Longcot Village

Dear Congregation and Friends of St Mary Longcot,

Please find attached the Benefice Newsletter for the week commencing Sunday 14^th April. 

St Mary Longcot.  The Sunday service at St Mary Longcot will be Holy Communion and will be led by the Revd Patrick.  The start time is the usual 9.30am. 

Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM).  A copy of the reports delivered at the APCM on Wednesday is on the noticeboard in the church porch.  If you would like an e-copy then please just ask me.

Oxfordshire Art Weeks.  As usual the ‘Oxfordshire Art Weeks’ will be held throughout the County in the month of May with different weeks for different areas.  We come under Southern Oxfordshire with exhibits open from 18^th to 27^th May.  Further details can be found on the web and a few copies of the ‘Festival Guide & Artist Directory’ are on the bookcase just inside the entrance to St Mary. 

Dear Congregation and Friends of St Mary Longcot,

Please find attached the Benefice Newsletter for the week commencing Sunday 28^th January. 

Sunday 28^th January.  This week’s Benefice Service will be held in St Andrew’s Church Shrivenham. Start time is 10.15am.

St Mary Longcot.  The next service at St Mary Longcot will be a Holy Communion on Sunday 4^th February at the usual time of 9.30am.

Bob Birtwhistle RIP.  Most of you will already be aware that Bob Birtwhistle passed away peacefully at his home last weekend.  His funeral will be held on Friday 9^th February with a service at Kingsdown Crematorium at 10am and a thanksgiving in St Mary’s at 2pm to celebrate his life. Everyone is welcome at either or both services, but the family have indicated that they would particularly welcome friends and congregation to the afternoon church service at St Mary.  Our thoughts and prayers are with Heather and her family.

Dear Congregation and Friends of St Mary Longcot,

Please find attached the Benefice Newsletter for the week commencing Sunday 31^st December. 

Benefice Service – Sunday 31^st December.  A Benefice Service will be held at St Thomas’ Church Watchfield on Sunday 31^st December and will be led by the Revd Norma Fergusson.  Start time is 10.30pm. 

Sunday 7^th January.  The next service in St Mary Longcot will a Holy Communion on Sunday 7^th January at the usual time of 9.30am.Happy New Year Everybody

Dear Congregation and Friends of St Mary Longcot,

Please find attached the Benefice Newsletter for the week commencing Sunday 3^rd December and the associated readings. 

Service at St Mary Longcot – Sunday 3^rd December.  Sunday’s service will be Holy Communion and will be led by the Revd Patrick.  It will be his first service in St Mary since he was appointed Associate Vicar, so please do come along and support him.  Refreshments will be served afterwards.  Start time is the usual 9.30am.

Christmas Services.  Please find attached a list of the Advent and Christmas services in the Benefice during December.         

Local Bus Service.  Most of you will be aware that a new bus service has started and passes through Longcot.  The bus stop is outside the Old Vicarage on Kings Lane (near Hughes Crescent), although the timetables say that the stop is by the Village Green.  I have a suspicion that it will just stop anywhere in the village if you just wave your arm at it!   The end-stops for the bus are Faringdon and Wantage.  Copies of the timetable and the route are attached.                                                                     

Dear Congregation and Friends of St Mary Longcot,

Please find attached the Benefice Newsletter for Sunday 26^th November and the associated readings. May I draw your attention to the second page of the newsletter where the PCC’s very grateful thanks are extended to all those who assisted with last Sunday’s highly successful concert at St Mary.  It was a fabulous event.

Benefice Service, St Andrew’s Church Shrivenham – Sunday 26^th November.  This month’s Benefice Service will be held at St Andrew’s Church Shrivenham. Norma Fergusson will lead the worship and will be ably supported by the Benefice Choir.  Please note that start time will be 10.15am. 

Local Villages Newsletter. Please also find attached the December edition of our local villages newsletter.                                                                                          

Longcot Service – Sunday 19^th November.  The Service at St Mary Longcot on Sunday 19^th November will be at 9.30am as usual. It will be Morning Prayer and will be led by Richard Fergusson.  

