All Saints' Chiang Mai

From Father Iain, All Saints Chiang Mai

Join us as we celebrate!

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

Dear Friends,
Christmas is very nearly upon us – we had a wonderful Festival of Christmas Carols last Saturday, which you can watch below!

This week we have a “normal” Sunday, and then we have four services over the Christmas weekend – five if you count the one at the Youth Charity Foundation. 

Our weekend begins with our first-ever Thai Christmas service on the evening of Saturday 23rd.  Then on Christmas Eve we will mark the Fourth Sunday of Advent in the morning, followed by Midnight Mass that night!  On Christmas Day we will have our Christmas Morning Eucharist!  (Each service will have a different preacher – so know need to worry about repetition!)

Christmas is all about the coming of the Prince of Peace – and our world certainly needs peace today!  It is strange how that title of Jesus is usually confined to Christmas, for forgiveness and reconciliation – which are the prerequisites for true peace – are at the heart of the gospel!

Come celebrate – and seek for peace with us – this Christmas!

The scripture readings for the Third Sunday of Advent will be from Isaiah 61:1-4,      1 Thessalonians 5:16-24, and Matthew 1:18-25, and we will be singing the carols O Come All Ye Faithful; Angels from the Realms of Glory; In the Bleak Midwinter; and Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!

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

Our Festival of Christmas Carols!

Video of the full event is available here!

Video of the All Saints Choristers singing In the Bleak Midwinter is available here!

This is our wonderful annual Christmas event.  Thanks to the Lannacapella Choir and the All Saints Choristers who led the singing and performed their own pieces of Christmas music.  Thanks to our pianist, Kaew, for playing so beautifully.  Thanks to Claudine for stepping in at the last minute to lead the Lannacapella Choir when their director, Peter Springer, got Covid!   And many thanks to Thammapratheep Church for letting us use their beautiful building.


Gingerbread Christmas Tea



You are invited to a Gingerbread Christmas Tea at Barbara’s house this Saturday, December 16!!! Come any time 10am – 3pm!  We’ll eat, drink and make fabulous frosted cookie creations to eat or take home. It’s a family tradition!

33 soi 3, Chiang Mai-Lamphun Road. Big green house with a wreath on the gate!


Christmas Gift Wrapping!



Every year the people of All Saints buy Christmas presents for the children of the Youth Charity Foundation.  This year they’ll be given on 26th December.

On Wednesday 20th December we’ll meet at the vicarage at 10 a.m. to wrap the gifts.  With over fifty presents to wrap, many volunteers are needed!  Come if you are free!


Thai Christmas Service!

On Saturday 23rd December at 6 p.m. we have our first ever Thai-language service at All Saints.  We are expecting a full house with children from the Youth Charity Foundation and students from Maejo and Chiang Mai universities attending!  Bring your Thai friends!


Christmas Lunch – 25th December
 


Every year we share Christmas lunch together at the vicarage – nobody need be alone!  Please sign up to indicate  how many people are coming and also to say what you can bring.


Christmas Meal & Worship at YCF – 26th December



On Tuesday 26th December, everyone is invited to the Youth Charity Foundation to celebrate Christmas together.  We will share a meal together and then give the children their presents.  This will be followed by a time of Christmas worship.  Dinner is served at 6:00 pm

 
Christmas Events for your Diary



Saturday 23rd December  6:00 pm
     Christmas Worship in Thai
Sunday 24th December  10:30 am
      Fourth Sunday of Advent Service
Sunday 24th December  11:30 pm
      Midnight Mass
Monday 25th December 10:30 am
      Christmas Morning Eucharist
     (Followed by Christmas Lunch)
Tuesday 26th December 6:00 pm
      Christmas meal & worship at YCF
 

Chili Night continues this week!

Chili Night will continue at the usual time of 6 p.m. this Tuesday, 19th December!  Please join us!


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

Join us this Saturday at 7:00 p.m.

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

Dear Friends,
Last Sunday we celebrated Advent Sunday, and this Saturday we have our Festival of Christmas Carols at Thammapratheep Church!  Christmas is almost upon us!!!

But as we prepare to mark this most joyful of occasions, let us remember those who are suffering throughout the world – particularly those in the Holy Land where Jesus was born!  Let us pray for peace and reconciliation as we celebrate the coming of the Prince of Peace.

