Update for Sunday, July 31st
Dear Church family and friends,
Those of you who attended, or hoped to have attended, the mid-week Bible Studies’ Zoom meeting on Wednesday would have been left disappointed by the lack of sound. We are very sorry for this – and share in your disappointment. It is frustrating when the technology which is designed to improve our lives doesn’t actually do so.
Hopefully, this problem doesn’t persist and those joining our livestreamed service and livestreamed Business Meeting afterward can do so comfortably. To be able to watch remotely, please e-mail office@ibc-giessen.org for a link. You are more than welcome to stay and listen in on the Business Meeting even if you aren’t a member or regular attendee. Providing Zoom works completely the way we intend it to, there will also be a chance to vote on certain items in the meeting. Please only do so if you are a member.
If you would like to be part of the face-to-face congregation and go to the meeting in person, the service takes place at the FTH starting at 11am. Again, everyone is invited to sit and listen to the meeting, and only members are allowed to vote. If you are interested in becoming a member of IBC Giessen, we encourage you to talk to get in contact with Pastor Buddy.
We look forward to seeing – and you hearing us! – on Sunday!
Update for Wednesday, July 27th
Dear Church family and friends,
Mid-way through the week already! Let’s come together in our Bible Studies and pray for one another and read His Word together. Both Men’s and Women’s Bible Studies are looking at the book of Nehemiah and are always happy to have more people to discuss with. You can join them online or at the FTH facilities at 7pm on Wednesday evening. For a link to the Zoom meeting, please e-mail office@ibc-giessen.org .
We would also like to remind you – or inform you if you missed Sunday’s announcement – that there will be a Business Meeting after our Church service this Sunday. If you are a member you will be able to vote when applicable, but if you are a visitor you are more than welcome to just sit and listen in. To get more information about becoming a member, please write to Pastor Buddy or office@ibc-giessen.org
Lastly, you can listen to the second part of Pastor Buddy’s sermon on the generous employer (Matt 20) in English here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTkvhozmNOA . For the German version, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_6zgjrtnKI
We trust and pray that you are having a blessed week!
Update for Sunday, July 24th
Dear Church family and friends,
A fair number of you might be thinking „phew!“ this week. For teachers and pupils, the school year has finished; and those not designed to tolerate heat must be glad that the heatwave of the first few days of this week has subsided. Phew!
The summer usually means that people are travelling and going on holiday – something much deserved after not being able to do so easily for the last two years! We would, however, like to inform you that we will be having our summer Business Meeting after the service on 31st July, and hope to see as many of you there as possible. If you aren’t able to attend in-person, we will be keeping the livestream running after the service so that you can listen in. Those listening online should bear in mind that they will not be able to vote, regardless of if they are an IBC member or not. Voting is only open to members, but everyone may join the meeting, in which ever form that takes. For more information about membership please talk to Pastor Buddy, or write an e-mail to office@ibc-giessen.org
This Sunday though, we will have our service at the usual time of 11am at the FTH facilities and online. For a link to the Zoom livestream, please write to office@ibc-giessen.org
After that long announcement you may also be thinking “phew”! We hope that you enjoy your summer – whether you thrive in hot weather or not – and that you make plenty of time to delve into, and rest in, God’s Word.
Update for Wednesday, July 20th
Dear Church family and friends,
Before we remind you of this week’s mid-week Bible Studies, let’s go back to Sunday and Pastor Buddy’s sermon on the manager described in Matthew 20. To listen again in English click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9o-AaYHhc0 – and for German, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQ-g478DxnY
We will be having our mid-week Bible studies for both the men and women at the usual time of 7pm online only – due to the extreme heat – with both groups looking at and reflecting on the book of Nehemiah. Newcomers are always welcome! To take part via Zoom, please send an e-mail to office@ibc-giessen.org
We hope that you are beating the heat and staying safe and well this week. Be blessed!
Update for Sunday, July 17th
Dear Church family and friends,
Sometimes in life it’s all a matter of perspective. Take, for example, the passage for this coming Sunday’s sermon: Matthew chapter 20. Is the manager generous, fair or neither? Do the workers who arrived early have a right to complain? Have the workers that arrived later taken advantage of the original offer of the manager? Or is there yet another angle to this parable that we haven’t considered?
