Welcome to our Weekly News email for the benefice, replacing 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 14 May (Sixth 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)
12.00pm – St Giles’ Annual Meetings
5.30pm – Evening Prayer at St Margaret’s (said, with hymns, 1662 BCP)
6.30pm – Evening Prayer at St Giles’ (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 15 May (Matthias the Apostle)
5.30pm – Evening Prayer at St Giles’ (said, Celebrating Common Prayer)
Tuesday 16 May (Caroline Chisholm, social reformer, 1877)
8.30am – Morning Prayer at St Margaret’s (said, Common Worship)
5.30pm – Evening Prayer at St Giles’ (said, Celebrating Common Prayer)
Wednesday 17 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 18 May (Ascension Day)
8.30am – Morning Prayer at St Margaret’s (said, Common Worship)
12.00pm – Holy Communion at St Giles’ (said, 1662 BCP)
5.30pm – Evening Prayer at St Giles’ (said, Celebrating Common Prayer)
8.00pm- Eucharist at St Margaret’s (sung, Common Worship)
Friday 19 May (Dunstan, archbishop, monastic reformer, 988)
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 20 May (Alcuin, deacon, abbot, 804)
8.30am – Morning Prayer at St Margaret’s (said, Common Worship)
5.30pm – Evening Prayer at St Giles’ (said, Celebrating Common Prayer)
Daily readings and collects for all of the dates above are available to download from our website.
Road closures on Sunday (14 May)
Please be aware that some roads will be closed tomorrow morning for the “Town & Gown 10k” race. For more information, please visit their website below and click on “Road Closure Information”.
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:
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).
Ascension Day – Thursday 18 May
This Thursday (18 May) is Ascension Day. There will be a said service of Holy Communion from the 1662 BCP at St Giles’ at 12pm; and a sung Eucharist at St Margaret’s at 8pm.
All welcome at either service.
Confirmation service – 21 May
The Benefice Confirmation service is next Sunday (21 May) at 10:30am. Please join us as we support all the candidates from across the benefice, including several of our young people, and keep them in your prayers over the coming week.
Bishop Steven has also agreed to come to the service a little earlier to meet any of our young people from either church (aged 9-18) at 9:30am, and answer any questions they might have about the Church of England, theology or being a Christian. Bishop Steven has a wonderful origin story from his own youth and is a great supporter of young people being part of every aspect of church life. It would be lovely if as many of our young people could attend this, even if it is an early morning!!
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.
Diocesan consultation
A few weeks ago, Eva attended a diocesan consultation day for Children, Families and Young Peoples Ministers, where she found out more about a national funding bid being made by the Diocese of Oxford to specifically to enable the church to re-engage and build our mission and ministry among and with children, young people and families.
The diocese is now asking everyone in and around church communities to engage with their consultation, so after half term Eva will be trying to collect some of our children, families and young people’s opinions to send off. You can find out more here: Consultation for National Bid – Diocese of Oxford (anglican.org) where if you scroll to the bottom you can find section 3 for adults to complete. Please consider taking part in this important process.
Phil and Jim Summer Fete – 10 June
St Margaret’s Church will be again running the book stall at the Phil & Jim Summer Fete on Saturday 10 June, so we need donations of books for any age and volunteers on the day to do one hour slots. Please let Eva (eva@stmargaretsoxford.org) know if you can help, and a labelled box will be left at the back of St Margaret’s for book donations from next week. Last year, we raised the largest amount after food and beverages so help us do the same again!
BeSpace
In early October (dates tbc), St Margaret’s will be running Be Space prayer spaces in school for a full week at Phil & Jim School. We need several volunteers (from St Giles’ or St Margaret’s) to commit to a morning or a day in school. It sounds like a lot of fun and Eva will be leading it, so will make sure that we have nice treats along the way! If you would like more information or would like to sign up then please contact Eva – eva@stmargaretsoxford.org
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.