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 22 December, including the readings, prayers and music details for Sunday’s services, are available to download below:
Sunday 22 December
Fourth Sunday in Advent
8.00am – Holy Communion at St Giles’ (said, 1662 BCP)
10.30am – St Margaret’s Parish Eucharist at Phil & Jim School (sung, Common Worship)
10.30am – Holy Communion at St Giles’ (sung, 1662 BCP)
6.30pm – Christmas Carol Service at St Giles’
God our redeemer,
who prepared the Blessed Virgin Mary
to be the mother of your Son:
grant that, as she looked for his coming as our saviour,
so we may be ready to greet him
when he comes again as our judge;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Worship & prayer this week:
Christmas Eve
11.00am – Carols and Poems Around the Tree (at St Giles’)
Come and join us for some carol-singing and poetry
2.00pm – Pop-Up Nativity (at Phil & Jim School)
Come dressed as your favourite nativity character!
6.00pm – Service of Lessons and Carols (at Phil & Jim School)
A traditional service as Christmas approaches
11.00pm – Midnight Mass (at St Giles’)
Welcome in Christmas the traditional way
Christmas Day
8.00am – Holy Communion at St Giles’ (said, 1662 BCP)
10.30am – Holy Communion at St Giles’ (sung, CW)
10.30am – St Margaret’s family-friendly Eucharist in Phil & Jim School (sung, CW)
Next Sunday (29 December):
First Sunday of Christmas
8.00am – Holy Communion at St Giles’ (said, 1662 BCP)
10.30am – Holy Communion at St Giles’ (sung, CW)
Parish News
Christmas services
More details of all of our Christmas services are available on our parish websites – click or tap below.
Please tap or click on the posters below for a larger version:
Phil & Jim Parking
We do not have access to the school car park on a Sunday morning, unfortunately, so please park respectfully on the nearby streets.
Benefice Magazine
The latest issue of the Benefice Magazine is now out: please download it using the button below. If you would like to have a look at a paper copy there will be a handful in each church, but to save paper do browse digitally or leaf through the paper copies in church and return them!
New electoral roll for 2025
In 2025, all Church of England parishes wipe their electoral rolls blank, and everyone who wants to be on one needs to apply or re-apply. Both St Giles’ and St Margaret’s are starting the process a little early, from today.
If you’re not sure what an electoral roll is or why you should be on it – or if you do know and just want to re-apply – use the buttons below:
Help out at St Margaret’s
St Margaret’s could do with a few more people to do readings, lead intercessions and help with after service refreshments, now that we are having our “own” services again. Any level of commitment is appreciated, even offering to take a slot just once or twice a year is welcome – and of course you can swap dates or be replaced should your plans change! Please send details of your availability for January and February 2025 – or any questions you might have – to Frances Bagnall-Oakeley. A big thank you to all those who have already been in touch!
Jazz at St Giles’: A Child’s Christmas
The next (non-sold out) Jazz at St Giles’ concert is Saturday 11th January 7:30pm: A Child’s Christmas, an evening of Jazz inspired by Dylan Thomas’ poem.
Little Fishes
Little Fishes will resume on Friday 10 January (still 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.
Diocesan News
Winter issue of Pathways is here
The latest issue of Pathways, the Diocesan magazine, is out now – you can pick up a paper copy from church or download it from the Diocesan website below:
Community News
Tea & Talks
This series of Tea & Talks at the St Margaret’s Institute continues on Wednesday 8th January at 1:30pm with a talk on Chaucer’s The Wife of Bath from Marion Turner, the university’s Tolkien professor and authority on Chaucer. Tickets are £2 on the door.