This week:

Worship services in May – Revised Service Pattern Starting in June – Ascension Day – 15 Minutes a day with God – Holy Communion: Common Cup? – Jane Impey’s Memorial Service – Christian Aid Week – Platinum Jubilee

Worship Services in May

St Andrew’s in the Dean Court Community Centre

Sunday 22nd May
11:30am Morning Worship
Leader and preacher: David Wenham

Sunday 29th May
11:30am Morning Worship
Leader and preacher: David Wenham

St Michael’s

Sunday 22nd May
10:30am Big Story Sunday (All-Age Service)
Led by Jonathan Widdess

Ascension Day – Thursday 26th May
7:30pm Holy Communion
Leader and preacher: Jonathan Widdess

Sunday 29th May
10:30am Morning Worship
Leader: Eve Lockett
Preacher: Patrick Gale from BeSpace

St Mary’s, Farmoor

Sunday 22nd May
3:30pm Hymns and Cake
“Stories, Cake and Jesus” led by: Eve Lockett

Service Pattern From June Onwards

At our recent meeting, the PCC decided that the pattern for the 10:30 service at St Michael’s would change from next month to introduce a second service of Holy Communion. From June the monthly pattern will be:

1st Sunday Holy Communion

2nd Sunday Morning Worship

3rd Sunday Holy Communion

4th Sunday Big Story Sunday (All-Age Worship)

5th Sunday Morning Worship with a speaker from one of our Mission Partners.

We are also working towards resuming weekly 8am services soon. As a step towards this, from June there will be two 8am Services each month. These will be on the 2nd and 4th Sundays.

Ascension Day

At 7:30pm on Thursday 26th May we are holding a service of Holy Communion at St Michael’s. Jonathan will be leading and preaching from Acts 1:1-14 on the theme “God’s plan for the church”. This will be the start of a new sermon series running from June – August on the Acts of the Apostles, entitled “What is the Church?”

Online Worship

The 10:30am services in St Michael’s will be live-streamed via our website at:
https://cumnor.org/sunday-service-online/

These will remain available to watch online afterwards.

15 Minutes A Day With God

I am challenging each of us to spend (at least) 15 minutes a day engaging with God through reading the Bible and prayer. There’s a great handout you can download with suggestions and resources to help. It’s available online or you can pick up a printed copy from the tables at the back of St Michael’s.

Holy Communion – Common Cup?

Since the end of the first lockdown we have offered Communion in both kinds (bread and wine) using various forms of intinction by the priest. At the last PCC we discussed the options for resuming the sharing of the common cup and it would be helpful to know your thoughts when we’re making this decision at our next meeting.
Please email me at vicar@cumnor.org with your views. Jonathan.

Jane Impey’s Memorial Service

The memorial service for Jane was on May 14th at 11:30am in the University Church of St Mary the Virgin, Oxford.

The order of service can be downloaded from the St Hilda’s College website, and the service is also available to watch via Livestream at the same location.

https://www.st-hildas.ox.ac.uk/content/memorial-service-dr-jane-mellanby

Christian Aid Week

Christian Aid Week 15-21 May.

In Zimbabwe, the climate crisis is causing aching hunger for families like Jessica’s.

For the first time in a generation, global poverty is rising. The combined effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, conflict, and drought have robbed communities like Jessica’s of the power to provide for their children. It’s unjust.

This Christian Aid Week:

  • We stand with the resilient women – like Jessica – who are determined to lift their families out of hunger
  • We raise our voices to call for climate justice
  • We pray that families will stay strong during times of drought

Together, we hope to restore justice to our world, and protect the future for our children and grandchildren.

Please give to help women grow crops that survive in the drought. You can help turn hunger into hope.

Give online using our parish e-envelope, and please share it with family and friends.

With every gift, every action, every prayer, every one of us can change lives.

St Michael’s Now Open Everyday!

Thanks so much to those who are making it possible to open St Michael’s every day for the first time since the pandemic. St Michael’s will be open to visitors from 9am-5pm on Monday to Saturday and on Sunday till 5pm.

The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee

Cumnor

On Thursday 2nd June the bellringers will ring a full peal in celebration of the Queen’s 70 years on the throne.

Over the weekend there will be a special jubilee trail around the churchyard with seven cards full of fun facts about the Queen to discover while you uncover the hidden letters and work out the royal word. Download an activity sheet from our website, and then bring it completed to the Cream Tea on Sunday afternoon to receive a prize!

On Sunday 5th June, a quarter peal will be rung at 3:30pm. At 4:30pm Cream Teas will be served in the churchyard, with entertainment provided by High Jinks!, Cumnor’s very own Ukelele band. Then at 6pm there will be a special Service of Thanksgiving in St Michael’s. You will be very welcome to join us and do please bring along your friends and neighbours.

