Update for Monday, January 30th
Dear Church family and friends,
In our announcement for Sunday, we observed that our attempts to understand or organise the concept of time can be humbling. Since then we have (re-)learnt that technology has the same effect – just when you think you have it figured out, something else goes awry. Our livestream was hit with bandwidth problems just as we sorted out the audio issues, resulting in a very broken and frozen broadcast and recording. Unfortunately, this means we cannot provide a recording of Johannes’ sermon on Philippians 2:5-8 – on the subject of humility…
To join the last YABS of January, you can e-mail yabs@ibc-giessen.org and find out which groups are meeting where. All groups meet at 7pm on Tuesday evenings.
Concerning the return of the mid-week Bible Study, currently the plan is an online only meet-up on Wednesday (1st February) at 7pm. To take part you can e-mail office@ibc-giessen.org for an invitation link. Should the meeting be cancelled, we will announce it on our website. You can find all updates here: https://www.ibc-giessen.org/church-news-and-updates.
Heading into February, we’d like to remind you of our Business Meeting after the service this coming Sunday (5th) and the lecture on LGBTQ+ and the gospel taking place in the Baptistengemeinde, Marburgerstrasse on the 7th. If you’d like more information on either of these, please e-mail office@ibc-giessen.org
With the end of January, we are past the “new” stage of the year. Nevertheless, we know that God has the power to make all things news, regardless of when and where. If you are still waiting for a renewal, fresh start, or simply a change to the normal, we pray that God provides that for you in this upcoming new month.
Update for Sunday, January 29th
Dear Church family and friends,
No matter our age, time somehow remains a mystery. When we are waiting for something to happen or something dreadful has occurred, time can drag – yet it rushes by if we’re having fun or we are deeply involved in a task or project. Deadlines can suddenly appear that we had known about for months and sometimes a 5 minute task can take 5 hours. Trying to manage our time can be a truly humbling experience, especially when we have to take into consideration the action and priorities of other people. Often the phrase ‘God’s timing is perfect’ can cause frustration, but it holds true. David shows his trust in our Creator by saying:
“My times are in your hands” Psalm 31:15
Whether this week has felt long or short to you, if it has gone how you imagined it to or not, we have arrived again at Sunday, the Lord’s Day – a day when we can meet up, share with one another, worship together and listen to His Word. We will be doing all that during our service at 11am at the FTH facilities, with Johannes continuing his Philippians series. You can even be part of our service online, should you be at home ill or too far away to make it in time – all you need to do is write an e-mail to office@ibc-giessen.org for a link.
Lastly, with the end of January approaching we’d like to remind you of some events coming up in February, starting with our Business Meeting next week (5th February) after the service. We will be discussing the budget, reflecting on the last year and praying for our Church and its development in this coming year.
Two days after that, on Tuesday 7th February, the EFG will be holding a talk on LGBTQ and the gospel. The doors at the Baptistengemeinde Marburgerstrasse will open at 7pm, but Prof. Dr. Christoph Raedel – a lecturer at the FTH – will be speaking on this topic from 7:30pm, in German only.
If you have questions about either of the last two items mentioned, or anything else related to our Church, please e-mail office@ibc-giessen.org.
We look forward to seeing you on Sunday!
Update for Tuesday, January 24th
Dear Church family and friends,
For the past couple of weeks we have been reminding you that our mid-week Bible Study will be starting on the 25th January, which would be this coming Wednesday (tomorrow). In light of the ongoing recovery of our Pastor, the decision has been taken to postpone these mid-week sessions until he is fit enough to lead them. We are sorry for any disappointment this may have caused, and hope that you are able to join us when the Bible Study does start up again. In the meantime, you might like to catch-up with Harri’s sermon from Sunday: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21e1NrJIbFA
What will happen with the Men’s Breakfast is as yet unclear. The plan remains to meet at 9am on Saturday 28th January in the student kitchen at the FTH, but we are looking for someone who is willing and able to organise and lead in Pastor Buddy’s place. Could you be that man of the moment? If so, please get in contact with us via office@ibc-giessen.org!
YABS will still meet this evening (Tuesday) at 7pm. To find out where, please write to yabs@ibc-giessen.org.
Our Business Meeting after the service on 5th February will definitely be taking place. We are looking forward to seeing as many attendees as possible, as we talk about and pray over the direction and plans we have for our Church this coming year. As previously mentioned, you are only eligible to vote if you are a member – but anyone can come and sit, listen and ask questions in the meeting. If you are interested in becoming a member, though, please talk to Johannes or write to office@ibc-giessen.org .
Have a blessed week!
