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 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)
Please note, there is no Evensong at St Giles’ this week.
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 12 February
5.30pm – Evening Prayer at St Giles’
8.00pm – Compline (Night Prayer) online
Tuesday 13 February
8.30am – Morning Prayer at St Margaret’s
5.30pm – Evening Prayer at St Giles’
Wednesday 14 February
Ash Wednesday
8.30am – Morning Prayer at St Margaret’s
12.30pm – Holy Communion at St Giles’ (said, Common Worship)
5.30pm – Evening Prayer at St Giles’
8.00pm – Holy Communion at St Margaret’s (sung, Common Worship – note corrected time)
Thursday 15 February
Sigfrid, Bishop, Apostle of Sweden, 1045
Thomas Bray, Priest, Founder of the SPCK and the SPG, 1730
8.30am – Morning Prayer at St Margaret’s
5.30pm – Evening Prayer at St Giles’
Friday 16 February
8.30am – Morning Prayer at St Margaret’s
5.30pm – Evening Prayer at St Giles’
Saturday 17 February
Janani Luwum, Archbishop of Uganda, Martyr, 1977
8.30am – Morning Prayer at St Margaret’s
5.30pm – Evening Prayer at St Giles’
7.30pm – Jazz at St Giles’: Post-Bop Jazz Showcase – details below.
Sunday 18 February
First Sunday of 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)
6.30pm – Evensong at St Giles’ (sung, 1662 BCP)
Parish News
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.
Success of the Previous Concert
JASG’s last concert featuring OUJO and IC Big Band was a sell-out, and a great success – read all about it using the button below. Be sure to grab your tickets for the above concert before they all sell out too!
Lent discussion group
Claire has provided an overview of the series, which you can read below:
Family Craft Morning at St Margaret’s
Stainer’s Crucifixion at St Margaret’s
You are warmly invited to this St Margaret’s event which involves the church choir, the Thursday Afternoon Singers, choir alumni, and friends, and which is in memory of Michèle Crawford who sang in the choir for many years. Congregational/audience singing is part of the piece. Music will be provided – but do come even if you don’t count yourself as a singer as we’d love to see you. Refreshments will be served at the end.
Do you know a donkey?
We are exploring the possibility of having a donkey join us at St Margaret’s for Palm Sunday. Do you know a donkey who isn’t shy and wouldn’t mind being petted by little ones? If you have any information about donkey friends then please contact Eva. Please note Eva is on holiday 12th – 20th Feb but will respond as soon as she returns.
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.
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 6th March at 1:30pm with the penultimate talk of the season by Cameron Hepburn titled Why solving the climate crisis will make us richer. 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.