On Sunday at 11am we will be delving into these viewpoints during our service at the FTH. If you can’t make it, but are still intrigued, please do join us via the livestream – for a link, you will need to e-mail office@ibc-giessen.org
Having different starting points and seeing things differently is all part of Church life – let’s embrace it! See you on Sunday!
Update for Thursday, July 14th
See you tomorrow at our first Worship Night of 2022!
Update for week of July 11th
Dear Church family and friends,
… as you can see, we had a very successful BBQ on Sunday! Some people were very polite and even left some food over – but there was enough for everyone, and we all enjoyed being back with each other in fellowship. Praise God!
Church isn’t over for the week though: on Tuesday, Young Adults’ Bible Study (YABS) will take place; on Wednesday it’s the turn of the mid-week Women’s and Men’s Bible Studies, and on Friday we will be having a Worship Night. It’ll be a busy week!
For more information on YABS, please write to office@ibc-giessen.org. You can also use this e-mail address to request a link to the Zoom meeting for both the mid-week Bible Studies and Worship Night should you need it. Both the Wednesday Bible Studies and Friday’s Worship Night will be taking place at 7pm at the FTH on their respective days.
You can listen to Pastor Buddy’s sermon from Sunday in English here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmPT6y8dnhA
…and in German, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuPTi5HYWn4
A week can go by quickly – let’s not wait until Sunday to meet with each other again!
Be blessed!
Update for Sunday, July 10th
Dear Church family and friends,
One last reminder before the event: we would love for as many as possible to come to our Church BBQ this coming Sunday. If you plan on attending, please write an e-mail to office@ibc-giessen.org telling us how many people you are bringing with you and what side-dish or dessert you plan on sharing with everyone. The Church will provide the grill, sausages, bread rolls and drinks.
Obviously, livestreaming a BBQ is a little strange – it’s not exactly an easy way to share food! We do have a Zoom link for the service beforehand, which starts at the usual time of 11am. To access the service online, please e-mail office@ibc-giessen.org – otherwise we’ll see you at the FTH facilities.
Another event has recently come to our attention, and that’s the next Worship Night. It has been a while since our last one, but our worship team have been busy preparing and practising for this coming Friday (15th July 2022). Let’s join them at 7pm and raise our voices in praise together!
Have a blessed weekend: we look forward to seeing you on Sunday!
Update for Wednesday, July 6th
Dear Church family and friends,
At the end of the week we will finally have our first Church-wide fellowship in a long time, by having a BBQ. The Church will provide sausages, bread rolls, drinks, and the grill itself – but we will need your help with side dishes and desserts. So that we don’t have many of the same things, please e-mail office@ibc-giessen.org and tell us what you are going to bring with you.
Before we get to Sunday though, there’s the rest of the week to get through – and our mid-week Bible Studies. Both Men’s and Women’s Bible Studies will meet at the FTH facilities and online at the usual time of 7pm on Wednesday evening. If you need a link to join in via Zoom, please e-mail office@ibc-giessen.org.
Lastly, the sermon from Sunday 3rd has been pre-recorded in two languages. The English version can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AoiEwVsMWY ; the German version, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LVOalnaTjU
We hope that you are having a brilliant week, and look forward to seeing you at one of our events! Be blessed!
Update for Sunday, July 3rd
Dear Church family and friends,
July! Schools break up for their summer holidays in 3 weeks – before you know it, it will be September… But before we get there, we have our Church BBQ next week. On the 10th we would like to meet together after the service for grilled sausages, drinks and fellowship. We would love to see as many there as possible – and we would be especially grateful if you could bring some side dishes, salads or desserts. So that we can plan a little, please could you write to office@ibc-giessen.org to tell us that you are attending.
With the FTH’s move into their new building, it might still be that we have to improvise certain technical elements of our service: last week, for example, we needed to use a portable projector rather than the one mounted to the ceiling! The main thing, though, is that we were still able to worship together, and will do so again this coming Sunday at 11am. While we do plan on livestreaming the service, it could be that there is no internet connection at the FTH. We will not know for certain until Sunday morning – so bare that in mind when you have e-mailed office@ibc-giessen.org for a link.
We look forward to seeing you on Sunday – and eating with you the week after!