Monthly Archives: October 2023

From Father Iain, All Saints Chiang Mai

Heads you win, tales you lose!

(My church email is not working!  Please use iainbaxter.mail@gmail.com to contact me!)

Dear Friends,
Nothing is certain except death and taxes – This famous quote about taxes originated with Benjamin Franklin in 1789. Over 200 years later, it still rings true.  Jesus was questioned about both.

In this week’s Gospel reading, we hear how the Pharisees sought to trap Jesus: “Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?” they asked.  Jesus’ answer was amazing: “Show me the coin used for the tax.” he said.  And they brought him a denarius. Then he said to them, ‘Whose head is this, and whose title?’ They answered, ‘Caesar’s.’ Then he said to them, ‘Give therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’

Jesus avoided the Pharisees’ trick, but we are left with the question as to what is Caesar’s – what belongs to the world – and what is God’s – what answers to a higher standard!

Wonderful things are happening here at All Saints – I am very excited about the prospect of All Saints South and the possibility of a Thai service, too!  But in the wider world there is much to mourn, not least the terrible carnage in Gaza and ongoing conflicts in Myanmar and elsewhere.

We need the peace of the Prince of Peace more than ever!

The readings for this Sunday will be from Isaiah 45:1-7, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10, and Matthew 22:15-22, and we will be singing the hymns Alleluia, Sing to Jesus; Is It Lawful to Pay Taxes?; Break Thou the Bread of Life; and In Christ alone my hope is Found!

Use this link to join on Zoom this Sunday at 10:30 am
Meeting ID: 548 801 501

Last Week’s Sermon

Last week’s sermon, “On the War in Gaza!”, is available here!


Planetarium Visit 


Last Friday twenty of us visited the planetarium located at the NARIT Astropark Observatory. We all has a wonderful time and most of us shared lunch together afterwards.  Many thanks for organising this event, Sandra!


Church Pool Day – last Saturday!

Last Saturday we had a great day out, swimming at the Centre of the Universe pool and then enjoying a delicious barbecue at the vicarage.  About 20 people went swimming, while 30 enjoyed the barbecue!

Thanks to Paddy and Adam for planning and barbecuing, to Denni and Barbara for preparing so much salad, and to the Maejo Students for washing-up and clearing everything away!


Watch the 15 second Barbecue Video here!

Lunch at the Pool!

Cooking away!

Eating together!

Everything came together in the most amazing way!  Thanks to everyone!


Events for your Diary

November 5th         
    All Saints Day Celebration and Potluck
November 11th
    Remembrance Day at the Foreign Cemetery 
November 12th      
    Remembrance Sunday
November  18th
    Transgender Day of Remembrance Vigil
November 19th      
    Transgender Day of Remembrance Service
December 3rd        
    Advent Sunday
December 9th        
     Festival of Christmas Carols
December 23rd
     Christmas Worship in Thai
December 24th
      Midnight Mass
December 25th
      Christmas Morning Eucharist


Chili Night continues!

Chili Night continues at the usual time of 6 p.m.  Come and join us at the vicarage on Tuesday as we share chili followed by ice cream!


Weekly Offering to All Saints

You can still donate in person or online.  Thank you for your support and love for All Saints and all we are trying to do together.  God has shown that he is mighty and we are in his hands!

God bless,

Father Iain

From Father Iain, All Saints Chiang Mai

Whose land is it anyway?

(My church email is not working!  Please use iainbaxter.mail@gmail.com to contact me!)

Dear Friends,
Last week, I wrote of a conversation between a foreigner and a Thai.  The foreigner was complaining that it was ridiculous that they couldn’t buy a house in Thailand.  The Thai responded that the clue is in the name: “It’s called Thailand,” she said, “not Foreignland.  Land can only belong to Thais!”

Nobody disputes that Thailand belongs to the Thais, but as we have seen in horrendous scenes on our TV screens this week, the ownership of the Holy Land is very much contested.  The war between the Israeli state and Gaza enclave has already seen the deaths of thousands of innocent men, women, and children, as well as men on both sides fighting for “their country”.

Let us continue to hold the situation in our prayers, praying for peace and justice for all.

The readings for this Sunday will be from Isaiah 25:1, 4, 6, 9, Philippians 4:1-9, and Matthew 22:1-14, and we will be singing the hymns The God of Abraham Praise; What a Friend We Have in Jesus; Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart; and Thine Be the Glory!

Use this link to join on Zoom this Sunday at 10:30 am
Meeting ID: 548 801 501

Last Week’s Sermon

Last week’s sermon, “Write no one Off!”, is available here!


Baptisms and Confirmations

Do you want to be baptised or confirmed?  We may be offering the opportunity at our All Saints Day Celebration on Sunday 5th November!  (This has moved from the previous week so some baptismal candidates can attend.) Alternatively, we are also planning to again hold baptisms and confirmations on Easter Sunday next year!

If you are interested, let me know!


Planetarium Visit – Friday!

