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
Saturday 6 May
8.30am – Morning Prayer at St Margaret’s (said, Common Worship)
11.00am – Coronation Screening + bring-and-share lunch at St Margaret’s
5.30pm – Evening Prayer at St Giles’ (said, Celebrating Common Prayer)
Sunday 7 May (Fifth 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)
6.30pm – Coronation Choral Evensong at St Giles’ (sung, 1662 BCP)
Note that there is no evening service at St Margaret’s.
The pew sheets for the Sunday services above, with readings, prayers and details of the music, will be available electronically via our website.
Monday 8 May (Julian of Norwich, spiritual writer, c. 1417)
5.30pm – Evening Prayer at St Giles’ (said, Celebrating Common Prayer)
Tuesday 9 May
8.30am – Morning Prayer at St Margaret’s (said, Common Worship)
5.30pm – Evening Prayer at St Giles’ (said, Celebrating Common Prayer)
Wednesday 10 May
8.30am – Morning Prayer at St Margaret’s (said, Common Worship)
5.30pm – Evening Prayer at St Giles’ (said, Celebrating Common Prayer)
7.30pm – St Margaret’s PCC Meeting (in the baptistery + online)
Thursday 11 May
8.30am – Morning Prayer at St Margaret’s (said, Common Worship)
5.30pm – Evening Prayer at St Giles’ (said, Celebrating Common Prayer)
Friday 12 May (Gregory Dix, priest, monk, scholar, 1952)
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 13 May
8.30am – Morning Prayer at St Margaret’s (said, Common Worship)
5.30pm – Evening Prayer at St Giles’ (said, Celebrating Common Prayer)
Coronation weekend (6-7 May)
(Click on the images above for larger versions).
It’s the Coronation Weekend! We have a screening of the service with bring & share lunch at St Margaret’s today (the service starts at 11am), and a celebratory choral evensong service at St Giles’ at 6:30pm tomorrow (Sunday 7 May).
Everyone from St Giles’ and St Margaret’s are warmly invited to both of the above, regardless of venue – as is anyone else!
Ringing for the King
The bells of St Giles’ will be particularly active this weekend in celebration of the Coronation. Here are all the times that you may hear them:
- Sat 6 May. 09:00 Short periods of ringing by ringers including recent beginners
- Sat 6 May, 15:30 Quarter peal attempt – continuous ringing by experienced ringers
- Sat 6 May, 16:30 Short periods of ringing by ringers including recent beginners
- Sun 7 May 09:45 Ringing before Morning service, by our own regular band
- Sun 7 May 16:15 Quarter peal attempt – continuous ringing by experienced ringers
- Sun 7 May 18:00 Ringing before Evening service, by our own regular band
Also, 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).
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.
It is also possible to donate online directly to Christian Aid’s appeal – please use the button below:
Confirmations 2023
The Benefice 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).
Piano & Violin Concert: Ishani Bhoola and Jennifer Carter
At St Giles’ on Sunday 21 May at 4pm. Mozart K454; Beethoven D Major Sonata; Elgar Sonata. Tickets £5 from Eventbrite. All proceeds to St Giles’ Organ Fund.
Organ recital in Italy
Nicholas Prozzillo (Director of Music at St Giles’) will give an organ recital in Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, Bergamo, on Sunday 27 August. If anyone is on holiday in the area, do get in touch.