Greetings on this delightful early Autumn afternoon. This weekend is St Michael’s Patronal Festival weekend with not one, not two, not three but four wonderful events lined up to celebrate the patron saint and angels of our Lambourn village church.
Firstly Sunday at 10.30 a Sung Eucharist service at which all are welcome to join in worship with hymns, readings and prayers. This is the only service on Sunday morning. I look forward to welcoming all those who worship in All Saints or St James as it is a Benefice service when all three churches come together. The next ones are on Nov 1st for All Saints Patronal service and on Advent Sunday November 29th in St James. Do make a note of these important services and make every effort to attend so we may worship as a Benefice – the body of Christ in the Lambourn Valley….. you never know what you may miss!
Secondly – Everyone is warmly invited to join us for this year’s Lambourn Festival of Music! As part of our patronal festival weekend on Saturday 26th September 2026 at 7pm, St Michael and All Angels’ Church will be welcoming back special guest singers from Kennet Opera to delight us with some of their favourite operatic hit classics. Alongside Lambourn Church’s very own organist. Stephen Holmes, and pianist Susan Norman, this promises to be a wonderful evening of music all in aid of the Restore our Roof Appeal, and the Organ Restoration Fund. This year, we are also delighted to be featuring the Lambourn Handbell Ringers – a great opportunity to hear these angelic instruments up close! This family-friendly concert is free and open to all, with no booking needed. From Mozart and Beethoven, to Puccini, this concert is a great opportunity to hear some first-class music and be transported to the Royal Opera House, all from the comfort of your very own local community church. We look forward to seeing lots of you there!
Thirdly – Sunday evening sees a traditional BCP Festal Choral Evensong in St Michael’s to which all are warmly welcomed.
Fourthly – a peal of bells will be rung on Sunday afternoon from 2-5pm by a team made up of ringers from the West Country and East Anglia. They are on an ‘East meets West Tour’ of towers and chose St Michael & All Angels for a peal which has over 5,000 changes (all from memory!) It promises to be wonderful. Do tell others as many, many people love hearing the bells ringing.
As we well and truly celebrate St Michael & All Angels this weekend may we always be encouraged by the presence of angels, and may we always join them in faithfully worshiping and serving the One who sits at the right hand of God, our Lord and Savior, Jesus, to whom be all the glory now and forever.
Finally, a prayer:
Everlasting God,
You have ordained and constituted the ministries of angels and mortals in a wonderful order.
Grant that as your holy angels always serve you in heaven,
So, at your command, they may help and defend us on earth;
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
With every blessing,
Julie
Dates for your diary
- September 26th 7pm – Lambourn Festival of Music St Michael & All Angels
- September 27th 10.30 – St Michael & All Angels Patronal Festival St Michael & All Angels
- September 27th – Festal BCP Choral Evensong St Michael & All Angels
- September 29th 1.30 – Lambourn CE Primary school Harvest Festival St Michael & All Angels
- October 11th 4pm – Harvest Festival St James
- October 17th – Eco Themed Film Night St Michael & All Angels
- October 31st 3.00 – All Souls’ service St Michael & All Angels
- November 1st 10.30 – All Saints’ Day Patronal Festival All Saints
- November 7th 10.40 – Remembrance East Garston War Memorial
- November 8th 10.45 – Remembrance St Michael & All Angels War Memorial & church
- November 8th 10.45 – Remembrance St James War Memorial & church
- December 4th – Christmas Fair St Michael & All Angels
- December 10th 6pm – Oaksey House Christmas service St Michael’s & Oaksey House
- December 16th 6.30 – Jingle & Mingle St Michael & All Angels
- December 17th 3pm – Dress up Nativity St Michael & All Angels
- December 19th – Family film event with screening of the ‘Muppet Christmas Carol’ SMAA
- December 20th 6pm – Nine Lessons and Carols St Michael & All Angels
- December 24th 4pm – Crib service St James
- December 24th 4pm – Christingle family service St Michael & All Angels
- December 24th 11.00 – Midnight Mass St Michael & All Angels
Revd Julie Mintern
Vicar, Lambourn Valley Benefice