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Weekly Notices

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Sunday 16th November                                                   2 before Advent
Welcome to our weekly newsletter
Path through the woods
Sometimes it’s tempting to feel our efforts will make no difference. May we see our potential to make changes and bring justice and hope, by God’s grace.

May we know God’s hope in us.
The Collect, the prayer for the week
    Heavenly Lord,
    you long for the world’s salvation:
    stir us from apathy,
    restrain us from excess
    and revive in us new hope
    that all creation will one day be healed
    in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Readings for Sunday: 2 Thess. 3: 6–13, Psalm 98 and Luke 21: 5–19.    

This Sunday
8:00am                BCP Holy Communion at St Thomas’
9:30am                Holy Communion at St Thomas’
11:15am              BCP Holy Communion at St Mary’s
11:15am              BCP Holy Communion at St Andrew’s
3:00pm                Bereavement Café in the Canterbury Room
5:00pm                Meal for families in the Canterbury Room


This Sunday, during the 9:30am service, there will be children's/tweens activities.
Next Sunday (23rd November) during the 9:30am service, we will be making advent table wreaths and exploring the significance of the candle for each week of advent (hope, peace, joy and love).  There can be a Lego or dinosaur option for those who might prefer these! If you can let me know if you can make it so I can plan what we need.                                                                               Madeleine 
Heal the Gap Bereavement Café
Our Bereavement Cafe has its next session this Sunday, November 16th, at 3pm in the Canterbury Room.
Heal the Gap colour
The aims of this group are to demystify the topic of grief and remove its status as a taboo subject and to equip everyone with the self-assurance necessary to engage in a meaningful conversation with those grappling with loss, focusing primarily on active listening.
The sessions are managed by trained group bereavement facilitators. The group is open to anyone, regardless of how long ago your loss occurred, and you will be welcome whether or not you have been before.
We hope to offer some friendship, advice and hope as well as tea, coffee and refreshments. We look forward to seeing you there.                                    Melissa 
Families Meal, Sunday 16th Nov, 5-7pm in the Canterbury Room
Family meal tomato 25.07
This Sunday we will be holding a meal for families and their children. Children will be able to play while adults chat with a drink from 5pm. The meal will start at 5:45/6pm. Please could anyone who’d like to come contact Sarah via the church office (875651 or officeofgsandss@yahoo.com) to give any dietary requirements.
Digging Deeper – fortnightly, Tuesdays at 10.30am
Digging deeper
This Tuesday 18th November, 10.30am-12.00pm in the Canterbury Room is the last stand alone Bible study before Advent groups begin. All are warmly welcome to come along to this fellowship group on Paul’s letter to the church in Rome.
With coffee and a biscuit we will dig deeper into Romans chapter 14: 1-23: The Way of Love and Peace. 
Advent Groups
Long ago Advent group
This year’s Ecumenical Advent Groups will be using the book ‘Long Ago in Bethlehem’ by Amy Scott Robinson. Focussing on the book of Ruth – described as a jewel of the Old Testament – and the early chapters of Luke’s Gospel, it relates the story of Naomi and Ruth to that of Mary and Joseph, both beginning with a journey to Bethlehem.
The four week course starts on November 24, with a choice of four times and venues. Sign-up sheets can be found in each church, with a deadline of Sunday November 16. The cost of the book is £7, to be paid to the group leader.
PAF Nov 25
Pick-a-Flick, Thursday 20th November, 10:30am
This month Pick-a-Flick will be screening the film, “Waking Ned”. 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 via the church office (875651)  to book in and to ask for transport if you require it.
Advent calendars...
We will soon be ordering chocolate Advent calendars from the Meaningful Chocolate company (https://meaningfulchocolate.co.uk/pages/real-advent-calendar), if people are interested in these. They are no longer sold in supermarkets and would cost £5.50. Please put the money with your order through the Vicarage door by November 17th.
Advent candle jk
... and Advent candles
These will be available in church soon, again with an accompanying card.  An ideal present for yourself, a friend or grand/godchildren, offering calming hope at the opening moment in each day in December. These cost £4. Cash please.
Wallingford Foodbank
The foodbank is very grateful for the recent harvest gifts from St Thomas’ as they continue to support increasing numbers of people. We are encouraged to get Christmas goodies to them by the end of November. This enables them to get them to families who can be reassured that they have some treats put by, and do not worry about buying them.
Christmas items to consider are Christmas cakes (various sizes), microwaveable Christmas puddings (various sizes), chocolate tree ornaments, Christmas chocolate treats and other Christmas sweets, boxes of biscuits, packets of stuffing mix or packets of gravy and, of course, mince pies. 
Donations can be left in the boxes in the porches at St Thomas’ or St Andrew’s. Thank you.

