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Sunday 13th September                                                                 Trinity 15
Welcome to our weekly newsletter
Parting of the Red Sea Px
Life-long learning continues for us all, we pray. The challenges continue to come, the tendency to moaning and backwards looking. But God still has hope and Jesus is the way for us to follow.
The story of Moses has much for us to ponder and grow in.
The Collect, the prayer for the week
  Keep, O Lord, your Church, with your perpetual mercy;
  and, because without you our human frailty cannot but fall,
  keep us ever by your help from all things hurtful,
  and lead us to all things profitable to our salvation;
  through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Readings for Sunday: Exodus 14: 19-31; Psalm 114 and Matthew 18: 21-35.

This Sunday:
8:00am        BCP Holy Communion at St Mary’s
9:30am        Holy Communion at St Thomas’
11:15am      Back to School Family service at St Mary’s
11:15am      BCP Holy Communion at St Andrew’s
4:00pm        Piano recital at St Mary’s followed by refreshments
5:00pm        Families meal in the Canterbury Room
Prayer Breakfast, this Saturday, 12th September
CoffeeAndCroissant

Please come, be refreshed and pray for the life of our parishes. The prayer breakfast will take place in the Canterbury Room at St Thomas’. Coffee and croissants from 8:15am, followed by prayer. Finished by 9.30am. Please do join us.

Ride & Stride, this Saturday, 12th September
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-and-Stride
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 Oxfordshire Historic Churches Trust, please click here: https://www.goodhub.com/go/oxfordshire-historic-churches-trust-245596  while for Berkshire the link is: https://www.goodhub.com/go/rideandstride2026.
To read about past Ride & Stride by members of our community, please click here. Anybody willing to be a welcomer please sign up in church. Thank you.
Piano Recital at St Mary’s, Sunday 13th September at 4pm
St Mary’s is delighted to welcome back Ikuko Inoguchi and Sally Goodworth and to welcome Hayley Tull for the first time for a concert of very lively and enjoyable pieces for six hands on one piano which is quite an unusual form of concert!  
St Mary's concert 3 hands 26.0
The concert will include the piece “Three Friends”, an early 20th century march by Hilary Collins as well as music by Cornelius Gurlitt, Sergei 
Rachmaninoff, Xaver Scharwenka and Marteen D Smit. There will also be an arrangement of Carmen Suites No 1 and No 2 based on Georges Bizet’s Opera Music but arranged for six hands piano by Jakub Kowalewski.
Tickets are available at the door for £12 full, £10 concessions (cash only please). Enquiries by text only to 0776 233 9853.
Donations for tea afterwards  in the Morrell Room.
Families Meal, Sunday 13th September, 5-7pm in the Canterbury Room
Family meal tomato 25.07

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)with any dietary requirements.
William Wilberforce deanery 26
William Wilberforce: his motivations for evangelism and social action. You are invited to an evening with Archdeacon David Tyler at Shiplake church for the deanery on Thursday 24th September with refreshments from 7.15pm for a 7.30pm start.
If you would like a lift please ask Ben.
Prayer day for peace. St Francis of Assisi died 800 years ago this year. The Franciscan community are organising a pilgrimage for peace. They are coming through Goring on Saturday 26th September.  We are planning a vigil for peace that day. If you would like to be involved in preparing this please contact Ben. Thank you.
Youth alpha. This begins on Sunday 27th September. We would love to have prayer partners for this. If you could undertake to pray please contact Ben.
Deanery Quiet Day
Give yourself and God space and time together on Saturday 3rd October at St Mary’s Convent, Wantage. The day will be led by Revd Jeremy Tayler, Area Dean of Henley. Coffee will be available from 9:30am for a 10am start and will include a soup lunch and close with afternoon tea at 4pm. The day will cost £20 (cash on the day please). To book and give any dietary requirements/allergies please e-mail vicarofgsandss@yahoo.com by Sunday 27th September.
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.

Please note that there will be no Evening Prayer for the next two Wednesdays in St Andrew’s. The next Evening Prayer will be on 30th September.
This week we are asked to pray for: 
  • The ongoing appointment process to find a new bishop of Oxford.
  • Give thanks for the Jewish rabbis who have publicly supported the sanctions decision on illegal settlement in the occupied West Bank.
  •  Safe spaces where people who disagree can meet and talk and listen.
  • Give thanks and pray for all who serve in roles of responsibility in their communities.
Diary for the week
Wednesday 16th September
10:30am      Little Lights at St Mary’s
10:30am      BCP Holy Communion at St Thomas’
The readings will be 1 Cor. 12.31b-13.end, Psalm 33: 1-12 and Luke 7: 31-35.  

Thursday 17th September
10.30am      Pick-a-Flick in the Canterbury Room

Sunday 20th September
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        Afternoon Church at St Thomas’
Prayers for the week  
Thank you to Sally for this week’s prayers based on David Adam’s “Glimpses of Glory”.

Good and gracious Shepherd,
we rejoice in your protection and care,
we know you will seek us out and save us:
guide us, O Lord, and keep us in the ways that lead to peace;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Lord God, you come and seek us out,
you call us and empower us to live to your glory,
you are our Shepherd and guide, you are our God.
We pray for all who have strayed from the faith, all who have got lost in various ways, especially any whose lives are in danger.
We pray for shepherds of your flock, for all ministers, pastors, bishops, priests and deacons.
Loving God
Hear our prayer

God our protector, we remember before you all who work or live in dangerous places or a hostile environment, all who are suffering at this time from storms and disasters, all who are caught up in strife and warfare, remembering the people caught up in the disaster in Nepal and China.
We pray for all who are seeking peace and well-being for the world: we remember the United Nations and peace-keeping forces.
Loving God
Hear our prayer

Lord, we give thanks for all who have sought us out in our times of troubles, who have been a strength and a joy to us.
We pray that you will guide all who teach and influence others.
Let us know your presence in our homes and with our loved ones.
Guide us in our choices and in our friendships.
Loving God
Hear our prayer

We ask you to be with all who walk in darkness:
may your love and light protect the depressed and despairing;
may your strength and hope be known to the discouraged.
We ask your blessing upon all who are ill at home or in hospital.
Loving God
Hear our prayer

We pray for all who are entering the shadow of death and for their loved ones in their time of anxiety.
Bless all who are in a hospice and also for all who care for the terminally ill.
We pray for all who have passed through death and entered life eternal.
Loving God
Hear our prayer

Daily readings for the week beginning 14th September 
Monday am: Ps 2 Gen. 13: 1-15 John 12: 27-36a pm: Ps 110 1 Cor. 1: 18-25
Tuesday am: Ps 36 1 Kings 8.63-9.9 Acts 16: 25-end pm: Ps 33 Mark 11: 12-26
Wednesday am: Ps 34 1 Kings 10: 1-25 Acts 17: 1-15 pm: Ps 119: 33-56 Mark 11: 27-end
Thursday am: Ps 37 1 Kings 11: 1-13 Acts 17: 16-end pm: Ps 40 Mark 12: 1-12
Friday am: Ps 31 Zech. 14: 1-11 Mark 12: 13-17 pm: Ps 35 Acts 18: 1-21
Saturday am: Ps 42 Zech. 14: 12-end Mark 12: 18-27 pm: Ps 46 Acts 18.22-19.7
Please send any notices or articles for the next news sheet by noon on Thursdays to vicarofgsandss@yahoo.com.
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The Benefice of Goring and Streatley with South Stoke
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11/09/2026