Dear Church family and friends,
There may be many situations in our lives in which we are alone – or that is certainly the wish of parents with younger children – whether it is a task we need to complete, or just a period in which no-one else is physically present. Life, however, is a team sport. We need the strength of others in bad times; sharing the joy in the good times; knowing that there are people behind you every step of the way is comforting, and shows us that God is also with us whatever we do. In Pastor Buddy’s sermon from Sunday, we learn how Jesus was never truly alone – even when his team weren’t always on-board with his statements and actions – and how we can be the best support group for our fellow brothers and sisters: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WePXJdqPlUs.
Directly after the service we had a brilliant example of this teamwork in practice: the Pot-Luck! A huge ‘thank you’ goes out to everyone who brought a dish, as well as the many helping hands that set-up, continued to organise and clean up at the end. ‘Many hands make light work’ and that was certainly the case here!
This week in Church…
Praying Moms have their next online prayer session on Tuesday at 7:30pm. Next week they will meet again via Zoom, but on Monday morning at 9:30am.
Young Adults’ Bible Study (YABS) meets on Tuesday evenings at 7pm. More information can be found in the WhatsApp group or by asking Pastor Johannes, Mona or Oliver. Another way you can get in touch is by writing to yabs@ibc-giessen.org.
Mid-Week Bible Study on Wednesday at 7pm is an online only session.
Men’s Breakfast will be happening for the last time this year, this coming Saturday at 9:30am. As is now the ‘new normal’ the gentlemen will be gathering at the kitchen of Campus für Christus for the morning feast. If you are a man and plan on joining in, please get in touch with us by writing to the e-mail address given below.
Worship Service on Sunday takes place at the regular time of 11am at the Chapel Room in the FTH. A livestream is available for those who are unable to be part of the physical congregation for whatever reason. After the service we will be having a Packing and Pizza Party for the Seamen’s Christmas boxes! This is our opportunity to show God’s love to those who may not be spending Christmas with their family as they are working on container ships over the festive period. One of the missionaries we support, Felix Henrichs, has been running this as part of his work in the Port of Rotterdam, but he needs to keep up with demand – and we are happy to help! We will need shoeboxes, wrapping paper, Zip-lock bags, scellotape and glue for the creation of the presents; but to fill the boxes we need men’s hats, deodorants, shower gel and shampoo, toothbrushes and toothpaste, as well as some tasty treats (chocolates, nuts etc.). If you have a Christmas card, a personal festive greeting would also be appreciated.
If you require a link to our livestream or any other online activity we have coming up this week, please e-mail office@ibc-giessen.org. For a full list of all upcoming events at IBC Giessen, please take a look at the Church Calendar on our website: https://www.ibc-giessen.org/calendar/.
Some more Christmas dates…
Women’s Christmas Brunch takes place on Saturday 29th November at 10am. Even in our new location of the kitchen at Campus für Christus, Kathy still plans on decorating and making the room look appropriately dressed for the season. All guests are, of course, to dine from proper plates, with a placed laid out for them. So, if you are a lady and plan to attend, please write to office@ibc-giessen.org or write your name on the list in Church on Sunday. You do not need to commit to bringing something for the buffet – although all contributions are welcome! – we would just like to know for how many we should be planning.
On the Third Advent Sunday, 14th December, there will be another youth event. This time, all children in the 5th school year group and above are invited to the musical ‘Die ganze Geschichte’ in the Stadthalle Wetzlar. For more information, please get in contact with either Pastor Johannes or Pastor Lucas, or Nathanael. If you don’t have their contact details, please use the e-mail address already given and we will pass the message on.
Even if it does feel like some way away, we’d just like to give you advance notice of our Christmas Eve service. IBC Giessen doesn’t hold a Christmas Day service, but we celebrate the birth of our Saviour on 24th December. It is a short service, followed by a finger food style buffet.
With 2025 slowly drawing to a close we find ourselves in the usual rush to get things done. Some might be trying to speed through big projects like renovations, clear outs and others might be putting the finishing touches to a long-term passion project. Whatever it is that you need done before 31st December, let us not become buried in our ambitions. Be part of someone else’s team, whether it’s through prayer or by lending a helping hand, and remember that our achievements do not define us. Our relationship with Christ and one another does.
Have a blessed week!