Weekly Notices

[ See here for Notice archives ].

Sunday 30th August Trinity 13

Welcome to our newsletter

O come, let us sing to the Lord;
Let us heartily rejoice in the rock of our salvation.
Psalm 95: 1

Our Benefice service is this weekend at St Andrew’s at 10.30am. Join together in worship, song and fellowship.

The Collect, the prayer for the week
Almighty God,
you search us and know us:
may we rely on you in strength
and rest on you in weakness,
now and in all our days;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Readings for Sunday: Exodus 3: 1-15, Psalm 105: 1–6, 23–26, 45b and Matthew 16: 21-28.

This Sunday:
8:00am BCP Holy Communion at St Thomas’
10:30am Benefice Songs of Praise service at St Andrew’s

August Bank Holiday Teas at St Mary's

As usual, St Mary's will be serving teas outside the Church on Bank Holiday Monday, 31st August from 2pm until 5pm.
Lydia has kindly agreed to play an eclectic selection of light music on the piano for us inside the Church from 2:45pm-3:30pm.

If you are able to help serve tea for an hour, and/or to make cakes, please let John know directly or via the church office, as he is acting as co-ordinator.

South Stoke’s annual Open Gardens event will also take place on 31st August from 1pm to 5pm (last ticket sales at 3:30pm). There will be tea and cake in the village hall, you can visit the Lime Tree Alpacas and the class of 2026 and the Community Gardens.

Next Sunday, 6th September,
Parish Breakfast at St Thomas’
Come along for toast and coffee on this first Sunday of a month from 8.45-9.15am. This is a wonderful way to integrate our different church members of all ages and stages.
Thank you to Jo A for providing this.

Ride & Stride…
has come around again and is taking place on Saturday 12th September, so put the date in your diary and head over to ridestride.org to plan your route!

We are so lucky to have some exceedingly old and astonishingly beautiful places of worship in our

Diocese, not to mention the history of some of them!
Ride & Stride is a chance to get out into the countryside and visit these ancient Churches – many of which are now no longer used and are rarely open – and to help raise funds to ensure they can remain sacred spaces, places where the community can meet, places where lives and love is celebrated and where pilgrimages can begin, end and weary feet can be rested in these lovely cool, quiet and contemplative spaces. This year various members of our community will be setting out to visit churches in the Diocese and beyond and if you would like to sponsor them in their efforts and help raise money for Historic Churches Trusts, please contact the church office (875651).

Mid week prayer together. worship, listen to the Bible and pray for our world and church members in turn.
Morning Prayer: Monday: 8.30am, Goring
Tuesday and Thursday: 8.30am Streatley. Friday: 9am Goring.
Evening Prayer is said on Wednesday afternoons in St Andrew’s at 5pm.

This week we are asked to pray for:

All those affected by the flash flood and mudslide on the Nepal-Tibet border.
The recovery of our land, giving thanks for rain this week.
Teachers and all preparing for the new school/university year.
Invitations for our Youth Alpha in September for 11-14 year olds.
The people of Gaza and the West Bank still restricted and kettled. For all living in fear.

Diary for the week

Monday 31st August
1:00pm      Open Gardens in South Stoke
2:00pm      Afternoon teas and music at St Mary’s

Wednesday 2nd September
10:30am    BCP Holy Communion at St Thomas’
                    followed by coffee in the Canterbury Room
The readings will be 1 Cor. 3: 1-9, Psalm 62 and Luke 4: 38-end.
2:30pm      Funeral of David Beddall at St Thomas’

Friday 4th September
11:45am    Marriage blessing of Xander & Mary at St Thomas'

Sunday 6th September
8:00am      BCP Holy Communion at St Thomas’
8:45am      Parish breakfast in the Canterbury Room
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’

The monthly calendar for September can be downloaded by clicking here

Prayers for the week
Thank you to Jo B for this week’s prayers.

God sees the misery and suffering in our world. He does not want us to live in it but wants us to find ways to be delivered from it. We ask you Lord to grant humility to those who rule powerful nations and to endow them with the desire to create peace and to stop war; to engage in dialogue to resolve conflict and not intensify it; to replace their personal ambition with humanitarianism, and to actively help those in need and not dismiss them.
Loving God, hear our prayer.

Just as Moses asks ‘Who am I to go and do that task?’, we ask you Lord to make those people who are able to, also willing to step forward to make changes for the good of all Your creation. Guide them to make the necessary decisions to reverse climate change; to ensure food security, and to make conscious choices that will have a positive environmental impact.
Loving God, hear our prayer.

God gave Moses an unexpected task. We pray for all emergency service workers who go to work never knowing what will happen or what they will face day to day; fire fighters who have battled wild fires, paramedics and first responders who are first on the scene, and all hospital staff and police who bravely come to people’s aid and who go to work to serve the community and for those who do not return.
Loving God, hear our prayer.

Moses’ story shows us we can move one step at a time to accomplish great things. We pray for everyone who is taking the first steps towards a new chapter in their lives: pupils preparing to move up a year and those moving to a new school; students moving on to University or into training and new jobs; for those who have married this summer, for couples who are learning how to live with one another in love and respect; and for people who have lost loved ones and are learning to live changed lives. We pray for people recuperating after ill-health and who are taking steps towards recovery. May they all be reassured that every journey in life is taken one step at a time, and may they feel the reassuring presence of your guiding hand as they take those steps.
Loving God, hear our prayer.

Now that the summer weather is finally cooling, we look around at the parched countryside and ask for rain now and through the winter to help our farmers. As we see the harsh impact of the changes we humans have made to our glorious planet, we ask you to remind us in our daily lives, that even small changes can have a big impact when people act together.
Loving God, hear our prayer.

As we come together as a Benefice, we are reminded of the importance of community and our place in it. We ask for our Church and the wider community to be strengthened and guided in its love for You, we pray for the success of the Youth Alpha course and for all those who wish to explore Your love and faith in You within our parish.
Loving God, 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 31st August

Monday am:	Ps 126	2 Sam. 18: 1-18	Acts 10. 34-end	pm: Ps 127	Mark 8. 11-21
Tuesday am:	Ps 132	2 Sam. 18.9-19.8a	Acts 11. 1-18	pm: Ps 135	Mark 8. 22-26
Wednesday am:	Ps 119. 153-end	2 Sam. 19. 3b-23	Acts 11. 19-end	pm: Ps 136	Mark 8.27-9.1
Thursday am:	Ps 143	2 Sam. 19. 24-end	Acts 12. 1-17	pm: Ps 138	Mark 9. 2-13
Friday am:	Ps 144	2 Sam. 23. 1-7	Acts 12. 18-end	pm: Ps 145	Mark 9. 14-29
Saturday am:	Ps 147	2 Sam. ch 24	Acts 13. 1-12	pm: Ps 148	Mark 9. 30-37

Please send any notices or articles for the next news sheet by noon on Thursdays to vicarofgsandss@yahoo.com.

The Benefice of Goring and Streatley with South Stoke

The Vicarage

Manor Road

Goring, Berkshire RG8 9DR

United Kingdom

28/08/2026