Benefice of Goring and Streatley with South Stoke : Sunday 15th March 2026

15th March 2026 Lent 4, Mothering Sunday

Welcome to our weekly newsletter

We will all have been cared for, nurtured and nourished in many ways and probably by many people. It is always good to thank them and to give thanks to God for them.

God is the one parent who cares for us all and can give us the grace to live and share well. May the church be a family where we can learn together and be fed by God.

Collect, the prayer for the week
God of love,
your Son was given the love and support of a human family
and you are with us throughout our lives;
so feed us with our daily bread
that we shall only hunger for what is right and just.
We ask this through our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.

Readings for Sunday: 1 Kings 19.1-8 and John 6: 1-14.

This Sunday:
8:00am      BCP Holy Communion at St Thomas’
9:30am      Mothering Sunday service at St Thomas’
11:15am    Mothering Sunday Holy Communion at St Mary’s
11:15am    Mothering Sunday service at St Andrew’s

This Sunday is Mothering Sunday
There will be Posy Making on Saturday 14th March in the Canterbury Room at 10.30am. All welcome. Please let Jenny B know you are coming and what contributions of flowers and greenery you can bring.

Donating a lily this Easter
Signs of Spring are all around us and the joyful festival of Easter is not so far away now. It is time to ask if any of you would like to dedicate a lily, or other flowers, to the memory of a friend or family member. If that is something you would like to do, please contact me via the church office or talk to me after the Sunday morning service. Jenny B

Pick-a-Flick, Thursday 19th March, 10:30am
This month Pick-a-Flick will be screening the film, “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen”. 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 required.

Families Meal, Sunday 22nd March, 5.00-7.00pm in the Canterbury Room

Next Sunday we will be holding a meal for families and their children. We meet, eat and share faith together and the kids have a brilliant time eating, playing and sharing faith in their way. Families of all ages are very welcome. The meal will start at 5:45/6pm.

Please could anyone who’d like to come email Sarah via the church office
(officeofgsandss@yahoo.com) or call 875651 to give any dietary requirements.

Passia, The Passion retold through women’s voices
Friday 27th March, 6pm-7.15pm in St Thomas’
This service of reflection before Holy Week will incorporate much of this brand new composition by Liz Dilnot Johnson inspired by the women in the gospel accounts of Jesus’ life leading up to the cross.

It will be sung by Papagena with a chorus of local voices. Full details can be found on www.papagena.co.uk

There will be no charge but a retiring collection to cover the professional musicians’ costs.

Easter Fun day, Monday 30th March, 11am-3pm
We will be running a special day for primary school aged children (5-11 years) in St Thomas’ on the Monday of Holy Week. We are encouraging children to come and explore Easter celebrations from around the world and help prepare for us all to celebrate on Easter Sunday.
Activities include:

●      Hot cross bun making - Ireland + England
●      Kites - Bermuda
●      Egg decorating - Greece + Egypt
●      Carpets of flowers - Honduras + Peru
●      Chapatti + injera - Kenyan + Ethiopia flatbreads
●      Easter flowers - Native spring blooms - England

There will also be team games and interactive reflections on the last supper on love and service.
Places are limited and will be given on a first come first served basis. Please sign up and get a registration form from Ben at vicarofgsandss@yahoo.com. Or please do get in touch if you have any other questions.
Suggested donation of £6 a head to cover ingredients including a shared lunch.

Confirmation Course
We now have some dates to start off this course. Two slots, at the Vicarage as the basis/starter. We can work out then the next steps and I can then catch up with you individually if we can’t fix on a communal meet.
Wednesday 8th April 4-6pm
and Thursday 9th April 3-5pm
If you are interested, or know someone who is, please talk to Ben, Liz or Wendy.

Join in Morning Prayer together. Please do. We offer ourselves in worship, 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 all of us to realise how our one planet (Mother Earth) needs care and for her resources to be a blessing for all creatures now and in the future. Perhaps for oil to be even more expensive so we treasure it!?
For hatred and fear to be met with love in ourselves and for all for whom we pray.
For our plans for a Confirmation Course.
For our planned Holy Week activities.
For publicity and preparation for our Bereavement Journey course.

Diary for the week

Monday 16th March
7:30pm      St Andrew’s PCC meeting

Wednesday 18th March
10:30am    Little Lights at St Mary’s
10:30am    BCP Holy Communion at St Thomas’
The readings will be Isa. 49: 8-15, Psalm 145: 8-18 and John 5: 17-30.
7:30pm      St Thomas’ PCC meeting in the Canterbury Room

Thursday 19th March
10:30am    Pick-a-Flick – “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen”

Sunday 22nd March
8:00am      BCP Holy Communion at St Mary’s
9:30am      Holy Communion at St Thomas’
11:15am    Mattins at St Mary’s
11:15am    Holy Communion at St Andrew’s
5:00pm      Discoverers

Prayers for the week
Loving God, we are your children and you have brought us up to do your work in the world. Be with us as we come to you in prayer to ask you for your help and guidance.
Lord, you gave the Church to be a home for your family on earth. Help us to love each other as if we were all brothers and sisters in one big family.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord, in the Church we are fed with the food that gives us strength to be good Christians. Help us to put our worship of you before all else so we may always be strong in our faith.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord, the people of the world are always fighting each other and hurting each other and not behaving as a family should. Help all people to see the good in each other and to love the good in each other, whatever their race or religion, so we may be the brothers and sisters you want us to be.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord, many of your children are starving and without refreshment because of the greed of others. Help us to find ways of making life fair for everybody, so nobody is hungry, or thirsty or cold.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord, your Son looked after his friends and his community, feeding them with earthly food so they could enjoy your heavenly food. Help us to care for the people we live with, in our neighbourhood, in our city, at school and at work, so that they will come to see your love for them through us.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord, like our own parents you are sad when we are poorly. Help us to bring comfort to the people we know who are not well and hear us as we pray for those who have asked us to pray for them in this church, today …
Give them strength and courage, Lord, and make them better.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord, eventually we have to say goodbye to our families on earth, but you will bring us back together in our heavenly home. We remember, Lord, those who have already left this world to join you in the next …
Lord, welcome your children who have died into your kingdom and refresh us with your spiritual food and with your love, so we may be ready to meet you face to face and live with you for evermore.
Amen.

Daily readings for the week beginning 16th March

Monday am:	Ps 77	Exod. 2. 11-22	Heb. 9. 1-14	pm: Ps 25	John 9. 18-end
Tuesday am:	Ps 79	Exod. 2.23-3.20	Heb. 9. 15-end	pm: Ps 80	John 10. 1-10
Wednesday am:	Ps 90	Exod. 4. 1-23	Heb. 10. 1-18	pm: Ps 91	John 10. 11-21
Thursday am:	Ps 25	Isa. 11. 1-10	Matt. 13. 54-end	pm: Ps 1	Matt. 2. 13-end
Friday am:	Ps 102	Exod. 6. 2-13	Heb. 10. 26-end	pm: Ps 16	John 11. 1-16
Saturday am:	Ps 32	Exod. 7. 8-end	Heb. 11. 1-16	pm: Ps 140	John 11. 17-27

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