Banner Image:   pen-g104861c15 1920

BeneficeLogoWithText

Sunday 6th October                                                                Trinity 19

Welcome to our weekly newsletter
HarvestBasket

We depend on God for our daily bread and we are called to share the earth’s bounty, and all our gifts and talents, so all creatures and people can have “Our daily bread”.

Harvest Collect
Eternal God,
you crown the year with your goodness
and you give us the fruits of the earth in their season:
grant that we may use them to your glory,
for the relief of those in need and for our own well-being;
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.
Weekly Collect
O God, forasmuch as without you
we are not able to please you;
mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit
may in all things direct and rule our hearts;
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 this Sunday: Job 1: 1 and 2: 1-10, Ps. 26 and Mark 10: 2-16.
Evensong and harvest: Deuteronomy 26. 1-11 (and Luke 12.16-31).


This Sunday:
8:00am        BCP Holy Communion at St Thomas’
8:45am        Breakfast in the Canterbury Room
9:30am        All Age Harvest service at St Thomas’
11:15am      Holy Communion at St Mary’s
11:15am      All Age Harvest service at St Andrew’s
4:00pm        Choral Evensong at St Thomas’
At all of our services we will be praying for a cessation of the spreading of violence and grief across the Middle East.
Churchyard working party at St Thomas’
This Saturday, 5th October, 10am - 12noon
Garden tools px
All welcome to bring their favourite loppers, secateurs or tool to keep on top of the churchyard. The grass is wonderfully cared for but ivy creeps and seedlings from trees sprout and grow and need to be kept in their place!
Offers of help with refreshment welcome too!
Harvest services
Harvest border
Donations of harvest gifts from the Goring services will go to the Wallingford food bank and from the South Stoke service will be delivered to those in need in the village.
The Wallingford food banks says: “For ideas as to what to donate, please consider tinned vegetables, long life milk and juice, jars of coffee and tea, tinned potatoes, tinned rice pudding and custard and cereal and jam.  Despite everything we are well supplied with tinned fish and baked beans so no particular need for those.”
Story of Scripture logo 1
The Story of Scripture
This course continues on Tuesday morning, 8th October, at 10.30am in the Canterbury Room. Each session is independent of the others so do join us. This week we are looking at Prophecy, calling people back to a relationship with God.
This course from the Diocese of Oxford uses a mixture of video, Bible study, teaching and discussion to give an overview of the story of God’s loving purposes revealed in Scripture. All welcome. Come ready to learn, ask questions and have your hearts and lives stretched.
Prayer Breakfast, Saturday, 12th October
CoffeeAndCroissant

Please come and pray for the life of our parishes. This will take place in the Canterbury Room at St Thomas’. Coffee and croissants from 8:15am, followed by prayer for the life of our churches.
Finished by 9.30am Please do join us.

Bring and Share Lunch
Following the 11:15am Harvest Service at St Mary's on 13th October, there will be a Bring and Share Lunch in the Morrell Room.
All eating
Please sign up on the list at the back of St Mary's by 11th October if you wish to attend and let us know what you will be bringing.
Any finger food or main course (particularly including salads) or dessert dish would be welcome.
We can warm up specific dishes beforehand; please stipulate on the list.
Most importantly, do ensure that your neighbours and friends know about this event…
Please contact me if you have any questions. Very many thanks.    John 
Advent 2024
St T Advent wreath 20
It is never too soon to talk about advent! The ecumenical advent groups will be starting the week beginning 18 November and running for 4 weeks.
If anyone would like to host a group or lead a group (or both), please speak to either Catherine via the church office (875651) or Ben.
With expectant thanks!
Just to say thank you to those who sponsored me for Ride & Stride and to say they raised £343.75 including Gift Aid to be shared equally between OHCT and St Thomas’.                                                                                          Henry 
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 pray for our bishops and DDOs and the future curates as they are allocated to parishes this month for next year…
  • For our PCCs as they meet for a joint meeting this week.
  • For all in our nation to be willing to work together to face the challenges of needs, budgets and for everyone to know they have a part.
  • To learn to live in peace and harmony with neighbours and how to build each other up.
  • Give thanks and pray for the Genesis group which continued this week.
Diary for the week
Monday 7th October
9:00am        South Stoke School Harvest service at St Andrew’s
11.00am      Funeral of Martin Bullock at St Andrew’s
1:30pm        Goring School Harvest service at St Thomas’