Join us at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday and 10:30 a.m. on Sunday as we prepare our hearts for Christmas!

The bible readings for the Second Sunday of Advent will be Isaiah 40:1-5, 2 Peter 3:8-15a, and Luke 1:26-38, and we will be singing the hymns O Come, O come Emmanuel; The Angel Gabriel; Of the Father’s Love Begotten; and Angels we have heard on high!

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

Last Week’s Service

Highlights of last week’s Advent Sunday service are available here!

Festival of Christmas Carols – This Saturday, 9th December!



This is our wonderful annual Christmas event.  Carol singing is led by the Lannacapella Choir and the All Saints Choristers, who will also perform their own pieces of Christmas music.  Readings will be given by various local dignitaries.  Invite your friends and come and help!  There will be a collection in aid of the Youth Charity Foundation.

Thammapratheep Church is next to Expat Auto.  Directions can be found here!


Christmas Publicity – Please take and share!









Posters are available at the back of the church!  Please take them if you have somewhere you can display them.  Rimping supermarkets will put them on their notice board for two weeks if you hand them in before the 1st and 14th of the month! 

(You can also copy the images above and send them to your friends!)


Christmas Lunch – 25th December
 


Every year we share Christmas lunch together at the vicarage – nobody need be alone!  Please sign up to indicate  how many people are coming and also to say what you can bring.


Christmas Meal & Worship at YCF – 26th December



On Tuesday 26th December, everyone is invited to the Youth Charity Foundation to celebrate Christmas together.  We will share a meal together and then give the children their presents.  This will be followed by a time of Christmas worship.  Dinner is served at 6:00 pm

 
Christmas Events for your Diary



Sunday 3rd December  10:30 am        
    Advent Sunday
Saturday 9th December  7:00 pm        
     Festival of Christmas Carols
Saturday 23rd December  6:00 pm
     Christmas Worship in Thai
Sunday 24th December  11:30 pm
      Midnight Mass
Monday 25th December 10:30 am
      Christmas Morning Eucharist
     (Followed by Christmas Lunch)
Tuesday 26th December 6:00 pm
      Christmas meal & worship at YCF
 

Chili Night continues this week!

Chili Night will continue at the usual time of 6 p.m. this Tuesday!  Please join us!


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

Join us as we prepare for the coming of Christmas!

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

Dear Friends,
Christmas is almost here!  This Sunday is Advent Sunday and as the Fourth Sunday of Advent falls on Christmas Eve, this is the latest Advent Sunday can be!  Thanks so Maejo students Nat, Mark, and F, for doing all the decorating so far!

As usual on Advent Sunday, we will be joined by some of the children from the Youth Charity Foundation who will finish decorating the church Christmas Tree.  We will then go to the vicarage for our Advent Potluck and the children will finish the decorations there!  Thanks to Nat, Mark, F, Oil, Nana, Annah and Annesh, for helping decorate the vicarage!

Advent is a busy time with all the preparations for Christmas, our Festival of Carols on Saturday 9th December, and our first ever Thai service on Saturday 23rd December, but it is most of all a time to prepare our hearts for the coming of Jesus!  Take some time in the business to welcome the Prince of Peace!

The bible readings for Advent Sunday will be Isaiah 2:1-5, 1 Corinthians 1:3-9, and Mark 13:24-37, and we will be singing the hymns O Come, O Come Emmanuel; Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus; and Joy to the World!

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

Last Week’s Service

Last week’s service was not recorded.  You can watch previous services and sermons on the church website!


Advent Sunday



This Sunday we will celebrate Advent Sunday.  We will be joined by some of the children from the Youth Charity Foundation as we decorate the church for Christmas and share an Advent Potluck at the vicarage.

Chili Night returns this week!

Chili Night will return at the usual time of 6 p.m. this Tuesday, 5th December!  Please join us!
 

Christmas Publicity – Please take and share!









Posters and Festival of Carols tickets are available at the back of the church!  Please take them if you have somewhere you can display them.  Rimping supermarkets will put them on their notice board for two weeks if you hand them in before the 1st and 14th of the month! 

(You can also copy the images above and send them to your friends!)
 

Festival of Christmas Carols – Next Saturday, 9th December!



