Benefice of Goring and Streatley with South Stoke : Sunday 19th March 2023

Sunday 19th March Mothering Sunday

Welcome to our weekly newsletter

Spring is sprung. It is time to stop and give thanks for all the mothering we receive - the nourishing and care, from God, from the Earth, from our church and yes, from those who gave us life - our parents.
Let us give thanks and pray for all on whom we depend and are enriched by day by day.

The Collect, the prayer for the week
God of compassion,
whose Son Jesus Christ, the child of Mary,
shared the life of a home in Nazareth,
and on the cross drew the whole human family to himself:
strengthen us in our daily living
that in joy and in sorrow
we may know the power of your presence
to bind together and to heal;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Readings for Sunday: Goring and South Stoke: Luke 2: 41-52.
Streatley: Isaiah 49: 14-16 and John 19.25b – 27.

This Sunday:
8:00am      BCP Holy Communion at St Thomas’
9:30am      Mothering Sunday service at St Thomas’
11:15am    Mothering Sunday Holy Communion at St Mary’s
11:15am    Mothering Sunday service at St Andrew’s
No wild church session today

Mothering Sunday Posies
We will be making posies of flowers for distribution at our services on Mothering Sunday. Posy making will take place at St Mary’s at 10am and in the Canterbury Room at St Thomas’ at 10.30am on Saturday 18th March.
Anyone who would like to help would be very welcome.
Please bring flowers/greenery from the garden for St Mary’s.

Audibility surveys
Please take time to fill out one of these in church today and over the next few weeks. We really do want everyone to hear and find it helpful.

St Andrew’s coffee morning
The monthly coffee morning with cakes which has now moved to the fourth Wednesday of the month will take place in St Andrew’s this Wednesday, 22nd March, from 10:30am.
All welcome!

Please let us know if any of your Lenten habits are being helpful. It’s not too late to take one up. Why not join Ben for Morning prayer in church?

We had a small but lovely group on Tuesday. It is not too late for you to invite someone and offer to come with them.
Tuesday evenings, 7.45pm in Canterbury Room.
This is designed for those who might be curious about who Jesus really is, what he really meant by his words and life. It uses 6 ways to look at him, and unpacks the 9 statements in the Beautitudes.

St Katharine’s retreat options
St Katharine’s retreat house at Parmoor near Henley has put together a small programme of Quiet Days and Retreats allowing you to come and be spiritually fed. Quite deliberately, the themes vary and hopefully there will be something for everyone. For more information please see https://www.srpf.org.uk/events/

South Stoke prayer walk
Liz and Jo will be again be doing a prayer walk around South Stoke next week starting from St Andrew’s. Please e-mail Jo for details of the day and time. Anyone is welcome to join them.

Deliverer for paper copies of the newsletter - thank you!
Thank you to Mary and Patsy who have offered to deliver the Goring copies of the paper newsletter this week and to Jo who will be delivering in Streatley!

News from Wallingford food bank
Wallingford food bank has contacted us about an app you can download to your phone which highlights items that the foodbank particularly needs.

Here is a link to a very short film explaining how it works. https://www.bankthefood.org/notjustbakedbeans/ If you have a smart phone, you can download the free app called “BankTheFood”, register and “follow” the Wallingford food bank. If you shop at Waitrose in Wallingford, or the Co-ops in Benson and Woodcote, the app will ping your phone with a list of the most urgent items they need when you arrive. Equally a user can check the app at any time to see what is needed and shop wherever they choose.

Local Elections 2023
There will be local elections for district and parish councils on Thursday 4th May. To vote in this election people must be registered by midnight on Monday 17 April and everyone voting in a polling station on 4th May will need to bring valid photo ID with them.

A wide range of photo ID will be accepted, including passports, driving licences, concessionary travel passes and disabled parking blue badges.
If anyone who will be eligible to vote in this election does not have an accepted form of photo ID, they should APPLY NOW for a free voter ID document known as a “Voter Authority Certificate”. You can find more information and apply easily online by visiting electoralcommission.org.uk/voterID. The deadline to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate for this election is 5pm on Tuesday 25 April.

Daily Prayer is offered each morning in one of our churches. Why not join in one day? We listen to the Bible and pray for our world and church.
Monday: 8.30am Goring,
Tuesday and Thursday: 8.30am Streatley,
Friday: 9am Goring

We are asked to pray

For those for whom Mothering Sunday will be a poignant and difficult day.
For the relief operation in Syria/Turkey.
For our growing closer to God this Lent
For our potential Children's and Families worker and the team organising their appointment
For PCC meetings taking place this week

Diary for next week:

Monday 20th March
10:00am Warm Space in the Canterbury Room
7:15pm      St Andrew’s PCC meeting at the Corner House

Tuesday 21st March
12:30pm Funeral at St Thomas’
7:45pm Come and See group in the Canterbury Room

Wednesday 22nd March
10:30am    BCP Holy Communion at St Thomas’
The readings will be Isa. 49. 8-15, Ps. 145: 8-18 & John 5. 17-30.
7:30pm      St Thomas’ PCC meeting in the Canterbury Room

Sunday 26th March
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
5:00pm      Discoverers

Daily readings for the week beginning 20th March

Monday am:	Ps 25	Isa. 11. 1-10	Matt. 13. 54-end	pm: Ps 1	Matt. 2. 13-end
Tuesday am:	Ps 79	Jer. 18. 1-12	John 10. 1-10	pm: Ps 80	Heb. 9. 15-end
Wednesday am:	Ps 63	Jer. 18. 13-end	John 10. 11-21	pm: Ps 91	Heb. 10. 1-18
Thursday am:	Ps 86	Jer. 19. 1-13	John 10. 22-end	pm: Ps 94	Heb. 10. 19-25
Friday am:	Ps 102	Jer. 19.14-20.6	John 11. 1-16	pm: Ps 85	Gal. 4. 1-5
Saturday am:	Ps 111	1 Sam. 2. 1-10	Rom. 5. 12-end	pm: Ps 131	Heb. 2. 5-end

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

The Benefice of Goring and Streatley with South Stoke

The Vicarage

Manor Road

Goring, Berkshire RG8 9DR

United Kingdom