Update for Sunday, August 28th
Dear Church family and friends,
Going that extra mile is something that we all do from time to time – especially if we feel that the subject of our efforts is particularly worth it. We might look for ways to make our loved ones more happy; our work more pleasing to our superiors, or just stand out more from the crowd. In Mark 10, verses 17 to 22 we see that Jesus has some advice to a man who also wants apply himself more and go further in his attempts at inheriting eternal life.
Kennedy will be looking into Jesus’ response in his sermon this Sunday, and will investigate what holds us back in our relationship with Jesus. You can listen in online – a livestream link can be acquired by writing to office@ibc-giessen.org – or be part of our congregation at the FTH at 11am.
Until then, let’s think of the things that we value most in our lives, the things that we treasure the most, and what we would do to appreciate them more, maintain them or keep them.
Be blessed!
Update for Sunday, August 21st
Dear Church family and friends,
This week’s Sunday announcement brings you all the same information as the others before it have done for a while now – service is at 11am Sunday morning at the FTH facilities and will be livestreamed – but there is one major difference: we are starting our Summer Speaker Series!
For the next month or so we will have various friends and members of IBC Giessen take turns bringing us the Word of God during our service. Daniel will be kicking the series off with a sermon on Job 1: 6-22, “Men err as long as they keep striving”.
For a link to the livestream, please e-mail office@ibc-giessen.org
See you on Sunday!
Update for Wednesday, August 17th
Dear Church family and friends,
We (temporarily) said “bye” to another person on Sunday! Like Linus the week before, Fleming will also be going on a semester abroad and returning at some point in January. So, while we are sad to see him go – we do know that he will back!
As we won’t be having the mid-week Bible Studies this week, it gives you the perfect opportunity to catch up or listen again to some recent sermons. May we suggest you start with this week’s from Pastor Buddy? You can choose from English (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BviSzkxWe2U) or German (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjJW4IjQQ-w).
Have a blessed week!
Update for Sunday, August 14th
Dear Church family and friends,
“It’s too early.”
Anyone responsible for the food shopping in their household might have exactly the same response – the first Christmas treats have been spotted in the supermarkets. Of course, the idea is to heighten the excitement toward the season and look forward to all the cinnamon-filled warmth that it brings: but it is out of place in the summer. Moreover, it’s out of place when the build-up is leading to the wrong end-goal. Sweets and goodies help to build the atmosphere and “vibe”; we, on the other hand, are looking forward to the King.
We don’t need to wait until Christmas to get to know this King, though. We can learn about Him, experience Him and worship Him in our service on Sunday at 11am. Pastor Buddy will be preaching from the book of Luke, in which Jesus tells a parable of a different sort of king. To find out what type of king, and how this applies to our King and our relationship with him, you can be part of the congregation at the FTH facilities or join in online. For a link to the livestream, please e-mail office@ibc-giessen.org
Whether you’ve had enough of summer and are indeed looking forward to the (hopefully) wetter and colder weather that autumn will bring, or really want to wring out summer and its heat as much as you can, may you know that there is a season for everything, and a reason to rejoice in each season. The King was born to us, died for us, and still lives among us. Be blessed!
Update for Wednesday, August 10th
Dear Church family and friends,
What a busy Sunday that turned out to be! We listened to Pastor Buddy’s sermon on the simplicity of Christ – (German) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=076l7tfmEMk ; (English) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hz7A4n0Z41A – said a temporary goodbye to both Stephen and Linus, and then later on celebrated the baptism of Naomi, Samuel and Tim.
While our Sunday services will not be taking a break over the summer, our mid-week Bibles studies will. Wednesday will see the last session on Nehemiah and the last meeting of both Men’s and Women’s Bible Studies until the autumn – but it’s still not too late to join for the first time! The groups meet at 7pm at the FTH, but also online. For more information, or a link to the meeting, please e-mail office@ibc-giessen.org . You can also write to this e-mail for more information on YABS (Young Adults’ Bible Study) and their summer plans.
We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday!
Update for Sunday, August 7th
Dear Church family and friends,
Just when you think that Church is “winding down” for summer, an announcement with lots of information comes along!
Is anyone missing any salad bowls? Our Church BBQ was just under a month ago now, and there are a few salad bowls which didn’t make it home. No-one at the FTH has claimed them, so they must belong to someone at our Church. Thank you for the salads – they were very tasty – we’d like you to be able to bring another for next time!
This Sunday we will be having a Baptism Service at the Wissmarer See in Wettenberg. This is in addition to our regular service at the FTH facilities starting at 11am. The morning service will be livestreamed, the afternoon service, however, will not be. We are hoping to start at 2:30pm and would love to see as many of our Church family there to watch those who are being baptised make this next step in their faith journey.
Construction work at the FTH is progressing nicely, and as some of you may have seen last week, the entrance from Rathenaustrasse is now blocked off. Instead, you can access the FTH via Heegstrauchweg – which is literally just around the corner. On top of that, getting into the building has changed. Rather than entering through the glass doors at the front where the book shop is, you will need to walk around the side of the building. The outside doors to the café/lounge area where we used to meet for snacks after the service will be open. The way from there should be clear: it just adds a few more steps!
Your go-to e-mail address for all these matters is office@ibc-giessen.org. It’s where you can claim your salad bowl, ask for a link to the morning service, ask for directions to the Baptism service, or anything else IBC related that you would like an answer to.
Be blessed – and stay hydrated and safe in the on-going hot temperatures!
Update for Wednesday, August 3rd
Dear Church family and friends,
Now the formalities of the Business Meeting and the last sermons of July are over – English: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1xzFE_nsPM ; German: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vixKuiE8hu4 – let’s turn our focus to August and the next important event!
We will be having our first Baptism Service in a while this coming Sunday! This service will follow after the morning service, but in a different place. Listening and learning of others’ experiences with Jesus is always a joy, and watching people as they make this public declaration such a privilege: so please do come to the Wissmarer See in Wettenberg at 2:30pm on Sunday to support and cheer on those who are making this decision.
Before that, though, we have our Wednesday Bible Studies. Both Men’s and Women’s Bible Studies will meet at the usual time of 7pm at the FTH facilities. If you’re not able to make it to the FTH for that time, but will still like to join in, we do have a Zoom link you may use to attend remotely, and all you need to do is contact office@ibc-giessen.org to get hold of it.
We pray that you are all having a great start in this new month, and that those either going on holiday or having a school/university break are enjoying the change in schedule!
Older information and online sermons are available in our archive: Update Archive