The New Testament passage from 1 Peter 2 this week teaches us that Jesus is the chief cornerstone on which to build our lives. Somehow, through knowing and following Jesus, we are transformed into living stones.
What does this process of transformation look like in your life? Join us this Sunday as we explore more deeply these themes of foundation and aliveness expressed in the following scriptures.
The readings for the Fifth Sunday of Easter will be from Acts 6:1-7, 1 Peter 2:4-9, and John 14:1-12, and we will be singing the hymns Alleluia! Sing To Jesus!, Christ, Be Our Light, Called As Partners in Christ’s Service, Let Us Build A House.
YouTube Live We now use YouTube Live to livestream our service.
To watch our service live this Sunday please follow these steps:
Chili Night is back. Join us at the Vicarage on Tuesday, May 5th as the weekly tradition returns.
Potluck on Sunday, May 10th
Join us for a potluck – bring something for us all to enjoy – on Sunday, May 10th at the Vicarage. It is always wonderful when we can gather together for a relaxing Sunday afternoon of food and chatting.
Chiang Mai Pride on May 24th
As is our tradition, All Saints will have a booth and a banner for us to march in the parade. Join us for a wonderful time of community outreach and connection. And we have shirts! Weekly Offering to All Saints
You can still donate in person or online – and now you can use our QR code!. Thank you for your support and love for All Saints and all we are trying to do together. God has shown that God is mighty and we are in God’s hands!
The Gospel reading this Sunday comes from John, an eye witness to Jesus’ life and ministry. John quotes Jesus in explaining that the sheep belonging to him will listen to his voice. And there will be other competing voices vying for our attention.
How can we tune into Jesus’ voice so that we can receive the abundant good things he has for us? What other voices are vying for your time and attention in 2026?
The readings for the Forth Sunday of Easter will be from Acts 2:42-47, 1 Peter 2:19-25, and John 10:1-10, and we will be singing the hymns Hail The Day That Sees Him Rise, The Lord’s My Shepherd, The King of Love My Shepherd Is.
YouTube Live We now use YouTube Live to livestream our service.
To watch our service live this Sunday please follow these steps:
To coincide with my sabbatical, and also as a lot of people are away, Chili Night will be on hold, returning in August. Weekly Offering to All Saints
You can still donate in person or online – and now you can use our QR code!. Thank you for your support and love for All Saints and all we are trying to do together. God has shown that God is mighty and we are in God’s hands!
Last Saturday transACTIONrefuge went on a hike. Nine of us drove up to the Montha Than Waterfall and went on a short hike – ending up at the waterfall where the bravest went for a swim. The waterfall was the highlight of the walk and everyone was happy to see it! Why? Because water gives life! Just contrast the bare desert mountains of the Middle East with the lush green mountains of Thailand to see this truth!
In this week’s Gospel reading, Jesus encounters a woman at an ancient Samarian well. He offers her “living water”. That is what the Christian life is all about: the opportunity to be continually filled with living water! Sometimes we feel dry and barren too, but that water is available if we just allow God to open the flood gates!
The readings for the Third Sunday of Lent will be from Exodus 17:1-7, Romans 5:1-11, and John 4:5-26, 39-42, and we will be singing the hymns Immortal, Invisible, God only Wise; Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing; In the Morning when I Rise; and In Christ alone my hope is Found!
YouTube Live We now use YouTube Live to livestream our service.
To watch our service live this Sunday please follow these steps:
Please pray for Mark and Christa at this time! This is the latest news on their situation:
Christa writes:
A quick update on our visa process.
This morning, Mark received his visa approval — which we are incredibly grateful for.
I am still waiting on one final document before I can submit my own application. As soon as it arrives, we’ll move forward with the next step. Please keep us in mind and in your prayers as we wait for the document to come through. We’re hoping it arrives quickly and without complication so we can return to Thailand soon.
Thank you again for making this process possible. Your generosity has allowed us to take these steps with peace instead of panic.
We’re hopeful and trusting that the remaining pieces will fall into place. We’ll keep you posted. .
