Weekly Notices

[ See here for Notice archives ].

29th March 2026 Palm Sunday

British Summer Time begins on 29th March, clocks go forward one hour
Welcome to our weekly newsletter

We are nearly there, but there is a long way to go! Will we follow our Lord? Will we be swayed by the crowd or hold our trust in the life-giving way of the cross?
Will we give God what is most precious to us or hold power to ourselves?
I wish you a deep, growing closer to God, life-giving Holy Week.

Collect, the prayer for the week
Almighty and everlasting God,
who in your tender love towards the human race
sent your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ
to take upon him our flesh
and to suffer death upon the cross:
grant that we may follow the example of his patience and humility,
and also be made partakers of his resurrection;
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 Sunday: Isaiah 50: 4-9a, Psalm 31: 9-16 and Matt. 27: 11-54.

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

Palm Sunday processions
This Sunday, 29th March, as well as the clocks going forward it will be Palm Sunday.
At St Thomas’ the congregation is invited to meet outside the village hall at 9:25am to process round to the church for the 9:30am service.
At St Mary’s those of the congregation who wish to are invited to meet at 11am at the crossroads at the top of Streatley High Street to process to the church for the 11:15am service.

Passia, The Passion retold through women’s voices
Friday 27th March, 6pm-7.15pm in St Thomas’
A gift to our benefice. 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. 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.

Prayer Breakfast, Saturday, 28th March

Please come and pray for the life of our parishes and seek God’s guidance for our life and work. This will take place in the Canterbury Room at St Thomas’. Coffee and croissants from 8:15am, followed by prayer for the life of our churches. Finished by 9.30am. Please do join us.

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 Jenny via the church office (875651) or talk to me after the Sunday morning service. Jenny

Please decide how to mark Holy Week and walk closer to Jesus this week.
This year we are again being ecumenical. We are sharing together using St Thomas’, St Mary’s and Our Lady and St John to offer an 8pm reflection with a short set of prayers afterwards (compline) in the evening.
                             8pm                                        led by:
Monday               St Mary’s Ben Phillips
Tuesday Our Lady & St John Fr Kenneth
Wednesday        St Thomas’ Judith Aguda
On Good Friday there is a short walk of witness following a cross from Rectory Gardens to the Lockside with a prayer at the start and end of the journey: 10am to 10.15am, ending for people to go to different services at 10.30am.
Details of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Eve services can be found in the diary for the week (please see below).

The Bereavement Journey
Grief touches every life, yet it can still feel like the loneliest of experiences. After the loss of a loved one, many people find themselves wondering if what they’re feeling is “normal”, why time doesn’t heal in a neat or predictable way, or how to cope when the world seems to move on too quickly.

The Bereavement Journey, a seven-week course, begins soon. It is designed to support those living with loss, combining professional insight with a warm, accessible approach. It explores themes such as separation

and loss, the pain and responses of grief, coping with others’ reactions, understanding delayed grief, and adjusting to change. It is open to anyone who has suffered a loss at any time, recent or past.
The course will begin on Tuesday 21st April, meeting in the Canterbury Room at St Thomas’, Goring. Sessions will be held in the evenings from 7.30pm to 9.30pm. Anyone interested in taking part, who would like to sign up, or who simply wants to find out more is warmly invited to get in touch. Transport can also be arranged for those who may find it difficult to get to the church. To express interest, register for the course, or ask any questions, please contact Revd Ben Phillips by email at officeofgsandss@yahoo.com or by telephone on 01491 875651. You can also click here for more information via our website.

Confirmation Course
If you are interested, or know someone who is, please talk to Ben or Wendy.
This begins with two sessions 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

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 us to follow our Lord in this coming week, to give time to contemplate his costly love shared.
For God’s saving love to be at work in all our hearts and across the world.
For leaders to follow the humility, service and love of our Lord.
For the Easter fun day for children and families.
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 30th March
11:00am      Easter Funday in the Canterbury Room
8:00pm      Reflection & night prayer at St Mary’s

Tuesday 31st March
1:15pm      Funeral of Peter Ottaway at St Mary’s
8:00pm      Reflection & night prayer at Our Lady & St John

Wednesday 1st April
10:30am    BCP Holy Communion at St Thomas’
                   followed by coffee in the Canterbury Room
The readings will be Isa. 50: 4-9a, Psalm 70 and John 13: 21-32.
8:00pm      Reflection & night prayer at St Thomas’

Thursday 2nd April, Maundy Thursday
8:00pm      Benefice Holy Communion at St Mary’s

Friday 3rd April, Good Friday
10:30am    Family service at St Thomas’ with hot cross buns
3:00pm      Meditation service with hymns at St Mary’s
6:00pm      Compline (night prayer) at St Andrew’s

Saturday 4th April
3-5pm        Easter Egg hunt at St Andrew’s
7:30pm     Easter vigil service at St Mary’s

Sunday 5th April, Easter Sunday
8:00am      BCP Holy Communion at St Thomas’
9:30am      Family Communion at St Thomas’
10:30am    Holy Communion at St Mary’s
11.00am    Family Communion at St Andrew’s

The monthly calendar for April can be downloaded by clicking here.

