Weekly News

The Sixth Sunday of Easter - 25th May 2025 

Dear all

Welcome to the news for this week. Firstly, please remember that Ascension Day falls this Thursday (29/05/25)  and we will once again be celebrating with the West Downland Benefice. This year the service is at 7pm in St. Mary's, Chieveley. Please join us and help to celebrate this great feast of the faith.

There is information for the coming week below and I would encourage you to take a look at all that is on offer. As well as general church notices and prayer intentions for the coming week and beyond there is also some information about two fundraising efforts. One is the Kennet Opera Summer Concert taking place at and in aid of St. John's Church, Stockcross (see the leaflet below), the other is the Prostate Cancer UK ‘Big Golf Race’ fundraising campaign. I will once again be spending my day off on 30 May trying to raise funds for this good cause. If you can help, you can donate by visiting this link - all donations welcome, however big or small!

Finally, there are some changes to tell you about on the website this week. One is to let you know that we have a 'Sustainability and Environment' page where you can fine inspiration about looking after God's creation and making sure we can hand on his world to the next generation.  I have also (finally!) put the services for the month on the front page to make them easier to find. If yo have suggestions to make the website easier to use, please get in touch.

This Sunday there will be five services  in the benefice:

  8.30am - Holy Communion, Farnborough

   9.30am - Eucharist, Beedon

   9.30am - Family Service, Winterbourne

11.00am - Eucharist, Stockcross

   6.00pm - Evensong, Peasemore

Next Sunday - 1st June - the services will be:

   8.30am - Holy Communion, Beedon

   9.30am - Eucharist, Chieveley

   9.30am - Eucharist, Peasemore

11.00am - Family Service, West Ilsley

11.00am - Eucharist, Boxford

   6.00pm - Evensong, Farnborough

You can also find sermons from Douglas by following this link, and there are news items and dates for your diary on the website and the pew sheet including details of further fundraising events.

Please do also encourage others to keep in touch with what is going on by signing up to these updates. Just forward this email or cut and paste the following link and send it to them: 

https://mailchi.mp/d58d3b280189/east-downland-sign-up

For now, as always, all the best and God bless

                      John