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Our Lady of LourdesSt. Bartholomew's
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United Reformed Church
Issue #6 of Wheatley Area Newsletter
Horton cum Studley Oakley
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Beckley CHRISTIANS | | IN
| |
Stanton St John +----+ +----+
| | Worminghall
Forest Hill +----+ +----+
| | Ickford
Holton THE | | COMMUNITY
Wheatley | |
Horspath | | Tiddington
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Cuddesdon Great Milton
Garsington Great Haseley
Little Milton
A monthly newsletter for Christians in the Wheatley Area.
To join or to send news: email Kevin1.Betts@ntlworld.com
Please forward to those who may be interested, or print off
for them if they have no email.
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Then Jesus was led out into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit
to be tempted there by the Devil. For forty days and forty
nights he ate nothing and became very hungry. Then the Devil
came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, change
these stones into loaves of bread." But Jesus told him,
"No! The Scriptures say, 'People need more than bread for
their life; they must feed on every word of God.'"
Matthew, 4:1-4
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| ><> EPISTLE <>< |
| to the Wheatley Area |
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Due to a very successful Vision and Prayer evening at the
Wheatley Primary School on Wednesday, 3rd March, at which
many more people signed up to receive the newsletter; and
with some further news items that was sent in for inclusion
but received after the issue went out, your editor has
updated and resent this issue (#6). If you have already read
issue #6, please read again - there's lots new to see.
The Vision and Prayer evening was well attended by people
from many different villages, and the readership of the
newsletter is now not only geographically wider, but larger
too. The newsletter now goes out to over 80 email addresses -
double that of 5 months ago, and nearing halfway to the goal
of reaching 200 addresses. Any news sent back to this email
address and included in the next newsletter can really start
reaching many different congregations for their support. Your
editor looks forward to hearing about events in villages
other than Wheatley, which has been the main focus until now.
I hope that new readers will find the newsletter useful, and
if so send it to their friends and encourage them to email
Kevin1.Betts@ntlworld.com to add themselves to the list to
receive future issues. The larger the readership, the more
useful the newsletter can be.
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| ><> GOOD NEWS <>< |
| Building the Kingdom Locally |
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><> Easter Family Festival by Lucy Betts
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On Saturday 27th March from 2pm - 4.30pm we are having an
Easter Family Festival at Wheatley Primary School. It is a
free community event and everyone is welcome. We will have
craft tables, a bouncy castle, refreshments, entertainment
and lots of activities and games. Do come along and bring
your friends and families.
We are also looking for volunteers to help with the
activities so if you would be available on the day please
could you let Lucy Betts know on 01865 875436.
We plan to offer this as a free event so would be grateful
for any financial donations or donations of cakes, biscuits,
craft items (such as card, tissue paper, tubes etc) and hard
boiled eggs! Again please contact Lucy on the number above.
Unfortunately the poster for the festival was not included in
the bimonthly Wheatley newsletter (Pam - its editor - had her
email address shut down and so did not receive the file). So
a real push is needed to advertise the festival around
Wheatley and the surrounding villages. Marty Woods (01865
876596) has flyers to post through letter boxes if needed, or
could put up the poster attached to this email in public
spots? Thank you!
We look forward to seeing you there!
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><> Good Friday Procession of the Cross by Tony Barry
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As in recent years, this annual Wheatley Area Churches public
witness will be extended to last for the whole day and it is
hoped that it will again take in the Midday service at
Waterperry, the 2.00 pm service at St Mary's and the evening
service at the Granary Church.
All are invited to take part in as much or as little of the
day as may suit them individually and you may join or leave
the procession at any point, but for those who can walk with
the cross all day, they will find it both a humbling and
rewarding experience.
The day will start at about 09.30 with a short meditation at
Our Lady of Lourdes Church, in Crown Road. It will then be
carried to The URC in Crown Square, from where it will leave
at 10.00 for its usual route around the centre of the village
to include Farm Close Road, The Memorial Gardens, The High
Street & Merry Bells, returning to The URC for hot cross buns
and refreshments. A cross carrying party will then leave
Crown Square again before 11.15 to start the journey (partly
by vehicle) to Waterperry Church where it will arrive before
12.00 for a meditative service lasting about an hour. After
the service the cross will return to Wheatley again to arrive
at St Mary's before 14.00 for a second meditative service.
The cross will then remain in or outside St Mary's until
collected at around 18.00 by members of The Granary Church
for the final service of the day, after which it will be
returned to The URC in readiness to be decorated for Easter
Day.
For more detailed information about the itinerary for the
day, look for a full itinerary to be posted in your church or
speak to Tony Barry (01865 872293), with any other queries.
All walking with the cross are requested to proceed in
silence except for the occasional stops for readings, prayers
and hymns and to process in an orderly fashion keeping to the
pavements wherever possible.
