Do you know a child who likes to sing and would like to be part of a new children’s choir for Christmas? We will be practising carols well-known and new, including all the loud bits, aiming for two events: a special carol service in the evening of Friday 8th December and the main family carol service at 4.00 on Christmas Eve. Rehearsals will be on Fridays for an hour from 6.15, starting on Friday 10th November, and will include lots of fun and snacks. All children are welcome, and parents can leave their children, stay and listen, or join in! To find out more, please get in touch: anna@systemed.net.
News
Next Session on the Apocrypha Sunday 22nd October 6pm
The next session on the Apocrypha, led by the Revd John Partington, will be held in St Mary’s Church on Sunday 22nd October 2023 at 6pm. All are welcome.
Harvest service at Shorthampton
It was a full house in All Saints, Shorthampton for Harvest Festival on Sunday 8th October. The light was fading as we raised the roof with ‘Harvest Home’
About forty people attended our Vicar-Designate Fergus Butler Gallie’s first service at All Saints’ and his sermon, given from the old pulpit, was thought provoking. Wine and nibbles afterwards were enjoyed by all. The decorating team surpassed themselves, as most of the gardens in Chilson had been stripped of their autumn glory! All produce was delivered to Cornerstone on Monday morning.
Thanks to Fergus, to all who decorated the church and those who donated produce.
Amanda Cooper
Choir Festival – Abingdon
On Saturday (Sept 30th) some members of the choir joined others for a choral evensong at St Helens church Abingdon. The event was the annual RCSM festival where choirs from all over the Diocese came together to celebrate evensong. We had been practicing for weeks to join a choir of over 100 which was coached and conducted by Mark WIlliams. Highlights included a Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis by Herbert Murrill, (a bit of a challenge) and finishing with a spirited rendition of The Heavens are telling by Joseph Haydn.
Next Session on The Apocrypha – Ecclesiasticus
Sunday 1st October at 6.00 pm in St Mary’s Church for an hour. This time we’re looking at Ecclesiasticus (not to be confused with Ecclesiastes, still less with the Goon Show’s Eccles), otherwise known as “The Wisdom of Jesus, Son of Sirach”.
We’ll also spend ten minutes learning more about Confucianism, and its possible parallels to the Hebrew ‘Wisdom’ literature
All welcome. (Bring an Apocrypha if you have one, but don’t worry if not!), or read it online here.
John Partington
Praying for the Parish and Round the Deanery
New plans for praying for the people, organisations and businesses in Charlbury, and for the churches, clergy and wardens of the Deanery are now available . See the Prayer and Home Groups page for more information.
Harvest Festival Services
All are welcome to our Harvest Festival services this year, which will be led by our soon-to-be Vicar, the Revd Fergus Butler-Gallie, on the following dates:
St Mary’s Church Charlbury – Sunday 24th September 2023 at 8am and 9.45am
All Saints Church Shorthampton – Sunday 8th October 2023 at 6pm
This year there will be a dual focus for our Harvest Festival with support being sought for our own Cornerstone initiative, and for the Charlbury Refugee Action Group (CRAG). More information about what is needed and how to donate can be found here.
The Common Cup
There is a lot of discussion at the moment about returning to the “Common Cup” – meaning sharing the communion wine from the same cup, rather than having the wafer dipped. There was a sermon on this by Judy French which can be found on this site as a recording in Services / Sermons and a script here.
Memory Cafe dates and details
Memory Cafe dates are now available for the rest of 2023. See poster for details and the Memory Cafe page.
Cornerstone – school uniform project
We have been able to support 17 children with school uniform and shoe vouchers – many thanks to the WI and to Thrive for donations towards this.
Donations are still welcome – here are the details of how to donate – please go to the bottom of this page