Wednesdays during Lent: 11-12 noon, Lent Study Group on 'Healing & Hope' at Harpsden, coffee from 10.40Common Cup - We have reintroduced the Common Cup at the Communion Rail so that everybody may partake, if you wish to do so. The host (wafers) will also be intincted by the Priest so if you do not wish to receive the Common Cup you will still receive the sacrament in both kinds, while those that wish to also receive from the Chalice may also do so.Please note that the Chalice Assistants are required to consume the content of the Chalice at the end of the distribution.This is our next step towards reintroducing the Common Cup fully - ie as we used to prior to the Pandemic.If you have any concerns then please do speak to a member of the clergy team.Lent LunchesDunsden Lent Lunches raised a total of £110. Thank you all for your support. We were able to send £55 + gift aid of £13 bringing the total to £68 to each of the two charities :Prostate Care and the Duchess of Kent Hospice.Revd Heather and Yvonne Watson. Harvest LunchHi everyone with in our united benefice, Originally arising out of going to the pub for our Harvest lunch last year, where all parishes were represented, now at the request of many previous diners …another is planned. This time on Wednesday 10th April, 1 pm at the Bottle and Glass Pub at Binfield Heath . I am awaiting details of their menu.A 2 course meal will cost in the region of £18.50 and includes a small glass of wine + the customary service charge. Please register your interest in attending this lunch asap so that I know who to circulate the menu details to. Revd Heather and Yvonne Watson.Please ring 07946352026, or if possible email revhwturner@gmail. to register your interest in attending the lunchOwen Walk and TalkThere will be an Owen walk and talk on Saturday 6th April at 10.30 (to finish about 1.00pm) A free 90 minute guided walk and talk about the window, with refreshments. Linda GlithroSeeking VolunteersThank you to those who have come forward already. There are a number of opportunities available for supporting your church and local community:Churchwarden and Treasurer for Shiplake Church; Sacristans and Chalice Assistants for all churchesIf any of these roles appeal, or you’d just like to know more, please speak to one of the clergy team.Expanding our Pastoral Care TeamWe are planning to expand our Pastoral Care Team and extend an invitation to anyone who feels called to be a visitor to the housebound, taking Home Communion and/or journeying with people who have been bereaved, preparing for marriage or having children Baptised.If this is of interest, please contact Revd Robert for a discussion about what is involved.Training and mentoring will be offered
24th March Palm Sunday10:00 Eucharist - ShiplakeProcession of palms and dramatic reading of the Gospel of St Mark14.00 Onwards - The Labyrinth at Shiplake ChurchMonday of Holy Week09:00- 20:00 Labyrinth at Shiplake09:00 Morning Prayer on ZoomOT - Lamantations 1.1-12a Psalm - 41 NT - Luke 22.1-2319:00 Labyrinth Walk - ShiplakeTuesday 09:00- 19:00 Labyrinth at Shiplake14:00 Prayer Group19:30 Taizé-style Service - Harpsden19:30 Bell Ringing PracticeWednesday09:00- 19:00 Labyrinth at Shiplake10:00 Communion service and Lent course - HarpsdenGospel - John 8.31-4211:00 Bible Study - Harpsden19:00 Celtic Evening Prayer - DunsdenThursday09:00-16:00 Labyrinth at Shiplake11:00 Chrism Mass - Oxford Cathedral19:00-22:00 Washing of feet and The Watch - ShiplakeOT - Exodus 12.1-14 NT - 1 Corinthians 11.23-36 Gospel - John 13.1-17,31b-35Good Friday10:00 Children's activities - Harpsden12:00 Good Friday service - Harpsden12:00 Three hours with the cross - Shiplake12:00 Three hours with the cross - Dunsden12:00 Three hours with the cross - HarpsdenAll three churches are open all day for personal prayerSaturday31st March Easter Sunday06:30 Easter Vigil and Fire with Breakfast in the Ark afterwards - Shiplake09:30 Easter Communion - Harpsden11:00 Easter Communion - Shiplake11:00 Easter Communion - DunsdenOT - Isaiah 25.6-9 NT - Acts 10.34-43 Gospel - John 20.1-18Details of services for March are available here.The Church of England Daily Prayers (text and audio) are available here.
At the AGM of Shiplake Bellringers on Sunday 11th February, Cyril Crouch retired as Tower Captain at Shiplake after nearly 50 years in the role. Cyril learned to ring at Whittlesey in Cambridgeshire in 1949 and moved to Shiplake in 1970, where he joined the band at SS Peter & Paul, and was elected a member of the Oxford Diocesan Guild on 12th February 1972. He has rung regularly at Shiplake for over 50 years, many of them as Tower Captain. In that time Cyril has made a massive contribution to keeping the bells ringing and improving the facilities. He has taught countless people of all ages to ring over those years and has always looked forward, never getting despondent when numbers were low, fully supported by his wife Mavis who was also a ringer. He was the instigator of the creation of the Shiplake Ringing Centre which is a nationally registered centre for the teaching and development of bellringing and which was awarded the 2006 Founders Prize for the best UK Ringing Centre. He has ensured that the bells were rung for all main services, plus weddings and funerals as required and has welcomed visiting ringers with open arms. He has always been supportive of developing the facilities and was a very enthusiastic and active participant in the 2009-10 project to replace the old bells with a completely new ring hung in a new bell-frame, (now considered to be one of the finest rings of 8 in the Diocese).He has ensured that the bells were rung for all main services, plus weddings and funerals as required and has welcomed visiting ringers with open arms. He has always been supportive of developing the facilities and was a very enthusiastic and active participant in the 2009-10 project to replace the old bells with a completely new ring hung in a new bell-frame, (now considered to be one of the finest rings of 8 in the Diocese). Cyril was not a great ringer of 3 hour peals, his focus was very strongly on keeping the bells ringing for services and training new ringers. He did ring one peal at Shiplake, in 2009, the last on the old bells before the restoration. The picture shows Cyril in front of the tower door along with the rest of the peal band. Standing on Cyril’s right is Joanna Cresshull (nee Knight) whom Cyril taught to ring when she was at Shiplake Primary School. She is now a ringer at Oxford Cathedral and is organiser of the annual National Young Ringers Ringing Competition. In 2023, Jo conducted a peal at Shiplake to mark Cyril’s 90th Birthday. Despite his heavy commitments with the ringing, Cyril also found time to be in the choir, on the PCC and to be involved with a lot of maintenance jobs around the Church. He started, and still runs, a handbell tune ringing group. Cyril intends to continue to ring at Shiplake as long as he can, but is standing down from the sometimes onerous role of Tower Captain. We owe Cyril a huge thank you for his dedication and hard work over half a century and look forward to him continuing to ring with us in the years to come.Bob Partridge