Church
Whilst the latest Lockdown 3.0 continues, there will be no “in person” services in any of the Benefice churches for the time being. Our friendly Zoom services will continue for the foreseeable, every Sunday at 09.30am. If you would like to join us, please email Zoom@bartonbenefice.org.uk . All you need to do is click on the link that will be sent to you, at the relevant start time.
Duns Tew Church will be open for private prayer from approximately 9am to dusk each day. Please sanitise your hands on entering and leaving.
For details of resources for worshipping at home, please check the Benefice website www.bartonbenefice.org.uk, the church notice board (located to the left of the lychgate), or contact Clare Burgess (347382, DTclare@bartonbenefice.org.uk). There are Weekly Bible Study and Prayer groups within the Benefice, plus a variety of programmes on BBC TV and Radio, and free apps etc.
When services in church resume, they will be advertised on the church noticeboard. Under Covid-19 restrictions if you wish to attend one of the services in church, please let Steph Lacey know by the afternoon of the day before each service, by phoning 347350 or by emailing services@bartonbenefice.org.uk
Come into the Light
Thank you to everyone, children and adults, for braving the awful weather to come to our “Come into the Light” event. We so enjoyed hearing the children re-tell the Christmas story, which had a definite 2020 twist! Many thanks to everyone who read and acted, to Diane Thornton for her script, to Gareth and Beth who lent us the sound system and to everyone who came. Thank you also for the many messages sharing appreciation for the goody-bags and for the amazing collection of photos.
Benefice Service on Zoom
The 30 minute internet-based Sunday morning service will continue on Zoom. Log-in is from 9.20am for a prompt start at 9.30am. Please email dunstewpcc@gmail.com for further details on how to join. If you would like to receive weekly church notices by email, contact Clare 347382, email: clarebugress@gmail.com
Benefice Bible Study on Zoom
The bible study group continues to meet on Zoom on Tuesdays at 7.15pm. Log-in details are on the weekly email which accompanies the notice sheet. For more details contact Maria on 01869 340826
studythebible@bartonbenefice.org.uk.
Benefice Facebook Page: Please remember to look at our Facebook page, and follow us on
www.facebook.com/bartonbenefice/. You can still look at our Facebook page even if you don’t have a Facebook account.
Choir News Not Yet …….. But Soon!
Although there are still many restrictions around singing in churches, we want to be ready to launch our two new choirs as soon as we are able. We want to welcome children, young people as well as adults to make music at our services in all the different villages of our Benefice.
We are planning to offer uplifting modern music as well as ancient motets and time-honoured favourites. So let us know if you are interested in singing, accompanying, learning encouraging, playing instruments or percussion or participating in any way at all! To register potential interest (no need to commit yourself yet), or ask for more information, please email choir@bartonbenefice.org.uk or ring Frances on 07880 518744, or Clare on 01869 347382
Christmas Lights for the Church
A very big thank you to freelance lighting designer, Tony Simpson, who designed and installed the amazing lights for the outside of Duns Tew Church and back lit some of its windows. Our thanks also go to Matt Ilott of Christie Lights who helped with the installation and to White Light Ltd who sponsored the lighting. It brought some much needed festive cheer to the village in these difficult times.
If you enjoyed the lights you can make a donation to Tony’s chosen charity, Thames Valley Air Ambulance, details of which can be found in the charities section below.
Our Charities
Charity of the Quarter
We are supporting SeeSaw from January to March. This charity provides bereavement counselling for children, young people and their families in Oxfordshire through appropriate and timely support, including telephone conversations, home visits and tailored individual support for instance when a parent or sibling is dying. For more information: https://www.seesaw.org.uk/
Not too late to support our Christmas Charities: We supported 3 additional charities over Christmas this year. These were: Open Doors (International aid for persecuted Christians.) www.opendoorsuk.org. The Children’s Society (Helping children who are victims of abuse, exploitation and neglect.) www.childrenssociety.org.uk. Thames Valley Air Ambulance (Providing the best possible chance of survival and recovery when the worst happens) www.tvairambulance.org.uk.
You can make a donation, via the PCC, in a number of ways: online to Duns Tew PCC, Sort Code: 30-90-42 (Lloyds) Account No: 00096480 reference Christmas if you wish your donation to be shared equally between the three charities, or to donate specifically to one use the following reference:
Open Doors: Doors
Children’s Society: Child
Thames Valley Air Ambulance: Air
Cheques payable to Duns Tew PCC or cash can be dropped off at 2 Longfield or Nonesuch, Hill Farm Lane.
More information next month on how much was raised.
Polly – Reverse Advent Calendar Boxes
Thank you to everyone who participated in the Reverse Advent Calendar Boxes for Polly. Polly was so touched when I took the first batch of food and gifts for the poor. She loves her work with these vulnerable people, but your help makes it much easier for her to help them. In addition we were able to give her £450 through your generous donations.
To continue to make donations to Polly both financial and in kind please either make an on-line payment to Duns Tew PCC, Sort Code: 30-90-42 (Lloyds) Account No: 00096480 reference ‘Polly’. Alternatively, please take cash/cheques (payable to Polly Preedy) and any clothing or food (baked goods/tinned/packets) to Clare Burgess, 5 Hill Farm Lane.
Please do not leave items outside the church if it is locked. Any queries: Clare 347382. Thank you for all your help.
Duns Tew Book Group
Book Group – On Thursday 14 January at 8pm we will be holding our annual book group social and planning meeting on Zoom. So, why not drop in, with a glass of something in hand, and help us select our books for 2021. As 2020 was not a year for travel and as there is on-going uncertainty as to where we will be able to go in 2021, we thought that perhaps travel could be a theme for our book choices. Meetings are held monthly, usually on a Wednesday at 8pm, currently on Zoom, but we will hopefully be able to revert to meeting in person during the year. The journey begins on Wednesday, 10th February when to start things off we will be discussing Middle England by Jonathon Coe – “a wry, mercilessly funny novel of modern Britain and the madness of Brexit”. If you would like to join us please contact Carol Rigby (nonesuchcarol@gmail.com) for further information and zoom details.