Banner Image:   pen-g104861c15 1920

BeneficeLogoWithText
STOP PRESS: At the time of sending (Thursday, 9:30am) Streatley High Street is closed near Church Lane due to a gas leak.
Please check if this might affect your journey to church. . 
As this newsletter is a day early, first a reminder of the remaining events for Holy week:
  Goring Streatley South Stoke
Maundy Thursday      
 Holy Communion service     8.00pm
Good Friday      
 Act of Witness in the Rectory Garden, Goring 10.00am  
 Family service followed by 
 hot cross buns
10.30am    
 Meditation service with hymns   3.00pm  
 Reflection & Prayer     6.00pm
Easter Eve, 30th March      
 Easter egg hunt     11.00am
 Easter vigil service   7.30pm  

Sunday 31st March & 7th April                                        Easter & Easter 2 
British Summer Time begins on 31st March - clocks go forward one hour

Welcome to our newsletter which covers the next two weeks 
Schools Easter 5 jk

Alleluia, Christ is risen……
He is risen indeed, Alleluia!

It is time to come together, to remember and celebrate.                                                                     
The greatest act of love is for you and all the world. Alleluia!

The Collect, the prayer for the week
Sunday 31st March, Easter Day
Lord of all life and power,
who through the mighty resurrection of your Son
overcame the old order of sin and death
to make all things new in him:
grant that we, being dead to sin
and alive to you in Jesus Christ,
may reign with him in glory;
to whom with you and the Holy Spirit
be praise and honour, glory and might,
now and in all eternity.
Sunday 7th April, Easter 2
Risen Christ,
for whom no door is locked, no entrance barred:
open the doors of our hearts,
that we may seek the good of others
and walk the joyful road of sacrifice and peace,
to the praise of God the Father.
Readings for Easter Day: Acts 10: 34-43, Psalm 118. 14-24 & Mark 16: 1-8
Readings for Sunday 7th April: Acts 4: 32-35, Psalm 133 & John 20: 19-end

This Sunday (Easter Day):
8:00am        BCP Holy Communion at St Thomas’
9:30am        Family Communion at St Thomas’
10:30am      Family Communion at St Mary’s
11.00am      Family Communion at St Andrew’s

 
Next Sunday (7th April)
8:00am        BCP Holy Communion at St Thomas’
10:30am      Benefice Holy Communion at St Mary’s
                    No Evensong
Easter Vigil service
This year we will be holding a service on Easter Eve at 7:30pm in St Mary’s. The Easter Vigil is quite different from other services, its origins going far back in time. It starts with Old Testament readings including the Creation and the Crossing of the Red Sea. With the church in complete darkness the Pascal Candle is lit from a fire outside the main door and light is spread around candles throughout the church. Baptismal promises are renewed, and the Easter Song of Praise (The Exsultet) is sung. The service comes to a climax with The Easter Acclamation – Alleluia, Christ is Risen. He is Risen Indeed, Alleluia – accompanied in loud sound by the organ and percussion instruments.
Do come and join this journey from quiet contemplation and darkness to loud rejoicing and proclamation of light as we mark the first celebration this Easter of Christ’s Resurrection.
Easter Flowers and artwork
Thank you to everyone who has prepared and given these. Do call into all of our churches and meditate on God’s goodness and faithfulness this week. Also note the artwork and decorated cross prepared by the children from our primary schools for their Easter service in St Thomas’ earlier this week.
Flowers in St Mary's
Marigold's name has been synonymous with flower arranging at St Mary's for around fifty years; latterly with her organizing and co-ordinating the rota and all that it additionally entails, including catering for many weddings and funerals, hosting the flower team in her beautiful house, and organizing outings on a regular basis.
She has now decided to step back from the organizational side.
St Mary's owes Marigold a huge debt of gratitude for the hours of her time that she has spent in enabling the flowers in the  Church to be such a prominent and valued part of St. Mary's over the years, greatly enjoyed by parishioners and casual visitors alike and adding the colours of God's creation to all our worship.
Mary has kindly stepped in to organize the flower rota.                                 John 
Steve & Lindsey 24.03 CMS

Visit by Steve Poulson
Wednesday 10th April, 3.00-4.30pm

in the Canterbury Room
We are being treated to a flying visit from Steve to catch up with him and pray together over a cup of tea (and perhaps a piece of cake)
All welcome.        
(It is too short a visit to justify Lindsey’s fare too :( )

News from Honduras
Also a reminder that we have received a newsletter from Steve and Lindsey updating us about their work for CMS in Honduras. They have now opened a second coffee shop in record time and describe the challenges of encouraging children to stay in school rather than spending their time on the streets.
Please click here to read more about how things are going for them and where they would welcome our prayers. Copies of their newsletter are also be in our churches.

St Thomas of Canterbury, Church Electoral Roll 2024
If you are not already on the Electoral Roll and would like to be, please complete an application form and place it in the box provided in the church by 4th April 2024. The application forms are on the table just inside the church.
Please note that there is no need to reapply this year if your name is already on the Roll. There is a copy of the current Roll on one of the noticeboards in the church porch so you can check if your name is there or not.  
                                                                Judith Aguda, Church Electoral Roll Officer
Similar forms are also available at St Mary’s for anyone who would like to be on the electoral roll there.

