This Sunday, the fifth in the month, the service of Holy Communion is here at St Giles at 10.30.
If possible, please let me know if you are going to come.
We look forward to welcoming you.
Pat
[email protected] 01367 241632
Great Coxwell Village Website |
We were pleased last month to welcome back some of the members of our congregation and one or two new ones.
This Sunday, the fifth in the month, the service of Holy Communion is here at St Giles at 10.30. If possible, please let me know if you are going to come. We look forward to welcoming you. Pat [email protected] 01367 241632 There will be a Holy Communion service at St Giles this Sunday (May 9th 2021) at 10.30 am. We would love to welcome you there. Revd Maureen will conduct the service.
If you intend to come it would be helpful for Covid-19 purposes to let Pat Cook know in advance on [email protected] or phone 241632. However, if you decide to come at the last moment please do so. We finally feel able to open our churches and celebrate the following services for Easter:
St Giles will be open for private prayer from 10am to 4pm from Good Friday to Easter Monday. We hope to see you at one of the services. In March/April each year the Electoral Roll of those who can vote at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) is revised. For many, being on the Electoral Roll may lead to greater involvement and support for St Giles through regular or occasional activities assisting the life and ministry of the church and/or contributing to its financial needs. All support is much appreciated.
More recent residents of Great Coxwell may feel that membership of the St Giles Electoral Roll is something in which you would like to participate - the two alternative qualifications for membership are that the applicant is baptised, aged 16 or over, and either is resident in the parish, or has attended a minimum of two services of public worship during the past six months or four attendances in the past year (unless there is a reason for non-attendance such as infirmity or ill health or Covid 19 regulations). If you would like an enrolment form, please contact: Revd Maureen Turner, Vicar, Badbury Group of Churches ([email protected]) - 240875 Pat Cook, Church Warden, ([email protected]) - 241632 or Sylvia Athawes ([email protected]) – 241179 The Marie Curie charity is organising a National Day of Reflection on Tuesday 23rd March to reflect upon the loss and grief that many people have suffered during this past year. As part of this national day, they are suggesting that we have a minutes pause at 12 noon, tie yellow ribbons onto a tree or gate, and light a candle at home at 8pm. More information can be found on their website.
In support of this, St Giles’ Church will be open on Tuesday between 10am – 4pm for private prayer and reflection. Ribbons and prayer cards will be available in the porch to use at home or in the church. Covid guidelines will still need to be adhered to, so please wear a mask, keep 2 metres distance and use the antiseptic hand wash provided. Ribbons may be attached to the church fence by the noticeboard or taken home to attach to a tree in your garden. This is a day to Reflect, Support and Hope. As we are unable this Sunday to meet in the church to celebrate Mothering Sunday in the usual way, Revd Maureen has sent the following thoughts on the day which you might like to consider.
Mothering Sunday The tradition of giving flowers and other gifts to our mothers this Sunday is wonderful. My own mother expects to receive a “proper” Mothering Sunday card - it must have the words “Mothering Sunday” on, and not “Mother’s Day”. This firmly links the festival to the Church and less to the commercial activities surrounding it. The origins of Mothering Sunday go way back into antiquity. It was originally a pagan festival, held in honour of the Mother goddess Cybele. After Constantine converted to Christianity, the Roman Empire began to celebrate it as a Christian Festival, honouring the Blessed Virgin Mary and Mother Church. Mary, the mother of Jesus is a model of good motherhood, standing by Jesus throughout his life and at his death as he fulfilled God’s work of redemption. During the 16th-century, it was the custom that domestic servants were given the day off so that they could go home and see their own mothers. If lucky, they would pick flowers from the hedgerows along the way to give to them. Often it was the only day of the year when families could come together. It really is a poignant and thought-provoking Sunday to celebrate in the midst of our Lent austerities and Covid restrictions. Sadly, our churches remain closed at this time, so we are unable to have the formal celebration of the Eucharist or distribute posies to mothers. Yet we can all use this time to celebrate the love of our mothers and carers who have loved us and stood by us throughout the years. It is also a time to give thanks to God for Mother Church, formed out of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Mother Church is where we should find comfort and support, encouragement, love and hospitality. When we open again, let’s be sure to celebrate with thankful hearts. Thank you to all those who have joined or renewed their subscription to the 100 Club. There is still room for a few more!
