Jottings November 2018

New to the church?

November: 18: Fairtrade items + Advent Calendars and Daughter’s Jewellery following 10am service 18: 3pm Road Death Memorial Service 18: 6.30pm SIXthirty with Barley Hill Church as

we focus on the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church

18: Beer & Hymns at the Cross Keys 22: Churchyard Tidy up from 9am 28: Sparklers NO 55+ this month 30: Christmas Tree Light up in Town

(new date)

December: 2: Service at Meadowcroft 4pm 6: 55+ Carols & Christmas meal 6: Thame in Prayer at Christchurch 7.30-8.30pm 12: Sparklers (9am-11am) 16: No 4pm service 16: 6.30pm Nine Lessons & Carols 20: 10am Communion with Carols and Mince Pies

Operation Christmas Child

Thank you to everyone who gave a filled shoebox, or items for shoeboxes, which have now all gone to the warehouse in Bicester. If anyone has items or boxes that they would like taken to the warehouse, Caroline Baynes is going there again.

If you would like to have the details of where the warehouse is and the dates and times of opening, please do call Caroline on 01844 213673.

Many thanks.

CARE4CALAIS Many thanks for the very generous donations of needy items given for Julian Dunn’s visit to Calais.

If you are new to St Mary’s, we would like to be able to get in touch with you. Please fill in one of the blue ‘welcome’ cards from the welcome desk, and hand it to a sidesperson.

If you would like to join a home group to get to know some people, and for Bible study and prayer please do talk to Revd Alan Garratt, or Jackie in the church office.

Jottings

Week commencing 18 November 2018 St Mary’s Church, Thame

SHARING LIFE TRUST:

Most needed items:

Tins/cartons of custard, Jars of jam or honey, 1 litre cartons of whole and semiskimmed UHT milk.

For full information about this charity please take a look on the Sharing Life Trust Thame

website or call 0300 201 0212

Thank you for your continued generosity Have you noticed? We have a new flag pole on the church tower. Thanks to all who were involved with this.

PLEASE CAN YOU HELP?

If you would like to learn how to operate the sound desk or the Power point for the 10am service please speak to David Brown or Reg Moss asap. Full training will be given.

If you could spare a couple of hours, one Thursday morning per month, to make teas and coffees for mums and dads and prepare some fruit for the children attending Semiquavers and Grace Notes at the Barns Centre? Please contact Janet Sweet on 07548 146752.

St Mary’s Church website is currently being updated. The new site will be easy to access and available soon.

The church office has a new email address office@stmarysthame.org.uk St Mary’s Church Office 01844 213491 Thame Barns Centre, Church Road, Thame, Oxfordshire, OX9 3AJ

office@stmarysthame.org.uk www.stmarysthame.org.uk

www.stmarysthame.org.uk Find out more about the church community on our web site. Also includes our Sunday morning sermons! Also visit our Facebook page St Mary’s Church, Thame.

St Mary’s Church, Thame

If you are new to Thame or just visiting, please introduce yourself to the welcomers at the door who would be happy to tell you more about us.

A hearing Loop is available in the church.

TREASURER After several years of being treasurer at St Mary’s, Steve Harding has decided he wishes to step down from this role. I am sure you will want me to thank him on your behalf for the wonderful job he has done. This means that we need to find a new treasurer who we would like to appoint as quickly as possible to work alongside Steve to learn the role.

Full training will be given and you do not need to be an accountant, but you will need computer skills as most of the accounting and reporting is produced by the Sage package which we use.

This is an important and necessary role, so please if you feel you could contribute in this area of church life, please speak to me or one of the churchwardens as soon as possible. Thank you. Alan.

JEWELLERY. After the 10am service today, 18 November we will be selling the jewellery which is handmade by Daughters of Cambodia. Come and have a look at the lovely earrings, necklaces etc. and buy some for Christmas presents.

Fairtrade goodies and Advent Calendars available TODAY Sunday 18 November after the 10am service.

