And, as always, if you need us, you can contact  

I can still accept donations of blankets, clothing etc to pass on to MOOL, if you still have them. (See poster on lit noticeboard) David Kerr

You are very welcome to join the Advent Group, via Zoom, on Thursdays 25/11, 02/12, 09/12 and 16/12, at 7.30pm. We will be following A Strange Christmas by Krish Kandiah, which can be obtained from https://www.waverleyabbeyresources.org/product/cover-to-cover-advent-a-strange-christmas/, priced £6.99 + P&P (and also from Amazon). The book has 31 days’ worth of readings for Advent and also provision for four group discussions. Please let me know if you’d like to be part of this. David Kerr / pastadmin@stjohnsdumfries.org / 07754 596140

There are still one or two spaces if you would like to go to the Rev Harriet Johnston (the artist formerly known as Harriet Oxley)’s Institution at Holy Trinity, Kilmarnock at 3pm today, Sunday, 12/12/2021. We would need to depart St J’s at about 1pm, and you should perhaps bring a ‘piece’ to have at coffee time after our own service. We didn’t have enough people to justify taking the minibus, but there are still a couple of car spaces left. David Kerr 07754 596140

Mark Smith from the River of Life Church says… Jean Lamb from Dumfries Baptist Church has been doing a super job in liaising with the new manager of Loreburne Shopping Centre, for Carol Singing on Saturday 18th December from 11am. She says the manager is even planning to join us and take part! Please will you circulate this date with your congregation, so we can have a nice wee crowd from a range of Churches on the day.

  • Bethany Christian Trust are telling us about their participation in…One Donation, Double the Beds!: Next week on #givingtuesday, we would love you to join us and help Buy double the Beds! [If you’re reading this on paper, the Church Office can provide you with the link].
  • Every donation to Buy a Bed next week will be doubled by The Big Give initiative, until we reach our target of £20,000.
    It’s the very first time we’ve taken part in the Big Give’s Christmas challenge and we’re so excited that your donations will have double the impact.
  • From 30th November to 7th December every £21 you donate towards Buy a Bed will be doubled, enabling the Welcome Centre to provide two people with a warm bed, hot food and individualised support to move on into more permanent accommodation.  That’s one donation, double the impact!
  • In return, you can get a beautiful Christmas card to keep or give to your friends and family, showing that a bed has been purchased on their behalf.
  • Together we can end homelessness in Scotland, two people at a time.

We are creating a Canopy of Angels in the roof of St J’s. You are invited to write something to remember a moment from the crazy few years we are living in, to remember a person, or write a prayer. All these personal moments will then be suspended like the canopies of stars and flames we have used before. Or if you prefer, simply use the act of folding or cutting out an angel to think through what we have experienced and what you hope for the future. Materials and guidance will be available in the Hall, after the 11.00 Eucharist for the rest of Advent.

Please take a moment to sign the communal St J’s Christmas Card, designed by Mark Toner and on the table at the back of the church. At the same time, please leave a donation in the marked collecting box towards our Christmas Appeal – to be divided jointly between Aberlour Childcare Trust and Open Doors, our chosen charities. More information about both of these will be appearing in the Magazine and on displays at the back of the church. If you can, please also place a donation in the other box towards Christmas Flowers for the church.

We will be making Christingles in the Hall from 10.00 on Christmas Eve, 24/12/2021: please come and help.

As mentioned in last Sunday’s Vestry update, we need to make a Canon 35 Application (ecclesiastical planning permission) for some unobtrusive works in connection with improving the church Wi-Fi. There’s a bit more detail about this on the website and on the lit noticeboard. Any queries, please ask me. David Kerr / 07754 596140 / pastadmin@stjohnsdumfries.org

Welcome

St John the Evangelist, Dumfries, is a parish of the Scottish Episcopal Church also serving Methodist parishioners locally.

Donations

You can donate to St John’s by credit or debit card by following these links.

Notices

And, as always, if you need us, you can contact  

Annual General Meeting:

The Annual General Meeting will take place on the 1st October. As usual it will be held within the context of the 11am service. There will be a bring and share lunch and the formal meeting will follow. Forms for nominations to the elected vacancies are at the back of the church.  The AGM papers are at the back of the church.  If they run out, please ask the Church Office.    If you prefer to receive them by email, please sign the sheet at the back of the church.  You only need to give your name, assuming we have your up to date email address.  If you will NOT be able to attend the AGM, and would like your apologies noted, there is a sheet to sign for this as well.  If you wish to raise a matter under Any Other Business please let Margaret Morton have the details of that by 12 noon on Friday 29th September. memorton@mypostoffice.co.uk or 01387 262734

Outings:

If there is sufficient demand, we hope to run a trip (destination not decided on, yet, but suggestions welcome) in mid-October (possibly 14th or 21st, date still to be decided);  we may also run something in mid-November, and there has been a suggestion we might go to the Christmas Market in Hawkshead (near Ambleside/Windermere) on or about 2 December.  Watch this space!