Update for Sunday, January 22nd
Dear Church family and friends,
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Acts 2:42
It’s good to be reminded of this year’s verse of the year for our Church. We are pleased to report that Pastor Buddy will be released from hospital feeling better after some medical intervention, and that he feels uplifted and encouraged by our and your prayers for him. As always, we are thankful for the level of devotion that our fellowship has for one another and the running of the Church.
One such act of devotion is Harri stepping in to preach God’s Word for us this Sunday. Our service will start at the usual time of 11am in the FTH facilities, with the livestream running alongside for those who cannot attend in person. If you would like to join us virtually, please e-mail office@ibc-giessen.org
Perhaps you have been visiting our Church for a while and would like to get involved or have an idea on how you could use your talents and experience to serve with us. The Business Meeting on 5th February is a good opportunity to discuss any suggestions that you may have, so feel free to join us after the service in two weeks’ time. If you don’t want to wait so long, or fear that you may have forgotten your idea by then, you can get in contact with us by writing to office@ibc-giessen.org . You do not need to be a member of our Church to serve or take part in our Business Meeting. Should you be interested in becoming a member, though, please talk to Johannes or e-mail the address given above.
Thank you for your prayers until this point – we would appreciate if they could continue while our Pastor is still on the road to complete recovery, and while we as IBC Giessen navigate the next few weeks. Be blessed as we are, safe in the knowledge that God is listening to our concerns and requests.
Be blessed as we are, safe in the knowledge that God is listening to our concerns and requests.
See you on Sunday!
Update for Monday, January 16th
Dear Church family and friends,
While Pastor Buddy is in hospital, we will try our best to continue with Church life as much as we can. This will mean that there will be a different preacher for a short time, starting with Johannes preaching during yesterday’s service (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyzGbLud29Y).
Of course, YABS will be going ahead this week, meeting on their usual day and time of Tuesday at 7pm. If you would like more information, please e-mail yabs@ibc-giesssen.org
A little further off, we are looking to re-start the monthly Men’s Breakfast. Traditionally held on the 4th Saturday of the month, the men’s first breakfast together since lockdown will be on Saturday 28th January 2023 at 9am in the student kitchen. All men who are interested in joining the group should bring something tasty!
Looking to February, we will be having our Business Meeting after the service on the 5th, as previously mentioned. We must announce this a couple of weeks in advance to be in compliance with our Church constitution. All are welcome to join us as we discuss Church matters, but only members are eligible to vote when the opportunity arises. It is a good time to get to know the Church better as we look back on the last year and plan for the year ahead with His guidance.
Remaining on the topic of formalities, we would like to remind all members and regular visitors of our Church to update their contact details – especially if they have recently moved. Please could you send any changes of address to office@ibc-giessen.org or talk to Philipp the next time you see him in Church.
Prof. Dr. Christoph Raedel – a lecturer at the FTH, where we meet – will be holding a lecture on “The Gospel and Sexual Orientation” in the EFG Giessen (Baptistengemeinde, Marburgerstrasse) on Tuesday 7th February 2023 at 7:30pm. What can be a sensitive yet hotly debated topic will be discussed by Professor Raedel in German only.
Please join us as we pray for the continued recovery of our Pastor and for the well-being of his family at this time as they await further developments. We should mention that it is not an emergency situation. Nevertheless, we pray that God the Healer and Comforter will do what we know He can do.
Have a blessed week!
Update for Sunday, January 15th
Dear Church family and friends,
It’s the middle of January already! We are making our way into the New Year nicely, yet are still at its beginning. Whether you feel that it has gone quickly or slowly: progress is progress.
Johannes will be moving us forward in his series on Philippians this Sunday, when he will preach on chapter 2, verses 3 and 4 of the book. You can listen to this next instalment by being part of our congregation on Sunday morning at 11am, in the FTH facilities. Watching our livestream is also an option, should you be ill or unable to make it for any other reason: just e-mail office@ibc-giessen.org for a link.
We look forward to seeing you on Sunday!
Update for Monday, January 9th
Dear Church family and friends,
Among the announcements made in Sunday’s service, two items that are happening in February were mentioned: a lecture in the FEG given by a professor at the FTH, and our Business Meeting. As we have barely made it to the middle of January, it seems a little early to go into any great detail on those yet. Don’t worry, we’ll keep you informed!
For the moment let’s focus on this week, starting with the link to Pastor Buddy’s sermon from yesterday: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzFG74Ij-qA
As mentioned last week, this week we are hosting an Allianz-Gebetswoche (Prayer Week) service at the FTH facilities on Thursday at 7:30pm. All services and meetings taking part in the Gebetswoche will be held in German, as is the website on which you can find all the details (https://ev-allianz-giessen.de/allianz-gebetswoche-2023/) . Even if you are not so comfortable speaking German, all are welcome to join and fellowship with other Christians in the area.