YCF Trip to Huahin
Leading Worship by the Sea!
Mum and I plan to travel down to Huahin with the Youth Charity Foundation from 19th to 27th March. They make the trip every three years or so.
For many of the children it will be the first time they have seen the sea. Please pray for the safety of all involved! .
Easter Services – Coming Up!
Palm Sunday – 10:30 a.m. Sunday 29th March Good Friday – 7:00 p.m. Friday 3rd April Easter Sunday – 10:30 a.m. Sunday 5th April .
Easter Potluck!
Our Easter Sunday service will be followed by a special Easter Potluck at the vicarage! This will include an Easter Egg hunt and other Easter goodies! .
Tuesday Chili Night Continues!
Chili Night continues this Tuesday! Every week everyone in Chiang Mai is invited to Chili Night in the Vicarage. Chili con Carne, rice, chips, ice-cream, and drinks are provided. Just come along! (But let me know in advance if you can!) All are welcome. Food is served at 6 p.m.
Please make a THB 100 donation.
.
Weekly Offering to All Saints
You can still donate in person or online – and now you can use our QR code!. Thank you for your support and love for All Saints and all we are trying to do together. God has shown that God is mighty and we are in God’s hands!
The Kingdom of God – God’s people worshipping together!
Dear Friends,
This week we continue our observance of Lent as we look at the story of Nicodemus who came to Jesus with compliments. Jesus responded “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.”
What does it mean to see God’s kingdom, and even more to enter it?
The readings for the Second Sunday of Lent will be from Genesis 12:1-4, Romans 4:1-5, 13-17, and John 3:1-17, and we will be singing the hymns The God of Abraham Praise; O Jesus, I have Promised; Let us Break Bread Together; and What a Friend We Have in Jesus!
YouTube Live We now use YouTube Live to livestream our service.
To watch our service live this Sunday please follow these steps:
Please pray for Mark and Christa at this time! This is the latest news on their situation:
Christa writes:
We did it.
Because of you, our $10,000 goal has been fully funded—and exceeded. We cannot adequately express our gratitude. Your generosity enables us to move forward in seeking permission to return to Thailand. But your support means even more than that. Mark shares how:
“Yesterday, a mother called me asking for help relocating to safety. She is a refugee fleeing war and sexual violence, now also surviving domestic abuse and abandonment. She has nothing except two small children — one of whom is sick and requires ongoing medical care.
On the worst day of her life, I was able to be present, listen carefully, and help her begin to see options again. And because of your financial support and prayers, you were there for her too.
It was as if she walked into a room full of caring, capable people from around the world asking, ‘How can we help?’
Love is the most powerful force in the universe. Through your kindness, more love has entered her story.”
On a personal level, Mark’s mom recently suffered a massive stroke after weeks of hospitalization for a broken hip. His 81-year-old father cannot live independently without her. Being able to return and care for them during this season matters deeply to us.
Please continue to pray for our visas to be approved, for this refugee mother and her children, and for Mark’s parents.
Your presence with us in this season means more than we can say.
This campaign officially closes tonight. We will share final totals once all gifts have been processed. If you feel led to support our ongoing care of people like this refugee mother, the giving links will remain open. But please know: the visa goal has been met and exceeded.
Thank you for standing with us.
.
transACTIONrefuge Volunteer Orientation – Last Saturday!
We had a great meeting last Saturday with around twelve people in attendance.
This who missed it can view the recording of the event – message me if you would like to be sent the link.
Whether you have already volunteered to help new-comers to Chiang Mai, would like to do so, or just want to find out more, please ask to see this valuable information which explains what is needed, and outlines the do’s and don’t’s of helping. .
transACTIONrefuge Hike – This Saturday!
This is a short hike of a couple of miles, suitable for most ability levels!
Patrick is a Thai tour guide who loves to get people out in nature. He is also a great resource on local flora and fauna.
We will have 3 cars that can hold at least 10 hikers in addition to the drivers. Please bring a sack lunch so we can picnic at the half way point. Recommended items to bring: • sunscreen/hat • bug spray • footwear with good grip • plenty of water
Further details for this hike will emailed out next week.