This is our wonderful annual Christmas event.  Carol singing is led by the Lannacapella Choir and the All Saints Choristers, who will also perform their own pieces of Christmas music.  Readings will be given by various Consuls and other local dignitaries.


Wedding in Chiang Rai



Mum and I had a great time in Chiang Rai for the wedding of a former Youth Charity Foundation student.  May God bless the couple in their future life together!

At Mae Fah Luang University


Christmas Events for your Diary



Sunday 3rd December  10:30 am        
    Advent Sunday
Saturday 9th December  7:00 pm        
     Festival of Christmas Carols
Saturday 23rd December  6:00 pm
     Christmas Worship in Thai
Sunday 24th December  11:30 pm
      Midnight Mass
Monday 25th December 10:30 am
      Christmas Morning Eucharist
     (Followed by Christmas Lunch)
Tuesday 26th December 6:00 pm
      Christmas meal & worship at YCF
 

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

Jesus reigns – despite appearances to the contrary

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

Dear Friends,
When we see the state of the world, it’s hard to believe, as Robert Browning wrote, that “God is in his heaven, and all’s right with the world!”  But, as Christians, we do believe that God has won the victory and that, in the end, all will be well!  Meanwhile, we work to build God’s kingdom on earth and to try to make the world a better place for all.

This week we will celebrate the Feast of Christ the King, and the following Sunday is Advent Sunday when we begin our preparations for Christmas by decorating the church and sharing a potluck together.  We long for the coming of Jesus to bring peace on Earth and herald good will to all!

The bible readings for the Feast of Christ the King will be Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24, Ephesians 1:15-23, and Matthew 25:31-45, and we will be singing the hymns  The King of Love My Shepherd Is; When I needed a Neighbour; The Servant King; and Sing We the King Who is Coming to Reign!

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

Highlights of Last Week’s Service

Highlights of last week’s Transgender Day of Remembrance Service are available here!


Transgender Day of Remembrance Vigil

The vigil took place at All Saints on the evening of Saturday 18th November.  It was a short ceremony in English and Thai with lighting of candles.


Reading the Names


The Best Christmas Choir Ever – Starts tonight!



Our very own Paddy Davis plays a hapless pastor in this Christmas play!  See Paddy for details and tickets!

Loi Krathong Celebration  – Tuesday 28th November


Meet at the church at 6 p.m. to join the celebrations together.


No Chili Night this week!

There will be no Chili Night on 28th November due to Loi Krathong!  Chili Night will return at the usual time of 6 p.m.  on 5th December!  


Advent Sunday


In two weeks’ time, on Sunday 3rd December, we will celebrate Advent Sunday.  We will be joined by some of the children from the Youth Charity Foundation as we decorate the church for Christmas and share an Advent Potluck at the vicarage.


Christmas Publicity – Please take and share!








Posters and Festival of Carols tickets are available at the back of the church!  Please take them if you have somewhere you can display them.  Rimping supermarkets will put them on their notice board for two weeks if you hand them in before the 1st and 14th of the month! 

(You can also copy the images above and send them to your friends!)
 

Coming Soon – Festival of Christmas Carols on Saturday 9th December!


This is our wonderful annual Christmas event.  Carol singing is led by the Lannacapella Choir and the All Saints Choristers, who will also perform their own pieces of Christmas music.  Readings will be given by various Consuls and other local dignitaries.


Wedding in Chiang Rai


Mum and I will be away in Chiang Rai this weekend as we are going to the wedding of a former YCF student.  We will be back on Monday


Events for your Diary

Saturday 18th November  6:00 pm
    Transgender Day of Remembrance Vigil
Sunday 19th November  10:30 am      
    Transgender Day of Remembrance Service
Sunday 3rd December  10:30 am        
    Advent Sunday
Saturday 9th December  7:00 pm        
     Festival of Christmas Carols
Saturday 23rd December  6:00 pm
     Christmas Worship in Thai
Sunday 24th December  11:30 pm
      Midnight Mass
Monday 25th December 10:30 am
      Christmas Morning Eucharist
     (Followed by Christmas Lunch)
Tuesday 26th December 6:00 pm
      Christmas meal & worship at YCF
 

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

Transgender Day of Remembrance – All is Prepared!