THE VERY LAST FISH & CHIP SUPPER Please note—This will now take place on Friday 8 February 2019. Details available soon.

CHURCHYARD TIDY UP: Thursday 22 November starting at 9am, but come anytime from there on. If the weather is good we will try to work until 2.30pm if there are still jobs to do. If you can only spare half an hour that would be good, many hands… Please bring tools such as rakes, clippers, secateurs, small spade etc.

Plus gloves. Main job is to clear leaves and overgrown bushes & ivy, clear gulleys down to South porch and drain covers. A lunch will be provided as well as coffee and biscuits in the morning.

If you have any questions about this please speak to Rosalie Gibson 01844 213948. Thank you.

Services Sunday 18 November Second Sunday before Advent 8am BCP Communion 10am Morning Worship + Mission Slot

Sunday Fun activities for children in the Barns Centre

3pm Road Death Memorial Service 6.30pm SIXthirty

with Barley Hill Church focussing on the Persecuted Church

Sunday 25 November Sunday next before Advent—Christ The King 8am BCP Communion 10am Holy Communion 6.30pm SIXthirty

The Sharing Life Trust are hosting an evening with Theodore Mbazumutima on Wed 21st Nov, 7-9pm at St Mary’s Church, Thame.

Theo is a former Burundian refugee who returned home to help build peace and reconciliation within communities that had been ripped apart. He will be sharing some of his story and updating us with the work he is involved in through REMA Burundi.

Please pray for all who will attend the

Not sure how to invite people to a church event?

Try it with a mince pie!

Come and spread some joy and mince pies at the Christmas lights event in town. We will be handing out free mince pies with an invite to our Christmas services to everyone. If you are able to give an hour of your time on Friday 30th November between 5pm and 8pm please speak to Sian 07814 835942 as soon as possible. Thanks.

with and in solidarity with all around the world who are persecuted for their faith.

Give thanks for all who remain faithful in spite of living with the possibility of imprisonment, torture and for many, death because of their faith in Jesus. Pray too for the heart and mind of the oppressor to be changed and transformed into a spirit of compassion, justice and peace.

55+ Christmas Meal and Carols in church on Thursday 6 December.

If you would like a place at the table, please call Gordon and Mary on 01844 213797 as soon as possible.

Please note NO 10am Communion this day.

Thame Valley Police Road Death Memorial Service in church this afternoon. As grief is shared one with another, may comfort and solace help grow long lasting friendships and the sense of not being alone.

Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church—please stand

8am 10am 4pm 6.30pm

Sunday 2 December First Sunday of Advent BCP Communion All Age Worship Evening Prayer SIXthirty

No 10am service on Thursday 6 December

8am 10am

Sunday 9 December Second Sunday of Advent BCP Communion Holy Communion with choir

Sunday Fun activities for children in the Barns Centre

6.30pm

SIXthirty

Generous Giving

Completed forms should be returned to St Mary’s treasurer, Steve Harding via the church office as soon as possible. Thank you.

If you haven’t picked a leaflet yet, spare copies are available on the welcome desk.

Today marks the International

THAME IN PRAYER

Thursday 6 December at Christchurch, Upper High Street, Thame.

7.30pm-8.30pm. All welcome.

Prayer meetings: Please join the staff team and others from across the congregations who meet for Morning Prayer each weekday morning (except Wednesdays) 9am-9.30am.

PARKING

Please note BOOKER TATE no longer have premises in Church Road and we cannot guarantee future use of their car park.

Also, please be mindful that parking at the Barns Centre is strictly for people attending events there.

Parking for all attending services and events at St Mary’s is available on Priest End. If you have limited mobility, please park in Church Road or one of the two spaces to the rear or the barns that are for St Mary’s.

If you have something you would like the church community to pray for, and don’t mind it being in Jottings, please let Jackie in the office know (contact details over the page), and we’ll include it! Alternatively, please feel free to leave a prayer on the prayer tree in the side chapel.

PASTORAL CARE… If you, or anyone you know would value a visit, call or communion at home, please contact the church office so this can be arranged. Thank you.