About ICB worship on Zoom:
Please log-in on time and allow a minute or two to connect.
You will be “muted” upon entering the zoom room. Please stay muted during the service.
Please be patient as we try to overcome any glitches with our technical set-up at BCC.
There will be an opportunity to chat to others on-line for a while immediately following the service this Sunday. Newcomers and visitors: You are warmly welcome to to introduce yourselves in our chat rooms.
20th February 2022
Sermon
is delivered on zoom by our minister, Revd. Chee Keong Yong
Revd. Chee’s sermon theme is entitled: Radically promoting non-violence
Our Scripture Readings are: Epistle: 1 Corinthians 15:42-50*
Gospel: Luke 6:27-38*(*click for online Bible)
Pastor Chee’s brief :
Time and again, Jesus offers an alternative to what has been accepted as the norm in the environment he came to. The domination of the Roman Empire has been keenly felt by all under its realm. No dissension is ever tolerated or the might of Rome will be brought to bear on any who rebel.
The teachings and values set by Jesus can be seen as revolutionary in his days. Certainly, they are far from being normative. Jesus challenged all whether they be the Jewish religious authorities, the Roman governing authorities, or even the ordinary people who came to learn from him. Many remarked on how well and authoritatively he spoke and taught.
Jesus’ way of non-violence can be discerned as a no-brainer. After all, the people knew well what it was to have power and authority or to be subjected to it. The Jews themselves were expecting a Messiah to deliver them from the Romans.
However, when we dig deeper into what Jesus is teaching, there is nothing passive about his aggressive commitment to non-violence and his repudiation of using wealth and privilege as power over others.
Our contemporary media continues to spew out violence as the only option to quell dissent. The ongoing rhetoric among the powers that hold sway in Europe is filled with words and images of weapons of mass destruction.
Jesus’ teaching is radical because he invites us into a very active and powerful response to these things. As disciples, we are not asked to roll over and accept violence; instead, Jesus lists the ways we may be attacked and then tells us to actively do something additional, something that those who oppose us do not expect.
In schools nowadays, we are taught to face up to bullying. Be the upstander – one who intervenes, interrupts, or says something to stop the activity and significantly curtails bullying, instead of a bystander – someone who watches and does nothing.
Any one of us can be an upstander but when all of us are acting in unity, that can be quite a force. Perhaps the current “freedom convoy” staged in different parts of the world shows the “power” of people when they are united against perceived threats. Our baptismal vows call us to renounce evil and seek Christ above all.
While this is a cliché, it’s a call to action in our world today.
Blessings
Chee
Please scroll down belowfor new notices from Pastor Chee and information about Fellowship at ICB, Thursday Prayer meetings, and Outreach.
Please pray for those who have contracted Covid19, including those in our own congregation and their families.
Until further notice, our services will be on Zoom only until the situation becomes safer once more. Follow this newsletter and LINE group notices to get the latest developments.
Ash Wednesday (first day of Lent) is on March 2nd.
I intend to have a short service at 7.00 pm on Zoom followed by a devotional from the “Radical” by David Platt. All are invited to join. If you have a copy of the book, you may like to read the first chapter. If you don’t, no worries.
ICB Evening Service will restart on the first Sunday of April.
This is to give early notice to those intending to join in person at BCGH (Bangkok Christian Guesthouse). More details later.
ICB Morning (in person) Service
a small team from the ICB Council is looking for a suitable venue to restart our in-person service asap. If you know of any venue at a cheap rate, please inform Stephen or Pastor Chee.
An extra-special Happy Birthday!
We wish Tessa Sreesangkhom a very warm blessed 100th birthday last week. Tessa joined ICB in the mid-1950s and has been attending our services since then without a break. She’s an avid traveller, even very recently, and led many ICB tours to visit our outreach partners, one of which her daughter leads in Haad Yai in the South. Tessa is still very energetic and blessed with good health. We pray for many more years ahead.
Fellowship is essential for the wellbeing of any true community. But It’s not so easy when we cannot meet personally, face-to-face.
At ICB, we wish to develop new ways to extend Christian fellowship among all of us during 2022. We invite you to help with ideas for such fellowship activities.