Cost: 100 baht for National Park entrance for foreigners. If you can’t afford the cost please let us know. Several of our members have offered to sponsor anyone who could not otherwise participate.
.
Tuesday Chili Night Continues!
Chili Night continues this Tuesday! Every week everyone in Chiang Mai is invited to Chili Night in the Vicarage. Chili con Carne, rice, chips, ice-cream, and drinks are provided. Just come along! (But let me know in advance if you can!) All are welcome. Food is served at 6 p.m.
Please make a THB 100 donation.
.
Weekly Offering to All Saints
You can still donate in person or online – and now you can use our QR code!. Thank you for your support and love for All Saints and all we are trying to do together. God has shown that God is mighty and we are in God’s hands!
Last Year’s Reflections on the Stations of the Cross
Dear Friends,
What are you going to give up for Lent? Chocolate? Facebook? Social Media? How about giving up striving, giving up stress, giving up worrying?
Jesus said:
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to your span of life?
Yes, we need to plan, yes, we need to make sensible provision – but even then the best laid plans of mice and men can come tumbling down! (Just read below about Mark and Christa’s situation to witness this!)
Trust is the key – if we trust God with our lives then we need not worry for we know that, ultimately, all is safe in God’s hands!
The readings for the First Sunday of Lent will be from Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7, Romans 5:12-17, and Matthew 4:1-11, and we will be singing the hymns When I Survey the Wondrous Cross; Forty Days and Forty Nights; Bless the Lord oh my Soul; and God is Love!
YouTube Live We now use YouTube Live to livestream our service.
To watch our service live this Sunday please follow these steps:
Please pray for Mark and Christa at this time! They left on Thursday!
Christa writes:
Mark and I must leave Thailand to apply for new ones — and unless we complete that process, we won’t be allowed to return.
But we cannot complete the process without your help.
Thailand has been our home for 25 years. For a quarter century, we’ve walked alongside children, women, and men finding freedom from trafficking, exploitation, and harm. There is still more work to do.
This is not an expulsion. It’s a deadline.
Our original visa pathway unexpectedly fell through at the last minute. Now, to obtain new visas, we must meet two significant financial requirements — both beyond what we can manage alone.
The first is a $50,000 capital requirement — and incredibly, that has already been provided without us asking. We are profoundly grateful.
The second is $10,000 to cover visa fees, international airfare, and basic living expenses while we remain outside Thailand during the 20-day processing period. Without raising this $10,000 by Friday, we cannot complete the process — and we will not be allowed to return.
If you’re able to help, any amount moves us closer. If giving isn’t possible, sharing this post expands the circle. The tax-deductible donation link is in the comments. We’ll post updates as this unfolds.
Thank you for standing with us. Your prayers, encouragement, and generosity make it possible for us to remain where we are called to serve.
If you have a Thai bank account you can also donate via the All Saints bank account which is in my name, or give cash on Sunday. Email Adam, our treasurer, on adamsensamaust@gmail.com to designate your gift.
All Saints Chiang Mai Mission Meeting
All Saints Chiang Mai Mission is the UK charity which helps to channel international donations to All Saints and the Youth Charity Foundation. It also seeks to hold both organisations to account by ensuring that we adhere to international standards of governance and safeguarding. Our board consists of members and former members of All Saints and other interested friends.
We will have our regular meeting online this Saturday.
Please hold us in your prayers.
transACTIONrefuge Volunteer Orientation – This Saturday!
We have a Volunteer Orientation meeting this Saturday, 21st February, at the vicarage at 2 p.m.
Whether you have already volunteered to help new-comers to Chiang Mai, would like to do so, or just want to find out more, please come.
