BENEFICE WEEKLY NEWS

Sunday 6th November - 3rd Sunday before Advent

Cuppa, chats and crafts - Monday 7th November

Our next informal fellowship get-together is on Monday 7th November from 2-3.30pm in The Ark, behind Shiplake Church. Feel free to bring your own projects along to show, to share or to work on while chatting - or just eat cake and share conversation. Refreshments are provided and everyone is welcome.

Memorial Service for Phillip Needham RIP

The Memorial Service and Thanksgiving for the life of Phillip Needham is at St Margaret of Antioch Church at 2pm on Tuesday 8th November. Everyone is welcome and there will be refreshments served after the service. We keep Pat and all her family in our prayers at this time.

Holy Trinity Church
10th November, 7.30pm
 

The LGBTI+ Chaplaincy Service provided by our Diocese is for and welcomes everyone from across the church spectrum and from all theological understandings and none.

Revd April Beckerleg will be giving a short talk at Holy Trinity Church on Thursday 10th November at 7.30pm about the service, as part of the Henley Deanery Synod meeting. Everyone is welcome to April’s session.

The LGBTI+ Chaplaincy Service in the Diocese of Oxford offers non-judgmental listening and support, and prayerful affirmation for LGBTI+ people, their families and friends. The Service aims to provide a safe space and dignity for every person at a time when these cannot be taken for granted.

They have clear expectations of inclusion and respect towards LGBTI+ people, their families and friends and receive many requests for guidance and support. The Chaplaincy service works in the hope and expectation that LGBTI+ people, and those close to them, are no longer left feeling on the margins of the Church of England. It is part of a diocesan-wide commitment to foster an attitude of inclusion and respect across the diversity of sexual and gender identities in our church and in the world. Find out more at: https://www.oxford.anglican.org/lgbti-chaplaincy or come and hear April speak on the subject.

Revd April Beckerleg
April is the vicar of a church in the Reading area. For the past few years, she has been supporting Christians whose family members are LGBTI+, discussing issues of love and protection, how this affects their attitudes to faith, the Bible and church tradition. 

Bishop Steven on Same-Sex marriage

In the light of the talk being given next Thursday in Henley by Revd April Beckerleg on the Diocesan LGBTI+ Chaplaincy Service - see above - you may be aware that +Steven has just published an essay ‘Together in Love and Faith’ setting out the ways his own views have changed on same-sex relationships over the last decade. The Diocesan press release is available here and a feature in the Church Times available here.

Do you need your Winter Fuel Allowance?

Henley Lions Winter Fuel Project has a simple purpose. Many people who receive the Winter Fuel Allowance are in a financially secure position and could afford to donate it, or part of it, to someone in real need.

People in ‘fuel poverty’, are those whose energy bills are greater than 10% of the net family income. There are, sadly, many families and individuals in such a situation, even in and around Henley-on-Thames.

Henley Lions Club works with NOMAD and Citizens Advice Henley to identify families and individuals in need of financial support because they are in fuel poverty or fuel debt (unable to pay off their entire bill).

Having determined a case is worthy of support, Citizens Advice Henley will ask Henley Lions to pay some or all of a fuel bill or fuel debt directly to the energy company involved. No monies are paid to the individual.

Please donate some or all of your winter fuel payment

Knowing there are many needy families and individuals in our district and having experience of other successful winter fuel projects, we are, therefore, inviting those for whom this payment is not essential to donate all or part of their Fuel Payment to this good cause.

All monies raised will be deposited in the Henley Lions Charity Trust Account and will be ring-fenced for the Winter Fuel Project.

Donations can be made online here. 

Winter Warm Spaces - floating an idea

Given the current situation with rising fuel prices and inflation driving up the cost of living, we are considering offering a weekly ‘Winter Warm Space’ at Shiplake Church where everyone is welcome. Probably 10.30 - 1.30 every Monday through the winter, to include hot drinks and soup, friendly conversation and generous hospitality in a warm space. We will need volunteers and sponsorship, so if you think it’s worth doing, please step forward to help. The more helpers we have, the less often you’ll be needed.

This is not a small undertaking, so your thoughts, comments and ideas as soon as possible please to Revd Sarah (contact details at the bottom of the newsletter).

Wilfred Owen
You may be interested to know that Melvyn Bragg's "In Our Time" program on Radio 4 on 27th October was on Wilfred Owen. It is still available on BBC Sounds here.

Choir Practice at Dunsden

Margaret and Adrian Fish are leading a weekly, informal choir practice at Dunsden Church to encourage new voices and to learn some new music. If you like singing and are interested in joining in, just turn up at 11am on a Saturday at All Saints Church.

For more information, contact Margaret on 07824 177151 or by email.

Join us to ring

Our handchimes group is open for the students of Year 2 or above. The children will have the opportunity to learn simple tunes, increase their musical knowledge, learn how to work as a team but, most of all, have a lot of fun. 

We are holding a weekly rehearsal each Friday at 4:30-5:30, starting from 9 September 2022, in The Ark (behind Shiplake Church). There are a limited number of places available; to ensure a place, please email me your child’s name and year group, and your name and contact number.

Thank you. Helen Lam