Banner Image:   archive-g691bcefba 1920

Sunday 4th December - Advent 2

Quick Links: Collect & Readings | This Sunday | New Website | Sustainable Christmas | Prayer Breakfast | Coffee Morning | Christingle Making | Refugees | Care Bus Outing | Bereavement Course | Diary | Readings

We continue to prepare our
lives for Jesus’ coming again
and remembering his birth.

CandlesAdvent2

The Collect

The prayer for the week

Almighty God,
   purify our hearts and minds,
   that when your Son Jesus Christ comes again as
   judge and saviour
   we may be ready to receive him,
   who is our Lord and our God.

Readings for this Sunday: Romans 15: 4-13, Ps. 72: 1-7, 18-19 and Matt. 3:1-12.


This Sunday:

8:00am        BCP Holy Communion at St Thomas’
9:30am        Holy Communion at St Thomas’
11:15am      Holy Communion at St Mary’s
11:15am      Christingle service at St Andrew’s 
4:00pm        Christingle service at St Thomas’

Families fellowship meal (please contact Jo for details)


New Benefice Website

With huGSAndSSlogo-1ge thanks to Robin, Henry and Simon we are now launched.  If you have not yet looked, please do so and let us know your favourite part, or anything you disagree with. They will kindly work on the teething problems. AdventCalendarIf you find things that need correcting please e-mail the office vicarofgsandss@yahoo.com and we will look into it.

There is an addition this week – an advent calendar, which commenced on Thursday 1st December (yesterday). If you navigate with a web browser to the new website home page:
 
then scroll down and you’ll find a link to the advent calendar.
 

Plan for a more Sustainable Christmas

Shop local. Save our streets from badly parked white vans and keep our community alive and with meaningful relationships. Late Night Shopping in Goring takes place today, Friday 2nd December, from 4pm to 8pm. In addition to Father Christmas, Punch & Judy, stalls and a hog roast in the Arcade, storytelling & cookie decorating for children in the library, Goring Primary School choir will be leading carol singing at 6pm in the arcade for about 20 minutes. Song sheets will be provided so that adults can join in!

PrayerBreakfastPrayer Breakfast


Prayer changes things and us. Join us to pray for the life and witness of our church.Next Saturday,10th December, 8.30-9.30am starting at 8.15am with coffee and croissants.

 

CoffeeMugAndMincePieChristmas Coffee Morning


On Wednesday December 7th, 10:30am to 12:30pm, there will be a Christmas coffee morning with a bring and buy stall at Gatehampton Manor. Tell your friends!

Christingle2Christingle Making


On Friday December 9th we shall be making Christingles in St Mary's church starting at 10am. All are welcome to come and help. No need to bring anything, except perhaps a pair of scissors.
 

Churches Standing with Refugees

The Christian Concern for One World group is working with several other groups supporting refugees in the Reading area to hold a Churches Standing with Refugees event on Monday 5th December, 7 - 9 pm, at Abbey Baptist Church, Reading. It is an opportunity for church members who are already standing with refugees - or are interested in finding out more - to network with each other and with other local groups and organisations supporting refugees. Please do join us - all are welcome!
Further information and to register: https://bit.ly/churcheswithrefugees

Care Bus Outing to Savages, Blewbury

ICareBust was decided by St. Mary's P.C.C. to put a proportion of a bequest towards trialling the re-introduction of occasional/regular Care Bus trips from Streatley, to enable more housebound people, in particular, to have the opportunity for an outing.

The first of these outings (just confirmed by the operator) will be to Savages in Blewbury on Tuesday 6th December, with a pick up in the High Street by St. Mary's at 2 p.m. This will allow for Christmas shopping at Savages, and for tea at the Style Acre cafe. There is no charge, but places are limited.

If you are interested, please contact me as soon as possible. We hope for a full bus and an enjoyable afternoon.
John Rogers

Bereavement Course

HealTheGapPlease think who you could invite to join this very supportive group, a 4 week small group course, on Sunday afternoons beginning in January 2023 in the Canterbury Room at St Thomas’ Church.

We are so fortunate to be able to offer this, but need people committed and signed up in time for it to be prepared. In order to register or for more information please contact the church office (vicarofgsandss@yahoo.com or 875651).

Diary for the coming week

Tuesday 6th December
2:00pm        Care Bus Outing to Savages, Blewbury

Wednesday 7th December
10:30am      Christmas coffee morning at Gatehampton Manor
10:30am      BCP Holy Communion in the Canterbury Room at St Thomas’
                      followed by coffee
The readings will be Isa. 40. 25-end, Ps. 103. 8-13 and Matt. 11. 28-end.

Friday 9th December
10:00am      Christingle making at St Mary’s

Saturday 10th December
8:15am        Benefice prayer breakfast in the Canterbury Room

Sunday 11th December
8:00am        BCP Holy Communion at St Mary’s
9:30am        Holy Communion at St Thomas’
11:15am      Christingle service at St Mary’s
11:15am      BCP Holy Communion at St Andrew’s
5:00pm        Discoverers

n.b. The monthly Calendar for December is now available.


Daily readings for the coming week

 
Monday am: Ps 44 Isa. 45. 14-end 1 Thess. ch. 1 pm: Ps 144 Matt. 14. 1-12
Tuesday am: Ps 56 Isa. ch. 46 1 Thess. 2. 1-12 pm: Ps 11 Matt. 14. 13-end
Wednesday am: Ps 62 Isa. ch. 47 1 Thess. 2. 13-end pm: Ps 10 Matt. 15. 1-20
Thursday am: Ps 54 Isa. 48. 1-11 1 Thess. ch. 3 pm: Ps 73 Matt. 15. 21-28
Friday am: Ps 86 Isa. 48. 12-end 1 Thess. 4. 1-12 pm: Ps 90 Matt. 15. 29-end
Saturday am: Ps 145 Isa. 49. 1-13 1 Thess. 4. 13-end pm: Ps 94 Matt. 16. 1-12