Dunfermline Presbytery News & Notices

On Sunday’s the 12th and 19th September 2010 there will be only one service at 10am.

On Sunday 12 th September 2010 at 7.30 pm

In the Carnegie Hall, Carnegie Drive, Dunfermline.

Enjoy an evening of Song and Praise with-

The Czech Gospel Choir ‘ Keep Smiling’ ( Gospelovy sbor )

The Kingdom Singers from Dunfermline Fife and

The Children from Lynburn Primary School Childrens Choir.

Concert Tickets £5 available from Carnegie Hall.

Czech Choir ‘Keep Smiling ‘ will also perform at 7.30pm on Saturday 11th September and in Iona Abbey on Thursday 16th September at 3pm (Concert included in entry ticket for Iona Abbey)

The new series of ‘Mission Shaped Introduction’ begin on Wednesday 3rd November held in the North Parish Church, Dunfermline.  If you are interested in hearing about how how we might understand ‘fresh expresssions’ of church then this is for you. 

On Saturday 25th September there will be a valuable opportunity for congregations to hear the results of the presbytery community survey.  Meeting from 9.30am until 1pm there will be a chance to discuss the implications of the results.  As we listen to our community we may be forced to change our ideas - so make this one a priority!

Each congregation in the Presbytery is being asked to send 1 or 2 people interested in promoting mission in their congregation to a meeting on September 6th in St.Andrew’s Erskine Church.  The meeting from 7.30pm until 9pm is designed to help share information, good practice and helpful ideas.  If you are keen to promote missional thinking in your church, speak to your minister and come along.

9th September 1.00pm in Sinclair Drive Halls led by Pamela Scott. Course book £6.00

To book a place on any of these courses telephone 01383 512079 or simply turn up on the day.

New courses on ‘Exploring eldership’ are available during the Autumn 2010.  For details and contacts see download from ‘elder training’ section of website.

All courses to be held in the Gillespie Centre (by the bus station) Chapel Street, KY12 7AW.   For all courses arrive from 9.30 for 10am for coffee, finished by NoonIain Sutherland & Barbara Leppard

Sunday 29th August 2010 3.00 pm at St Margaret’s Church

Abel Place, Dunfermline

Dedication Service for all children’s workers/youth leaders

An opportunity for all involved in children’s and youth ministry - leaders and helpers in Sunday School, Youth Fellowship, Saturday or midweek clubs and uniformed organisations in the Presbytery of Dunfermline to get together for an act of dedication for another year’s service.

Please stay for refreshments and fellowship after the service

If you have a heart for mission and want to share your thoughts/ views/ ideas with others then you are invited to take part in our mission discussion site http://mission.proforums.org/

Things are going on fairly quietly although the early part of the week was a bit uncertain because of the situation with the “flotilla” heading towards Gaza.  Of course the media are responsible for a lot of the hype, also there is a certain amount of criticism among Israelis who suggest that the IDF were not properly prepared.
 
From my point of view as someone who is working at Tabeetha with its unique emphasis in this part of the world there are various aspects of the impact of the event.
 
First is my experience in taking a taxi on Monday evening - the driver was terribly worried because his 24 year old daughter and her new husband were on honeymoon in Turkey.
 
Second - as I was coming home on Monday we passed a demonstration outside the Turkish Embassy in Tel Aviv.
 
It has not really been evident that the atmosphere in school has been affected.  However one person outside school suggested to me that the number of Jewish people coming from Tel Aviv to Jaffa would decline for the next week or two.  The distance is so close that I can cycle it in five minutes (the two are a joint municipality) but there is a much greater Arab community in Jaffa (Christian and Muslim).  Generally there is little tension in Jaffa between religions.
 
It so happened that the reason I was taking taxis (not my usual transport) was to attend a regular meeting of expat. ‘wardens’.  We volunteer to help out with organising UK nationals in concert with the Consulate in case of any significant risk.  The attitude of the diplomats there was very professional and considered - I was most impressed and somewhat enlightened.
 
Of course life goes on with our senior students taknig GCSEs and A-Levels and our younger pupils having their June exams at the moment.  Regardless of the wider situation the pupils are more concerned with what they should be revising.  A salutary lesson on what is important.
 
I would be very happy for you to share the text in large print as my direct experience of the events.  I venture no opinion since my work here depends on our impartiality.
 
Blessings on everyone
 
Jimmy