Prayers for the week from Roots on the web
Lord Jesus, we turn to you in prayer as we walk with you on the way to the cross. First, we come to you with joy and celebration. Thank you for being the God who loves us, the God who came to save us, the God who brings us new life. We thank you for all the good things that have happened this week in our lives.
We thank you for our church fellowship. In silence we pray for those sitting beside us or near us, whether we know their names or not...
Thank you for our community, our families, friends and neighbours…
Most of all, we thank you for coming to be our King. We pledge ourselves afresh to make you king in our lives and in our church this week.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord
We cry ‘Hosanna, Save us’ to the King.

Lord, as we continue our journey with you towards the cross, we remember how you turned the tables of the moneychangers in the temple, declaring that your house should be a house of prayer. We pray for our churches and cathedrals, that they may be respected places within our nation. We pray that all who visit them may sense your peace and presence. We ask that those who come to special services over the next week will have a deeply meaningful encounter with you, leading to a lasting relationship. We pray for all who hold responsibility in our churches and for our new archbishop Sarah, particularly at this very busy time. In their busyness, may they find new strength and joy in serving you and opportunities for rest and reflection.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord
We cry ‘Hosanna, Save us’ to the King.

We remember, Lord, that quiet supper you had with your friends. Thank you that you walked among us, showing us what a true relationship with God looks like. Help us to follow in your way of service, not trying to be better than others but putting the needs of friend and stranger before our own needs.
We focus for a moment on where we might be going this week and who we might therefore be serving. Make us quick to help and listen, alert to what needs doing and always encouraging with our words.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord
We cry ‘Hosanna, Save us’ to the King.

Lord, as the rulers of Jerusalem and Rome arrested, tried and crucified you, we are so aware that the place where you walked, talked, lived and died is still a place of conflict and turmoil. Lord, we cry out to you as Prince of Peace, to bring peace in this difficult and dangerous time. We pray for the leaders of the nations, that they will recognise you for who you truly are, bend their knees in awe and say with us:
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord
We cry ‘Hosanna, Save us’ to the King.

Lord Jesus, we walk the heavy road with you towards the Garden of Gethsemane. We see your tired, confused friends unable to watch with you and we see the one who would betray…
Lord, we are sorry for the times when we disown you; for times when we should stand up for you but instead we either deny you or walk away. Give us the courage to admit that we are your friends, no matter what the cost.
Lord, we pray for those who once followed you and loved you but have now turned away. Lord, help us to bring them encouragement and to let them know that you still love them and will never stop loving them. May they see new visions of you this Easter, we ask.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord
We cry ‘Hosanna, Save us’ to the King.

Lord Jesus, now we see the agony of Good Friday as you hung on that cross for us. Lord, we can never thank you enough for your great sacrifice. We fall at the foot of your cross now in silence and awe…
As you hung on that cross, still you were thinking of others. You saw the pain of Mary and John, you put them together in a family. Lord, we pray for everyone we know who is in pain, whether that be the pain of bereavement, the pain of illness, the pain of depression or the pain of separation from loved ones. Lord, just as you comforted Mary and John, please comfort those whom we have just named. Bring wholeness out of fragmentation; bring peace where there is turmoil; bring healing where there is distress.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord
We cry ‘Hosanna, Save us’ to the King.

Lord, as you led the thief beside you into paradise and as you were taken down from the cross, we remember those we know and love who have died, whether recently or a long time ago.
Sometimes the pain of their loss is almost too much to bear, but we know you are also bearing that pain. Lord, give all who are grieving the courage to keep putting one foot in front of the other, the desire still to seek your face and the knowledge that you are walking the hard road beside them because you have travelled it before.
We also remember those who are bearing the pain of war, famine, political unrest, especially in the Middle East and Ukraine.
Lord, may they know your love and care.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord
We cry ‘Hosanna, Save us’ to the King.

Lord, as we wait in the darkness and stillness before the great day of your resurrection, help us to walk this week more aware of how wonderful you are and what an amazing thing you did for us. Prepare our hearts for the joy of your resurrection.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord
We cry ‘Hosanna, Save us’ to the King. Amen.

Daily readings for the week beginning 30th March

Monday am:	Ps 41	Lam. 1. 1-12a	Luke 22. 1-23	pm: Ps 25	Col. 1. 18-23
Tuesday am:	Ps 27	Lam. 3. 1-18	Luke 22. [24-38] 39-53	pm: Ps 55. 13-24	Gal. 6. 11-end
Wednesday am:	Ps 102	Jer. 11. 18-20	Luke 22. 54-end	pm: Ps 88	Rev. 14.18-15.4
Thursday am:	Ps 42	Lev. 16. 2-24	Luke 23. 1-25	pm: Ps 39	Eph. 2. 11-18
Friday am:	Ps 69	Gen. 22. 1-18	Heb. 10. 1-10	pm: Ps 130	John 19. 38-end
Saturday am:	Ps 142	Hos. 6. 1-6	John 2. 18-22	pm: Ps 116	1 John 5. 5-12

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