Welcome to our weekly newsletter for the benefice. If you would like to be notified by email each week, please sign up using the form at the bottom of this page.
If you have any items for next week’s notices, please send them to manager@StGilesStMargarets.org by Wednesday.
Pew Sheets
The pew sheets for Sunday 20 October, including the readings, prayers and music details for Sunday’s services, are available to download below:
Sunday 20 October
Harvest Thanksgiving / Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity (Proper 24)
8.00am – Holy Communion at St Giles’ (said, 1662 BCP)
10.30am – All Age Eucharist at St Giles’ (sung, Common Worship)
6.30pm – Choral Evensong at St Giles’ (sung, 1662 BCP)
Eternal God,
you crown the year with your goodness
and you give us the fruits of the earth in their season:
grant that we may use them to your glory,
for the relief of those in need and for our own well-being;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Worship & prayer this week:
Morning Prayer: 8.30am Tuesday-Friday at St Giles’
St Giles’ open for quiet prayer: 12pm – 2pm, Monday-Friday
Evening Prayer: 5.30pm Monday-Saturday at St Giles’
Next Sunday (27 October):
Twenty-second Sunday after Trinity (Proper 25)
8.00am – Holy Communion at St Giles’ (said, 1662 BCP)
10.30am – Joint Benefice Holy Communion at St Giles’ (sung, Common Worship)
6.30pm – Choral Evensong at St Giles’ (sung, 1662 BCP)
Parish News
Harvest Festival – Decoration and Service
At our Harvest Thanksgiving Service tomorrow, we will be taking a collection of food and other essentials for The Gatehouse – they have asked for non-perishable items, particularly:
- Canned tuna
- Baked Beans
- Crisps
- Individually wrapped chocolate bars/biscuits
They are also collecting other essentials, particularly:
- Socks
- Boxer Shorts (Medium, Large & a few X Large)
- Gloves
- Spray deodorant
If you can’t make the service, you can bring down your donations to St Giles’ this morning – see below.
If you are free this morning (Saturday 19 October), from 10am, please come down to St Giles’ to help decorate the church – and if possible, do bring gifts of flowers or greenery from your garden!
Do join us, the more hands the merrier!
(note – because of the above, there will be no Gardening Group on this third Saturday. although individuals may want to do some gardening. Please speak to Helen Dodd (07552187856).
Piano Concert from Zihan Wang
Former St Giles’ Organ Scholar, Zihan Wang, returns to give a piano concert on Saturday 19 October, 19:30. Including Beethoven, Piano Sonata 17 in D Minor Op. 31 and J S Bach, Partita for keyboard No. 2 in C minor, BWV 826.
Short Musical Offering
Sunday 20 October at 12:05
A short concert performed by musicians of St Giles’
Do join us!
Next Jazz at St Giles’: Philip Clouts Quartet
We are thrilled to be able to welcome back Philip Clouts and his quartet. They played contemporary jazz with world music influences in Oxford for the first time in October 2023 to great acclaim. By popular demand, they return on Saturday 26th October at 7:30pm.
Light Party
St Margaret’s and St Giles’ are partnering with St Barnabas for this year’s Light Party on 31st October. Families welcome!
Call for used wine bottle gift bags
It’s that time of year again when Eva needs donations of used wine bottle gift bags. Please pass any on to Eva by mid-November. Thanks in advance!
St Margaret’s Church Development Update
Watch the video below for the latest updates and timelines for the St Margaret’s development project (you may need to turn your sound up!):
St Margaret’s Cook Book
The St Margaret’s Cook Book is now available – the best way to purchase it to support the church is either to get the hard copy in person from Cara Thomas, or get the e-book from Amazon. The church would like to thank everyone who worked to make the book happen.
Little Fishes
Please note that Little Fishes is taking place at the Vicarage while the church is closed.
Browser Extension to Raise Money
Raise a free donation for St Margaret’s Church, Oxford when you shop online via #easyfundraising. Add the extension to your browser and whenever you shop online with one of 7,500+ easyfundraising’s partners they will make a donation to us! This includes Tesco, Sainsbury’s, John Lewis, Argos, Trainline and more! If you’re not supporting us on easyfundraising yet, now’s the perfect time to get involved.
Community News
Tea & Talks
This series of Tea & Talks at the St Margaret’s Institute continues on Wednesday 6th November at 1:30pm with a talk on The butcher, the tailor, the picture-frame maker: stories of Middle Way from Gareth Winrow, academic and author of a book of the same name. Tickets are £2 on the door.
Open Study Days at St Theosevia’s
St Theosevia Centre for Christian Spirituality (2 Canterbury Road) is holding two open study days in November. On Saturday 16 November 10:30-4 there will be a session on “Our Sister Bodily Death”: Pastoral Care, Death as Gift, & Memorialisation in West and East. On Saturday 30 November 10:30-4 there will be a session on The Holy Land: a Land Contested, from the Old Testament to the Present. All welcome, no registration required. Free for students, non-students £5 cash on door. Free tea and coffee provided. You are welcome to bring a sandwich lunch.
Drop-in Quiet Day
Old Parsonage, Freeland OX29 8AJ. An opportunity to explore a time of quiet in the beautiful, peaceful setting of the guest house of the Community of St Clare, Freeland. No booking is needed – just drop in for all or part of the day. 10am – 4pm
- Thursday 7th November, 2024
Leader: Rev’d Geoff Price
12.30pm Eucharist with address (in the Convent chapel)
Please bring your own lunch – Drinks are available
Afternoon tea at 3.30pm (provided by the Sisters)
No charge (Voluntary contributions to the Community of St Clare welcome). Organised by members of the Third Order of the Society of St Francis. Contact: Nynka Arthur