St John the Evangelist

(1st in month) Sunday, 07/11/2021: All Saints	08.00	1970 Holy Communion (Church)	Please book (07572 006290) by 16.00 on Fri, if possible
	11.00	1982 Family Eucharist (Church); Godly Play (Hall); refreshments afterwards (Hall)	Please book (07572 006290) by 16.00 on Fri, if possible
	14.00	Zoom Coffee	07487 653069 for joining details
	18.00	Choral Evensong for All Souls (Church)	Please book (07572 006290) by 16.00 on Fri, if possible
	Any time*	Service online	www.stjohnsdumfries.org *Available on website from about same time as actual event & for some days thereafter
Monday, 08/11/2021	10.00-17.00	Church Office open
Tuesday, 09/11/2021	14.00-16.00	Church open for private prayer	Just turn up
	17.45	A Time for Meditation (Meeting Room)	Just turn up
	18.30	1982 Eucharist (Lady Chapel)	Please book (07572 006290) by 16.00 on Monday, if possible
	Any time*	Meditation online	www.stjohnsdumfries.org *Available on website from about same time as actual event & for some days thereafter
	19.15	Short Mat Bowling (Hall)	Just turn up
Wednesday, 10/11/2021	10.30	1970 Eucharist (Church), followed by refreshments (Hall)	Please book (07572 006290) by 16.00 on Monday, if possible
	18.30	Choir Practice (Hall)
Thursday, 11/11/2021	19.30	Bell Practice (Tower)	Please contact bells@stjohnsdumfries.org or 07754 596140 if not a regular.
Friday, 12/11/2021	10.00-12.00	Church open for private prayer
	10.00-17.00	Church Office open
Saturday, 13/11/2021	09.30	Silent Prayer @ Elshieshields	revann@stjohnsdumfries.org for details
(2nd in month) Sunday, 14/11/2021 Remembrance Sunday	10.15 (Note earlier start)	1982 Family Eucharist (Church); including Act of Remembrance; Godly Play Activity Bags available; refreshments afterwards (Hall)	Please book (07572 006290) by 16.00 on Fri, if possible. Current plan is to hold Act of Remembrance outside; bring appropriate clothing.
	14.00	Zoom Coffee	07487 653069 for joining details
	18.00	Contemporary Worship (Church)	Just turn up
	Any time*	Service online	www.stjohnsdumfries.org, *Available on website from about same time as actual event & for some days thereafter

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

• The Rector on 01387 254126 / 07487 653069 / rector@stjohnsdumfries.org 
• The Church Office on 07754 596140 / pastadmin@stjohnsdumfries.org 

Today, Sunday, 07/11/2021 is being observed as All Saints at the 11.00 Eucharist.  All Souls will be observed, on the same day, at Choral Evensong (6pm).  Cards for the names of loved ones to be particularly remembered on this day are still available at the back of the church (just to the left of the Angel Font).   

There will be another opportunity to the contribute to the  Retiring Collection for the Bible Society today. 

Thank you to all those who contributed a shoebox to the Blythswood Care Appeal for this year. Due to a number of changes brought about by the pandemic, many people will have chosen, this time, to contribute online instead; we also had a much shorter window this year, as a church, to get organised, but we still managed to muster a dozen or so boxes from St J’s. Thanks also to Ann Beaton for organising things at such short notice.

The Vestry agreed at its last meeting to appoint Billy Dewar-Riddick as our new  PVG Co-ordinator. Due to Billy’s forthcoming surgery and recuperation, Linda Scott will act for the next few months as the PVG Co-ordinator until Billy’s return.  Meantime, our thanks to Alicen Byers for all her work in this post over a number of years. 

We have restarted our regular collection of items for First Base Food Bank.  There are some stackable crates beside the lit noticeboard just inside the glass doors, into which items can be placed.   

Next Sunday, Sunday, 14/11/2021 will be observed as Remembrance Sunday.  Please note the service will start at the earlier time of 10.15am, and that (at the time of writing, at least), it is intended to hold the Act of Remembrance, as usual, outside, so bring appropriate clothing. 

MU  and WOMENS’ AID:  

• Over the Covid lockdown period, MU has managed to stay in contact with WA ,albeit in a limited capacity [*but see also below*].   Earlier this year, MU donated money to the WA emergency fund and we also managed to gather together enough toiletries to donate a dozen toilet bags in August.   Now however the cupboard is bare!     We would be very grateful for any donations from the congregation. The “Core Items” for the bags are — 
  • Shower Gel, Shampoo, Flannel, Deodorant, Toothpaste and Toothbrush.   We also like to add a “ luxury” item for eg hand cream, comb/ brush. 
• Coming up to Christmas, we like to give handbag – size diaries for the ladies. These are important for keeping track of important meetings with social services etc.   Any unwanted gifts are also welcome and can be used for Christmas presents. 
• Our local Womens Aid  branch, in common with the national picture has been extremely busy and for the first time a waiting list for accommodation has had to be implemented. 
• While the WA basket seems to have disappeared, there is a large white box at the back of the hall where any donations can be placed. Thank you. 
• *We have also now managed to establish that WA would, indeed, be delighted to receive donations of old (but working) mobile phones, with their chargers, if possible. Sadly, it seems to be a frequent occurrence that violent partners damage the ladies’ phones, so replacements, however, basic, are always needed. Obviously, you’d be taking your own SIM card out of the phone and ‘wiping’ it before passing it on. Please speak to the Church Office if you need help with this and also attach a note to the phone, if possible, to say what network it works with. Again, the Church Office (07754 506140) can advise on this.*
• And finally, the November MU meeting will be on Thursday, 18/11/2021, at which the guest speaker will be Jenny Lawson, on Triang Dolls’ Houses and a family hobby. Despite the name, MU is an inclusive organisation, supporting families and projects around the world. Anyone is welcome to come along; you do not have to be a mother, married or even female! We will gather in the Hall from 12:30, with prayers at 12:45 and lunch at 1:00 PM. Due to Covid restrictions we are unable to serve soup as we normally do, but please bring your own sandwich lunch and tea and coffee will be provided. MU members look forward to welcoming you.

Apologies that this month’s prayer meeting (scheduled for last Thursday) had to be moved due to a prior commitment; however it usually does happen on the first Thursday of the month at 6.30pm, (usually via Zoom, but watch for notices nearer the time); the next two are scheduled for Thursday, 02/12/2021 and Thursday, 06/01/2022.

We are planning to run at least one Advent Group, probably via Zoom, on Thursdays 25/11, 02/12, 09/12 and 16/12, at 7.30pm. More details in due course.

Advance Notice of the Diocesan Advent Quiet Day, to be delivered on Saturday, 11/12/2021, via Zoom, 10.00 – 12.45, entitled God Has Visited His People.  More details on the lit noticeboard and the St J’s website. 

We had a great response last year from St J’s for MOOL’s Collection for Refugees. It’s slightly unclear, at this point, what the rules may be about amassing stuff within the church premises, but we should be clearer in due course. In the meantime, please would you start looking out anything you might be able to contribute and there will be more information a bit nearer the time. In the meantime, see St J’s website or the lit noticeboard.
David Kerr