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

Dear Friends,
Our annual Season of Remembrance concludes with the Transgender Day of Remembrance.

A few years ago I helped organise a vigil after a mass shooting at an Orlando nightclub.  I was attacked on social media for organising the event: “Why for them and not other victims of violence?” was the accusation.  I had no answer except to say that this event had particularly touched me personally, and if we organised a vigil for every group of victims in the world, we would hold one every day.

Every year several hundred trans people, mostly transwomen, and mostly transwomen of colour, are killed because of who they are.  This number is small compared to the more than ten thousand innocent civilians killed in Gaza over the last month – this is greater than the number of civilians killed in Ukraine in nearly two years, and the population of Ukraine is twenty times larger.  The daily death rate in Gaza is therefore 400 times that of the Ukraine conflict. We must not forget!  We remember them in our prayers each week, and remembered them in our Remembrance Sunday service last week.  But one death doesn’t cancel another, and we at All Saints have trans members and friends.  We can remember and honour both.

In a slow dispersed ongoing-massacre trans people are killed, often in the most brutal way, because of their gender expression.  Many are subject to extreme domestic violence and others are targeted by strangers.  So at a time when trans women themselves, are often portrayed as a threat to society in the western media, we need to continue to stand in solidarity with this persecuted minority.

Of course, domestic violence is not limited to transwomen.  Many women of all sorts are subjected to the most terrible treatment, and we remember them too.

The bible readings for the Transgender Day of Remembrance will be Jeremiah 23:1-6, Galatians 3:23-29, and Matthew 25:14-30, and we will be singing the hymns Stand up stand up for Jesus; Lord, we make this cry for freedom; Beauty for Brokenness; and Let Us Build a House!

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

Highlights of Last Week’s Service

Highlights of last week’s Remembrance Sunday Service are available here!



And highlights of the Remembrance Day Observance are available here, curtesy of Steve Harrow.


Transgender Day of Remembrance Vigil – at All Saints this Saturday!
 


The vigil will now take place at All Saints on the evening of Saturday 18th November.  This will be a short ceremony in English and Thai with lighting of candles.

Transgender Day of Remembrance Service – this Sunday



The following morning, Sunday 19th November, we will mark the Transgender Day of Remembrance in our morning worship at All Saints!


All Saints Foundation Meeting this Sunday



There will be a meeting of the All Saints Foundation Board this Sunday at 1 pm.  We now have a working bank account and there are decisions to be made about the relationship between ASF and the Church Council and handling of finances.  Please pray for all at the meeting as we go forward together.


All Saints South Location



On Wednesday, Father Peter, Pastor Mark, and I looked at three possible locations for All Saints South.  Our favourite one  was near the Grand Canyon water park just off the Canal Road.  Please pray that we find the right place.


Lunch Discussion this Sunday



A group to discuss the movie “Killers of the Flower Moon” will meet over lunch after church. Join us if you’ve seen the film and would like to talk!


The Best Christmas Choir Ever!



Our very own Paddy Davis plays a hapless pastor in this Christmas play!  See Paddy for details and tickets!


Advanced Notice – Festival of Christmas Carols!



This is our wonderful annual Christmas event.  Carol singing is led by the Lannacapella Choir and the All Saints Choristers, who will also perform their own pieces of Christmas music.  Readings will be given by various Consuls and other local dignitaries.


Events for your Diary

Saturday 18th November  6:00 pm
    Transgender Day of Remembrance Vigil
Sunday 19th November  10:30 am      
    Transgender Day of Remembrance Service
Sunday 3rd December  10:30 am        
    Advent Sunday
Saturday 9th December  7:00 pm        
     Festival of Christmas Carols
Saturday 23rd December  6:00 pm
     Christmas Worship in Thai
Sunday 24th December  11:30 pm
      Midnight Mass
Monday 25th December 10:30 am
      Christmas Morning Eucharist
     (Followed by Christmas Lunch)
Tuesday 26th December 6:00 pm
      Christmas meal & worship at YCF
 

Loi Krathong Celebration  – Tuesday 28th November



Meet at the church at 6 p.m. to join the celebrations together.


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!  (There will be no Chili Night on 28th November due to Loi Krathong!)


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

Lest we Forget!

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

Dear Friends,
This weekend we mark Remembrance Day on Saturday 11th November, and Remembrance Sunday the following day.