On Friday 13th October we plan to visit the planetarium located at the NARIT Astropark Observatory.  We meet at 10.30am, tickets cost 30B/child and 50B/adult.  The show is in English, starts at 11am and lasts 1 hour.  Directions to the NARIT Astropark Observatory can be found here!


Church Pool Day – this Saturday!

The Centre of the Universe Pool

On Saturday 14th October, we will go to the Centre of the Universe Pool for the day.  The cost to use the pool is THB 100 per person.  Meet at the pool at midday. We will buy lunch at the pool where most dishes are around THB 100.  Later we will share a barbecue at the vicarage, which is nearby.

There will be a sign-up sheet at church this Sunday.  Paddy and Adam are sorting the food for the barbecue and we will divide the cost between those attending.

Directions to the Centre of the Universe can be found here!


What do I do?

Hosting a Potluck

Someone asked me what I did with my time apart from the hour in church on Sunday.  Well, here’s the second part of outline of my week.  You can read the first part in last week’s email here!

Tuesday is my most consistent day in that each week it follows the same pattern.  Then on Wednesday I have to complete the weekly church email which goes out on Thursday morning.  The hymns and readings for the following Sunday and the video of the previous Sunday must already be chosen or edited, as links need to be included in Thursday’s message.  On Thursday afternoon, mum and I go to BigC and Macro to buy supplies for Chili Night.

The other weekly fixed events are the Sunday service and Friday night choir practice at YCF, and most weeks we try to have a clergy meeting where Mark, Peter, Gene, Christa, and I meet up.  The clergy meeting is a very moveable feast depending on who is in town and who is available. 

I also usually reserve Saturday morning for the actual writing down of my sermon if I am preaching that week.  This will be more frequent again when All Saints South is established.

The rest of my time varies from week to week.  There are always visits or phone calls to be made or encouraging emails to be written. 

Recently, a lot of my time has been taken up with the three levels of administration of All Saints: the All Saints Church Council, the All Saints Chiang Mai Mission UK charity, and the new All Saints Foundation here in Thailand.  The Church Council is now well established and we have our constitution and different policies in place so that is largely taking care of itself. 

ASCMM, on the other hand, is now in the process of codifying its policies and procedures and so that is currently taking up more time.  For example, ASCMM is a major funder of the Youth Charity Foundation, and as part of its remit it has requested a review of the YCF safeguarding policy.  This has been completed by Peter and we have met with YCF staff several times to agree the new procedures and regulations.

The All Saints Foundation is also keeping me busy and board members Khun Tasnee, Kaew, and Knot, and I are trying to open a foundation bank account.  This is a Thai government requirement as well as a practical necessity.  We have already spent four afternoons in the Kasikorn Bank at Central Festival, and will hopefully complete the process on a fifth visit next week!  Knot has been back and forwards to the tax office, and our lawyer will be back at the ampur office to correct a document next Monday!

(I began asking myself if all this bureaucracy was really worthwhile, as it takes the time of fourteen lay people in addition to the All Saints clergy, but as well as providing important supervision and accountability, it should in the future enable us to raise more money to support the work of All Saints.)

I have also recently being spending time building relationships with the clergy of St George’s, Pattaya, and St Paul’s, Bangkok, and keeping in touch with Archbishop Ron.

Outside the church, I try to join the Chiang Mai Walk and Talk hiking group at least once a month so that I have contacts with people in the wider community too!

I love my work and, although I would like to cut down on some of the computer work, I feel immensely privileged to be able to serve the people of All Saints and Chiang Mai fulltime.


All Saints Foundation Banking

This is still ongoing – it is proving very complex!  Thanks again to Tasnee and Knot from YCF, and our organist, Kaew, for all their hard work!


Church Council Meeting

We will hold our monthly meeting after church this Sunday.


Events for your Diary
October 13th – tomorrow!
    Planetarium Visit
October 14th – this Saturday!
    Church Pool Day
November 5th         
    All Saints Day Celebration and Potluck
November 12th      
    Remembrance Sunday
November  18th
    Transgender Day of Remembrance Vigil
November 19th      
    Transgender Day of Remembrance Service
December 3rd        
    Advent Sunday
December 9th        
     Festival of Christmas Carols


Chili Night continues!

This week’s Chili Night turned in to a costume party!

Chili Night continues at the usual time of 6 p.m.  Come and join us at the vicarage on Tuesday as we share chili followed by ice cream!


Weekly Offering to All Saints

You can still donate in person or online.  Thank you for your support and love for All Saints and all we are trying to do together.  God has shown that he is mighty and we are in his hands!

God bless,

Father Iain

From Father Iain, All Saints Chiang Mai

Whose land is it anyway?

Dear Friends,
I recently heard of a conversation between a foreigner and a Thai.  The foreigner was complaining that it was ridiculous that they couldn’t buy a house in Thailand.  The Thai responded that the clue is in the name: “It’s called Thailand,” she said, “not Foreignland.  Land can only belong to Thais!”

Psalm 24 says “The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it.”  The earth is Godsland, God’s kingdom!  That is the message of our Old Testament and Gospel readings this week.  The Kingdom of God was being usurped by its existing tenants, the Pharisees and Sadducees, and they even rejected the authority of the Son of the Kingdom!