The meeting will explain what is needed and outline the do’s and don’t’s of helping. It will also be a chance to get to know other volunteers.
transACTIONrefuge Hike
Patrick is a Thai tour guide who loves to get people out in nature. He is also a great resource on local flora and fauna. Details: Saturday, February 28th 9:00 AM – meet to carpool to the hike here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/tLSCuKCpqSjhwTDX6
We will have 3 cars that can hold at least 10 hikers in addition to the drivers. Please bring a sack lunch so we can picnic at the half way point. Recommended items to bring: • sunscreen/hat • bug spray • footwear with good grip • plenty of water
Further details for this hike will emailed out next week.
Cost: 100 baht for National Park entrance for foreigners. If you can’t afford the cost please let us know. Several of our members have offered to sponsor anyone who could not otherwise participate.
Tuesday Chili Night—Returns Next Week!
Chili Night will return next week on Tuesday 24th at 6 p.m.
Weekly Offering to All Saints
You can still donate in person or online – and now you can use our QR code!. Thank you for your support and love for All Saints and all we are trying to do together. God has shown that God is mighty and we are in God’s hands!
Jesus was assigned human at birth when he was actually God inside – actually he was both, for the scriptures attest that Jesus was fully man and fully God – God with us!
Christ’s true nature was revealed at the transfiguration when the disciples caught a glimpse of Jesus’ true self!
Lent is almost upon us, we will celebrate “Pancake Sunday” this week, but on the Sunday before Lent the Gospel reading is always the story of Jesus’ transfiguration. Before his all-too-human temptations and death on the cross are remembered, we remember Jesus shining with the glory of God!
That is what the Transfiguration is about – it is the revelation of who Jesus really is – the Son of God! And Moses and Elijah appear to testify about this on behalf of the Law and the Prophets.
What about us? How do we see Jesus? And are we prepared to reveal who we really are too? Do we even know who that is? If we believe, then we are children of God, and that knowledge is at least a start!
The readings this week will be Exodus 24:12-18, 2 Peter 1:16-21, and Matthew 17:1-9, and we will be singing the hymns Praise to the Lord, Transfiguration Hymn; You laid aside Your Majesty; and Christ be our Light! Our choir will be singing Transfiguration and The Lord Bless You and Keep You.
Then on Wednesday we will have two services to mark Ash Wednesday: firstly a short service at 8:30 a.m. and then our usual Ash Wednesday service at 7 p.m. Both services will include the imposition of ashes.
At our 7 p.m. Ash Wednesday service we will sing the hymns Abide with Me, O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go, and The Day Thou Gavest, Lord, Is Ended.
YouTube Live We now use YouTube Live to livestream our service.
To watch our service live this Sunday please follow these steps:
Our next potluck will be at the vicarage this Sunday. This will be our Pancake Potluck heralding the beginning of Lent. Our choir will be joining us for worship, but unfortunately cannot attend the potluck so we will plan the number of pancakes accordingly! .
All Saints Annual General Meeting – Last Sunday
This was held following the morning service last Sunday, 8th February.
The meeting received reports, approved the budget for 2026, and elected a new Church Council for the next year. Four people were elected for the elected positions on the Church Council. They are:
Paddy Davis Barbara Franklin Elsa King Charlotte Sensamaust
In addition, I, as vicar, remain an ex-officio member, and Christa Crawford will replace Mark Crawford in one of the two other clergy positions. Helen Catton has been co-opted to fill the other clergy position in the absence of another clerical candidate.
In response to my vicar’s report, there was a discussion regarding the future of the All Saints Foundation:
This is now working smoothly due to the hard work of our administrator, Gai. However, it is not providing the solution we had hoped for. Although it has enabled us to have a bank account in the name of All Saints, it has not increased our transparency or allowed us to obtain volunteer visas for our clergy. It is costing around THB 200,000 a year to maintain which amounts to around 20% of our annual budget. We are also struggling to fulfil the requirement to benefit “Thai people” other than in our work with YCF, and they are a separate foundation.
Additionally, two of the foundation board members wish to resign and this could take 12 to 18 months to facilitate and find suitable willing replacements.
Considerable expense was incurred in setting up the foundation and many people, especially Khun Tasnee, invested a great deal of time into the project. However, continuing as we are is not viable. The three options are:
1) Continuing with a restructured foundation and initiating a project to support Thai people. 2) Putting the foundation into a “deep freeze” so that it can be revived in the future. 3) Closing the foundation.