Find the details of more local events including a walk and the Lighting of the Beacon in Cumnor Parish News.

Can you help?

Would you be able to help either with baking some scones, or by helping on the day? Please see Jane Vlitos, Claire Horsman or Jonathan for more details.

Dean Court

All are welcome to join St Andrew’s and Dean Court in celebrating the Jubilee on Sunday 5 June: 10.30-11.15am Jubilee Service of Thanksgiving and Prayer for the Queen (at Dean Court Community Centre); 12 noon Bring-your-own Picnic on Pinnocks Green with games for children; 3.00pm Community Tea (with jubilee-themed crafts for children (at DCCC); 6.00pm Barbecue (at DCCC). Offers of cakes or scones and of help with the tea and/or crafts gratefully received! More details later. Mary Smith and Clare Wenham (tea), Sue Allwright (crafts)

Hymns and Cake at St Mary’s

Hymns and Cake’ is the new informal cafe type gathering on the fourth Sunday of every month at 3.30 pm St Mary’s Church Farmoor. We would very much welcome some help with refreshments etc on a regular or not so regular basis. For more info, please call Jean on 07927 236961.

Listen to Jean talking about it on Radio Oxford.

Taizé Worship

The songs and readings for March remain available online at: https://cumnor.org/taize-service-march-2022/ , and all our previous Online Taizé services can be found at https://cumnor.org/taize/

Toddler Group

The St Michael’s Toddler group meets on Wednesdays mornings in the Parish Centre, 1 Abingdon Road.

Each session costs just £1 and runs from 9am-11am during term times. The group is open to everyone.

For more details please contact Dianne Taylor (01865 862165) or Angela Evans (01865 864397).

Choir Practice

St Michael’s Choir practice in Church on Friday evenings at 6:30pm. New members are always welcome. Please contact Andrew Dyer for more details. Tel: 01865 862042 e-mail: ajdyer47@hotmail.com

Bellringing

The Bellringers practice on Wednesday evenings from 7:30-9pm. Please contact Jenny Dyer for more details. Tel: 01865 862042 e-mail: jadyer55@hotmail.com. Their website is at https://cumnorbellringers.uk.

Ukraine – We Can Do Something

Pray

If you would like to use the church for prayer and reflection, a dedicated area is now available in St Michael’s.

We can also pray using Christian Aid’s resources or this prayer for peace from +Steven.

A Prayer for Peace in Ukraine

God of compassion,
Have mercy this day on the people of Ukraine.
Restore to them the gift of peace.
Grant wisdom to the governments of the world.
Bring good in the midst of evil and suffering,
For the sake of Jesus Christ your Son,
Who gave his life to bring peace to your world
Amen.

Act

Christian Aid are encouraging people to sign a change.org petition launched by Together With Refugees member, Freedom From Torture. It’s calling on the government to provide humanitarian support to the people of Ukraine, and asking for urgent concessions on the Nationality and Borders Bill.

Give

Cash donations to a registered and regulated charity are best at this time. You can donate to the Disasters Emergency Committee Appeal here: DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.

Another option is to buy “survival items” from the online aid shop of the charity RefugEase. It sells food parcels, hygiene packs and medical packs.

Don’t Look Away

The Ukrainian Institute has an excellent web site with further information.

Oxford diocese also has a webpage dedicated to a Christian response to the war, which they are keeping updated.

💛💙

This Week’s Readings

Acts 16:9-15

John 5:1-9

This Week’s Collect

God our redeemer,
you have delivered us from the power of darkness
and brought us into the kingdom of your Son:
grant, that as by his death he has recalled us to life,
so by his continual presence in us he may raise us to eternal joy;
through Jesus Christ our risen Lord, who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

Please Pray For…

  • The conflict in the Ukraine.
  • The staff and pupils at our local schools.
  • The family of the late Richard Cobbold who’s funeral is on Friday 27th at 11am.
  • Our outreach plans over the Jubilee weekend
  • New people to find a living faith in Jesus and join us in church.
  • Those affected by COVID and especially those suffering from Long-COVID.
  • Our CMS mission partner Bia.
  • The work of the Bible Society, one of the organisations we support with our mission giving.
  • The ongoing rebuilding work at St Andrews.
  • Everyone who leads worship, preaches or teaches in our parish.

Contacts

Jonathan Widdess
Vicar

The Vicarage,
1, Abingdon Road
Cumnor
OX29QN

01865 863702
vicar@cumnor.org

Kate Elliott
Safeguarding Officer

07782 350491

KateE@cumnor.org