Biddy plans to start the draw next week with the January and February winners. If you have not yet renewed your subscription or would still like to join, there is still time. Please let Biddy know as soon as possible. We are aware that some people have had difficulty making their payment online. If you wish to renew or pay in this way, please note that you may have to type "Great Coxwell Parochial Church Council" in full for the account to be recognised. Remember, you have to be 'in it to win it'! Pat For many years the 100 Club has made a valuable contribution to the church's annual maintenance costs. It is open to everyone who would like to help maintain our beautiful old church.
I should like to thank everyone who subscribed last year, and especially those who chose not to take their winnings. Believe me, every little has been necessary during our period of closure, with no income from a fete, Arts Weeks and all the other fund raising events we normally put on. Thanks also go to Biddy who is continuing to run it for us! Sylvia and I will shortly be delivering to all residents in the village the usual letter about how to subscribe or renew your subscription(s). We hope you will feel you can participate. As is usual with such things, some people have won more than once and some have grandchildren who have won! You may be one of the lucky ones! Thank you for your support. Pat We have a vicar!! As those who joined us will know, the Revd Maureen Turner was licensed as our vicar on Sunday in a virtual service by Zoom. We were joined by Bishop Steven, Bishop of Oxford, Archdeacon Judy , the Area Dean, Jason, and his Assistant, Jeremy and the Deputy Sheriff of the County, as well as Lord Faringdon, our Patron. Quite a line up. Maureen was supported by over sixty links to probably well over eighty people. All in all, it was as special an event as it could be in the circumstances. Maureen is now ‘live’ as it were. If you need to speak to her, her phone number is 01367 240875. She will be happy to speak to you. Either she or I will confirm her regular working days later. In the meantime she has a lot to get to grips with over the four parishes. Not an easy task in the present situation. My first task will be to try to show her the secret of unlocking the church. Many of you will know, that is not an easy thing! I have included (with her blessing) a photo I took of her on Sunday so that you will be able to recognise her if you see her on a walk around the village. Of course, she probably won’t be dressed like that! The Batemans Trust Thanks to all those who generously donated to the Batemans Trust in response to my appeal. I was able to send them £115 as a result and have received a letter of thanks from Nick Thompson in response. They managed to have a crib outside their church but he said it in no way matched our beautiful figures! Thanks again for your support. Pat
Churchwarden 01367 241632 Thursday 24th December - Christmas Eve 6.00 pm
As there could be no service in the Great Barn on Christmas Eve this year, we decided to replace Midnight Mass with a Holy Communion service at 6 o’clock. The Revd Dick Whittington will again take the service. At the time of writing (Monday morning) we still plan to go ahead, although that may change, of course. Please let me know if you plan to attend either by email – [email protected] or phone 241632 so that we can plan for social distancing. Please remember to bring a mask. Sanitising gel and wipes are available inside the church. We hope to see you there. Batemans Trust Charity - Reminder As many of you know, we usually send half of the collection from the Barn service on Christmas Eve to the Batemans Trust, a tradition which was started many years ago by Geoff Lee. I would like to be able to send them something this year. If you would like to make a donation please let me have it in an envelope marked ‘Donation to the Bateman’s Trust’ (3 Cherry Orchard – the white house) and I will send the total off to them towards the end of the year. I have put their latest news) letter up in the church porch. If you are not familiar with their work in India this will give you a good idea. Their website is www.batemans.org.uk. I hope you are all able to have a good Christmas despite the restrictions. Stay safe and keep well. Hopefully the village will be able to return to some sort of normality next year. Thank you I have to echo Judy’s words in yesterday’s newsletter. Special thank you to all those ‘Santa’s Elves’ that left us our mulled wine and mince pies on the doorstep. What a lovely idea. At the ‘swearing in’ of the Churchwardens of the benefice last Saturday week we were asked by the Area Dean what we had to thank God for. My reply was for bringing me to this village which is so special and where I have made more friends that ever before. I hope all those who are new to the village this year will find that and be able to experience the normal village activities in the year to come. Stay safe and well. Pat Pat Cook, Churchwarden. |
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