Option One is possible but would involve more work and would continue to cost us THB 200,000 per year.
It seems Option Two is not possible as the foundation can be closed down by the authorities if it is perceived as no longer active – and we would still need to provide monthly reports and accounts so the costs would still be significant for no purpose whatsoever.
Option Three is a drastic step and should we want a foundation in the future we would again incur costs. Some costs will also accrue from winding-up the organisation.
The new Church Council will consider the way forward at its next meeting and should they decide on Option Three we will have to call an Extraordinary General Meeting to ratify the decision and amend the All Saints Constitution accordingly.
Other points raised at the meeting:
– Suggestion for council going forward: Have quarterly reporting on church council meetings email to congregants.
– Formalize or set boundaries for community outreach work to keep it sustainable for All Saints Church leadership.
– AGM expressed great appreciation for the work of the outgoing Council Chair, Sarah Sensamaust.
– Community Responsibilities: Arthur and Phyllis continue as altar fabric people. Coffee and snack hosting: By month? Elsa: Volunteer Coordinator to organize the community ministries (altar guild, potluck, coffee hosting, organize clean up after potluck, basket for donations for people who don’t bring money) James will help document the processes and systems guide Chris and Christa to take potluck organization and shoulder tapping. Newsletters and/or weekly bulletin to include helpers, attendance, offering, etc.
Finance and Budget reporting: Adam – Do a better job advertising space for rent/fee (about 300/hour) – Consider raising cost for existing group space rental (500/session) – Budget accepted and approved for 2026. .
Ash Wednesday Service
On Wednesday we will have two services to mark Ash Wednesday: firstly a short service at 8:30 a.m. and then our usual Ash Wednesday service at 7 p.m. Both services will include the imposition of ashes. Christa will be leading this year’s service as mum and I have been invited to Chiang Rai to celebrate the Lahu New Year. All Welcome! .
Tuesday Chili Night—One Week Break!
There will be no Chili Night next week, Tuesday 17th February. It will return the following week on Tuesday 24th at 6 p.m. .
transACTIONrefuge Volunteer Orientation
On Saturday 21st February we will have a Volunteer Orientation meeting at the vicarage at 2 p.m.
Whether you have already volunteered to help new-comers to Chiang Mai, would like to do so, or just want to find out more, please come.
The meeting will explain what is needed and outline the do’s and don’t’s of helping. It will also be a chance to get to know other volunteers. .
transACTIONrefuge Hike
We are planning a hike on Saturday 28th February. More details to follow! All welcome!
.
Weekly Offering to All Saints
You can still donate in person or online – and now you can use our QR code!. Thank you for your support and love for All Saints and all we are trying to do together. God has shown that God is mighty and we are in God’s hands!
This week’s Gospel Reading is a familiar passage from Matthew. Jesus says:
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
He then goes on to talk about how God provides food for the “birds of the air” and clothing for the “lilies of the field.” The message is: Do not worry about such mundane things.
The good news is that in the 21st Century most of the world’s population do not have to worry about having enough food to eat or clothes to wear, in fact obesity and over-consumption are often bigger problems than starvation or want.
So, how should we who have an abundance apply these passages from Jesus? Although it is sensible to eat sensibly, perhaps we need to stop obsessing about diet? “You are what you eat” is not really true! You are a child of God, not a son of pizza or daughter of tofu!
The passage ends with the conclusion:
But seek first for the kingdom of God and God’s righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ‘So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
Let us do this!
The readings this week will be Genesis 1:1-2:3, Romans 8:18-25, and Matthew 6:25-34, and we will be singing the hymns All Creatures of our God and King; Still; For the Beauty of the Earth; and Praise with Joy the World’s Creator.
YouTube Live We now use YouTube Live to livestream our service.
To watch our service live this Sunday please follow these steps:
This will be held following the morning service this Sunday, 8th February. All are welcome to attend and members over the age of 16 will be able to vote.
