Benefice of Goring and Streatley with South Stoke : Sunday 19th July 2026

Sunday 19th July Trinity 7

Welcome to our weekly newsletter

As the heat and drought continue, we pray for our farmers and our need for daily bread across the world.

May our spiritual hunger for God increase and show him and the world that he is our most important daily need.

The Collect, the prayer for the week
Lord of all power and might,
the author and giver of all good things:
graft in our hearts the love of your name,
increase in us true religion,
nourish us with all goodness,
and of your great mercy keep us in 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.

Readings for this Sunday: Gen. 28: 10-19a, Psalm 139: 1-11, 23-24 and Matt. 13: 24-30, 36-43. For St Mary’s: Phil. 2: 5-11 and Mark 4: 35-41.

This Sunday:
8:00am       BCP Holy Communion at St Thomas’
9:30am       Good News service at St Thomas’
11:15am     BCP Holy Communion at St Mary’s
11:15am     Good News service at St Andrew’s
4:00pm Discoverers – end of term party!
5:00pm Families meal in the Canterbury Room

The Nicene Creed sermon series...
...continues this Sunday with Jane preaching on the humanity of Jesus at the 8am service and at St Mary’s. She will repeat this the next week in St Thomas’ and St Andrew’s. The Tuesday morning group will meet on 4th and 18th August to finish off the course.
The Thursday evening group is going to turn into a home group in September with a new subject! For more details please speak to Ben or Margaret Styles.

Jane’s ordination
The sun shone. Friends and supporters came to pray for Jane as she was ordained deacon in Christ Church on July 4th. The new chapter has begun and Jane took up duties here the next day. Please continue to pray for her and take your part in her training and our learning alongside all she brings and God wants to do among us.

Families Meal, Sunday 19th July, 5-7pm in the Canterbury Room

This will be a meal for families and their children where 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.

If you’d like to join us please contact Sarah via the church office (875651 or officeofgsandss@yahoo.com) with any dietary requirements.

South Stoke coffee morning
The monthly coffee morning with cakes will take place in St Andrew’s on Wednesday 22nd July from 10:30am.
All welcome!

Prayer Breakfast, Saturday, 25th July

Please come and pray for our plans for the autumn.
This will take place next Saturday in the Canterbury Room at St Thomas’.
Enjoy coffee and croissant breakfast together at 8:15am, followed by a

thought for the day and prayer for the life of our churches.
Finished by 9.30am. Please do join us.

Eco tip for July from A Rocha
It’s Plastic Free July and this year we’re thinking about laundry, a top source of microplastic pollution. Fibres from synthetic clothes (polyester, nylon, and acrylic for example) shed tiny fibres during washing and drying.

These enter the sewage systems and are hard to filter out. Use a microfibre bag or ball to catch the fibres.
Learn more about reducing plastic pollution in the laundry process at

plasticfreejuly.org/get-involved/what-you-can-do/plastic-free-laundry/ and more about this year’s campaign at plasticfreejuly.org.

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:

Thank God for the Leavers’ services in each church for their school. We pray that the Bibles the children have received will be read and treasured and help tell of God’s love for them all.
The people of Venezuela.
Our farmers and firefighters.
May we learn ways to adapt to climate change which do not use up any more oil… and live more simply that future creatures may simply live.

Diary for the week

Wednesday 22nd July
10:30am    Coffee morning at St Andrew’s
10:30am    BCP Holy Communion at St Thomas’
The readings will be Song of Solomon 3: 1-4, Psalm 42: 1-10 and John 20: 1-2, 11-18.

Saturday 25th July
8:30am      Benefice Prayer Breakfast in the Canterbury Room
2:00pm      Marriage of Tobin & Charlotte at St Mary’s

Sunday 26th July
8:00am      BCP Holy Communion at St Mary’s
9:30am      Holy Communion at St Thomas’
11:15am    Mattins and Baptism at St Mary’s
11:15am Holy Communion at St Andrew’s

Prayers for the week

Thank you to Judith for this week’s prayers.

Heavenly Father, We thank you that we are able to bring our requests to you, safe in the knowledge that you will hear us. Help us to be patient as we wait for answers, remembering that you care for us and have plans for us which may not be in line with what we are asking for. May we trust in your unfailing love.
In your mercy, hear our prayer.

Creator God, we lift to you all those who are suffering at this time because of war, earthquakes and the results of climate change.
We pray for peace in the Middle East, and remember especially the people in Lebanon, Gaza and Israel. We pray also for peace between Iran and the United States.
In your mercy, comfort the people of Venezuela as they seek to rebuild their lives after the earthquakes. We pray that other nations, including ours, will be generous in helping them.
Forgive us, Lord, for the many ways in which we have damaged the beautiful world which you created, and for the harm this is causing everywhere. We pray that world leaders will take the situation seriously and do more to protect the environment and help those who are already suffering greatly because of global warming.
In your mercy, hear our prayer.

Loving Father, we pray for our country and our leaders. As we approach big changes in our government, please give wisdom to the new leaders. Help us to be patient and give them enough time to make improvements in the way we are governed.
In your mercy, hear our prayer.

Please bless our schools as they come to the end of another year. We pray for all the staff and children that they will have good holidays and return in September feeling refreshed. We pray especially for those pupils who are moving up to secondary school next term and those who are going on to higher education or employment. Be with them, Lord, we pray, as they face new challenges and make new friends.
In your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for healing for those who are sick, that they will be aware of your presence with them.
We remember those who have died recently and ask you to comfort their families and friends.
Accept these prayers, for the sake of your Son, our saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Daily readings for the week beginning 20th July

Monday am:	Ps 1	1 Sam. 10: 1-16	Luke 22: 24-30	pm: Ps 4	2 Cor. 11: 1-15
Tuesday am:	Ps 5	1 Sam. 10: 17-end	Luke 22: 31-38	pm: Ps 9	2 Cor. 11: 16-end
Wednesday am:	Ps 30	1 Sam. 16: 14-end	Luke 8: 1-3	pm: Ps 63	Mark 15.40-16.7
Thursday am:	Ps 14	1 Sam. ch. 12	Luke 22: 47-62	pm: Ps 18	2 Cor. ch 13
Friday am:	Ps 17	1 Sam. 13: 5-18	Luke 22: 63-end	pm: Ps 22	James 1: 1-11
Saturday am:	Ps 7	2 Kings 1: 9-15	Luke 9: 46-56	pm: Ps 94	Mark 1: 14-20

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

17/07/2026