone is warmly invited to share this time of further exploration and deepening of our knowledge of the Bible.