Benefice of Goring and Streatley with South Stoke : Sunday 25th December 2022

This news sheet covers the two weeks from Sunday 25th December to Saturday 7th January 2023

The Vicar, Ministry Team and Wardens would like to wish you
a Very Happy Christmas

Sunday 25th December Christmas Day

This is our time to invite neighbours to come and join the celebration.
May we warmly welcome them.
Thank you to everyone who has prepared and decorated our church buildings.
They look wonderful.
What an amazing God we have who is so humble but so giving. Alleluia.
Wishing you the joy of God With Us, in it all.

Collect for 25th December

Lord Jesus Christ,
your birth at Bethlehem
draws us to kneel in wonder at heaven touching earth:
accept our heartfelt praise
as we worship you,
our Saviour and our eternal God.

Collect for 1st January

Almighty God,
in the birth of your Son
you have poured on us the new light of your incarnate Word,
and shown us the fullness of your love:
help us to walk in his light and dwell in his love
that we may know the fullness of his joy;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Readings for Christmas Eve: Titus 2: 11-14, Ps. 96 and Luke 2: 1-14.
Readings for Christmas Day: Isaiah 52: 7-10, Ps. 98 and John 1: 1-14.
Readings for New Year’s Day: Hebrews 2: 10-end, Ps. 148 and Matt. 2: 13-end

This weekend:

Saturday 24th December, Christmas Eve
10:30am    Christmas at the Crib at St Thomas’ for children & all ages.
4:00pm      Carols at the Crib at St Andrew’s
6:00pm      Carols & Christmas Story with Goring & Streatley Concert Band.
In the Rectory Garden, Goring. Bring a lantern.
11:15pm    Christmas Night Communion at St Thomas’ & St Mary’s

Saturday 25th December, Christmas Day
10:30am    Christmas Day Family Communion at all three churches

Thank you to everyone who delivered the beautiful Christmas card from the churches to every home and business in the villages, and to Wendy and Jill who designed and made it happen. Much appreciated.

Morning prayer

There will be no formal morning prayer in our churches between Christmas and the New Year. The usual pattern of 8:30am in St Thomas’ on Monday and Friday and St Mary’s on Tuesday and Thursday will resume on Tuesday 3rd January.

Warm Space update

In response to the fear that people may not be able to keep their homes warm enough, and to offer the opportunity for friendship and support, we are proposing to turn up the thermostat in the Canterbury Room on
Monday mornings from 9th January

and to be open from 10am till noon, offering tea, coffee and toast and a warm space.
So far we have 3 volunteers to help but would value a few more so people need only offer once a month.
RSVP to the benefice office. Thank you.

New Year, New Hospitality?

We have a band of people who are on a rota for unlocking St Thomas’ each morning and locking it again in the evening. They do this for a week every 6 to 8 weeks. Would you consider joining them and incorporating a walk past the church into your daily routine? Please speak to Ben or e-mail officeofgsandss@yahoo.com if you might be able to help.

Bereavement course – Heal the Gap

Please 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).

Goring Chamber Choir Epiphany Concert – “Epiphany Journeys”

The Chamber Choir’s next concert takes place on Saturday 7th January at 3pm at St Thomas’. There will be carols and Epiphany music on the theme of journeys: the Wise Men, Joseph and Mary's flight to Egypt, our journeys through life and the offerings we make. There will be a retiring collection in support of the homeless.

Tickets are £10, £5 for students in full time education, free for under 18’s and available from Inspiration or from a choir member, or on the door. Please see http://www.goringchamberchoir.org.uk/ for more information.

Organ Rebuild and Musical Outreach Project at
St Thomas' Church

We have almost reached the end of the first stage of our project - the rebuilding of the organ. The new console is installed and most of the pipes have been replaced in the organ chamber. After one or two delays for various reasons, Clevedon Organs hope that the organ will be ready to be signed off by mid-January. The organ will be dedicated at the benefice service at 10.30am on Sunday 29th January.
We have also planned two celebratory events in February. An opening recital by Thomas Trotter (see information below) and a Gala Event (talk and reception) led by Paul Hale, our organ advisor, to thank all those who supported the project in various ways.

Inaugural Organ Recital,
Saturday 11th February 2023 at 7pm

To mark the completion of the organ rebuild project there will be a recital on by Thomas Trotter, an organist of international renown.
Tickets are £12 and are available online at eventbrite.co.uk (click here) or there may be limited availability on the door.
The concert will include music by Handel, Stanley, Mulet, Dupre, Dove and more and promises to be a wonderful event.

Diary for the next two weeks:

Wednesday 28th December
10:30am    BCP Holy Communion at St Thomas’
The readings will be Jer. 31. 15-17, Ps. 124, Matt. 2. 13-18.

Sunday 1st January 2023
10:30am    Benefice Holy Communion service at St Mary’s
4:00pm      Evensong at St Thomas’

Wednesday 4th January
10:30am    BCP Holy Communion at St Thomas’
The readings will be 1 John 3. 7-10, Ps. 98. 1, 8-end, John 1. 35-42.

Saturday 7th January
3:00pm      Goring Chamber Choir Epiphany concert

The monthly calendar for January can be downloaded by clicking here.

Daily readings for the week beginning 26th December

Monday am:	Ps 13	Jer. 26. 12-15	Acts ch. 6	pm: Ps 86	Matt. 23. 34-end
Tuesday am:	Ps 21	Exod. 33. 12-end	1 John 2. 1-11	pm: Ps 97	1 John 5. 1-12
Wednesday am:	Ps 36	Gen. 37. 13-20	Matt. 18. 1-10	pm: Ps 128	Mark 10. 13-16
Thursday am:	Ps 19	Isa. 57. 15-end	John 1. 1-18	pm: Ps 132	Col. 1. 1-14
Friday am:	Ps 113	Isa. 59. 1-15a	John 1. 19-28	pm: Ps 68	Col. 1. 15-23
Saturday am:	Ps 102	Isa. 59. 15b-end	John 1. 29-34	pm: Ps 90	Col. 1. 24-2.7

Daily readings for the week beginning 2nd January

Monday am:	Ps 18. 1-30	Isa. 60. 1-12	John 1. 35-42	pm: Ps 46	Col. 2. 8-end
Tuesday am:	Ps 127	Isa. 60. 13-end	John 1. 43-end	pm: Ps 2	Col. 3. 1-11
Wednesday am:	Ps 89. 1-37	Isa. ch. 61	John 2. 1-12	pm: Ps 87	Col. 3.12-4.1
Thursday am:	Ps 48	Isa. ch. 62	John 2. 13-end	pm: Ps 97	John 4. 7-26
Friday am:	Ps 132	Jer. 31. 7-14	John 1. 29-34	pm: Ps 98	John 2. 1-11
Saturday am:	Ps 99	Isa. 63. 7-end	1 John ch. 3	pm: Ps 36	Titus 2. 11-14; 3. 4-7

Please send any notices or articles for the next news sheet by noon on Thursdays to vicarofgsandss@yahoo.com.