Welcome to our new-look Weekly News email for the benefice. From now on, this weekly email will replace the notices in the weekly pew sheet (for those who cannot receive this email, there will be some hard-copy printouts at the back of each church).
This week in the Benefice
Sunday 23 April (Third Sunday of Easter)
8.00am – Holy Communion at St Giles’ (said, 1662 BCP)
10.30am – Parish Eucharist at St Margaret’s (sung, Common Worship)
10.30am – Holy Communion at St Giles’ (sung, Common Worship)
4.00pm – Trio Amici Concert at St Giles’ (see below)
5.30pm – Evening Prayer at St Margaret’s (said with hymns, 1662 BCP)
6.30pm – Evensong at St Giles’ (sung, 1662 BCP)
The pew sheets for the Sunday services above, with readings, prayers and details of the music, will be available electronically via our website.
Monday 24 April (George, martyr, patron of England)
5.30pm – Evening Prayer at St Giles’ (said, Celebrating Common Prayer)
Tuesday 25 April (Mark the Evangelist)
8.30am – Morning Prayer at St Margaret’s (said, Common Worship)
5.30pm – Evening Prayer at St Giles’ (said, Celebrating Common Prayer) 8.00pm – planning meeting for St Margaret’s Coronation Party (see below)
Wednesday 26 April
8.30am – Morning Prayer at St Margaret’s (said, Common Worship)
5.30pm – Evening Prayer at St Giles’ (said, Celebrating Common Prayer)
Thursday 27 April (Christina Rossetti, poet, 1894)
8.30am – Morning Prayer at St Margaret’s (said, Common Worship)
5.30pm – Evening Prayer at St Giles’ (said, Celebrating Common Prayer)
Friday 28 April (Peter Chanel, missionary, martyr, 1841)
8.30am – Morning Prayer at St Margaret’s (said, Common Worship)
9.00am – Little Fishes at St Margaret’s (for toddlers and parents)
5.30pm – Evening Prayer at St Giles’ (said, Celebrating Common Prayer)
Saturday 29 April (Catherine of Siena, teacher of the faith, 1380)
8.30am – Morning Prayer at St Margaret’s (said, Common Worship)
5.30pm – Evening Prayer at St Giles’ (said, Celebrating Common Prayer) 7.30pm – Jazz at St Giles’ concert: Under Milk Wood (see below)
Coronation weekend (6-7 May)
The Coronation of King Charles III is rapidly approaching, and we’ll be celebrating it in the Benefice in several ways:
- On both the Saturday (6 May) and Sunday (7th), the bells of St Giles’ will be ringing in celebration, possibly including quarter peal attempts – more details in next week’s email.
- On the Saturday, St Margaret’s will be hosting a screening of the coronation and a coronation party – if the weather is good, the latter will take place outside.
- On the Sunday, at 6:30pm there will be a special Coronation Choral Evensong service at St Giles’ service to which all are welcome (no evening service at St Margaret’s that week).
If you would like to be involved in helping to arrange the coronation party, please email Eva (eva@stmargaretsoxford.org) – there will be a planning meeting on Tuesday evening (25 April).
Confirmations 2023
Confirmation classes for both teenagers and adults are continuing on Tuesday evenings (the first session was last Tuesday).
The time for both sessions have been shifted slightly to 7:30pm – it is still not too late if you would like to explore the possibility of being confirmed this year (attending the course doesn’t oblige you to be confirmed).
The Confirmation service itself will be taken by Bishop Steven on Sunday 21 May at St Margaret’s Church at 10:30am (this is a joint benefice event, so there is no separate service at St Giles’ that morning).
Annual Parochial Church Meetings (APCMs)
The Annual Parochial Church Meetings for each parish will take place on the following dates. Meetings are open to anyone on the electoral roll of the respective parish:
- St Giles’ APCM – after the 10:30 service on Sunday 14 May
- St Margaret’s APCM – after the 10:30 service Sunday 28 May
The Annual Reports will be made available electronically to all members of the electoral roll in advance of the meetings, and printed copies will also be available at the meetings.
Electoral Rolls
The Electoral Roll of each parish will be revised in advance of the Annual Parish Meetings above. The Roll is a list of members in a church aged 16 or over. If you would like to be added to the Roll, please fill in and sign the simple form which can be found at the back of church, and pass it to the Electoral Roll Officer:
- for St Giles’ Church: Jim Smith
- for St Margaret’s Church: David Smith (you can also leave your form in the shoebox provided at St Margaret’s)
If you or your child will become 16 by May 2024, the name can be added to the list during the coming year. The current list of names is on display in the church. It’s important that we are able to be in touch with our whole church community, so please do join in!
Christian Aid Week: 14-20 May
During Christian Aid Week (14-20 May this year), we no longer knock on the doors of houses in the parish to ask for collections – instead we include a nearby address so that people can drop off their donations.
If you live in either St Giles’ or St Margaret’s parish, would you be willing to be a drop-off point for local residents to donate their filled Christian Aid envelopes? Helen Dodd (from St Giles’) will then collect the envelopes from you at the end of the week.
We also need volunteers to help deliver the envelopes to nearby streets at the beginning of the week.
If you can help in either capacity, please can you speak to Helen or email her on hedodd@gmail.com.
Book Launch
If you would like to attend this launch by Anne Holmes (Self-Supporting Associate Priest in our Benefice), please email her (anne@ac-holmes.co.uk) as soon as possible, as she needs to confirm numbers with the venue by the end of this week.
For more information on the book, please tap on the button below:
Funeral of George Pulford
George Pulford’s funeral will take place on Tuesday 2 May at 12.00 noon at St Mary’s Church, Kidlington.
Upcoming concerts
Trio Amici Concert
At St Giles’ on Sunday 23rd April at4:00pm. Violin: Jacqui Miles; Cello:Trevor Burley; Piano: Bethe Levy. Tickets £5 from Eventbrite. All proceeds to St Giles’ Organ Fund.
Jazz at St Giles’: Under Milk Wood Concert
Homage to Stan Tracey’s Jazz Suite – at St Giles’ on Saturday 29th April at 7:30pm. Supporting the St Giles’ Organ Appeal. Martin Pickett – Piano; Steve Kershaw – Bass; Ewen Baird – Saxophone; Mike Goff – Drums; Narrators – Tom Neil, Siân Goff. Tickets from Eventbrite: £15/£10.
Ishani Bhoola and Jennifer Carter Concert
At St Giles’ on Sunday 21st May at 4pm. Mozart K454; Beethoven D Major Sonata; Elgar Sonata. Tickets £5 from Eventbrite. All proceeds to St Giles’ Organ Fund.
Bellringing update
There will be Bellringing at St Giles’ from 4:30pm-6:30pm on Sunday 14 May. This will provide a final opportunity for a band representing Oxford City Branch to practice together, before taking part in an 8-bell striking competition arranged by the Oxford Diocesan Guild, which takes place on Saturday 20 May at Broadwell (SW of Carterton).