Remembrance Day began as Armistice Day to mark the end of the First World War on the 11th November 1918 at 11 a.m. UK time.  (Midday Central European Time.)  Since then a minutes silence has been held each year on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.  At the end of the Second World War this became two minutes silence to commemorate the dead of the two world-wide conflicts. It has now become a time to remember all those killed in all subsequent wars and armed conflicts around the world, and to redouble our efforts to work for peace!

From the very beginning the two phrases associated with Remembrance Day are “Lest we forget” and “Never Again!”  In the light of the on-going conflicts in Ukraine, Myanmar, and Palestine, these words have never been so apt.  We pray for the end of hostilities and a just and lasting peace for all.

This year I have again been asked to officiate at the Remembrance Day observances at the Chiang Mai Foreign Cemetery.  The service will begin at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday and will be followed by refreshments at the Gymkhana Club.  All are welcome! Our observation of Remembrance Sunday at All Saints, will follow the following day, again beginning at 10:30 a.m.

The bible readings for this Remembrance Sunday will be Isaiah 2:3-4, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, and Luke 21:5-19, and we will be singing the hymns O God our help in Ages Past, Abide with Me, Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus, and The Day Thou gavest Lord is Ended!

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

Highlights of Last Week’s Service

Highlights of last week’s All Saints Day Service, including the baptisms of Kat and Kaew, are available here!


Remembrance Day and Remembrance Sunday



On Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th November we will remember victims of war and together declare “never again!”

On Saturday 11th, I will lead the Remembrance Day Observance at the Foreign Cemetery.  Please assemble at 10:30 a.m.  Directions to the Foreign Cemetery can be found here!

Then on Remembrance Sunday, we will gather at All Saints at 10:30 a.m. to remember victims of war and armed conflict around the world. The service will include two minutes silence at 11 a.m. and hymns will include The Day Thou Gavest Lord is Ended, and Abide with Me.  

At the Foreign Cemetery


Transgender Day of Remembrance Vigil and Service
 


We hope this vigil will take place at Tha Phae Gate on the evening of Saturday 18th November.  More details to follow! 

The following morning, Sunday 19th November, we will mark the Transgender Day of Remembrance in our morning worship at All Saints!


The Best Christmas Choir Ever!



Our very own Paddy Davis plays a hapless pastor in this Christmas play!  See Paddy for details and tickets!


Advanced Notice – Festival of Christmas Carols!



This is our wonderful annual Christmas event.  Carol singing is led by the Lannacapella Choir and the All Saints Choristers, who will also perform their own pieces of Christmas music.  Readings will be given by various Consuls and other local dignitaries.


Events for your Diary

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

All Saints Last Sunday

POTLUCK THIS SUNDAY

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

Dear Friends,
This week we will celebrate All Saints Day – the patronal festival of our church.  We are called All Saints because all are welcome to be a part of us, and we include Buddhists and Muslims, as well as Christians, among our regular congregation.

This week we will see two adults baptised as they publicly declare their desire to follow the way of Jesus!  Both of them are Thai, and we will have our first Thai language service this Christmas!

All are welcome at All Saints – young and old, foreign and Thai, Christian and Muslim, Buddhist, and Atheist, gay and straight, trans and cis!  All are welcome to come and share the love of Jesus and the message of God’s love for all!

Some of our YCF choir will be with us this Sunday and after our celebratory service we will go to the vicarage to share a potluck lunch at the vicarage.  All are Welcome!

The readings for this Sunday will be from Revelation 7:9-17, 1 John 3:1-3, and Matthew 5:1-12, and we will be singing the hymns For All the Saints, Bless the Lord Oh my Soul, Father, we love You, Sing with all the saints in glory, and O when the saints go marching in!  Our choir will be singing Still.

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 Nobody Off!”, is available here!


All Saints Day Celebration


Easter Sunday Baptisms

This Sunday, 5th November, we will be celebrating All Saints Day.  This will be a great day of celebration as we welcome our organist, Kaew, and church member, Kat, to be baptised!  We will also be joined by our choir from the Youth Charity Foundation.

Morning worship will be followed by a potluck at the vicarage.  All are welcome!


