Download a pdf of October’s Prayer Diary
Pray to the Father through the Son in the power of the Spirit for:
THURSDAY 1 The Churn, nr Didcot: Jason St John Nicolle – Rector, Mark Rhodes-Smith, Louise Butler, John Clarke. For our ministry relating to artificial intelligence and our monthly community talks about this subject. For our environmental ministry including the climate Q&A on 11 October.
Blewbury Endowed CE Primary School, Hagbourne CE Primary School.
FRIDAY 2 Oxford Deanery: Gavin Knight – Area Dean, Christopher Woods, Prudence Dailey, Christopher Fletcher-Campbell. For the new deanery officers and for God’s grace in filling any vacancies. For our work with children and young people.
SATURDAY 3 Oxford St Andrew: Dan Heyward – Vicar, and the ministry team. For church growth in depth and breadth at St Andrew’s and in Cutteslowe as we hold a church weekend away in October and prepare for a service of baptism and confirmation. For ministry and mission across all ages in the local community, particularly the youth and children’s ministry from St Andrew’s and the elderly ageing hub in Cutteslowe.
MONDAY 5 Osney, Oxford: Rachel Cross – Associate Priest, Simon Cross, John Chorlton, Jo Moffett-Levy, Phillip Nixon. The two PCCs of the benefice as they work towards appointing a new Rector. For the wider west Oxford community as it acclimatises to new transport arrangements following the opening of the Botley Road.
North Hinksey CE Primary school
TUESDAY 6 Oxford St Aldate: Stephen Foster – Rector and the entire ministry team. Prayer for people exploring faith. Prayer for our ACT (A Community that Transforms) ministry. For all those being confirmed at St Michael’s & All Angels Sunninghill by Bishop Mary.
WEDNESDAY 7 Oxford St Barnabas and St Paul with St Thomas the Martyr: Fr Christopher Woods – Vicar, Susan Gillingham, Jenny Pittaway, Joy Tetley, Sarah Coakley, Rachel Weir. For the emerging ministry with the arts in the St Thomas Quarter area of the parish. For an increase in the Sacramental and contemplative life of the parish.
St Barnabas CE Primary School
THURSDAY 8 Oxford St Mary the Virgin with St Cross with St Peter in the East: William Lamb – Vicar, Hannah Cartwright, and all the ministry team. For new students arriving at Oxford’s universities and for students returning for a new academic year. For our ministry of hospitality as we redevelop the cafe space as a place of hospitality for all.
FRIDAY 9 Oxford St Matthew with St Luke; Jennifer Williams – Vicar, and all the ministry team. For our Refresh Appeal as we seek to fundraise for a more eco-friendly heating system. For ongoing growth in our children’s work, giving thanks for the contact we made with local families at our Eclipse Party.
St Ebbe’s CE Primary School.
SATURDAY 10 Wolvercote and Wytham: Kate Tuckett – Vicar, Anastasia Ryabchuk – Curate, and all the ministry team. For our growing and developing ministry to and with children and families, including regular after-school clubs and Messy Church. That we may continue to develop creative partnerships to serve our rapidly changing parish.
MONDAY 12 Oxford St Giles and St Philip and St James with St Margaret: Daniel Walters – Vicar, Sian Gronlie, Claire Browes, Liz Carmichael, Anne Holmes, Eva Walters. Pray that the St Giles’ ‘Our Church, Our Future’ initiative will bear fruit in the coming months. Pray that St Margaret’s Church’s renewed space will be able to increase our engagement with our local community.
SS Philip and James CE Primary School.
TUESDAY 13 Oxford St Ebbe with Holy Trinity and St Peter le Bailey: Vaughan Roberts – Rector, James Poole, Benjamin Vane, Anthony Bewes, Piers Bickersteth, Daniel McKinlay, James Weaver, Tobias Collins. A new church plant from St Ebbe’s meeting at Marlborough School, Woodstock, which started in September. For our outreach to the many new students who arrive in Oxford this month.
WEDNESDAY 14 Kidlington with Hampton Poyle: Felicity Scroggie – Rector, Oliver Harrison, Paul Charles, and all the ministry team. The young people who are going on a weekend away. That we will receive positive answers to funding applications for our community projects: Kidlinks, Parentlinks, and the Community Garden.
THURSDAY 15 Oxford St Mary Magdalen: Jonathan Lewis-Jong – Vicar, Judith Brown, Barry Hammett, Melanie Marshall, Hugh Wybrew, Martin Hening. For all those discerning vocations to ordained ministry here. For all who visit the church, seeking peace and asking for our prayers.
FRIDAY 16 Oxford St Michael and St Martin and All Saints: Anthony Buckley – Vicar, Alistair Reid, Eve Hitchens, Charles Raven, Audrey Southgate, Richard Smail. For wisdom as to how best serve a growing congregation across all ages. For our international and local vision.
SATURDAY 17 The Brickhills and Stoke Hammond, Bucks: Jeremy Hopkinson – Licensed Lay Minister. Praying for the four parishes during the vacancy and that the Holy Spirit will be at work guiding the right person to come as Rector to lead our benefice. A prayer for Stoke Hammond as they come to the date of their Patronal Festival, 18 October, St Luke’s Day.
Bow Bricknell CE Primary School, High Ash CE Primary School.
MONDAY 19 South with New Hinksey: Thomas Fink-Jensen – Priest-in-Charge, Bernard Dagnall. Give thanks for many baptisms of young and old over the summer at St Laurence, and their 825th anniversary celebrations coming up. For BeSpace, happening for the second time at New Hinksey CE Primary School, for their interim board, and clarity on the future of the school.