While the mid-week Bible Study is still on its break until the 25th January, YABS are continuing to meet on Tuesday evenings at 7pm. There’s a time to talk, pray for one another and learn from God’s teachings. YABS meets in a few smaller sized groups; to find one that suits you, please e-mail yabs@ibc-giessen.org
Even though many have already returned to work and their day-to-day lives, for some this week may feel like the ‘proper’ first week of January as they head back to school. Go with God’s blessings in this new week, and make the most of all opportunities to learn from Him!
Update for Sunday, January 8th
Dear Church family and friends,
Family is often the focus of Christmas celebrations. If you can, you meet with your wider family and spend time in each other’s company over the festive period. It seems to be something we make a particular point of at Christmas – a reminder that we are all part of something wider than our own individual households. At church we can sometimes forget that we are part of a larger family too. So concentrated on our own events and ways of doing things that we can run the risk of creating our own “island”, with other churches being foreign lands. One way of re-connecting with other Christian communities is via the Allianz Gebetswoche which will be happening this week. There will be several different services – held in German – shared among the various churches in the Giessen Allianz this coming week. In fact, IBC Giessen will be hosting a service on Thursday 12th January, at 7:30pm at the FTH facilities. Each day corresponds to the overall theme of joy. For more information, please visit this website https://ev-allianz-giessen.de/allianz-gebetswoche-2023/ , which, again, is in German only.
As followers of Christ we are told to break bread and drink wine together in commemoration of what Jesus had done at the Passover meal before his crucifixion. By partaking in this together, we also join our brothers and sisters across the globe as they remember His sacrifice in our name. This Sunday will be the first Lord’s Table of 2023 at IBC Giessen: using juice rather than wine, with a gluten free option for the bread available on request. Whether you have visited our Church many times, or this Sunday will be your first, then so long as you know Jesus Christ to be your saviour, you are more than welcome to take part in this act of worship and remembrance with us. Our Church service starts at 11am and is held in the Kapelle of the FTH facilities. If you can’t make it, be sure to gather some juice and bread for yourself and be part of our virtual congregation. For a link to our livestream, please e-mail office@ibc-giessen.org
It is encouraging and comforting to know that beyond the four walls of our Church building, there are others worshipping, praising and praying. Let us revel in that encouragement and pass it on by praying for, and fellowshipping with, others!
Update for Monday, January 2nd
Dear Church family and friends,
Happy New Year one and all! If you have managed to get some more time off before heading back to work or school, we are happy for you and pray that you use that time well, whether that means getting some things sorted for the year ahead or just enjoying the holiday feeling a little longer. Should you have already re-started work, then we pray that re-entry into day-to-day life hasn’t been too difficult. There are of course some who must work through Christmas and New Year. We are thankful for your service and your sacrifice.
On Sunday (New Year’s Day) Pastor Buddy continued looking at the Christmas story, specifically, what happened after Jesus’ birth and Simeon’s part in it. This sermon will be continued next week with particular focus on the others involved. To listen to the first part, please click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWuSVe4TAs0
While our mid-week Bible Study may not start until the 25th January, YABS will be meeting this week. If you would like to join them tomorrow (Tuesday 3rd January) at 7pm, you can write to yabs@ibc-giessen.org to find out what they are up to and where they will meet.
During the service on Sunday, Pastor Buddy introduced us to the Church’s verse of the year. He also set us a challenge: each day in 2023, at two minutes past an hour of your choosing, read, pray and meditate on the following verse.
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”
Acts 2:42
Let’s set ourselves up for a better knowledge and relationship with God this year!
Update for Sunday, January 1st
Dear Church family and friends,
The old year is slowly ending – it is strange to think that our Christmas Day service was the last for 2022! 2023, however, starts on Sunday and we will be meeting as usual, starting the year properly: together, listening to God’s Word and praising Him.
Should you still be celebrating with family and friends away from Giessen and therefore unable to make it to the FTH facilities, we hope that you are having a brilliant time. To have a feeling of “home away from home”, you can join us on our livestream at the usual time of 11am. Please e-mail office@ibc-giessen.org for a link to watch along.
While it’s still in the correct season – Christmas doesn’t ‘end’ until the 6th January – perhaps you would like to re-listen to Pastor Buddy’s sermon from Christmas Day. It can be found, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2OZ9QlqD80
We wish you all a very happy and Blessed New Year!