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Sunday 2nd March                                                           Sunday before Lent

Welcome to our weekly newsletter
Ash Wednesday cross

How do we prepare for Lent? For a stretching and strengthening time - to be better able to realise the fruits of our Saviour’s suffering and victory.
Moses glowed after his encounters with God. May we follow?
Ash Wednesday is this week.

The Collect, the prayer for the week
   Almighty Father,
   whose Son was revealed in majesty
   before he suffered death upon the cross:
   give us grace to perceive his glory,
   that we may be strengthened to suffer with him
   and be changed into his likeness, from glory to glory;
   who is alive and reigns with you,
   in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
   one God, now and for ever.
Readings for this Sunday: Exod. 34: 29-35, Ps. 99 and Luke 9: 28-36.

This Sunday:
8:00am        BCP Holy Communion at St Thomas’
8:45am        Parish breakfast in the Canterbury Room
9:30am        Family service at St Thomas’
11:15am      Holy Communion at St Mary’s
11:15am      Family service at St Andrew’s
4:00pm        Choral Evensong at St Thomas’

South Stoke Open Day, Saturday 1st March
The church will be joining this event which takes place from noon in South Stoke village hall.
We will show and tell of what we are doing and can do. We wish to be at the heart of the village and cheering for all its life and activity. Come along and find out what is going on in your village and join in. For more information please click here

This Sunday, 2nd March, Parish Breakfast at St Thomas’
Tea and toast px

Come along for croissants and coffee on this first Sunday of a month from 8.45-9.15am.
This is a wonderful way to integrate our different church members of all ages and stages.

Thank you to Simon and Sylvia for providing this!

Digging deeper
Digging Deeper – Tuesdays at 10.30am
All are warmly welcome to this study and fellowship group on Paul’s letter to the church in Rome.
With coffee and a biscuit our fourth and final session before Lent will dig deeper into Romans Chapter 3 v9-31, examining God’s plan to save us. The meeting is this Tuesday, 4th March, 10.30am-12.00pm in the Canterbury Room.    
All welcome!  This is the last session before Lent group season. We will resume on Tuesday 29th April.
Lent group book 25

Lent Groups
The Ecumenical Lent groups start the week beginning 10th March. Journey with us this Lent as we look at stories of steadfast faith, hope and trust found in the Bible and reflect on what God's transformational love can mean for our world today. Find encouragement and strength in stories of hope that span over 3000 years of history - showing us that God remains with us at all times. We will be using the Embrace book, "Hope in Hard Places". Sign up sheets are at the back of the church. If you have any questions, please contact Catherine via the church office (01491 875651).

Electoral Roll 2025
Each Parish Church must prepare an entirely new electoral roll this year so everyone needs to complete a fresh form, please.
Copies of the forms for all three churches are available in church or may be downloaded for St Thomas’ here, St Mary’s here or St Andrew’s here or contact the church office (875651).
Please return your completed form to the box in church or email the form to
Judith Aguda (judith.aguda@gmail.com) by 24th April for St Thomas’,
Keith Jackson (fkjj@btinternet.com) by 1st May for St Mary’s or
Sine Shaw (sinecorbett@gmail.com) by 13th March for St Andrew’s.
Steve & Lindsey 24.03 CMS
News from Honduras
We have received a newsletter from Steve and Lindsey Poulson updating us about their work for CMS in Honduras. They had a very successful “Radio Christmas” fundraiser in December and celebrated Christmas with the Proyecto Alas children with Christmas songs and dances and Christmas stockings – a novelty for the Hondurans. 
The new school year starts in February and they have 62 children and young people on their books. They ask for our prayers for them and the rest of the staff as they return to school. The barbershop continues to be one of the most profitable businesses and they also ask for our prayers for Alfonzo as he becomes an assistant there.
All is going well with Lindsey’s pregnancy and they are looking forward to being able to introduce their daughter to us in due course. They ask for our prayers for them as they take some time away when the baby arrives.
Please click here to read more about how things are going for them. Copies of their newsletter are also in our churches. 
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 our keeping of Lent.
  • For a greater trust in God and a readiness to be disciplined, learn and grow through challenges.
  • For those made homeless and bereaved by warfare in the Congo.
  • For our stretched Police force, and our communities as we find ways of taking responsibility together.
  • For our prime minister and government seeking wisdom to make lasting peace in the world.
  • For the poor of the world as our (and the USA’s) aid budget is slashed.
Diary for the week
Tuesday 4th March
10:30am      Digging Deeper in the Canterbury Room