The meeting will receive reports, approve the budget for 2026, and elect a new Church Council for the next year. Nominations are now closed and four people have been nominated for the four elected positions on the Church Council. They are:
Paddy Davis Barbara Franklin Elsa King Charlotte Sensamaust
Next Potluck
Our next potluck will be at the vicarage on Sunday 15th February. This will be our Pancake Potluck heralding the beginning of Lent. Our choir will be joining us for worship, but unfortunately cannot attend the potluck so we will plan the number of pancakes accordingly!
Welcome Picnic – Last Saturday!
transACTIONrefuge held a welcome picnic at the vicarage last Saturday, 31st January. I was a very successful event with around 25 people of all ages attending. Unfortunately, we forgot to take any photos!!! Thanks to everyone who made this event possible.
Ash Wednesday Service
This will be at 7 p.m. on Wednesday 18th February. Join us for this solemn service marking the beginning of Lent including the imposition of ashes. Christa will be leading this year’s service as mum and I have been invited to Chiang Rai to celebrate the Lahu New Year. All Welcome!
Chili Night Continues!
Chili Night continues this Tuesday! Every week everyone in Chiang Mai is invited to Chili Night in the Vicarage. Chili con Carne, rice, chips, ice-cream, and drinks are provided. Just come along! (But let me know in advance if you can!) All are welcome. Food is served at 6 p.m.
Please make a THB 100 donation.
Weekly Offering to All Saints
You can still donate in person or online – and now you can use our QR code!. Thank you for your support and love for All Saints and all we are trying to do together. God has shown that God is mighty and we are in God’s hands!
In this week’s New Testament Reading Paul writes to a divided Corinthian church:
Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you should be in agreement and that there should be no divisions among you, but that you should be united in the same mind and the same purpose.
For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sisters. What I mean is that each of you says, ‘I belong to Paul’, or ‘I belong to Apollos’, or ‘I belong to Cephas’, or ‘I belong to Christ.’ Has Christ been divided?
Paul knew that a divided church would achieve little and, more importantly, he knew that it was dishonouring the call of Christ who prayed that his disciples would be one.
We live in a time of great turmoil and division with the US divided from Europe and a reconfiguring of previously enduring alliances. Internally, countries are riven by fissures, none more so than America itself. In this age of conflict and strife we need to stand united for we are all followers of Christ – not Paul, or Apollos, or Peter – or Mark, or Christa, or Iain!
I thank God that we are united at All Saints, that we are “united in the same mind and the same purpose”, and that we all stand and work together as we seek to build God’s kingdom!
Our scripture readings this Sunday are from Isaiah 9:1-4, 1 Corinthians 1:10-18, and Matthew 4:12-23, and we will be singing the hymns O Worship the King; They’ll know we are Christians; Brother, Sister, Let me Serve You; and Now Thank We All Our God!
YouTube Live We now use YouTube Live to livestream our service.
To watch our service live this Sunday please follow these steps:
transACTIONrefuge will be holding a welcome picnic at 3pm on Saturday 31st January at the vicarage. Bring picnic food to share. All are welcome!
All Saints Annual General Meeting
This will be held following the morning service on Sunday 8th February. All are welcome to attend and members over the age of 16 will be able to vote.
The meeting will receive reports, approve the budget for 2026, and elect a new Church Council for the next year. If you would like to join the Council, speak to Father Iain or one of the current council members.
Next Potluck
Our next potluck will be at the vicarage on Sunday 15th February. This will be our Pancake Potluck heralding the beginning of Lent.
Ash Wednesday Service
This will be at 7 p.m. on Wednesday 18th February. Join us for this solemn service marking the beginning of Lent including the imposition of ashes. All Welcome!
Chili Night Continues!
Chili Night continues this Tuesday! Every week everyone in Chiang Mai is invited to Chili Night in the Vicarage. Chili con Carne, rice, chips, ice-cream, and drinks are provided. Just come along! (But let me know in advance if you can!) All are welcome. Food is served at 6 p.m.
Please make a THB 100 donation.
