NEWSFLASH 8th May 2012. 

Sunday service times from now and for the summer up to August 26th are available in "Services and Events". We look forward to Whitsuntide on May 27th.

**ADVANCE NOTICE - CHURCH FETE Our two-yearly fête in the grounds of Garsington Manor takes place this year. It will be at 2pm on Saturday, 23rd June. This is always a great time for everyone involved

Family services will be on the third Sunday of each month as usual throughout spring & summer, including August. Cluster services will be on the first Sunday of each month: 3rd June in Horspath, 1st July at Cuddesdon, and 5th August again at Garsington. Additionally, August 12th will also be a cluster service, this time at Cuddesdon. Garsington regulars, do please enjoy meeting our fellows from the other churches at cluster services and in different surroundings: they are as friendly as we are!

Our minister Emma will be on three months' study leave in May, June and July, but the normal pattern of services will be covered by others, notably with help from familiar faces at Ripon College, Cuddesdon.

St Mary’s Church, Garsington, stands on a raised hilltop site commanding fine views across the Thames Valley towards the Wittenham Clumps.

The wedding scene in "Amazing Grace" was filmed at this church.

The present church has weekly services with regular attendance averaging 30 people. Many more take part in activities such as bell ringing and flower arranging, while the biannual Fête (next in June 2012) brings a large number of people working together. Our congregation contains a good spread of ages, ranging from people newly moved in to others who have lived in Garsington for many years. A monthly family communion service is especially oriented towards children and younger families, and the church has strong links with the local church school. Visitors often remark about the friendliness of St Mary’s.

St Mary’s completed in 2007 a buildings restoration project costing over £200,000, and in autumn 2010 the interior was redecorated using funds bequeathed by a villager. Further restoration of decayed stonework around our windows is currently in progress (2012).

Our Sunday morning service is at 9:30 am and is normally a Parish or Family Communion. The Family Communion is normally on the third Sunday of the month but this is subject to variation around Christmas, Easter and in August. On the first Sunday in the month, we meet for a joint service at Garsington or one of our cluster partner churches of Cuddesdon and Horspath, so you should check locally which one is hosting the service. Cluster services normally start at 10 am.

St Mary's has a rota of three capable organists, so the organ is used for music on most Sundays. A choir has been formed across the cluster of our three parishes, directored by Dr Jonathan Arnold. The choir sings at most of our monthly "cluster" services and for special events such as the Carol Service and the occasional festival evensong.

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