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Sunday 5th May & 12th May around The Ascension                 Easter 6 & 7

Welcome to our newsletter which covers the next two weeks
Bubbles px

We cheer that Jesus is risen, ascended and glorified. He gives us another Comforter.

This is a reality we are called to celebrate and live in.

Do join us on Thursday 9th at 7.30pm for our united Ascension Day service in St Thomas’. Andy Stancliffe is back to play the organ for the feast. There may be bubbles served afterwards.
The Collect, the prayer for the week
Sunday 5th May, Easter 6
God our redeemer,
you have delivered us from the power of darkness
and brought us into the kingdom of your Son:
grant, that as by his death he has recalled us to life,
so by his continual presence in us he may raise us
to eternal joy;
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.
Sunday 12th May, Easter 7
O God the King of glory,
you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ
with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven:
we beseech you, leave us not comfortless,
but send your Holy Spirit to strengthen us
and exalt us to the place where our Saviour Christ is gone before,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Readings for Sunday 5th May: Acts 10: 44-end; Ps. 98 and John 15: 9-17.
Readings for Sunday 12th May: Acts 1: 15-17, 21-end; Ps. 1 and John 17: 6-19.

This Sunday:
8:00am        BCP Holy Communion at St Thomas’
8:45-9:15am St Thomas’ parish breakfast between the two services
9:30am        Family service at St Thomas’
11:15am      Holy Communion at St Mary’s
11:15am      Family service at St Andrew’s
4:00pm        Choral Evensong at St Thomas’ 


Next Sunday (12th May)
8:00am        BCP Holy Communion at St Mary’s
9:30am        Holy Communion at St Thomas’ including Baptism of Axel
11:15am      Family service at St Mary’s
11:15am      BCP Holy Communion at St Andrew’s
5:00pm        Discoverers in the Canterbury Room
South Stoke May Fayre
This Monday, 6th May, this traditional event with Morris men, maypole dancing, the Goring and Streatley concert band and local stalls will be taking place in The Street from 12-4pm. Tea and cakes will be served in St Andrew’s from 2pm and there will be tours of the bell tower. All funds raised go to village groups and South Stoke Primary school.
Digging deeper
Digging Deeper
All are warmly welcome to come along to "Digging Deeper” on Tuesday 7th May at 10.30am-12.00pm in the Canterbury Room.
This is a chance to meet over coffee and to learn more about the Old Testament and its importance both to the Christian story and also to our own stories.
This week we will be exploring how God appeared in a burning bush, and called the nervous shepherd Moses to become a great leader of the people of God. The story of Moses reminds us that if we are able to stop to listen, each one of us is being called at every stage of our lives to experience God in new and unexpected ways. The next session will be a fortnight later on May 21st.
Christian Aid Week, 12-18 May
Christian Aid logo 2019
During Christian Aid Week, we are planning to deliver envelopes to people’s homes with a note asking them to take their donations to Jack’s or Inspiration for Goring and Streatley, or the Village Shop in South Stoke.
It will be wonderful if you are able to deliver the envelopes in your road or one or two near you! If you can, please collect the relevant folder(s) for roads in Goring from St Thomas’ Church from Saturday 4th May onwards or volunteer your help to your Church Wardens for roads in Streatley and South Stoke. Please note that the envelopes should only be delivered to houses between 12th and 18th May. Your help will be greatly appreciated.
Ann will once again be hosting the popular Ploughman's Lunch on Monday 13th May, 12.00-2.00pm. Please contact the church office for more information..
Do, please, come along for a delicious lunch, good company and a chance to donate to Christian Aid.                                                           Judith 
“Summertime to Skyfall”, Goring Chamber Choir Concert
This Saturday, 4th May, at 3pm Goring Chamber Choir will be giving a concert singing wonderful hits from the world of movies. There are old screen favourites such as Singin' in the rain, Moon river, Over the rainbow, and Tonight from West Side Story, leading up to songs from Cats. Later classics from films such as Shrek and Toy story point the way to the irresistible Dancing Queen from ABBA's Mamma mia! which will have you all dancing in your seats. A new arrangement of The Bare Necessities is matched by Dolly Parton's exhilarating Nine To Five, and there is plenty more. Steve Bowey will be playing music from Star Wars on the organ – after all, this is May 4th!   
Tickets are £15 (with free entry for under 18s) obtainable from Inspiration in Goring; or from a choir member, or on the door. Further information is available on the Goring Chamber Choir website: https://www.goringchamberchoir.org.uk/

Piano Recital at St Mary’s, “Dances with Dreams”
Janet Pound will be giving a Piano Recital in St Mary's on Sunday May 12th at 4pm, followed by tea and cakes in the Morrell Room (donations for these).
Janet will be playing pieces by Carbonelli, Mendelssohn, Robert Schumann, Chopin, Grieg, John Ireland, Albeniz, Debussy, Leroy Anderson and George Gerschwin.
Tickets £10 full, £9 concessions, sold on the door only, cash only please. Advance reservations and enquiries by text only to 0776 233 9853 or e-mail StMarysConcerts@hotmail.co.uk

PAF May 24
Pick-a-Flick, Thursday 16th May, 10:30am
This month Pick-a-Flick will be screening the film “Cold Comfort Farm”. As usual, there will be coffee before the film and a light lunch afterwards and we ask for a contribution of £5 towards this. Pre-booking is required so please contact Sarah Fraser via the church office to book in and to ask for transport if you require it.
Daily Prayer continues its usual pattern. Why not join in one day? We listen to the Bible and pray for our world and church members in turn.
Monday: 8.30am Goring,     Tuesday and Thursday: 8.30am Streatley.
Friday: 9am Goring.