TUESDAY 20 Summertown: Gavin Knight – Vicar, Nicholas Bradbury, Mary Gurr, Alyson Perberdy, Peter Silva, Susie Snyder. For our church garden – that it may bring peace and serve as a sign of God’s kingdom. For our investment into a mentor for a children’s choir and music group.
WEDNESDAY 21 Mursley Deanery: James Grainger-Smith – Area Dean, Yvonne Mullins, Amanda Digne-Malcolm. For key appointments – Incumbent of The Brickhills & Stoke Hammond Benefice, lay chair and deanery secretary. Pray also that, by the grace of God, diverse people and parishes may grow together.
THURSDAY 22 Newton Longville, Mursley, Swanbourne, Little Horwood and Drayton Parslow, Bucks: Yvonne Mullins – Rector, Linda Church, Jane Grimmette. Our work in our village schools – weekly collective worship, including our Open the Book teams. Our initiatives to be outward looking and welcoming including our Cafe Church, Breakfast Church, Forest Church and Third Sunday Mission Action Day initiatives.
Swanbourne CE School, Mursley CE School, Newton Longville CE School.
FRIDAY 23 Cottesloe nr Aylesbury: Dom Wright – Rector, Will Lyon Tupman, Lillie Jenkins, Annie Cooper, Pam Reeves, Roger Hale, Mike Butterworth. For our preparations for our Youth Alpha Course due to start on 8 November in Wing and our youth group in Stewkley that we are relaunching with the Methodist Church. For all our PCCs and teams involved in raising funds for and maintaining the fabric across our eight churches.
St Michael’s CE School, Wingrave CE School.
SATURDAY 24 Ivinghoe with Pitstone and Slapton and Marsworth, Bucks: James Grainger-Smith – Vicar, Sandra Green, Barbara De Butts. Following the ram-raiding of the Town Hall, Ivinghoe Library has re-located to the parish church – pray for our relationships with its staff and clients. For the encounters we have across the benefice through the occasional offices, our children’s work, our foodbanks and our recent Harvest festivals.
Marsworth CE Infant School.
MONDAY 26 Wallingford Deanery: Andy Lord – Area Dean, Vaughn Lawfull, Ali Adams. For an encouragement to pray through our upcoming Synod on contemplative prayer. For our new ministers, Revd Sam Dinsmore and Revd Andreas Wentzel, who have started in recent months.
TUESDAY 27 Didcot All Saints: Andy Lord – Rector, Nick Hards, Debbie Lord, Josie Midwinter. Our outreach and witness to Jesus in the community in the run-up to Christmas. For grace and compassion for those carrying health concerns for themselves and those they love.
All Saints CE Primary School.
WEDNESDAY 28 The Ladygrove Church, Didcot: Rachel Ciampoli – Associate Minister, Stewart Hartley. For our children and families work, which is in transition at the moment; for God to lead us through an appointment process with wisdom, considering a wide range of hopes, needs and challenges. For continued cultivation of discipleship as God brings us deeper into relationship with Him, one another, and the surrounding community.
THURSDAY 29 Great Western Park Church, Didcot: Sam Dinsmore – Associate Priest. As we search for a new home, please pray for God to open the door to somewhere new. For the new houses being built on Valley Park, that we would be able to connect with the new residents and grow a sense of community in the new estates. Pray that as we enter a new season with a new minister we would be aware of the opportunities to bless our community and for deep relationships to be built.
FRIDAY 30 Didcot St Peter: Hannah Reynolds – Vicar, Timothy Scane, Fran Childs. Pray for Wednesday Church for adults with learning disabilities or dementia and their carers. Pray also for Pebbles Baby Church and St Peter’s work with young families.
Northbourne CE Primary School.
SATURDAY 31 Harwell with Chilton: Jeremy Parsons – Rector, Sasha Reeves, Jan Radford, Pamela Rolls, Marilyn Thomas, Rob Thomas. As the Rector has stepped back to look after his family, we pray for them and those looking after the benefice in his absence.
Prayer on Sundays
SUNDAY 4
Pray for wisdom and unity for the Crown Nominations Commission, including Revd Matt Beer, Prof Helen King, Helen Lamb, Revd Joy Mawdesley, Archdeacon Stephen Pullin and Sir Hector Sants from our diocese, as they meet this Friday to shortlist candidates for the next Bishop of Oxford. For all those being confirmed at Holy Trinity Cookham by Bishop Mary.
SUNDAY 11
For all those being confirmed at St Mary’s Iffley and Christchurch Abingdon by Bishop Gavin. For all those being confirmed at Earley St Peter’s by Bishop Mary.
SUNDAY 18
The diocese’s Low Income Community Network Conference will be hosted by Reading Gateway this Thursday. Pray for those beautiful, life-filled communities and the churches and organisations who stand side by side with them in the face of economic hardship, social inequality and the complex challenges that our poorest areas of social housing and rented accommodation face daily. For the changes needed to allow better access to training, leadership pathways and fairer investment of resources across our diocese.
SUNDAY 25
We give thanks for the arrival of six new clergy and curates in Milton Keynes recently, and pray for them as they embark on their new ministries in their respective parishes. We thank you that you have called them to this place, at this time, and pray you will guide them in all wisdom, love and courage as they take mission forwards in this city.
Links
Prayers from Christian Concern for One World: ccow.org.uk
Topical prayers from the Church of England: churchofengland.org/topical-prayers