Do we really let God have God’s way in the world?  Do we ask, in every situation from migration to climate change, to how we treat our neighbour, what would Jesus do?  This is the challenge of the Christian life!

The readings for this Sunday will be from Isaiah 5:1-7, Philippians 3:4-14, and Matthew 21:33-46, and we will be singing the hymns Morning has Broken; Beauty for Brokenness; O Lord, the Clouds are Gathering; and To God be the Glory!

Use this link to join on Zoom this Sunday at 10:30 am
Meeting ID: 548 801 501

Last Week’s Sermon

Last week’s sermon, “By Whose Authority?”, is available here!


Baptisms and Confirmations

Do you want to be baptised or confirmed?  We plan to offer the opportunity at our All Saints Day Celebration on Sunday 5th November!  (This has moved from the previous week so some baptismal candidates can attend.)

If you are interested, let me know as soon as possible so we can start preparation classes!


What do I do?


At Chili Night on Tuesday

Someone asked me what I did with my time apart from the hour in church on Sunday.  Well, here’s an outline of my week:

Monday is my day off and I try to avoid church work for the day.  I usually manage to do so, apart from the occasional urgent email or phone call.

Tuesday is Chili Night, but first I begin planning for the next Sunday and tidying up from the last. 

My day usually begins with two or three hours producing the weekly bulletin, adding the bible readings, and choosing the hymns.  There is a Worship Leaders version, and a shorter Congregational version.  The shorter edition is not just to save paper but also to ensure that people look up and listen, rather than look down and read everything.  There is also a sheet for the Prayers of Intercession to be compiled, and I need to produce the music edition with the sheet music for our organist and those who want to sing parts.  Sometimes there needs to be separate choral and organ copies.

Producing the Bulletins

Perhaps you are thinking that it would save time, and paper, to use hymn books and service books, but we choose our hymns from a large variety of sources – UK, US, and other – and we shape our liturgy to fit our particular context.  Juggling books and page numbers can also be a barrier to children and non-native English speakers.  (Plus our chairs have nowhere to put books!)

If I am preaching the following Sunday, I then begin to think about my sermon.

My next task is usually editing the video from the previous Sunday.  If I am just including the sermon, then this can be done, including downloading video and audio files, editing, uploading to YouTube, and updating Facebook and the website, in around a couple of hours.  However, if I want to include the whole service, as I did for the Harvest Festival, the editing alone can take six hours!

Harvest Edit

I often ask myself if the videos are worth the effort, but for some people they are their only connection with the church, and often new people come to All Saints after looking at the website and watching a few sermons and services.

Then, it being Tuesday, I begin getting things ready for Chili Night.  Mum starts cooking in the morning and Paddy arrives at 3 p.m. to help.  At about the same time I will begin setting up the tables and getting out the plates, dishes, and cutlery, etc.  (If they haven’t got a class, the Maejo students arrive around 4 p.m. and help with this task!)

The Maejo Crew!

Chili Night itself begins at 6 p.m. and most people leave by eight!  Glyn is a great help with washing up and the “Maejo Crew” help to tidy away!

I was going to outline my week – but Tuesday seems long enough so I’ll write more next week!


Planetarium Visit – Next Friday!



On Friday 13th October we plan to visit the planetarium located at the NARIT Astropark Observatory.  We meet at 10.30am, tickets cost 30B/child and 50B/adult.  The show is in English, starts at 11am and lasts 1 hour. 

Directions to the NARIT Astropark Observatory can be found here!

Speak to Sandra to reserve seats.  Many thanks for organising this event, Sandra!


Church Pool Day

The Centre of the Universe Pool

On Saturday 14th October, we will go to the Centre of the Universe Pool for the day.  The cost to use the pool is THB 100 per person.  Meet at the pool at midday.

We will buy lunch at the pool where most dishes are around THB 100.  Later we will share a barbecue at the vicarage, which is nearby.

There will be a sign-up sheet at church this Sunday.  Paddy and Adam are sorting the food for the barbecue and we will divide the cost between those attending.

Directions to the Centre of the Universe can be found here!


All Saints Foundation Banking



This is still ongoing – it is proving very complex, and we may try a different bank!  Thanks again to Khun Tasnee and Khun Knot from YCF for all their hard work!


Events for your Diary

October 13th
    Planetarium Visit
October 14th 
    Church Pool Day
November 5th         
    All Saints Day Celebration and Potluck
November 12th      
    Remembrance Sunday
November 19th      
    Transgender Day of Remembrance Service
December 3rd        
    Advent Sunday
December 9th        
     Festival of Christmas Carols


Chili Night continues!


Some of the group this week!

Chili Night continues at the usual time of 6 p.m.  Come and join us at the vicarage as we share chili followed by ice cream!


Weekly Offering to All Saints

You can still donate in person or online.  Thank you for your support and love for All Saints and all we are trying to do together.  God has shown that he is mighty and we are in his hands!

God bless,

Father Iain