Wychwood
Benefice
A benefice of three rural parishes in the Cotswolds
Join us for our annual Christingle making in the Benefice Centre on Saturday 23 December, 10-12noon. All are welcome and refreshments will be provided.
Then come along (dressed as your favourite nativity character) to a great family Crib and Christingle Service – Chrirstmas Eve at 4pm in St Mary’s Church, Shipton and St Simon & St Jude in Milton.
We will be holding our annual “Shoebox Sunday” Service on Sunday 19 November, 9.30am in Milton Church.
There’s still time to prepare a shoebox. Take a look here for details:
http://teams4u.com/shoebox-appeal/
Join us on Remembrance Sunday for one of our special services around the Benefice
9.30am Milton Remembrance Service with Parade
10.50am Fifield Remembrance Service
10.50am Shipton Remembrance Service – meet at the war memorial on the green
#WeWillRememberThem #RemembranceSunday
All Saints’ and All Souls’ United Benefice Service
Sunday 5 November, 11am Shipton Church
We will once again be reading out the names of those who have died recently and remembering other departed loved ones we hold dear at this special service. During the service, there will also be an opportunity to light a candle in memory of your own loved ones. If you would like to add someone to the list of those to be remembered please email [email protected] or leave a message in the Benefice Centre by 30 October or write it on the sheets which will be in each of the churches until 28 October.
Join us for our “Stay Day” and the next Church Open Meeting
To celebrate, rather than an away day, this year we will be having a ‘stay day’.
Starting with our United Benefice service in Shipton, we will then have an Open Meeting over coffee. We hope this will be an opportunity to share the journey so far, where we are, and the hopes and concerns we have together.
There will then be a bring and share lunch. After lunch, we will be using one of the Deanary pilgrimage walks taking us from Shipton to Milton; an opportunity to talk, to pray, and to appreciate our surroundings. We will finish the day with tea and cakes in the Benefice Centre [any offers from bakers gratefully received!].
Rather than set out the agenda for the coming year, this is an opportunity to spend time together, give thanks and ask God’s blessing on us.
Please put the date in your diary, and let people who may be interested know that it is happening.
This day is also part of Thy Kingdom Come, a global wave of prayer taking place between 25 May and 4 June. For more information go to https://www.thykingdomcome.global/
Christian Aid Week 14-20 May
You’ve been there for refugees since 1945 – your support is more vital now than ever.
That is the theme of this year’s Christian Aid week coming up 14 – 20 May
Please give generously either through the house-to-house collection in Milton, at the library and at the United Benefice service at Milton on 21st May.
You can of course also give on-line at Christian Aid Week
For more information go to: http://www.christianaid.org.uk/christian-aid-week
We are now pleased to be partnering with Open Doors. Read on to find out more.
About Open Doors
“Open Doors is an international ministry serving persecuted Christians and churches worldwide. We supply Bibles, leadership training, literacy programmes, livelihood support and advocacy services. We also seek to mobilise the church in the UK & Ireland to serve Christians living under religious persecution.”
A few facts about Open Doors
Last year Open Doors:
The Most Revd and Rt Hon Justin Welby, said “Open Doors has shown the true signs of the presence of God in that it has been faithful to its vision but adaptable as the world around it has changed. And, today, it is one of the most creditable, powerful, authentic and determined advocates of the protection of Christians but also generally of religious liberty.
Find out more at: http://www.opendoorsuk.org/
With a group of walkers comprising adults, children and dogs, the hardcore walkers left Shipton church at 9.30am with many others joining after the 9.30am service in Milton. We then walked across fields to Fifield, stopping at various points along the way for readings and reflection. We lunched outside Fifield church where we were greeted with cake! After a brief stop, we made our way to Idbury church where the choir were already installed for the solemn hour at the cross. Many walked (or ran!) back and some even had cars strategically parked for the return journey.
A great day of reflection, prayer and much chat, spanning several generations.