Tuesday 8th October
10:30am      The Story of Scripture in the Canterbury Room

Wednesday 9th October
10:30am      Little Lights at St Mary’s
10:30am      BCP Holy Communion at St Thomas’
The readings will be Gal. 2. 1-2, 7-14, Ps 117 & Luke 11. 1-4.
7:30pm        Joint PCC meetings at St Thomas’


Saturday 12th October
8:15am        Benefice prayer breakfast in the Canterbury Room

Sunday 13th October 
8:00am        BCP Holy Communion at St Mary’s
9:30am        Holy Communion at St Thomas’
11:15am      All Age Harvest service at St Mary’s
                    followed by Bring & Share lunch in the Morrell Room
11:15am      Morning service at St Andrew’s
The monthly calendar for October can be downloaded by clicking here.

Prayers for the week

Thank you to Alun for this week’s prayers.

Lord God, we thank you for the faith and courage of men and women who, from the days of the apostles, have preached the gospel of the living Christ and have built up your church across the world. We thank you for those who stood firm in the face of persecution, for those who brought the good news to these islands, and for missionaries who have gone forth as witnesses for our Lord in other lands. We remember especially Steve and Lindsey Poulson and their work with young people on the edge in Honduras. Keep us faithful to our trust and make us agents of your kingdom in today’s world, for the glory of your name.
Lord, in your mercy,                                                                      
Hear our prayer

A prayer sent by the charity ‘Embrace the Middle East’:
Loving God, in the midst of the escalation of war and violence in the Middle East, we turn our eyes to you. We mourn and weep with those whose lives have been affected. We pray for an end to this cycle of violence and ask you to bring peace and healing. We pray that you would comfort those who mourn and be close to the broken-hearted. We pray for Embrace’s partners across the Middle East, thanking you for their work and witness. May you comfort and protect them and let your presence be their strength as they continue to serve those in need. We pray for the political and religious leaders who have influence over this situation. Give them the courage and boldness needed to pursue peace and justice. We pray that they may see the value of all human life, and work to protect it. In these dark days we pray for your light to shine.
Lord, in your mercy,                                                                      
Hear our prayer

At this time of Harvest we rejoice, O Lord, that you have made the earth so rich in natural resources, and we pray that we may learn to use them responsibly, not wasting them on what we do not need, not polluting the soil, air and sea, not wantonly destroying life, but taking care to hand on to future generations an earth fit for the life of humankind. Lord, you have made us stewards of your property; teach us to be faithful and mindful of the need to distribute earth’s benefits justly and unselfishly, to the good of all.
Lord, in your mercy,                                                                      
Hear our prayer

Lord, deepen our compassion for all currently suffering from sickness or other form of trouble, especially those known personally to us. May they receive comfort and hope and, if it be your will, recovery of health and well-being. We ask your blessing on all involved in nursing or caring occupations, tending to the needs of the unwell, the depressed, the lonely or the handicapped. We pray for families and friends mourning the loss of loved ones. In the midst of their sorrow may they find your presence and the strength needed to face the days ahead.
Lord, in your mercy,                                                                      
Hear our prayer

Grant, O Lord, that your love may so fill our lives that we may count nothing too small to do for you, nothing too much to give, and nothing too hard to bear, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.    (St Ignatius of Loyola)

Daily readings for the week beginning 7th October
Monday am: Ps 98 2 Kings 17. 24-end Phil. 1. 1-11 pm: Ps 105 John 13. 1-11
Tuesday am: Ps 106 2 Kings 18. 1-12 Phil. 1. 12-end pm: Ps 107 John 13. 12-20
Wednesday am: Ps 111 2 Kings 18. 13-end Phil. 2. 1-13 pm: Ps 119. 129-152 John 13. 21-30
Thursday am: Ps 115 2 Kings 19. 1-19 Phil. 2. 14-end pm: Ps 116 John 13. 31-end
Friday am: Ps 139 2 Kings 19. 20-36 Phil. 3.1-4.1 pm: Ps 130 John 14. 1-14
Saturday am: Ps 121 2 Kings ch. 20 Phil. 4.2-end pm: Ps 118 John 14. 15-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