Although the church building is only open at limited times for the moment, there are still things going on!
When | What | Where |
| THIS WEEK | ||
| Today: Sunday, 02/05/2021 (Easter 5) | Service online | www.stjohnsdumfries.org |
| 11.00am Family Eucharist | In the church. Please book to avoid disappointment: 07572 006290 | |
| 12.45 Zoom coffee | Contact 07487 653069 for joining details | |
| Tuesday, 04/05/2021 | Meditation online (any time) | http://www.stjohnsdumfries.org/time-for-meditation/ |
| Tuesday, 04/05/2021, 2-4pm | Church open for private prayer & reflection | No need to book, but face coverings needed unless exempt; likewise contact details will be needed for Covid tracking. |
| Wednesday, 05/05/2021, 10.30am | 1970 Eucharist in the Church | Please book (07572 006290); face coverings, tracking information required. |
| Thursday, 06/05/2021 7.30pm | Prayer Meeting | Via Zoom. Contact 07487 653069 |
| Friday, 07/05/2021, 10-12noon | Church open for private prayer & reflection | No need to book, but face coverings, tracking information required. |
| Sunday, 09/05/2021: Easter 5: 11am | Family Eucharist | In the church: please book on 07572 006290 |
| Sunday, 09/05/2021 | Service online Zoom Coffee Session (12.45pm) | www.stjohnsdumfries.org Contact 07487 653069 for joining details |
And, as always, if you need us, you can contact
The Rector on 01387 254126 / 07487 653069 / rector AT stjohnsdumfries DOT org
The Church Office on 07754 596140 / pastadmin AT stjohnsdumfries DOT org
SABBATICAL:
QUARTZ (OUTREACH WORKER) SIMON LIDWELL
Creative spirituality is one of the many aspects of Simon’s partnership with St John’s Church. For over ten years, Simon has been involved with creative spirituality within and beyond the walls of St John’s. His role has many facets, but the three key areas are
Chaplaincy with Local Schools
Interweave
Outerweave.
Time has come to look afresh at the role and see what is right for now and for going forward. To that end the Vestry agreed that Simon would take a three months’ sabbatical to reflect on these past ten years and to bring a discussion paper based on his work for three months to the Vestry. The sabbatical began just after Easter, and during these months the Vestry will take time to consider and reflect on what would be right for St John’s in the future.
We wish Simon every blessing in his sabbatical. We are grateful to him for all the great work thus far accomplished, and also for his willingness to maintain a link with the High School during his sabbatical and for helping with the website as a volunteer.
Booking your place
You can, of course, book your place in St J’s any time, by calling 07572 006290, but it would be helpful if you could do it before about 4pm on a Friday (for the Sunday service), or 4pm on a Monday (for the Wednesday). This enables us to know such things as how many service booklets to print and various other things. BUT – don’t worry if you don’t manage to do it before then; you can still book any time.
The Diocesan News (& Website) recently published an article on St J’s new lighting. You can view it on the Diocesan Website (www.glasgow.anglican.org), the St J’s website (www.stjohnsdumfries.org) or on the lit noticeboard in the church. Copy was also sent to the Standard, Courier, Scotsman and Herald. Please report (and preserve!) any sightings!
The Diocesan Office writes…
We have been asked to draw your attention to the following issues, to allow you to share the information with congregations or draw to the attention of your vestry as appropriate.
Election information:
The Convener of the Church in Society Committee, the Rev Dr Jenny Wright, would like to highlight resources now available on the Scottish Churches Parliamentary Office (SCPO) website ahead of the Scottish Parliament Elections on 6 May 2021. Resources available under the ‘Issues for Scottish Churches’ heading include:
o A Just and Green Future Beyond Covid-19
o Adult Social Care
o Alcohol, Drugs and Substance Abuse
o Constitution and Independence Referendum
There is also information and advice for churches looking to host and arrange hustings meetings for candidates.
The SCPO resources can be found at https://www.scpo.scot/elections/
Christian Aid Week 10-16 May
It’s good to be able to have Christian Aid Week again but it will be rather different this year.
Because of the Covid restrictions the usual house to house collection cannot take place. There are, however, a number of roads in the town where houses will receive an envelope with a request to return the donation to a specified address. This is an experiment locally and these will be within the parish of one of the local Churches of Scotland. Please support it if you receive one of these envelopes. We are also experimenting with this in some areas where we collect and I am grateful to those who are helping with this. For the rest of us there will be envelopes in church with the service sheets and some information about the focus of the Week which this year is climate change/climate chaos particularly where it is causing severe drought and water shortages.
Another local experiment is a Just Giving page for those who prefer to give in this way: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/dumfriesanddistrictor90194
I do hope you will support Christian Aid Week in whichever way is easiest for you. If you have any questions please contact me: memorton AT mypostoffice.co DOT uk or 01387 262734
Margaret Morton
Covid Situation
Keep your eye on our website (www.stjohnsdumfries.org) for updates on this, but in outline…
At present, we are offering a 1982 Family Eucharist weekly at 11.00 on a Sunday. Face coverings etc., needed and, to avoid disappointment, please book on 07572 006290 beforehand. If you end up leaving a message, please await a confirmatory text or call to confirm there is a space for you, as we can only allow a limited number in the building.
There is also a 1970 Eucharist weekly at 10.30am on a Wednesday. Again, please book, as above.
We are still offering services online, week by week, on our website here.
There continues to be a Tuesday Meditation page ; this is updated every week.
The Church is open on Tuesdays and Fridays for private prayer and reflection. At the moment, this is limited to 2-4pm on a Tuesday and 10am-12noon on a Friday. There is no need to book, but we will need to take contact details etc.
There are various other, mostly Zoom-based, activities offered: again, please check the website for details.
If you need us, you can also still contact
o The Rector on 01387 254126/07487 653069, or at rector AT stjohnsdumfries DOT org; or
o The Church Office on 07754 596140 or at pastadmin AT stjohnsdumfries DOT org
Stay safe; and we look forward to seeing you again soon.
The Poverty Alliance is looking for an experienced Finance Officer to join their Administration team. Salary: £27,059 per annum pro rata plus 6% pension, 21 hours per week, (until March 2023 with possibility of extension). The post will be responsible for providing support to financial processes, maintaining records and providing timely reports to management team; also working closely with the Business and Finance Manager on the development and management of the organisational budget. The Church Office has more details, if you’re interested.
Bethany Christian Trust’s latest newsletter is on the lit noticeboard in the church. If you’d like the electronic version, so you can follow the links, please ask the Church Office. Meantime, here’s a link (also available from the Church Office) to Bethany’s News Page