Weekly Offering to All Saints
You can still donate in person or online – and now you can use our QR code!. Thank you for your support and love for All Saints and all we are trying to do together. God has shown that God is mighty and we are in God’s hands!
Ready for Transgender Day of Remembrance Sunday on 23rd November
.
Dear Friends,
At All Saints, November is our Season of Remembrance!
It began with All Saints Day when we remembered and gave thanks for Christians who have gone before us. This was followed by Remembrance Sunday on 9th November and Remembrance Day on 11th November, when we remembered all the victims of war.
We will hold a vigil for the Transgender Day of Remembrance on Thursday 20th November, and also mark the event on Sunday 23rd with a special service.
This is the twelfth year that All Saints has observed the Transgender Day of Remembrance, but this year it’s different. Countries which were previously safe for trans people are becoming increasingly hostile. This is particularly true of the United States where government officials have labeled trans people as both “mentally ill” and “domestic terrorists”.
In the US, access to trans-affirming healthcare, particularly for minors, is being severely curtailed, and the federal government is attempting to subpoena medical records of trans children. It is possible that in the near future attempts may be made to prosecute parents of trans children for “child abuse” and take the children into care. State by state, laws are being introduced to deny the use of appropriate bathrooms and even ban the discussion of transgender issues in educational institutions or the use of preferred names and pronouns. Trans members of the US military have already lost their jobs, and employment may become increasingly difficult in other situations. Attacks on transgender individuals are increasing.
The UK is also becoming an increasingly hostile environment for trans people with a countrywide ban on trans people accessing single-sex spaces appropriate to their gender, including bathrooms, changing rooms, and refuges. There is a total ban on gender-affirming care for minors and moves to ban the use of preferred names and pronouns in schools. Other formerly safe countries are seeing similar restrictions imposed.
Within this region, large numbers of Chinese trans people have also sought safety in Thailand. Thailand is quickly becoming a haven for trans and LGBTQ people.
In response to all this, six months ago All Saints began the transACTIONrefuge program. This is a project involving All Saints members and others which seeks to assist trans people and families to relocate to Thailand. In addition to practical assistance we provide a welcoming and affirming community for those forced to flee. We have already helped several families and individuals to successfully relocate here and are in touch with many more who are considering moving. We are expecting several more families and individuals to arrive soon. We plan to provide practical but also psycho-social support.
That is why, in addition to our regular Sunday service, we are this year holding a candle-lit vigil at the vicarage on Thursday 20th November, the Transgender Day of Remembrance itself. Please join us if you can to show your support and solidarity. We are hoping to be joined by a number of Thai organisations also. (See below for details!)
It is good to remember, and give thanks, but this must spur us on to create change so that war and injustice can cease, and finally these remembrances become remembrances of the distant past!
The bible readings for this Sunday will be Job 19:23-27, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17, and Luke 20:27-38, and we will be singing the hymns Praise my Soul the King of Heaven; Lord Jesus Christ (Living Lord); I am the Bread of Life; and Tell Out My Soul!
YouTube Live
We now use YouTube Live to livestream our service.
To watch our service live this Sunday please follow these steps:
On Tuesday 11th, I lead the Remembrance Day Observance at the Foreign Cemetery. A large crowd gathered including a record ten different schools.
Officiating the Ceremony
Mark Crawford and David Cartwright with All Saint’s Wreath
The wreaths from Consulates, Schools, and other Organisations
.
Transgender Day of Remembrance Vigil and Service
This vigil will take place on the evening of Thursday 20th November. In the Vicarage Garden at 7p.m. Join us if you can!
Then on Sunday 23rd November, we will mark the Transgender Day of Remembrance in our morning worship at All Saints!
.
Events Coming Up – November / December
Thursday 20th November Transgender Day of Remembrance At the Vicarage at 7 p.m.