Mary Santhi has very recently taken on the role of ICB Fellowship Chair but she needs a committee to lead! She cannot undertake a meaningful role alone and so she is inviting you to join her in one of the most important and joyful aspects of the church which is appreciated by everybody.
Please send an email to Mary and she will respond by telling you more. Send a note to: jmmsanthi@gmail.com
One of Mary’s early ideas for Fellowship is to recognise everybody’s birthday so we can all pray for every person on her/his special day. Unfortunately, our list of members’ birthdays is very far from complete and so, if you are in agreement, we’ll be asking you to let us know your special day and month; the year of birth is optional.
Watch out for our quick survey in the next week or two!
Weekly Prayer Meeting –
Thursdays from 7:00 to 7:30pm (pls join before 7:05)
This is a wonderful opportunity to pause for a few moments, however busy we are, and join together to reflect and pray forour Church, Bangkok, the World and for ourselves. You will feel better for it – and so will God!
CHRISTIAN OUTREACH The International Church of Bangkok
partners with Christian ministries throughout Thailand to advance the work of Jesus.
5% of ICB’s yearly total income goes directly to the outreach partners. Members and friends are also encouraged to give directly.
Urgently needed: Offerings to our
Ministry to Displaced Persons
to assist refugee families and asylum seekers currently residing in Bangkok (details of how to donate are shown below)
ICB’s Outreach is presently focused on our
“Ministry to Displaced Persons”.
which assists vital everyday needs for refugees and asylum seekers in Bangkok who come here from many nations. We urgently need your further offerings to support this vital ongoing work of our church.
Thank you or your prayerful consideration for those in greatest need. We need more funding support to keep our commitments to them going through 2022.
Bank transfers are easy to do and very welcome Please Donate NOW when it’s Most Needed!! KasikornBank (KBank): 003-1-09408-9
Transfer your donation to the ICB Bank account above and please email your transfer confirmation with the message:
“For Outreach: month/year (or MDP )” office@icbangkok.org
ICB is a fully self-supported congregation.
We gladly receive your donations. KBank a/c 003-1-09408-9
More information on the ICB Website
Thank you!
Making a Covenant
with God and His Church
2022
Advancing the Work of Jesus!
Please return the form shown below either by placing in the offering bag or sending to the church office:
61/2 Soi Saen Sabai 3; Sukhumvit 36 Road; Bangkok; 10110
Or you can scan and email to office@icbangkok.org.
International Church of Bangkok is a fully self-supporting church. We are not sponsored by any foreign church body and thus receive no outside financial assistance. In fact, we take joy to be a congregation who supports ministries all over Thailand!
We need over 5 million baht each year to cover expenses and keep our
ministry and the ICB community sustainable.
Your contributions to ICB may be tax-deductible under Thai tax rules.
For more information or to donate in US tax-deductible dollars, please contact the church office: office@icbangkok.org
Covenant Form
After prayerful consideration for the year 2022,
I/We enter into covenant with God and His Church to:
Pray for my Church_______times per week.
Attend Worship_______times per month.
Give back to God the following in God’s tithe (10%) & offerings
Baht_______per week/month/year (please circle one)
Other Currency_______per week/month/year (please circle)
Serve God in ministry. I’m interested in (please circle):
Christian Education
Outreach
Worship Prayer
Personnel & Property
Evangelism/Membership
Finance/Stewardship
Fellowship
Other ……….
You can email the ICB office for this covenant form or copy & paste the above to: office@icbangkok.org
Missed a sermon?
Want to hear one again?
If you missed any of the recent sermons or would like to hear one or more again, recordings are available from Rev. Chee himself. Please let him know which Sunday(s) you are interested in and he will send you the link.
Send an email to: minister@icbangkok.org
International Church of Bangkok (ICB)
Advancing the Work of Jesus!
ICB is an English language congregation, composed of native and non-native speakers. We are committed to welcoming people of all backgrounds to Christian worship for a diverse, inclusive and unifying faith experience.
We seek to advance the work of Jesus Christ by promoting and supporting spiritual growth, community and service to others.
ICB has a specific policy on “Diversity, Inclusiveness & Unity” recently adopted at our annual congregational meeting. You can download the file here (click).
Scan these QR Codes to
find out more about
International Church of Bangkok
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For personal inquiries, more information and
church membership, please email
Rev. Chee Keong Yong: minister@icbangkok.org
