Benefice of Goring and Streatley with South Stoke : Sunday 18th June 2023

Sunday 18th June Trinity 2

Welcome to our weekly newsletter

Giving God space and asking him to change our hearts and lives is life-giving.
Next week we are giving every child in Goring school an opportunity for this. Prayer Spaces is from Monday to Thursday. Wendy has organised this. Alleluia.
Please pray that this Saturday’s Big Green Day helps many do this too.

The Collect, the prayer for the week
Lord, you have taught us
that all our doings without love are nothing worth:
send your Holy Spirit
and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of love,
the true bond of peace and of all virtues,
without which whoever lives is counted dead before you.
Grant this for your only Son Jesus Christ’s sake,
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. 5: 1-8, Ps. 100 and Matt. 9:35 - 10:8.

This Sunday:
8:00am      BCP Holy Communion at St Thomas’
9:30am      Good News Service at St Thomas’
11:15am    BCP Holy Communion at St Mary’s
11:15am    Good News Service at St Andrew’s
3:00pm      Wild Church

Great Big Green Day, 17th June, 11am-3pm
Come by and see what you can learn or share.
Get rid of old bikes from the garage, clothes from the drawers, or show off your garden or kitchen creations.
There are several jobs where we need help on the day.
The event will include:

Bike Repairs

Second hand bikes (bring your old ones to pass on)

Owls on display. Scientifically dissect their pellets and see what they eat!

Re-wild your garden - find out how

Local produce stall

Baking Competition - entries by 11.30am (bring along your creations, be as green as you can). Judging and prize at noon. Then sold off and shared as to your wishes.

Teas, cakes and filled rolls

Live Music

Pop up Bookshop

Bird Box making

School children’s letters to the Future

Pre-loved clothing bring to share

Green Fingers, Allotments

Wildlife Trust

Goring Gap Environmental Organisation and more…

Bring and share your ideas and hopes

Organ Recital by Bryan Almond at St Thomas’
This Sunday, 18th June, at 3pm Bryan Almond, Assistant Organist and Choirmaster at St Mary’s, Primrose Hill, will be playing music by Bach, Sweelinck, Vierne, Duruflé, Alain, Hollins, Delius and Elgar on the newly refurbished organ. There will be no charge for admission but there will be a retiring collection supporting the Great Big Green Week.

Help with Discoverers for next Sunday
Ben needs another adult to be present on Sunday 25th, 5.00-6.00pm. Please be in touch if you might be able to help. Thank you.

News from Steve & Lindsey
We have received a newsletter from Honduras updating us on progress in the last 6 months. Steve and Lindsey have found that the young people they are mentoring are struggling with the temptations of their old lives and they have asked for your prayers for them.

You can read more in their newsletter here. We are looking forward to welcoming Steve and Lindsey when they visit us on Sunday 16th July when we will have the opportunity to hear more about their work.

Scythe: Does anyone have a scythe they no longer need or are willing to lend? No mow May in the Vicarage garden has presented a challenge for June and the churchyard mowers are willing to try it in areas where there are no stones too. RSVP to Ben

Organ Taster Sessions at St Thomas’
Seven young pianists signed up for the organ taster sessions offered at St Thomas’. The sessions comprised two lessons with local organist, Bryan Almond, and two practice sessions. On Saturday 24th June, there will be an afternoon of music at St Thomas’, finishing with a short recital by the seven new organists at 4pm.
Do come and listen!

The Big Sing – Saturday 1st July at St Thomas’
We would like to invite you to The Big Sing on Saturday 1st July. This is an event celebrating the life of Michael Howell and giving thanks to God for the completion of the organ rebuild project which Michael was so involved with in the years before he died. Music will include some of Michael’s compositions and arrangements; Hymns including Love Divine and The Day Thou Gavest; and Anthems including Sumsion’s They that go down to the sea in ships, Bainton’s And I saw a new Heaven and Parry’s I was glad.
Timetable for Singers:
The timetable for the day is as follows:
Arrive at 1.45pm ready to be seated for 2pm (prompt) practice.
4pm afternoon tea
5pm Big Sing (1 hour approx.)
To register, please email the benefice office officeofgsandss@yahoo.com by Thursday 22nd June. We will then send details of music to print before the day.
The Big Sing Performance:
For those preferring to listen, rather than sing, please turn up for the performance at 5pm.
There are more details on our website which you can find here.

Making a donation

All of our churches now have a poster with a QR code which allows visitors to scan the code and be taken to the parish giving website where they can make a one off donation (or even set up regular giving). We hope this will be useful at weddings and funerals as well as for Sunday service visitors.

Daily Prayer will be taking place as usual. 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 the Prayer Spaces initiative in Goring Primary School this week for the right volunteers to help and the children to respond to the Holy Spirit’s leading.
For all working for peace and showing kindness and care in The Ukraine.
For God to work in our hearts as we meet the crisis of refugees across the world and here.
For church musicians and the recruitment of the right organist at St Thomas'.

Diary for next week:

Monday 19th June
12:30pm Funeral at St Andrew’s

Wednesday 21st June
10:30am    BCP Holy Communion at St Thomas’
The readings will be 2 Cor. 9. 6-11, Ps. 112 and Matt. 6. 1-6, 16-18.

Saturday 24th June
4:00pm      Young musicians’ concert

Sunday 25th June
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
12:30pm Baptism at St Andrew's
5:00pm Discoverers

Daily readings for the week beginning 19th June

Monday am:	Ps 44	Ezra ch. 1	Rom. 9. 1-18	pm: Ps 47	Luke 13. 1-9
Tuesday am:	Ps 48	Ezra ch. 3	Rom. 9. 19-end	pm: Ps 50	Luke 13. 10-21
Wednesday am:	Ps 119. 57-80	Ezra 4. 1-5	Rom. 10. 1-10	pm: Ps 59	Luke 13. 22-end
Thursday am:	Ps 57	Ezra 4. 7-end	Rom. 10. 11-end	pm: Ps 62	Luke 14. 1-11
Friday am:	Ps 51	Ezra ch. 5	Rom. 11. 1-12	pm: Ps 38	Luke 14. 12-24
Saturday am:	Ps 149	Mal. 3. 1-6	Luke 3. 1-17	pm: Ps 80	Matt. 11. 2-19

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