Other Dates for your Diary:

  • Friday, 06/10/2023:                                           Beetle Drive*
  • Friday, 19/01/2024:                                           Burns Supper
  • Thursday,  14/03/2024                                      Pamper Session
  • Saturday, 16/03/2024                                        Men’s Breakfast

* See notice below….

MU

  • A gentle reminder to those who have bought tickets for Cook and Taste India – this will take place in the Hall on Saturday 30th September at 2.30 pm. Come ready to enjoy all the goodies on offer, and watch out for the raffle prizes, too.
  • Watch out for MU Prayer space which is held on the second Thursday of the month, via Zoom, at 12noon and 8pm. You’ve (probably) just missed Peace & Reconciliation this week, but forthcoming sessions include Faith in Action (12 Oct), Gender Justice (9 Nov) and God With Us (14 Dec).  Details on the poster on the lit noticeboard, and also the St J’s website.  The Church Office (pastadmin@stjohnsdumfries.,org) can provide Zoom joining details.  The invitation to join in ‘Prayer Space’ is not just for MU members…(see above)

We are hoping to have different themes in the window bays in the church at Harvest, particularly celebrating the theme of ‘Gifts’.  If you would like to contribute towards the cost of the flowers, provide some kind of gift, or would like to take on decorating a bay yourself, please speak to Carolynne or Janice.

Activities are resuming after the summer break.  Short Mat Bowling will resume, in the Hall, this Tuesday, 26/09/2023;  the Quiz Nights will resume this Friday, 29/09/2023, both at 7.30pm.

On the subject of activities, please support the Beetle Drive here at St J’s Hall on Friday, 06/10/2023.  Doors open 18.30;  eyes (however many you have) down at 19.00. There will be a refreshment break halfway through (no bush tucker involved), and a raffle.  No entry fee, but donations invited.  If you’ve never played before, don’t worry;  all will be explained, and it should be fun.

Dumfries Christian Network tells us…

African Children’s Choir on Monday 25th September at 2.00pm in St Andrew’s Church (picture of poster below…note that the time is incorrectly stated on the poster;  concert starts at 2pm, not 2.30pm)

Quartz says…

  • CLC:  This is the Quartz house group, we meet every second Monday. More info is on the website. [www.wordsmithcrafts.co.uk].  On the 05/10/2023, we are planning to meet at Tatyana’s!  Please get in touch if you need directions. 
  • Forest Church:  We will continue to meet at the Crichton on the 3rd Sunday in the Month.  
  • Magazine:  A Quartz review is being written for the Autumn/Winter St Johns Magazine. You can still read the last one in the current magazine which can be downloaded from the St John’s website or picked up in the building.
  • The Blog:  This site is maintained by Wordsmith Crafts CIC. Sometimes the content comes from people who have sent things in. There is the capacity to let other people post blogs directly too, and these will be tagged with their name. This expands the use of the site to encourage discussion, even for those who cannot physically meet in one place often. If you would like to contribute, or recommend someone, please get in touch.
  • An invitation:  Would you like to become more involved in Quartz?   We will be publishing a list of ideas for projects. If you are inspired and would like to contribute an idea have a quick search on the website for similar things to compare it with what Quartz has done in the past – then send your idea in. Once the list is published, we will be trying to find people to help make them happen! Involvement in one activity does not commit you to being involved in any others (unless you want to be). If you are willing to be more involved in the planning and selection of ideas let us know.

Dumfries Academy tell us…We would be extremely grateful if you could share details about our Fairtrade Coffee Morning with your congregation.  It is being held on Saturday, 30th of September, 10am – 12:00 pm at St George’s Church Hall.  All the money raised will help pupils to finance a life changing trip to Kenya in 2024.   Entry costs £5 for adult and children can attend for free!

There will be live musical performances by pupils throughout the morning,  a raffle and a selection of stalls selling home-baking, second-hand books and home-made jewellery.  

It promises to be a good day!

Contemporary Service

The Contemporary Service will be at 6pm on Sunday 21st September followed by refreshments in the hall.

Facebook

St John's Church

2 days 10 hours ago

Sunday 24th September is our Seventeenth Sunday Service after Pentecost. There is an Eucharistic service at 11:00 am. Do join us- be great to see you! Tonight there is a

St John's Church

6 days 13 hours ago

You are must welcome to join us for our contemporary service this Sunday in St John’s at 6pm. Be great to see you! 👍

St John's Church

1 week 4 days ago

Choral Evensong will take place at St John's Church, Newall Terrace, Dumfries, on Sunday 17th September at 6pm, sung by the Choir of St John's Church, Dumfries, in memory of

St John's Church

3 weeks 3 days ago

Sunday 3rd September is our Fourteenth Sunday Service after Pentecost. There is an Eucharistic service at 11:00 am. Do join us- be great to see you! Tonight there is evensong