ADVENT 1
TODAY
8.00 am HOLY COMMUNION in Church
8.50 am ADVENT BREAKFAST in church
A continental breakfast will be served in church between the two morning services, from 8.50am to 9.45am. Hot drinks, fruit juices, warm croissants, toast and preserves will be available to enjoy! Everyone is warmly invited to enjoy delicious food, chat and fellowship together as we start the Advent season.
10.00am HOLY COMMUNION in Church and on YouTube
NEXT WEEK
Tuesday 2nd December 9:00 am Morning Prayer – Church
Thursday 4th December 9:00 am Morning Prayer – Church
Saturday 6th December 11.30 am Childrens Activity Morning – Church Hall
SUNDAY 7th December 2025
Advent 2
8am HOLY COMMUNION in Church
Preacher: Revd Andrew Francis
Reading: Romans 15. 4-13
Sidespersons: Jean Reens and Christine Wrixon
10.00am HOLY COMMUNION in Church and on YouTube
Preacher: Revd Andrew Francis
Intercessions: Tracy Mason
Reading: Romans 15. 4-13
Reader: Louise Bowyer
Altar Servers: Jean Ford and Louise Bowyer
Sidespersons: Sally Parker and Sadie Payne
6.00pm EVENSONG in Church
Preacher: Revd Phill Harrison
Intercessions: Dr John Godfree
Reading: 1 Kings 18. 17-39
Reader: Tim Winter
Sidespersons: Lynn Hezlett and Jean Ford
Live streaming the 10am service The 10am service will be live streamed on You Tube. Please visit our YouTube Channel on https://www.youtube.com/@WroughtonWichelstoweParChurch (or search for Wroughton and Wichelstowe Parish church) and press the ‘subscribe’ button.
Loop System is now working
Small Groups
If you would like to join a small group, please contact the leaders of the groups below and find out where there is space. We would love to have everyone involved in a small group.
| 22 Kellsboro Avenue | Mondays 10am-11.30 | Lillian Wicks & Louise Bessent |
| 12 Artis Avenue | Tuesdays at 7.30pm | Carolyn Kirk & Lorna Robinson |
| Church Hall | Alternate Tuesday evenings | Nick & Joan Orman next mtg 2/12 |
| 67 Savill Crescent | Wednesday evenings during term time | Tracy Mason |
| Church Hall | Saturday men’s Fellowship – Bi-Monthly | Mike Mason |
Sunday Club’ dates
Our Sunday morning group for primary school aged children takes place in the Vicarage during the 10am service, usually on the 1st and 3rd Sundays. Future dates are:
| Date | Adults- lead/support | |
| 7/12 | Phill/Karen F | Christmas- Mary/ Joseph Gabriel Bethlehem |
| 21/12 | Karen H/Miriam | Birth/shepherds/ message |
| 4/1/2026 | Barbara/Carolyn | Kings/Epiphany |
Thy Kingdom Come Pilgrimage 2026 14th-24th May 2026.
The diocesan Mission and Ministry team are planning a pilgrimage across the diocese to coincide with the 9 days of Thy Kingdom Come, ending on the day before Pentecost, 23rd May 2026.
The route will go through every single deanery over the nine days, praying as we go. We plan to visit churches and special sites where we will pause to pray for God’s kingdom in those places.
We expect that there will be a core of people who walk the whole route, and we will look to stay overnight in church halls or churches. However, we would encourage people from each deanery to join us as we walk through their deaneries and for everyone who has taken part to come together in a celebration on the final Saturday.
We have a core planning team of 10 people so far and would love to have a ‘Pilgrimage Champion’ from each deanery who could help and advise in planning routes, hospitality and publicising the event within your deanery.
If you would like to join Sally and Steve Robertson as Pilgrimage Champions for Swindon please let Sally know. Sally.robertson27@btinternet.com
Lunch Date
A reminder that we will be meeting for a light lunch on Wednesday December 3rd at 11.30am in the Prospect Hospice Café. Please join us if you are free. Christine.
Christmas Activity Morning
There will be a family activity morning on Saturday 6th December in the Church Hall, starting at 11.30 am. If you would like to come and help by talking to families, looking after a craft or just being a general helper please let Barbara know. You could also provide some food for the lunch, so please sign up on the form at the crossing.
Carol Singing 16th December
Janet & John will lead their usual carol sing at Wroughton care homes on the afternoon of Tuesday 16th December. We are hoping to start at Lansdowne Hill at 2.15/2.30 (to be confirmed) and then go across to Banks Place for 3.30. All welcome.