Vicarage Potluck time


Student Vacation Service



Many of the Maejo University students who attend All Saints will be away for the next few weeks as they have their midterm holidays.  At All Saints we had a special service on Tuesday morning, to mark the end of their first semester and the completion of exams.

It was mostly in Thai and provided a foretaste of our Thai Christmas service which will be held on Saturday 23rd December.


Remembrance Day and Remembrance Sunday



On Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th November we will remember victims of war and together declare “never again!”

On Saturday 11th, I will lead the Remembrance Day Observance at the Foreign Cemetery.  Please assemble at 10:30 a.m.  Directions to the Foreign Cemetery can be found here!

Then on Remembrance Sunday, we will gather at All Saints at 10:30 a.m. to remember victims of war and armed conflict around the world. The service will include two minutes silence at 11 a.m. and hymns will include The Day Thou Gavest Lord is Ended, and Abide with Me.  

At the Foreign Cemetery


Transgender Day of Remembrance Vigil and Service
 


We hope this vigil will take place at Tha Phae Gate on the evening of Saturday 18th November.  More details to follow!  The following morning, Sunday 19th November, we will mark the Transgender Day of Remembrance in our morning worship at All Saints!


Advanced Notice – Festival of Christmas Carols!



This is our wonderful annual Christmas event.  Carol singing is led by the Lannacapella Choir and the All Saints Choristers, who will also perform their own pieces of Christmas music.  Readings will be given by various Consuls and other local dignitaries.


Events for your Diary

November 5th – Next Sunday
    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

A Jewish demonstrator supporting Palestine

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

Dear Friends,
I am feeling frustrated.  The Eighteenth Century philosopher, Edmund Burke, is reported to have said “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”  With the on-going bombing and siege in Gaza, I feel I am doing nothing!

War is always a terrible thing as we have seen in Ukraine, Myanmar, and Syria, but this time my own government is supporting the aggressor, the oppressive military superpower behind a fifty year illegal military occupation.  I hear stories from friends in the region who have lost family members.

We are called to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem”, and I am praying, but what more can we do?  The most urgent need is for a ceasefire, and then the real and meaningful delivery of food, water, medicine, and fuel.  We need to lobby our governments to do all they can to bring this about.

In three weeks’ time I will be leading the Remembrance Day Observance at the Chiang Mai Foreign Cemetery, let us pray that by then the bombs and missiles will have stopped, hostages will have been released, and the almost impossible work of reconciliation will have begun.

The readings for this Sunday will be from Deuteronomy 34:1-12, 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8, and Matthew 22:34-46, and we will be singing the hymns When Morning Gilds the Skies, In Christ there is no East or West, When I needed a Neighbour, and O God of Earth and Altar!

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, “Another Way is Possible!”, is available here!


All Saints Day Celebration


Easter Sunday Baptisms

On Sunday 5th November we will be celebrating All Saints Day.  This will be a great day of celebration as we welcome our organist, Kaew, and church member, Kat, to be baptised!  We will also be joined by our choir from the Youth Charity Foundation.

Morning worship will be followed by a potluck at the vicarage.  Please sign up this Sunday with what you can bring!


Vicarage Potluck time


Remembrance Day and Remembrance Sunday



On Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th November we will remember victims of war and together declare “never again!”

On Saturday 11th, I will lead the Remembrance Day Observance at the Foreign Cemetery.  Please assemble at 10:30 a.m.  Directions to the Foreign Cemetery can be found here!

Then on Remembrance Sunday, we will gather at All Saints at 10:30 a.m. to remember victims of war and armed conflict around the world. The service will include two minutes silence at 11 a.m. and hymns will include The Day Thou Gavest Lord is Ended, and Abide with Me.  

At the Foreign Cemetery


Transgender Day of Remembrance Vigil and Service
 


We hope this vigil will take place at Tha Phae Gate on the evening of Saturday 18th November.  More details to follow! 

The following morning, Sunday 19th November, we will mark the Transgender Day of Remembrance in our morning worship at All Saints!


Advanced Notice – Festival of Christmas Carols!



This is our wonderful annual Christmas event.  Carol singing is led by the Lannacapella Choir and the All Saints Choristers, who will also perform their own pieces of Christmas music.  Readings will be given by various Consuls and other local dignitaries.


Events for your Diary

November 5th – Next Sunday
    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

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