Sunday 23^rd October - TRINITY 19

This Sunday in our sermon series we
explore what Discipleship means to us.

The Collect

The prayer for the week

Blessed Lord,
who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
help us so to hear them,
to read, mark, learn and inwardly digest them
that, through patience, and the comfort of your holy word,
we may embrace and for ever hold fast
the hope of everlasting life,
which you have given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Readings for this Sunday: Rom. 12: 1-8, Ps. 111 and Luke 10: 1-3, 17.

This Sunday:

8:00am      BCP Holy Communion at St Mary’s
9:30am      Holy Communion at St Thomas’
11:15am    Mattins at St Mary’s
11:15am    Holy Communion at St Andrew’s

Parishes’ Away Day

We have booked our Parishes’ Away Day for Saturday 19th November in St Stephen’s, Upper Basildon. From 11am-3.30pm with a tasty lunch in the middle.

We will have had the sermon series on the nature of the church (these are available if you missed them; just ask Ben or the office). We will allow everyone to feedback including on the blessings they know and frustrations they have in church life :)

"The purpose is to encourage and get to know each other and to listen to God; and through God and each other to discern our priorities as churches – so we are not overwhelmed with all possibilities but can be clearer what we are focussing on."

Please do sign up to join this day

Clean St Mary's

Saturday 29th October has been chosen as a day to clean St Mary's church, starting at 10am.

The church cannot afford to pay for cleaning, so please help if you can.

All Souls, All Saints

Sunday 31st October at 4pm
A Thanksgiving for the Departed service. Do please invite anyone who may be helped by this. Please let the office know if you would like to attend.

Agape Supper

The Ecumenical Planning Group organised its first Agape Supper in 2019 and it was deemed a great success. So another is planned for Tuesday November 22 in the Canterbury Room at St Thomas’, at 7.15 for 7.30 pm. Space is limited and tickets, priced £10, will be available on a first come/first served basis. Flyers with further information, and sign-up sheets, will be found in each church from Sunday October 23. The invitation is open to all and not restricted to those who attended Lent or Advent Groups in previous years.

Advent candles and calendars

We will very soon be ordering Advent candles with an accompanying card which will be available for £5.
We can also order chocolate Advent calendars from the Meaningful Chocolate company (https://meaningfulchocolate.co.uk/pages/real-advent-calendar) if people are interested in these. They are no longer sold in supermarkets and would also cost £5 (to cover postage costs).
In both cases let the office know if you would be interested, sooner rather than later, please!

Diary for the coming week

Tuesday 25th October
1:30pm Funeral at St Thomas'

Wednesday 26th October
10:30am    Little Lights at St Mary’s
10:30am    BCP Holy Communion at St Thomas’
The readings will be Eph. 6. 1-9, Ps. 145. 10-20 & Luke 13. 22-30.

Thursday 27th October
Noon Memorial service at St Thomas’

Sunday 30th October
8:00am      BCP Holy Communion at St Thomas'
10:30am Benefice Holy Communion at St Mary's
4:00pm All Saints service for the departed at St Thomas’

n.b. The monthly calendar for October can be downloaded by clicking here.

Daily readings for the coming week

Monday am:	Ps 98	2 Kings 17. 24-end	Phil. 1. 1-11	pm: Ps 105	John 13. 1-11
Tuesday am:	Ps 106	2 Kings 18. 1-12	Phil. 1. 12-end	pm: Ps 107	John 13. 12-20
Wednesday am:	Ps 111	2 Kings 18. 13-end	Phil. 2. 1-13	pm: Ps 119. 129-152	John 13. 21-30
Thursday am:	Ps 115	2 Kings 19. 1-19	Phil. 2. 14-end	pm: Ps 116	John 13. 31-end
Friday am:	Ps 116	Isa. 45. 18-end	Luke 6. 12-16	pm: Ps 119. 1-16	Jude 1-4, 17-end
Saturday am:	Ps 121	2 Kings ch. 20	Phil. 4. 2-end	pm: Ps 118	John 14. 15-end

Sunday 23rd October - TRINITY 19