Purton Come and Sing Messiah Saturday 6th December
We are planning to hold a Come and Sing Handel’s Messiah (excerpts) on Saturday 6th December 2025 at St Mary’s Church Purton. It should be a fantastic event in a wonderful building (though of course I might be bias in saying that!). If you need more information, please contact Ian Tweedie-Smith. Poster attached and booking here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/come-and-sing-handels-messiah-excerpts-tickets-1508071214599?aff=eivtefrnd&utm-campaign=social%2Cemail&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-source=strongmail&utm-term=listing
Tear Fund Quiz – THANK YOU
Thank you to everyone who supported the Tear Fund Quiz last Saturday it was wonderful to have such a good turnout. We raised £640.00 which will be sent to Tear Fund thank you for your generosity. Peter Ferguson
Coffee Rota – Can you help?
Would anyone consider joining the coffee team after the 10am service? We would love to have you on board and you would only be required every 5th week. One person would be great,a couple even better. We are a flexible team and swap dates when necessary. Please speak to me if you are interested. Sally Parker
Fairtrade Pop-Up Shop
Enjoy browsing fairly traded goods at our Advent Pop-Up shop after the 10am service in Church.
The shop will be in place for the next few weeks and you’ll be able to buy goods including the Real Advent Calendar, gifts, decorations, and food. You’ll be supporting ethical trading practices, and helping people around the world get paid a fair wage and enjoy good working conditions. Cash preferred but you can pay by bank transfer. Eco Church Group
Fair Trade Christmas Cards
I will be selling Fair Trade Christmas cards after the 10am services. Each pack of 10 costs £4.50. and 10% goes to Mercy Ships. Sally Parker
Home Communion
If anyone is unable to attend Church through illness, or infirmity, they can receive the reserved communion from a lay reader who is a member of the pastoral team. This is offered on an occasional or monthly basis. Please contact the Vicar or Janet in the office 812050.
Funerals
We commend to God’s care and keeping those who have died, Andrea Scott, Dennis Cook, Doreen Harris. We pray for all those who mourn the loss of a loved one.
Floodlighting
If you would like the Church to be floodlit for a special occasion (cost £20.00) Forms are available in Church or online please return to Janet in the Office or email office@wroughton.com.
The Parish Office, Priors Hill, Wroughton, SN4 0RT – 01793 812050 office@wroughton.com Open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 9am to 1.30pm Revd Phill Harrison – Vicar 01793 812301 vicar@wroughton.com
FINANCE UPDATE
As Phill pointed out in church last week, prices have risen by 28% since 2020 and our income has reduced by 10%. To manage this, we have not increased the amount we give to the Diocese since 2020 and we have reduced the amount we give to the charities we support. Despite this we currently expect that we will spend around £2,000 more that we receive on day-to-day expenditure. The money we give to the Diocese covers the costs of paying and housing parish clergy, as well as the support services they provide to churches like ours. They are now facing the same problem that we are.
Spending more than we get in cannot continue. It is essential to increase our income to cover everything that we need to spend. Looking ahead to 2026, if we were to make a modest increase of 5% in the amount we provide to the Diocese, then we will face a deficit of over £12,000 (£230 per week) which we cannot afford!
Expected weekly costs of running the church in 2026:
| Expenditure | |
| Charities | £ 55.00 |
| Parish Share | £ 1,633.02 |
| Ministry & Mission | £ 181.53 |
| Utilities | £ 104.33 |
| Church running | £ 80.70 |
| Support Salaries | £ 282.74 |
| Other support costs | £ 135.13 |
| Total | £ 2,472.45 |
If we are to meet these costs, we need to raise an additional £230 per week or £1000 per month.
Some people have moved away but our community is growing in size, so it ought to be possible to increase our income. Most people’s incomes have increased something like in line with inflation over the last 5 years.
£230 per week might seem like a lot but there are over a hundred of us so if on average each of us were able to increase our giving by £2.00 per week per person that would be enough.
What can I do?
Please prayerfully consider these suggested options:
- Please consider how much you can give on a regular basis and let us know. This really helps us know how much money we will receive. Preferably sign up to one of our planned giving schemes.
- If you do give regularly through one of the schemes, please consider increasing your payment by inflation every year.
- Please check whether you are a tax-payer. If you are, then allowing your payments to come under the Gift Aid scheme will increase the value of your donation by 25% at no cost to yourself.
