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 6 July including the readings, prayers and music details, are available to download below:
Sunday 6 July
Third Sunday After Trinity
8.00am – Holy Communion at St Giles’ (said, 1662 BCP)
10.30am – Holy Communion at St Margaret’s (sung, Common Worship)
10.30am – Holy Communion at St Giles’ (sung, Common Worship)
6.30pm – Choral Evensong at St Giles’ (sung, 1662 BCP)
Almighty God,
you have broken the tyranny of sin
and have sent the Spirit of your Son into our hearts
whereby we call you Father:
give us grace to dedicate our freedom to your service,
that we and all creation may be brought
to the glorious liberty of the children of God;
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:
St Giles’ open for quiet prayer: 12pm – 2pm, Monday-Friday
Evening Prayer: 5.30pm Monday-Saturday at St Giles’
Next Sunday (13 July):
Fourth Sunday After Trinity
8.00am – Holy Communion at St Giles’ (said, 1662 BCP)
10.30am – Holy Communion at St Margaret’s (sung, Common Worship)
10.30am – Holy Communion at St Giles’ (sung, Common Worship)
6.30pm – Choral Evensong at St Giles’ (sung, 1662 BCP)
Parish News
Benefice Picnic – THIS SUNDAY
This year – in place of a garden party – there will be a picnic in University Parks (at the red cross in the image) on Sunday 6th July gathering from 12.15pm. This will follow the Benefice away day on the Saturday and we hope will be another chance to spend time in fellowship together. Bring something for you and something to share! Please do also bring folding chairs or blankets to sit on.
St Giles’ Choir Concert
Saturday 12 July, 19:30 | St Giles’ Church Oxford
Cantate Domino!
Musicians of St Giles’ Church Oxford present a varied programme of organ solos, choral works, and vocal solos
Adult £8 | Children (under 18) Free
Nick Hunter RIP
Nick Hunter died on 22nd June aged 83. Nick’s funeral will be held at 11.45am on Monday 14th July at St Margaret’s Church. The burial will be in the cemetery at Five Mile Drive at 1.00 pm and a get-together, for anyone who knew him and would like to come will be held at 1.30 pm, Chalfont Road.
Hot drinks at St Margaret’s
After last week’s success with our new percolator, we wanted to let people know that if they want to bring a travel mug with them to St Margaret’s next week, that they can take home an extra refill at the end. Enjoy!
Summer Services
To help to enable our ministry team to take leave, over the summer months we are slightly changing the pattern of services. We are prioritising maintaining 10.30am services in both churches over August. We will be pausing the lunchtime Wednesday Eucharist in July & August. Following a farewell Evensong for the choirs heading on tour on 20th July at St Giles’, Evensong will be paused until the choir return in September. 8am BCP Eucharists will continue as usual.
Edward Hawkes
Edward`s funeral will be 11.30 on the 7th July at the River Arrow Studley Parish Church, Castle Road, Studley, Warwickshire. All welcome.
Young People’s Concert
We will be having a Young People’s Concert at St Margaret’s after the 10.30 service (at about 12pm) on Sunday 13 July. Please let Sam Schad (samantha.schad@oup.com) know if your young person would like to take part. There is no minimum age or standard. Piano accompaniment can be arranged. Non-musical contributions (e.g. jokes, magic tricks) are also welcome. We are hoping for a good audience to support our young performers. There will be a retiring collection in aid of MOET, a charity supporting orphans in Malawi.
Safeguarding in our Benefice
Safeguarding is a major priority in our Benefice as we work together to keep everyone in our community safe. It is often said safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility, thank you for the part you play. If you are concerned about a person’s or activity’s safety in our community, please contact our Parish Safeguarding Officers (details below) or the Diocesan Safeguarding Team (details below). We are greatly helped by many volunteers, thank you for your time, including for completing required DBS checks, safeguarding training and safer recruitment forms.
St Margaret’s Church PSO Becca Rose: (safeguarding@stmargaretsoxford.org
St Giles Church PSO Lorraine Desai: safeguarding@st-giles-church.org
Diocesan Team 01865 208 295 safeguardingreferrals@oxford.anglican.org
Out-of-hours: Thirtyone:eight on 0303 003 1111 for confidential advice, guidance and support.
Volunteers Wanted
It would be lovely to have more volunteers to do readings and intercessions and help with post-service refreshments at St Margaret’s. Any level of commitment is welcome – even just once or twice a year is helpful! Our current rota runs out soon, so please get in touch with Frances Bagnall-Oakeley if you might be able to help or have any questions. And many thanks to our stalwart band of regular helpers!
Jazz at St Giles’: Ben Holder Trio
The next Jazz at St Giles’ concert is Saturday 13th September 7:30pm: Ben Holder Trio. Come and see the award winning jazz violinist return to St Giles’.
Other Jazz events in the Autumn / Winter season include the Jacqui Dankworth and Trio (11 October), Claire Jones Ensemble (25th October), the Ewan Bleach Sextet (8th November), and the The Velvet Tones (6th December).
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
Sponsored Swim
Sam Schad, of St Margaret’s, is doing a sponsored swim on Wednesday 2 July, in aid of the Oxford Leon Association. Leon is Oxford’s twin town in Nicaragua. We are raising funds for NECAT: The Nicaragua Education Culture and Arts Trust, which runs after-school clubs and educational projects for the relief of poverty in poor communities in Leon, Nicaragua. We are also raising funds to provide clean water to families in a rural area near León, whose water is contaminated by arsenic, naturally occurring in the volcanic rock in the area. More info here: https://oxfordleon.home.blog/
“It feels a bit of cheek to ask for sponsorship for swimming in a beautiful open-air pool, but it is a good cause! If you would like to sponsor me I have a JustGiving page (https://www.justgiving.com/page/samantha-schad-21?newPage=true). Thank you!” – Sam Schad
Another Sponsored Swim!
Please support the PCCU Channel Swim! Fundraising Appeal for Oxford University Hospital’s Paediatric Critical Care Unit (PCCU)
Hazel will be relay swimming across the English Channel in July 2025 alongside a team of amazing medical professionals. They will test ourselves against the cold, the jellyfish, the tides and the weather, with no wetsuit, in order to raise funds for equipment to treat critically ill children.
In case you didn’t know, Hazel is the Chair of Governors at Phil & Jim School, and helps run Sammy’s at St Margaret’s monthly.
Visit www.hospitalcharity.co.uk/pccuswim for more information or
https://tinyurl.com/hazelswim to donate to Hazel’s fundraising page.
