Welcome to The Ridgeway Benefice

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Welcome to The Ridgeway Benefice

Welcome to the Ridgeway Benefice website, for news and events about the Church of England parishes of Holy Cross Chiseldon with Draycot Foliat, Ogbourne St Andrew with Rockley and Ogbourne St George. The Ridgeway Benefice is in the Marlborough Deanery in the Diocese of Salisbury, part of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

Services in The Ridgeway Benefice:

Mid-week services: There is a said service of Holy Communion at Chiseldon Church Hall on Wednesdays at 10.00am.

Sunday 26^th January 2025, Epiphany 3:

10.30am, Café Church, St Andrew
10.30am, Parish Communion, Holy Cross
5.00pm, Evensong (BCP), St George

Readings: Nehemiah 8: 1-3, 5-6, 8-10; Psalm 19; 1 Corinthians 12: 12-31a; Luke 4: 14-21

Collect: Almighty God, whose Son revealed in signs and miracles the wonder of your saving presence: renew your people with your heavenly grace, and in all our weakness sustain us by your mighty power; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Sunday 2^nd February 2025, Candlemas:

8.30am, Holy Communion (BCP), Holy Cross
10.00am, Café Church, St George
10.30am, Morning Worship, Holy Cross
11.00am, Parish Communion, St Andrew

Readings: Malachi 3: 1-5; Psalm: 24: 7-end; Hebrews 2: 14-end; Luke 2: 22-40

Collect: Almighty and ever-living God, clothed in majesty, whose beloved Son was this day presented in the Temple, in substance of our flesh: grant that we may be presented to you with pure and clean hearts, by your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Sunday 9^th February 2025, Fourth Sunday before Lent:

08.30am, Holy Communion (BCP), St George
10.30am, Parish Communion, Holy Cross

Readings: Isaiah 6: 1-8; Psalm: 138; 1 Corinthians 15: 1-11; Luke 5: 1-11

Collect: O God, you know us to be set in the midst of so many and great dangers, that by reason of the frailty of our nature we cannot always stand upright: grant to us such strength and protection as may support us in all dangers and carry us through all temptations; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Sunday 16^th February, Third Sunday before Lent:

8.30am, Holy Communion (BCP), Holy Cross
10.30am, Zoom Service

Readings: Jeremiah 17: 5-10; Psalm: 1; 1 Corinthians 15: 12-20; Luke 6: 17-26

Collect: Almighty God, who alone can bring order to the unruly wills and passions of sinful humanity: give your people grace so to love what you command and to desire what you promise, that, among the many changes of this world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Sunday 23^rd February 2025, Second Sunday before Lent:

10.30am, Café Church, St Andrew
10.30am, Parish Communion, Holy Cross
5.00pm, Evensong (BCP), St George

Readings: Genesis 2: 4b-9, 15-end; Psalm: 65; Revelation 4; Luke 8: 22-25

Collect: Almighty God, you have created the heavens and the earth and made us in your own image: teach us to discern your hand in all your works and your likeness in all your children; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit reigns supreme over all things, now and for ever. Amen.

Sunday 2^nd March 2025, Sunday next before Lent:

8.30am, Holy Communion (BCP), Holy Cross
10.00am, Café Church, St George
10.30am, Morning Worship, Holy Cross
11.00am, Parish Communion, St Andrew

Readings: Exodus 34: 29-end; Psalm 99; 2 Corinthians 3: 12 – 4:2; Luke 9: 28-36 [37-43a]

Collect: Almighty Father, whose Son was revealed in majesty before he suffered death upon the cross: give us grace to perceive his glory, that we may be strengthened to suffer with him and be changed into his likeness, from glory to glory; who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Ash Wednesday (5^th March):

Holy Communion, 10.00am, Chiseldon Church Hall
Benefice Communion, 7.00pm, St George

Sunday 9^th March 2025, Lent 1:

8.30am, Holy Communion (BCP), St George
10.30am, Parish Communion, Holy Cross

Readings: Deuteronomy 26: 1-11; Psalm 91: 1, 2, 9-end; Romans 10: 8b-13; Luke 4: 1-13

Collect: Almighty God, whose Son Jesus Christ fasted forty days in the wilderness, and was tempted as we are, yet without sin: give us grace to discipline ourselves in obedience to your Spirit; and, as you know our weakness, so may we know your power to save; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Sunday 16^th March 2025, Lent 2:

8.30am, Holy Communion (BCP), Holy Cross
10.30am, Morning Worship, Holy Cross

Readings: Genesis 15: 1-12, 17-18; Psalm 27; Philippians 3: 17-4:1; Luke 13: 31-end

Collect: Almighty God, you show to those who are in error the light of your truth, that they may return to the way of righteousness: grant to all those who are admitted into the fellowship of Christ’s religion, that they may reject those things that are contrary to their profession, and follow all such things as are agreeable to the same; through our Lord Jesus Christ, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Sunday 23^rd March 2025, Lent 3:

10.30am, Café Church, St Andrew
10.30am, Parish Communion, Holy Cross
6.00pm, Evensong (BCP), St George

Readings: Isaiah 55: 1-9; Psalm 63: 1-9; 1 Corinthians 10: 1-13; Luke 13: 1-9

Collect: Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Mothering Sunday, 30^th March 2025:

10.00am, Mothering Sunday Service, St George
10.30am, Mothering Sunday Service, Holy Cross
11.00am, Mothering Sunday Service, St Andrew

Readings: Exodus 2: 1-10; Psalm 34: 11-20; 2 Corinthians 1: 3-7; Luke 2: 33-35 or John 19: 25b-27

Collect: God of compassion, whose Son Jesus Christ, the child of Mary, shared the life of a home in Nazareth, and on the cross drew the whole human family to himself: strengthen us in our daily living that in joy and in sorrow we may know the power of your presence to bind together and to heal; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Mid-week services: There is a said service of Holy Communion at Chiseldon Church Hall on Wednesdays at 10.00am.

Church Access

Church opening for private/individual prayer:

·St George: Wednesdays and Sundays, 9.00am-5.00pm

·St Andrew and Holy Cross can be opened on request either to the Rector or the Churchwardens.

Giving On-Line

When on-line services became available, the three churches in the Ridgeway Benefice saw a considerable reduction in income as we could take collections, therefore we created the ability for people to donate on-line. If you could donate a one off amount, or even a regular amount by standing order, please see details for each parish here: St Andrew, St George, Holy Cross

Help and Resources

‘Daily Hope’ phone line 0800 804 8044: This is a CofE initiative to provide access to worship, prayer and reflections. The line runs for 24 hours a day and is free to call.

Online church resources: https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/church-online

A prayer for all those affected by coronavirus: Keep us, good Lord, under the shadow of your mercy. Sustain and support the anxious, be with those who care for the sick, and lift up all who are brought low; that we may find comfort knowing that nothing can separate us from your love in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

The Ridgeway Benefice publishes a short Weekly Newsletter with information about coming services and other news.

Sign-up or cancel your subscription to our Weekly Newsletter

Safeguarding

Safeguarding Policy: The Ridgeway Benefice takes its responsibilities surrounding the safeguarding of children, young people, and adults who may be at risk very seriously, and works in partnership with the Diocese of Salisbury to ensure that we work in accordance with best practice at all times. Our Parish/Benefice Safeguarding Policy (which is that of the Diocese of Salisbury and the National Church) can be viewed and downloaded here.

If you have any Safeguarding questions or concerns you can contact our Benefice Safeguarding Officer, Linda Disson on telephone number: 07493914285 or contact her via email with this form.

Alternatively you can contact the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisers, Jem Carter on 07469 857888 or Suzy Futcher 07500 664800 and email Safeguarding Salisbury.

Our Pastoral Team

Meet our Clergy Team here.

The Friends of Holy Cross

We are a group of people – churchgoers and non-churchgoers – who wish to ensure that The Church of The Holy Cross in the village of Chiseldon is preserved and maintained for present and future generations.

Our aims are to:

Help preserve and maintain the fabric and furnishings of Holy Cross Church for the benefit of the community, and in support of the Parochial Church Council.
Raise funds to achieve those objectives.
Stimulate an interest in the building and its contents.

Find out how you can become involved and what events we have on at the Friends of Holy Cross website:www.friendsohc.org.uk

Diocesan Links

The Diocesan e-bulletin: if you would like to receive the e-bulletin please subscribe using the following here.
Diocesan Grapevine: if you would like to receive this bulletin, please subscribe here.

To contact us regarding any errata or new content that you want to be added about groups and events within the Benefice, links to other web sites etc. click here.