As this is a joint churches event taking place in the public
domain, it is not specifically covered by any policy of
insurance. People joining the procession do so entirely at
their own risk and must be mindful of their own safety at all
times and that of those around them. Neither Wheatley Area
Churches nor any of its individual member churches will
accept any liability whatsoever for any personal injury or
loss arising out of this event.
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| ><> EVENTS <>< |
| Signs and Wonders |
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Mar 13 (Saturday)
><> 10am-12pm - Fair Trade Coffee Morning - Merry Bells
"A Taste for Life" - Exhibition, Coffee/tea tasting,
video, free samples, traidcraft stall
><> 7-9:30pm Family Quiz - Merry Bells - £4 entry + supper
Tony Wigley - 01865 872116 or Lucy Betts - 01865 875436
Mar 14 (Sunday)
><> 3-5pm - St Mary's, Wheatley - Its PARTY TIME!!
Pre school children and their parents/carers are warmly
invited to a party to celebrate the re-launch (from Mar
22) of St Mary's Monday 2pm Toddler service: "Little
Fishers". There will be refreshments, some games and
activities for the children, and an opportunity to meet
others.
Mar 16 (Tuesday)
><> 7:30-9:15pm - Finding God in Politics
A lentern talk by Lord Butler of Brockwell (who is
heading up inquiry into intelligence behind the decision
to go to war with Iraq). Lime Walk Methodist Church Hall,
New High Street, Headington
Mar 19 (Friday)
><> 7:45 pm - The Coach House, Quarry Road, Headington
GOD OUTSIDE THE BOX - Bishop Richard Harries will talk
about his book, which deals with objections to
Christianity and suggests possible answers - time for
questions
Mar 24 (Wednesday)
><> 7:30pm - Stanton St. John Village Hall - A Lenten Talk
for the 4 parishes "The Legacy of Suffering" by Canon
Michael Bourdeaux (from the Keston Institute) who has
been involved in religious freedom and persecution all
over the world. All are welcome.
><> 7:45pm - URC, Wheatley - Festival training night
Training will be provided for volunteers for the festival
on the following Saturday - Lucy Betts - 01865 875436
Mar 25 (Thursday)
><> Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" is released
Anyone fancy a group visit to the cinema?
http://snipurl.com/439d
Mar 27 (Saturday)
><> 10am-12pm - St Mary's Spring Fayre - Merry Bells
><> 2-4:30pm - *** EASTER FAMILY FESTIVAL ***
at the Wheatley Primary School, Littleworth Road
Activities will include: Bouncy Castle, Easter Bonnet &
Egg Decorating, Kids Carpentry, Face Painting, Drinks and
much more. Everything is free.
Come and have some Easter fun! - Lucy Betts: 01865 875436
Apr 4 (Sunday)
><> 6:30pm - Beckley Church - 'Tenebrae': The Studley Singers
will lead this devotional reflection for Passiontide with
music by Colin Mawby, and words from ancient and
contemporary sources. Lasting just under an hour and with
two hymns for the congregation, this was given four years
ago in Horton-cum-Studley Church, where it made a great
impact on all those present. Music and words compare the
desolation of Our Lord at the time of his Passion with
the destruction of Jerusalem in the time of Jeremiah and
form an ideal beginning for Holy Week.
Apr 9 (Friday)
><> 10am - Crown Square, Wheatley - Good Friday Procession of
the Cross. Hot Cross buns served afterwards at the URC
Apr 12 (Monday)
><> 11am-12:30pm - Shotover - Easter Egg rolling
Enter painted hard boiled eggs for three different
competitions. Suitable for all ages. Meet at car park at
the top of Old Road, Headington, Oxford
May 24 - 29
><> Cuddesdon College Festival
http://www.oxford.anglican.org/rcc/
May 28 (Friday)
><> 11:30am-1pm - Ripon College - Special eucharist to
commemorate 150 years of theological education in
Cuddesdon. Preacher: Richard Harries, Bishop of Oxford.
The Archbishop of Canterbury will be in attendance and
lecturing in the College in the afternoon.
May 31 (Monday)
><> 2pm onwards - Wheatley URC, Annual Fete
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| ><> LOCAL LINKS <>< |
| wwjd.com |
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><> Our Lady of Lourdes, Wheatley
http://www.communigate.co.uk/oxford/rcchurch/page5.phtml
><> Visit CS Lewis' house (Reserve next door open anytime):
http://www.cslewis.org/news/kilnrental.htm
><> Waterperry, St Mary the Virgin
http://snipurl.com/4lnn
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| ><> SMALL PRINT <>< |
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Christians in the Community is a digest of Christian
happenings in the Wheatley area and beyond. It is compiled by
Kevin Betts from information he gets sent. Submissions
deadline for next issue is 9th April.
(Un)subscribe or News to Email: Kevin1.Betts@ntlworld.com
Phone: 01865 875436
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