Wednesday 5th March, Ash Wednesday
10:30am      BCP Holy Communion with ashing at St Thomas’
                     followed by coffee in the Canterbury Room
The readings will be 2 Cor. 5.20b-6.10, Ps 51. 1-18 and Matt. 6. 1-6, 16-21
8.00pm        Benefice Holy Communion with ashing at St Andrew’s


Sunday 9th March
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
5:00pm        Discoverers
The monthly calendar for March can be downloaded by clicking here

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

Father God, help us to still our hearts and centre ourselves on your saving grace.
As the Psalmist says, we thank you that we are held in the palm of your hand, loved and protected individually by your saving Grace.
Looking out into the world, we thank you that the ceasefire in Gaza is still holding, and we pray that all the parties and leaders involved will be confident enough to move ahead to the next phase towards a more lasting peace.  We pray for the families returning to their homes, and for humanitarian aid to flow freely to where it is needed.

As new actors appear on the world stage, we ask that this may swiftly lead to the start of peace talks in Ukraine and an end to the destruction and bloodshed. May you give the stakeholders and leaders involved wisdom and patience that we may quickly see an end to the fighting, and a pathway towards peace and rebuilding after the devastation and loss of the last three years conflict.

Here at home, we remember King Charles, asking for wisdom for him and the Ministers that form his government. With so many challenges facing our fellow-citizens, we pray for your provision and blessing particularly as decisions are made concerning the delivery of our front-line services, in particular those which support the elderly and those who are ill and in need.

Here in our Benefice, we ask that you would bless the leaders at our churches - Gavin our Bishop, Ben and the entire ministry team.  May we both support them practically and, in our prayers, as they lead the devotional life of the Benefice and especially as they prepare for the coming season of Lent.

We pray for our congregations, for health and wellbeing and for the depth of our spiritual journey together. Please bless the study groups that are coming together in the coming weeks – may they be fruitful, instructive, and enjoyable for those able to join.  As we reflect on how best to support the work of the church, guide each one of us to think about our response to your generous provision for us, as we recognise that indeed - “All things come from you O Lord, and of your own do we give you.”

Finally, Lord, thank you that you are with us in times of grief and distress; comfort those who we know who are ill or in suffering at this time.
We commend ourselves, and all for whom we pray, to the mercy and protection of God our Lord and Father.

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

Daily readings for the week beginning 3rd March
Monday am: Ps 80 Jer. ch. 1 John 3. 1-21 pm: Ps 85 Gal. ch. 1
Tuesday am: Ps 89. 1-18 Jer.  2. 1-13 John 3. 22-end pm: Ps 89. 19-end Gal. 2. 1-10
Wednesday am: Ps 38 Dan. 9. 3-6, 17-19 1 Tim. 6. 6-19 pm: Ps 51 Luke 15. 11-end
Thursday am: Ps 77 Jer. 2. 14-32 John  4. 1-26 pm: Ps 74 Gal. 2. 11-end
Friday am: Ps 3 Jer. 3. 6-22 John 4. 27-42 pm: Ps 31 Gal. 3. 1-14
Saturday am: Ps 71 Jer. 4. 1-18 John 4. 43-end pm: Ps 73 Gal. 3. 15-22
Please send any notices or articles for the next news sheet by noon on Thursdays to vicarofgsandss@yahoo.com.
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Our mailing address is:
The Benefice of Goring and Streatley with South Stoke
The Vicarage
Manor Road
Goring, Berkshire RG8 9DR
United Kingdom
 
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