Welcome to our weekly newsletter for the benefice. If you would like to be notified by email each week, please sign up here:
Or for those who prefer, some hard-copy printouts are available at each church.
If you have any items for next week’s notices, please send them to manager@StGilesStMargarets.org before mid-day on Wednesday.
This week in the Benefice
Sunday 4 February
Sexagesima / The Presentation of Christ in the Temple (Candlemas) (transferred) / Second Sunday before Lent (BCP)
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)
6.00pm – Evening Prayer at St Margaret’s (said with hymns, 1662 BCP)
6.30pm – Evensong at St Giles’ (sung, 1662 BCP)
6.45pm – Candlemas Party at St Margaret’s – details below.
The pew sheets for the Sunday services above, with readings, prayers and details of the music, are published each Friday afternoon on this website.
Monday 5 February
5.30pm – Evening Prayer at St Giles’
8.00pm – Compline (Night Prayer) online
Tuesday 6 February
The Martyrs of Japan, 1597
8.30am – Morning Prayer at St Margaret’s
5.30pm – Evening Prayer at St Giles’
Wednesday 7 February
8.30am – Morning Prayer at St Margaret’s
1.30pm – Tea & Talks at St Margaret’s Institute: In my grandfather’s shadow: working through Germany’s legacy of trauma, shame and silence – details below.
5.30pm – Evening Prayer at St Giles’
Thursday 8 February
8.30am – Morning Prayer at St Margaret’s
5.30pm – Evening Prayer at St Giles’
Friday 9 February
8.30am – Morning Prayer at St Margaret’s
9.00am – Little Fishes at St Margaret’s (for toddlers and parents)
5.30pm – Evening Prayer at St Giles’
7.30pm – Game Night at St Margaret’s – details below.
Saturday 10 February
Scholastica, sister of Benedict, Abbess of Plombariola, c.543
8.30am – Morning Prayer at St Margaret’s
10.00am – Full peal of bellringing at St Giles’ – details below.
10.00am – Theology Study Day at Ripon College, Cuddesdon – details below.
5.30pm – Evening Prayer at St Giles’
Sunday 11 February
Quinquagesima / Sunday Next before Lent
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)
6.00pm – Evening Prayer at St Margaret’s (said with hymns, 1662 BCP)
Parish News
Candlemas Party at St Margaret’s
Please come join us on the 4 Feb to share food and time together. The meal will follow a special choral evening service at 6pm in St Margaret’s. We are looking for a couple of volunteers to help with setting up. If you can help please let Claire know (associate@stgilesstmaragrets.org)
This week, Phil & Jim School had their Christingle at Candlemas service in church. They are collecting money for the Children’s Society with this, and there are still some collection boxes left at the back of church. If you have any spare change to spare you can take one, fill and return by the 11th February.
Lent discussion group
Claire has provided an overview of the series, which you can read below:
Games Night at St Margaret’s
We are hosting a Games Night (for 8-12 year olds) on Friday 9th February at St Margaret’s Church. Contact Eva for details.
Jazz at St Giles’
Jazz at St Giles’ are excited to present their next concert: Post-Bop Jazz Showcase featuring Oxford’s best young Jazz virtuosos at St Giles’ Church on Saturday 17th February at 7:30pm. Tickets are on sale now.
Call for Wine Donations
If you have any spare bottles of wine or gin or any other drinks – maybe left over from Christmas – please do drop them at St Giles’ this week ahead of the next concert. This is a great way to raise even more money at these events.
Upcoming Baptism at St Margaret’s
From Rebecca, our safeguarding officer at St Margaret’s: Agnes will be baptised during the morning Eucharist on Sunday 3rd March at St Margaret’s. We will be providing a light lunch after the service, and you are all warmly invited to stay for this. To give us an idea of numbers, we’d be grateful if you could let us know if you are planning to be in church that Sunday. You can reach me via the Safeguarding email address on the pew sheets.
Bellringing News
An attempt will be made to ring a three-hour full peal on St Giles’ bells on Saturday 3rd February, starting at 10:00, by ringers who will be in Oxford for the annual dinner later that day of the Oxford University Society of Change Ringers. A band of visiting ringers will probably be ringing our bells between 15:30 and 16:30 on Saturday 17th February.
Click the button below to read the rest of the Bellringing News from John Pusey, the Tower Captain at St Giles’.
Call for budding florists
We’re looking for volunteers to come to St Margaret’s Church on Friday 8th March at 11am and prepare the posies of flowers that both St Margaret’s and St Giles give out on Mothering Sunday. It’s a simple but large task, so all help would be gratefully received and compensated with tea, coffee, biscuits and an opportunity to catch up. All welcome from both churches.
St Margaret’s Recipe Book
Eve Barsham and Sam Schad are putting together a St Margaret’s recipe book. We would love to have your recipes! They can be family favourites, recipes with a St Margaret’s connection, recipes devised by or associated with a particular person, recipes suitable for children to make, you name it! Please get in touch with Sam or Eve if you’d like to submit a recipe. The more the merrier! Thank you! Please send in any recipes by the 19th February.
Save the Date: Youth Pilgrimage 2024
Youth Pilgrimage 2024 will be running from the 29th July to the 2nd August. We’re provisionally looking at walking the Canterbury Pilgrim Way. Please register your young person’s interest with Eva Walters or Lucy Kent. This week long is open to all children within the benefice who are 13-18 within the current school year. All those who attended last year had such a great time and we’re trying to keep the price at around £300 for transport and full board.
Little Fishes
Community News
Tea & Talks at St Margaret’s Institute
St Margaret’s Institute’s current season of Tea & Talks continues on Wednesday 7th February at 1:30pm with a talk by Angela Findlay titled In my grandfather’s shadow: working through Germany’s legacy of trauma, shame and silence. They occur each month – see the full schedule by pressing the button below. Entry is £2 and includes tea and cake.
Christ Church BCP Exhibition
Christ Church Library is holding an exhibition about the Book of Common Prayer. Entry is free – click the button below for more info.
Theology Study Days in Cuddesdon
