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 our services on 2 March including the readings, prayers and music details, are available to download below:
Sunday 2 March
Sunday Last before Lent
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)
Almighty Father,
whose Son was revealed in majesty
before he suffered death upon the cross:
give us grace to perceive his glory,
that we may be strengthened to suffer with him
and be changed into his likeness, from glory to glory;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Worship & prayer this week:
St Giles’ open for quiet prayer: 12pm – 2pm, Monday-Friday
Evening Prayer: 5.30pm Monday-Saturday at St Giles’
Midweek Eucharist: 12.30pm Wednesday at St Giles’
Wednesday (5 March):
Ash Wednesdsay
12.30pm – Joint Benefice Holy Communion at St Giles’ (said, Common Worship)
8.00pm – Joint Benefice Holy Communion at St Margaret’s (sung, Common Worship)
Next Sunday (9 March):
First Sunday of Lent
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
Message for the start of Lent
This week marks the start of the season of Lent. We take the next set of weeks to prepare for the most important week of the Christian year and the annual remembrance of the death and resurrection of Christ.
The season begins with Ash Wednesday in a stark service which sees us marked with ash and the ancient words spoken over us: ‘From dust you came and to dust you shall return. Turn away from sin and be faithful to Christ’. Please join us for one of our services on Ash Wednesday: 12.30pm at St Giles’ and 8pm at St Margaret’s.
Each of us will have our own approach to keeping Lent and you are encouraged to take time to consider what that might look like this year for you. In the Benefice we are running the diocesan lent course which will explore Baptism: earth, water, wind and fire. See details below.
The week also sees the start of a new chapter for both churches as St Margaret’s re-opens for worship and St Giles’ begins building work. Please pray for all those involved in building, planning and fundraising. St Margaret’s will not quite be fully complete but we are excited for people to see where we have reached and so we will mark this step on the journey with a joint service on 9th March at 10.30am. We look forward to seeing you there!
Claire, Associate Priest
TONIGHT: Jazz at St Giles’: Donut Kings and GTC Big Bands
The next Jazz at St Giles’ concert is Saturday 1st March 7:30pm: Donut Kings and GTC Big Bands, featuring two of Oxford University’s most accomplished jazz bands.
Art Workshop
On Saturday 8th March, we are running an exciting art workshop based around the theme of Noah’s ark. The workshop will be facilitated by the Fine Arts tutor at Christ Church, and a team of Fine Arts students from Ruskin, and they are very generously providing all the materials and the Fine Arts room at Christ Church for the day. We will be creating a frieze of all the animals in the ark. This event is open to all school-age children in the benefice. Please contact Siân if you are interested.
Benefice Lent Course 2025: Understanding Baptism
Tuesdays in Lent (starts 11 March), 7.15-8.30pm, St Margaret’s Church
This year we are asking questions about what it is to be human and exploring baptism through the pictures of earth, water, wind and fire. Baptism is the start of a journey for life and so it is important to return to the questions about what it means to be a baptised community throughout the whole of our Christian lives. So, join us for open conversation and reflection together during this special season. If you cannot make the sessions but would like to join in, email Claire for the weekly materials (associate@stgilesstmargarets.org).
Helping at St Margaret’s
Thank you to everyone who has offered to help with readings, intercessions and post-service coffee once we are back at St Margaret’s. If you haven’t already done so, please could you let me know your availability from 9 March until the end of June, so I can draw up a rota. We would love to have a few more volunteers so please do get in touch with Frances Bagnall-Oakeley (frbagnall@hotmail.com) if you think you might be able to help occasionally- any level of commitment is appreciated! – Frances Bagnall-Oakeley
Looking for Inflatable Boat + Blue Sheets
Siân is looking for an inflatable boat that she can use in the joint St Anne´s/St Giles production of the Flood (Noah’s ark). If you have one that you are willing to loan and/or if you have old blue sheets (double preferably) that she could borrow for the flood waters, please get in touch. You are also welcome to come and see our production on 26th April at St Edmund’s Hall!
World Day of Prayer
Churches Together in North and Central Oxford invite you to our World Day of Prayer Service at the Quaker Meeting House, St Giles’ on Friday 7th March 12-1pm. Everyone is welcome and there will be refreshments after the service.
We will be praying for The Cook Islands whose perfect islands and reefs have recently suffered from over-dredging of the seabed, which has had a devastating impact on the surrounding reefs. Please come and join us in praying for the islands and their people.
New electoral roll for 2025
Thank you to everyone who has already applied to (re)join the electoral roll of either St Giles’ or St Margaret’s. For everyone else: please note the deadlines (for this year’s APCM) of 16th March (St Giles’) and 9th March (St Margaret’s).
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:
Benefice Book Group
Following a really wonderful conversation about Orbital, the book group will meet again at 7.15pm on 20th March to discuss For Thy Great Pain Have Mercy on my Little Pain by Victoria MacKenzie. Please email Siân Grønlie for full details and to join the mailing list.
Wednesday Eucharists at St Giles’
We have restarted our weekly services of said Holy Communion at 12.30pm in the Lady Chapel in St Giles’ Church. This simple but beautiful service will last not much more than 30 minutes – perfect to slot into your lunch break!
All are welcome.
St Giles’ Choir Tour
St Giles’ Choir will travel to Bergamo for their 11th international tour. 24-29 July 2025. Please contact Nicholas Prozzillo for further details.
2025 Youth Pilgrimage
This year we are excited to announce that we will be taking our Benefice Youth Pilgrimage to St David’s Cathedral in Pembrokeshire. We will be taking the train together through South Wales and staying in a beautiful Youth Hostel that has been booked just for us. The dates for this adventure are 4th-8th August. Please talk to Eva, Claire or Lucy for more details. All welcome (as long as you are in school/college Years 8 – 13!!)
Little Fishes
Toddler Group Paused
Little Fishes will be pause for a few weeks until St Margaret’s re-opens. Look out for details of re-opening in March.
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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 5th March at 1:30pm with a talk from social historian Dr Yasmin Khan on Stories from the history of migration to Britain from the Indian sub-continent. Tickets are £2 on the door.
St Theosevia’s Study Days
All are welcome to study days at St Theosevia’s Centre for Christian Spirituality, 2 Canterbury Road OX2 6LU. Days are free for students, £5 cash for non-students. Free tea and coffee from 10am. Upcoming study days are as follows:
Saturday 8 March 10:30-4: Revd Dr Jane Baun and Dr Elena Narinskaya lead a day on the life and work of Mother Maria of Paris.
Friday 25 April: a day on Etheopian Orthodoc Marian devotion.