This week we are asked to pray: 

  • For the COP summit in the Amazon and our own costly steps of restraint.
  • For all of us to be mindful of the vulnerable and care for them. For Bridget Braham our safeguarding officer.
  • For us all to be willing to offer our gifts and skills for God’s purposes.
Diary for the week
Tuesday 18th November
10:30am              Digging Deeper in the Canterbury Room  

Wednesday 19th November
10:30am              BCP Holy Communion at St Thomas’
The readings will be Rev. ch 4, Ps. 116. 10-end and Luke 19. 11–28.
Noon                   Funeral of Frank Rogers at St Thomas’

Thursday 20th November
10:30am              Pick-a-Flick in the Canterbury Room

Sunday 23rd November
8:00am                BCP Holy Communion at St Mary’s
9:30am                Good News service at St Thomas’
11:15am              Mattins at St Mary’s
11:15am              Good News service at St Andrew’s
5:00pm                Discoverers

Prayers for the week based on Roots on the web
On this Safeguarding Sunday we lift before you all those people in need of protection and support. We pray for all ages who are neglected, trafficked, abused, exploited, wrongly accused and marginalised, here and around the world.
We pray for all people and organisations seeking to protect and support the vulnerable. Be with those people and organisations who walk our streets seeking to help the lost and the homeless escape a life of loneliness, danger, and emptiness, to move from monochrome to fullness of colour, depth and life.
Lord God, help us to be part of your healing now. (Keep silence)
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord God, we pray for your church. Break down barriers. Where there are divisions bring unity, that we may be effective witnesses drawing others to your truth and salvation.
Help us to discern fake and distorted truths within all areas of life in order that we may live in truth and be your guiding light in today’s world. Lord God, help us to be part of your healing now. (Keep silence)
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
 
Lord God, as Cop30 takes place in Brazil we lift before you all global climate issues. As our planet warms up, reducing polar ice caps, we see more winds, wild fires, droughts, and floods. We pray for the Philippines and Vietnam hit by typhoons. And for Jamaica still reeling from Hurricane Melissa.
As well as climate issues affecting our world, we also pray for an end to the destruction wrought by war. Bring peace to areas of war and conflict. We think of Ukraine, Palestine, Syria, and Tanzania.
Help us all be better peacemakers and stewards of our planet, our country, our nation, and our own communities. Lord God, help us to be part of your healing now. (Keep silence)
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord God, we pray for our own environments. May those in authority look to you and govern diligently and with true transparency.
We ask for your hand on our local hospitals and the crises in A&E departments where people line corridors and ambulances queue to discharge patients before returning to respond to further calls. We lift before you all living in constant pain, be it physical or emotional.
We pray for all in our communities exhausted from working two and three jobs just to make ends meet in today’s financial turmoil. We pray for all who desire to work but for whatever reason, are unable to do so.
Help us all to live proactively for you, helping where we can as we await your return. Lord God, help us to be part of your healing now. (Keep silence)
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

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

Daily readings for the week beginning 17th November
Monday am: Ps 47 Isa. 9.8-10.4 Matt. 7. 1-12 pm: Ps 71 Rev. ch 10
Tuesday am: Ps 52 Isa. 10. 5–19 Matt. 7. 13-end pm: Ps 67 Rev. 11. 1-14
Wednesday am: Ps 56 Isa. 10. 20-32 Matt 8. 1-13 pm: Ps 73 Rev 11. 15-end
Thursday am: Ps 62 Isa. 10.33-11.9 Matt 8. 14-22 pm: Ps 76 Rev ch 12
Friday am: Ps 63 Isa. 11.10-12.end Matt 8. 23-end pm: Ps 77 Rev 13. 1-10
Saturday am: Ps 78. 1-39 Isa. 13. 1-13 Matt 9. 1-17 pm: Ps 78. 40-end Rev. 13. 11-end
Please send any notices or articles for the next news sheet by noon on Thursdays to vicarofgsandss@yahoo.com.
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