This week we are asked to pray for

  • For our police force and those who oversee them.
  • For all who work to overcome poverty. For Christian Aid and our plans for Christian Aid week.
  • Wisdom for world leaders and an end to escalating violence.
  • Our confirmation course.
Diary for next week
Tuesday 7th May
10:30am      Digging Deeper in the Canterbury Room
7:30pm        Confirmation course


Wednesday 8th May
10:30am      Little Lights at St Mary’s
10:30am      BCP Holy Communion at St Thomas’
The readings will be Acts 17.15, 22-18.1, Ps. 148. 1-2, 11-end and John 16. 12-15.


Thursday 9th May
7:30pm        Ascension Day Holy Communion at St Thomas’

Saturday 11th May
11:30am      Marriage of James and Amber at St Thomas’
2:00pm        Marriage of Alex and Jana at St Thomas’
Diary for week beginning 13th May
Monday 13th May
Noon            Lunch in aid of Christian Aid

Tuesday 14th May
7:30pm        Confirmation course

Wednesday 15th May
10:30am      BCP Holy Communion at St Thomas’
The readings will Acts 20: 28-end, Ps. 68. 27-28, 32-end and John 17. 11-19.


Thursday 16th May
10:30am      Pick-a-Flick in the Canterbury Room

Saturday 18th May
8:15am        Benefice prayer breakfast in the Canterbury Room
2:00pm        Baptism of Elliot at St Mary’s


Sunday 19th May, Pentecost
8:00am        BCP Holy Communion at St Thomas’
9:30am        Good News service at St Thomas’
11:15am      Holy Communion at St Mary’s
11:15am      Good News service at St Andrew’s

Prayers for this week from "Roots on the Web"

Lord Jesus, we pray for your Church in these times of change when it would be easy to become entrenched. May we always be open to new ideas; may we never fear the challenges brought by new people, because their insights might surprise us and inspire us to try new things; may we always seek your guidance and be alert to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
Open our hearts and minds, O Lord – lead us forward 

Lord Jesus, we pray for your world, where age-old conflicts continue to fuel wars in Ukraine, the Middle East and elsewhere, and where conflict between individuals and groups with different ways and ideas has never been greater. We pray for openness of heart, mind and spirit, in order to find solutions to enable peace and harmony; meanwhile, may the hungry be fed, the sick receive the care they need, and the grieving be comforted. May the humanity shown in acts of bravery, self-sacrifice and kindness in these troubled times and places continue to surprise us, O Lord.
Open our hearts and minds, O Lord – lead us forward 

Lord Jesus, we pray for our own community, especially for any new neighbours who have come among us this week. May we welcome them with open hearts, minds and doors and encourage the contributions they bring.
Open our hearts and minds, O Lord – lead us forward 

Lord Jesus, we pray for all who are sick in body, mind or spirit; for all who lack shelter, or food, or other basic necessities of life; and we pray for all those who seek to help them, especially those who explore new ways to ensure better lives where all needs are met. Guide and inspire them, Lord, in their scientific endeavour, or their policy making, or in whatever field they labour to improve the lot of those in need. May we always be amazed by what can be achieved.
Open our hearts and minds, O Lord – lead us forward 

Lord Jesus, with knife crime dominating the headlines again this week, we pray for all who have been personally affected; please comfort the grieving and heal the injured, and give strength to those whose professions bring them into contact with its consequences. We pray, too, for those who work to change hearts and minds, so that the lives of many may be changed for the better, and many lives may be saved.
Let knives be laid down, O Lord; let lives be changed, and spared
Open our hearts and minds, O Lord – lead us forward 

Merciful Father, accept these prayers for the sake of your son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Daily readings for the week beginning 6th May
Monday am: Ps 65 Num. 16. 1-35 Luke 6. 27-38 pm: Ps 121 1 Pet. 4. 1-11
Tuesday am: Ps 126 Num. 16. 36-end Luke 6. 39-end pm: Ps 128 1 Pet. 4. 12-end
Wednesday am: Ps 132 Num. 17. 1-11 Luke 7. 1-10 pm: Ps 15 Col. 2.20-3.4
Thursday am: Ps 110 Isa. 52. 7-end Heb. 7. 26-end pm: Ps 8 Matt. 28. 16-end
Friday am: Ps 81 Num. 20. 1-13 Luke 7. 11-17 pm: Ps 146 1 John. 1.1-2.6
Saturday am: Ps 47 Num. 21. 4-9 Luke 7. 18-35 pm: Ps 85 1 John 2. 7-17
Daily readings for the week beginning 13th May
Monday am: Ps 93 Num. 22. 1-35 Luke 7. 36-end pm: Ps 18 1 John 2. 18-end
Tuesday am: Ps 16 1 Sam. 2. 27-35 Acts 2. 37-end pm: Ps 80 Matt. 7. 15-27
Wednesday am: Ps 29 Num. 23. 13-end Luke 8. 16-25 pm: Ps 46 1 John 3. 11-end
Thursday am: Ps 24 Num. ch. 24 Luke 8. 26-39 pm: Ps 139 1 John 4. 1-6
Friday am: Ps 28 Num. 27. 12-end Luke 8. 40-end pm: Ps 147 1 John. 4. 7-end
Saturday am: Ps 43 Num. 32. 1-27 Luke 9. 1-17 pm: Ps 48 John 7. 37-39
Please send any notices or articles for the next news sheet by noon on Thursdays to vicarofgsandss@yahoo.com.
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