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Sunday 1st December                                                                 Advent 1

Welcome to our weekly newsletter
LightingCandle

The season of waiting – Advent. Jesus is coming. We prepare to celebrate his birth and, we pray, be ready for his coming again. He will and he wants to help us live in the light of his love.

The Collect, the prayer for the week
   Almighty God,
   give us grace to cast away the works of darkness
   and to put on the armour of light,
   now in the time of this mortal life,
   in which your Son Jesus Christ came to us in great humility;
   that on the last day,
   when he shall come again in his glorious majesty
   to judge the living and the dead,
   we may rise to the life immortal;
   through him who is alive and reigns with you,
   in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
   one God, now and for ever.
Readings for this Sunday: Jeremiah 33: 14-16, Ps. 25.1-10 and Luke 21: 25-36.

This Sunday:
8:00am        BCP Holy Communion at St Thomas’
9:30am        Holy Communion at St Thomas’
11:15am      Advent hymns and readings & Holy Communion at St Mary’s
11:15am      Christingle service at St Andrew’s
4.00pm        Christingle service at St Thomas’
Advent candle jk
Last chance to get an Advent candle
These are still available in church, again with an accompanying card. 
An ideal present for yourself, a friend or grand/godchildren, offering calming hope at the opening moment in each day in December.
They cost £4. Cash please.
Piano recital at St Thomas’, this Saturday, 30th November, at 3pm
Piano plus music 2
Geoff Brown and Mary Daniels will be returning to St Thomas’ to give a concert including works by Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Debussy, Villa-Lobos and Piazzolla. There will be no charge for the recital, but donations are welcomed to go towards church expenses.
Christingle2
Our Christingle services begin this weekend on Sunday 1st December at 11:15am at St Andrew’s and then 4pm at St Thomas'. The following weekend there will be a Christingle service at St Mary’s on Sunday 8th December at 11:15am.  
We will put together Christingle kits for all the churches after the concert this Saturday 30th November at 4.45pm in the Canterbury Room (offers of help to Ben please).
Church Christmas Cards
Our village Christmas cards from all the churches with details of the Christmas services are being printed this week. These need to be delivered to every house in the benefice, please.
At 2.30pm on Thursday (5th December) in the Canterbury Room we will be folding all the Goring cards and counting them into folders ready for delivery. Anyone who is able to come and help with the task would be most welcome and tea & biscuits will be supplied!
Wallingford Food bank, Messiah 8th December
Wallingford Food Bank
Like all other UK food banks, demand is outstripping the existing support, (for the first time in 13 years) so Wallingford Emergency Food Bank are holding their first fundraiser. They are delighted to host the Waterperry Opera Festival in a performance of an annual Christmas tradition, a concert version of the Messiah. They will bring their ensemble of renowned singers and period instrumentalists for a candlelit performance at 7pm in St Mary-le-More church in Wallingford. Doors open at 6:30pm with mulled wine and soft drinks available. Tickets cost £22 and can be booked via https://wallingfordfoodbank.org.uk/
Start your day listening to God and praying together. 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 

  • For the ceasefire to hold in the Lebanon and spread to Gaza, and for better relations between the neighbouring lands.
  • For the Genesis course coming to an end and plans for future family work and ministry.
  • Our preparations of our hearts and homes, and for our services to be a blessing to this community.
Diary for the week
Monday 2nd December
Advent courses continue

Wednesday 4th December
10:30am      BCP Holy Communion at St Thomas’
                     followed by coffee in the Canterbury Room
The readings will be Isa. 25, 6-10a, Ps 23 & Matt. 15. 29-37.


Thursday 5th December
Noon             Funeral and Thanksgiving for John Farr at St Mary’s
2:30pm          Folding church Christmas cards in the Canterbury Room


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

Prayers for the week
Thank you to Brenda for this week’s prayers.

In joyful expectation of his coming we pray to Jesus, saying Maranatha
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Come to your Church as Lord and Judge. We pray for our Bishops Steven and Gavin, Ben and all the members of our Ministry team. Give us all wisdom and courage as we seek to follow your Way and spread the Good News.
We pray for Steve and Lindsey Poulson in Honduras working among the street children at Proyecto Alas and the baby they are expecting in March. Keep them all safe.
Help us to live in the light of your coming and give us a longing for your kingdom. Maranatha.
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Come to your world as King of the nations. We pray for peace in Ukraine and the Holy Land. We pray for peace in all the other troubled areas of the world including Yemen, Myanmar and Sudan.
We pray for King Charles and his ministers. Give them wisdom as to how to seek the common good with justice for all. We pray for all farmers with their high suicide rate. May they find peace in you.
We pray that the COP 29 in Baku will bring justice for the low-lying areas of the World for whom climate change is a real risk.
Before you, rulers will stand in silence.  Maranatha.
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Come to your people with a message of victory and peace. We pray for all in our communities especially those who are in any sort of need be it homelessness, lack of food to eat or loneliness. May we be sensitive and helpful to their situations.
We pray for our schools who will be hosting Carol and nativity services in church in the coming days. We pray for the children, the staff and the parents of each one at this very busy time of year.
We pray for those distributing the Christmas cards around the villages. May they do so prayerfully, committing each card into your hands.
Give us the victory over death, temptation and evil.  Maranatha.
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Come to us as Saviour and Comforter. We pray for those who are sick. We pray for those who care for them. May they treat them with compassion.
Break into our lives, where we struggle with sickness and distress, and set us free to serve you forever.  Maranatha.
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Come to us from heaven, Lord Jesus, with power and great glory. Lift us up to meet you, with all your saints and angels, to live with you forever. Maranatha.
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
(Silence)
Come, Lord Jesus,
do not delay; give new courage to your people, who trust in your love. By your coming, raise us to share in the joy of your kingdom on earth as in heaven, where you live and reign with the Father and the Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.

Daily readings for the week beginning 2nd December
Monday am: Ps 50 Isa. 42. 18-end Rev. ch. 19 pm: Ps 71 Matt. 12. 1-21
Tuesday am: Ps 80 Isa. 43. 1-13 Rev. ch. 20 pm: Ps 74 Matt. 12. 22-37
Wednesday am: Ps 7 Isa. 43. 14-end Rev. 21. 1-8 pm: Ps 77 Matt. 12. 38-end
Thursday am: Ps 42 Isa. 44. 1-8 Rev. 21. 9-21 pm: Ps 40 Matt. 13. 1-23
Friday am: Ps 25 Isa. 44. 9-23 Rev. 21.22-22.5 pm: Ps 17 Matt. 13. 24-43
Saturday am: Ps 9 Isa. 44.24-45.13 Rev. 22. 6-end pm: Ps 27 Matt. 13. 44-end
Please send any notices or articles for the next news sheet by noon on Thursdays to vicarofgsandss@yahoo.com.
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