Work at St Thomas’
Next week, from April 2nd, work will be taking place to resurface the church drive and to redecorate the Canterbury Room.
Please avoid using the drive and Canterbury Room while work is ongoing. Thank you.

Daily Prayer continues its usual pattern. Why not join in one day? We listen to the Bible and pray for our world and church members in turn.
Monday: 8.30am Goring,     Tuesday and Thursday: 8.30am Streatley.
Friday: 9am Goring.

This week we are asked to pray 

  • We give thanks for God’s life-giving nature.
  • We pray for all who suffer for others’ sakes.
Diary for the next two weeks
Wednesday 3rd April
10:30am      BCP Holy Communion at St Thomas’
                     followed by coffee in the Canterbury Room
The readings will be Acts 3. 1-10, Ps. 105. 1-9 and Luke 24. 13-35.


Sunday 7th April
8:00am        BCP Holy Communion at St Thomas’
10:30am      Benefice Holy Communion at St Mary’s
                    No Evensong at St Thomas’


Wednesday 10th April
10:30am      Little Lights at St Mary’s
10:30am      BCP Holy Communion at St Thomas’
The readings will be Acts 5. 17-26, Ps. 34. 1-8 and John 3. 16-21.
3:00pm        Catch up with Steve Poulson in the Canterbury Room


Sunday 14th April
8:00am        BCP Holy Communion at St Mary’s
9:30am        Holy Communion at St Thomas’
11:15am      Family service at St Mary’s
11.15am      BCP Holy Communion at St Andrew’s
The monthly calendar for April can be downloaded by clicking here.

Prayers for this week
Thank you to Judith for this week’s prayers.

Heavenly Father, we praise and bless your holy name for providing the way of salvation for us and all people through faith in the risen Christ, your Son Jesus, who died for us and rose again on that first Easter morning. Renew us with Holy Spirit as we rejoice today.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Merciful God, we ask you to bless and strengthen the church of Christ worldwide and bring the different denominations closer together, putting aside our differences and focussing on what unites us, namely our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and our mission to spread the Good news of salvation to all the world. Please bless our mission partners, Steve and Lindsey Poulson, especially at this time when they need more funding for their work with young people in Honduras.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Loving God, we pray for peace in the world. There are so many places where there is fighting and suffering. We think especially of Ukraine, The Middle East, Myanmar, and Nigeria, to name but a few. Bless all those who are working for peace and we ask you to change the minds of those who are bent only on revenge and self-interest.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Creator God, we pray for all rulers and leaders in the world, that they may concentrate on helping the people they serve and prioritise efforts to reduce carbon emissions and pollution of rivers and seas.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord, we pray for the churches in our benefice, for Ben and the ministry team, for our parish administrator, our churchwardens and all those who help in various ways. Help us to discern the plans you have for these villages and our part in those plans.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We bring before you all those in our community who are suffering hardship because of the increases in food prices and mortgage rates. Show us how we can help one another. Please give the government wisdom in dealing with the continuing threats of strike action.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Loving Father, we pray for our Royal family and especially for King Charles and the Princess of Wales that their treatment for cancer will be successful. We pray for those we know who are sick and ask for your comfort and healing for them. We remember all those who have died recently and pray for their families and friends in their grief.

Merciful Father, accept these prayers for the sake of your son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Daily readings for the week beginning 1st April
Monday am: Ps 111 Exod. 12. 1-14 1 Cor. 15. 1-11 pm: Ps 135 Mark 16. 1-8
Tuesday am: Ps 112 Exod. 12. 14-36 1 Cor. 15. 12-19 pm: Ps 136 Luke 24. 1-12
Wednesday am: Ps 113 Exod. 12. 37-end 1 Cor. 15. 20-28 pm: Ps 105 Matt. 28. 16-end
Thursday am: Ps 114 Exod. 13. 1-16 1 Cor. 15. 29-34 pm: Ps 106 Luke 7. 11-17
Friday am: Ps 115 Exod. 13.17-14.14 1 Cor. 15. 35-50 pm: Ps 107 Luke 8. 41-end
Saturday am: Ps 116 Exod. 14. 15-end 1 Cor. 15. 51-end pm: Ps 145 John 11. 17-44
Daily readings for the week beginning 8th April
Monday am: Ps 111 1 Sam. 2. 1-10 Rom. 5. 12-end pm: Ps 131 Heb. 2. 5-end
Tuesday am: Ps 8 Exod. 15.22-16.10 Col. 1. 15-end pm: Ps 104 John 20. 11-18
Wednesday am: Ps 30 Exod. 16. 11-end Col. 2.1-15 pm: Ps 33 John 20. 19-end
Thursday am: Ps 28 Exod. ch. 17 Col. 2.16-3.11 pm: Ps 34 John 21. 1-14
Friday am: Ps 61 Exod. 18. 1-12 Col. 3.12-4.1 pm: Ps 118 John 21. 15-19
Saturday am: Ps 84 Exod. 18. 13-end Col. 4.2-end pm: Ps 66 John 21. 20-end
Please send any notices or articles for the next news sheet by noon on Thursdays to vicarofgsandss@yahoo.com.
DioceseOfOxford
Copyright © 2024 The Benefice of Goring and Streatley with South Stoke, All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
The Benefice of Goring and Streatley with South Stoke
The Vicarage
Manor Road
Goring, Berkshire RG8 9DR
United Kingdom