We will join together

in-Person

 this NEW YEAR’S SunDAY

1st January 2023

at 10.00 am

Student Christian Centre

Scripture Readings for this week:
Old Testament: Isaiah 63:7-9*
Psalms: Psalm 148*
Epistle: Hebrews 2:10-18*
Gospel: Matthew 2:13-23*
(*click for online Bible)
Pastor Chee introduces this week’s theme:

Christmas Day has passed. Whew! Time to put up your feet and have a rest before the holidays are over. Relax while you can before school starts and get back to work. After all, there is a need to return to “normal”.

Returning to “normal” is not what the Gospel reading has to say to us. Here, Matthew is at pains to inform Theophilus that the first Christmas did not have a happy ending. In fact, it did not have a good beginning.

There are harsh realities to be faced. Back when I was in Australia and New Zealand, the media offers the grim statistics of those killed in accidents over the new year period. It is not the news that we want to hear. Remember the tsunami that hit SE Asia, eighteen years back with more than 200,000 lives taken?

The Gospel reading records the fact that babies under two years of age were slaughtered by King Herod for he feared any would-be contender to his throne.

How does one return to “normal”? I am not sure about you but I rather think that what is “normal” has pretty much changed since the pandemic struck two years ago. It is now the “new normal”. Churches all over the world have reported shrinking services and the number of people attending. It is as if there is a departure from an adherence to a faith-based way of life. Is God in charge anymore?

So come to this New Year with renewed faith, hope and love in Christ. See you on Sunday at 10:00 am at our morning service.
Blessings,

Chee
Sunday School is now meeting again for young children during part of the worship time (see below)

ICB Choir: If you enjoy singing, please join in by arriving about 45 minutes before the service for practice. All are welcome, even if you have little experience. We welcome new singers to take part!

Not least, our thanks to the Filipino community for their magnificent roasted contribution which we will never forget!!

For more news, please keep an eye on the
ICB Sunday School Facebook Page
HERE
https://www.facebook.com/ICB-Christian-Education-106748784983710
(copy this URL into your browser)

Each year at this time we ask ICB members and other regular attenders to consider how they can best support the church in the next 12 months.
One important way to do this is by serving on the Church Council, either as

• Head (or member) of a committee: Worship; Outreach; Education (incl. Sunday school & study groups); Membership; Fellowship; Property & personnel; Finance & stewardship.
• the Council Chair or Vice-Chair,  or
• one of the at-large positions (council adviser; minute secretary).
  The Council meets 4 to 6 times per year, and is open to all ICB members and regular attendees.

Are you interested in serving our church this way?
Christian leadership

• can be a fun opportunity for spiritual growth
• is an excellent way to get to know other church members better
• enables more involvement in the life and direction of ICB.

No prior leadership experience is necessary, and as always, we would like next year’s council to reflect the diversity of nationalities and worship backgrounds at ICB. All Christians are welcome.
Details about specific church positions are at this link. You can also ask for more information from the contacts shown below.
Please don’t be shy about serving our community in this way in 2023.
If you are interested to serve – or have an idea of someone else whom you think would fill one of the roles well – then please contact either
Pastor Chee (minister@icbangkok.org) or
Cameron Macky (current Council Chair) (cameronmacky91@gmail.com),
preferably by 15 January 2023.
We look forward to hearing from you soon
Thank you!

At our present location at
SCC Creative Space Coffee Shop
Student Christian Center
328/1 Phyathai Road

A very short walk from BTS Ratchatewi.
Click here for Google maps reference or follow the map near the top of this newsletter.

Please remember the COVID Code:
As still recommended by the health authorities, all are advised to follow social distancing to keep others safe. We have members who have been infected lately and we do not wish others to be also infected. If you are not feeling well, please stay at home. Bottled water is available.

If you plan to come in your own car:
It is best to enter Phayathai Road from the Patumwan intersection (at Discovery Center/MBK) and drive across Hua Chang (elephant head) Bridge, taking the left-most lane. Then, immediately over the bridge, turn left into the SCC/CCT compound just before Evergreen Place and Asia Hotel.
There are limited parking spaces (free) just inside the compound but if full, you can park in the CCT Tower Building at the back of this same compound. Please get your vehicle entry slip stamped at our worship room.

We, at ICB, support displaced individuals and families in Bangkok with regular financial support through Life Raft International.

We also offer congregational, emotional and spiritual assistance.
Who qualifies?
Those who have been granted (or are applying for) recognition as refugees by UNHCR.
Why do we need to help these people?
Ongoing support is needed to help them bridge the gap while they seek and wait for resettlement in another country, which most often takes many years.
UNHCR recognition very rarely means they can live and work freely in their country of asylum.

Owing to several people leaving ICB and Thailand over the past months, the ICB Church Council is seeking people to fill the following positions as soon as possible:

• Outreach – continuing contact with and support for our 8 social service partners
• Worship – overseeing Church services
• Fellowship – organising ICB community activities
• Membership – welcoming new people to our church and maintaining contact with all members.
• Personnel and Property – overseeing needs of our employees and facilities

None of these positions requires specialist skills nor a large amount of time.
All you need is the motivation to help us to develop our ICB community and outreach partners with Jesus as our guide.

To find out more, please contact
Cameron (Council Chair)              or Pastor Chee
cameronmacky91@gmail.com            minister@icbangkok.org

www.icbangkok.org/outreach/

Office Phone Number (Mon-Thur) +66 (0)2-258-5821
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