Dear Congregation and Friends of St Mary Longcot,

Please find attached the Benefice Newsletter for the week commencing Sunday 12^th November and the associated readings. 

Benefice Consultation Survey. 

1. The Revd Norma Fergusson is retiring in May 2024, and the Benefice is looking towards the future and her successor.  To that end an informal consultation is being organised by the Diocese.  It will start with a meeting in Shrivenham Memorial Hall on Sunday afternoon 19th November. Everyone is welcome, whether a churchgoer or not.  Come and share your thoughts and observations on what we currently do well, what is less successful, and what you would like to see happening in the future.

2. Tea and cake will be served from 3:30pm, with the start of the meeting at 4pm.

3. The meeting will end by 6pm at the latest but, for those of you (like me) who are attending the concert in St Mary, please feel free to attend for as long as you are able.

4. We would love to see you there, but if you are unable to come along, you can still take part in the consultation process via our online survey which is available at https://s.surveyplanet.com/v3h79lf9.
   A copy of the survey is attached if you would prefer to complete it on paper.  You can then send it directly to our administrator Lucy Laird (her address is at the bottom of the survey sheet) or pass it to me (in an envelope please) for onward delivery.

Longcot Remembrance Service – Sunday 12^th November.  This year’s Remembrance Service in Longcot will begin at 10.50am with an Act of Remembrance at the War Memorial in the Churchyard and the service will then be completed inside the church.  The Revd Norma Fergusson will lead the worship

Licensing Service of the Revd Patrick Mabhunu.  The Revd Patrick Mabhunu’s licensing service was held at Ashbury last Monday.  It was a joyous affair with (literally) standing room only.  (See the Newsletter for photographs.)  We all extend a very warm welcome to Patrick and his family and look forward to having him officiate in St Mary Longcot in the near future.

Dear Congregation and Friends of St Mary Longcot,

Rather belatedly, please find attached the Benefice Newsletter for the week commencing Sunday 5^th November. I would like to draw your attention to the Licensing Service of the Revd Patrick Mabhunu, which will take place at Ashbury tomorrow evening (Monday 6^th November) starting at 7.30pm.  The Bishop of Dorchester will be officiating.

Longcot Remembrance Service – Sunday 12^th November.  This year’s Remembrance Service will begin at 10.50am with an Act of Remembrance at War Memorial and the service will then be completed inside the church.  The Revd Norma Fergusson will lead the worship

Dear Congregation and Friends of St Mary Longcot,

Please find attached the Benefice Newsletter for Sunday 29^th October and the associated readings. 

Benefice Service, Ashbury – Sunday 29^th October.  This month’s Benefice Service will be held at Ashbury and will start at 11am. The Benefice Choir will be in attendance.

Local Villages Newsletter. Please also find attached the November edition of our local villages newsletter. 

Dear Congregation and Friends of St Mary Longcot,

Please find attached the Benefice Newsletter for Sunday 22^th October and the associated readings.  I would like to draw your attention to three items in the Newsletter:

1. Licensing Service.  On the front page are details of the Licensing Service for our new Associate Vicar, the Rev’d Patrick Mabhunu, on Monday 6^th November in Ashbury.

2. Torriano Ensemble Concert. On the back page are details for the Autumn Concert in St Mary Longcot on Sunday 19^th November.

3. Looking to the Future.  There will be public a consultation as part of the process to select the Revd Norma Fergusson’s replacement next year.  Details are on the back page. 

St Mary’s Church Longcot – Sunday 22^th October.  The Revd Norma Fergusson will lead the morning worship at St Mary this week.  It will be a Holy Communion and start time is the usual 9.30am. Refreshments will be served afterwards.  Please note that the central heating is on the blink and the engineer is not due to come until Monday afternoon, so please dress warmly.  Oil-filled radiators will be placed strategically around the nave.