By Jose Moran (MoranArte)
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 24 August including the readings, prayers and music details, are available to download below:
Sunday 24 August
St Bartholomew, Apostle
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)
Almighty and everlasting God,
who gave to your apostle Bartholomew grace truly to believe and to preach your word:
grant that your Church
may love that word which he believed
and may faithfully preach and receive the same;
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 (31 August):
Eleventh Sunday After Trinity
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)
Parish News
From the Vicar
Daniel ruminates on what AI means for us as Christians…
St Giles’ Choir Tour
The choirs of St Giles’ in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Bergamo.
Singers, family, and friends enjoyed a tour to Bergamo, north Italy, from 24th to 28th July. The busy itinerary included two concerts, one in the splendid surroundings of Santa Maria Maggiore Bergamo, and another concert to a packed audience in the cathedral in the mountain town of Clusone. In addition, the clergy of the cathedral and the basilica in Bergamo were delighted to welcome the choir to sing two Masses on the Sunday. The organs were played by Andrew Patterson, Benjamin Gronlie, Mia Middleton, and William Nicholson. As part of several ‘extra-curricular’ activities, the organists and non organists in the group enjoyed a visit to one of the many historic organs of Bergamo. A full report will be published in September.
Save the date
On the evening of Monday 29th September at St Giles’, there will be a ceremony to mark the signing of the organ agreement with the visiting organ makers from Italy. More information to come!
St Giles’ on OHCT Website
An article about the St Giles’ kitchen redevelopment was featured on the OHCT website; the OHCT awarded the church a grant of £16,000 towards the works.
Model Fairground Exhibition
We are pleased to welcome the Model Fairground Exhibition back to St Giles’ on Monday 8 September, the first day of St Giles’ fair. We need helpers to provide refreshments and donations of cakes to sell. If you are able to give some time and/or provide a cake/s please add your name to the sheets on the notice board in church (north wall). Alternatively please email mary@st-giles-church.org giving time when you can help, or if you can provide a cake. The exhibition has attracted many visitors over the last two years and is sponsored by the Noyce family who are well known fairground ride providers. The past two exhibitions have proved very popular and interesting, a chance to see working models and talk to the people who made them, we hope you will come and join us.’
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. Both the lunchtime Wednesday Eucharists and Choral Evensongs at St Giles’ are paused (the latter until the choir return in September).
8am BCP Eucharists are continuing as usual.
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 for St Margaret’s
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
New issue of Pathways has arrived
Copies of the Summer 2025 issue of Pathways, the Diocesan magazine, will be available from church this Sunday – or you can download it from the Diocesan website below:
Community News
Asylum Welcome are looking for a new Treasurer
Asylum Welcome are looking for a new Treasurer to join their Trustees. They are looking for someone with finance skills and a passion for social justice who wants to support asylum seekers, refugees, and vulnerable migrants in this capacity. The full role description is on Asylum Welcome’s website, and also on CharityJobs. The deadline for applications is the 31st August.
Safeguarding
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.