Sunday 23rd November Transgender Day of Remembrance Service
Wednesday 26th November Deck the Halls at the Vicarage 3 pm
Sunday 30th November Advent Sunday (Followed by Potluck)
Sunday 7th December Second Sunday of Advent
Sunday 14th December Third Sunday of Advent
Saturday 20th December Festival of Christmas Carols
Sunday 21st December Fourth Sunday of Advent
Wednesday 24th December Midnight Mass
Thursday 25th December Christmas Day
Tuesday 30th December Christmas at the Youth Charity Foundation
Wednesday 31st December New Year’s Eve at the Vicarage
Chili Night
Chili Night will return next week on Tuesday 18th November.
Weekly Offering to All Saints You can still donate in person or online – and now you can use our QR code!. Thank you for your support and love for All Saints and all we are trying to do together. God has shown that God is mighty and we are in God’s hands!
Last Sunday we had a wonderful celebration of harvest at All Saints when we gave thanks for God’s great provision, but those of us who are rich often forget to say thankyou, and it is the poor and marginalised – the people on the edge – who express their gratitude! So it is in this week’s Gospel reading.
This Sunday we will read from Luke chapter seventeen where Jesus heals a group of ten lepers. However, the only who returns to thank Jesus is a Samaritan. He is the one who expresses his gratitude and Jesus commends him saying ‘Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.’ The story of the Syro-Phonecian woman and the Roman Centurion are similar stories where it is the foreigner who is commended for their faith!
How do we reach out to the people on the margins of our society? Our work with the Youth Charity Foundation, refugees from Myanmar, and transACTIONrefuge are three of the ways we do this at All Saints.
Another way we can share our abundance, and give thanks to God, is by giving away the things which we do not need or no longer use! Sarah Sensamaust has volunteered to run a virtual garage sale on behalf of All Saints! We can turn our surplus possessions into money to build God’s kingdom and help those in need. (See below for details!)
Whatever we do, we are called to serve those in need!
The scripture readings for this Sunday will be from 2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15, 2 Timothy 2:8-15, and Luke 17:11-19, and we will be singing the hymns Immortal, Invisible, God only Wise; Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart; O Christ the Healer; and Great is Thy Faithfulness!
. YouTube Live
We now use YouTube Live to livestream our service.
To watch our service live this Sunday please follow these steps:
A Garage Sale is a North American tradition where people empty-out their unwanted possessions (often stored in a garage) and put them for sale in their yard. In England we have “car boot sales” for a similar purpose.
The disadvantage of a traditional garage sale is that you need somewhere to store all the stuff and people may have things to dispose of at different times! Hence… a Virtual Garage Sale!
This is how it will work:
1) Bring your item to church, or the MCC Office, or send Sarah a photo and description if that’s easier! 2) Sarah will advertise the item online. 3) People can buy the item online and then collect or have it sent by Grab delivery.
Hopefully, we will raise much needed money for church funds!
.
Hair Raising
Over the last few weeks some of you will have seen me sporting extra hair! I haven’t gone mad, but after thirty years of the same non-hairstyle I am ready for a change. Such is the prejudice about “wearing a wig” that it has taken a great deal of courage to do so! (While Pastor Mark has happily had green hair and now a pony-tale or man-bun!)
I think it makes me look younger – and it certainly makes me look different – but whether or not it does or not, I like the change. (And it’s my head! Lol!) All Saints likes to proclaim that “All are Welcome” and by being who we are and modeling the way we want to be seen, we open that door wider for those who are unsure of their welcome if they come as their true selves.
.
Behind the scenes at ASCMM and transACTIONrefuge
I have submitted the 2024 Annual Report for All Saints Chiang Mai Mission to the UK Charity Commission. ASCMM is a UK register charity which handles funds from the UK for All Saints and the Youth Charity Foundation. We have seven hardworking trustees who oversee the work and perform this valuable, though unseen, task! Thank you for all your hard work!
Meanwhile, transACTIONrefuge continues to reach out with valuable information and assistance to hundreds of trans individuals and families who are considering fleeing their homes to find a place of greater safety. We have recently found a possible source of grant funding and are beginning our application. Please pray for this work!
.
Chili Night
Chili Night continues this Tuesday! Every week everyone in Chiang Mai is invited to Chili Night in the Vicarage. Chili con Carne, rice, chips, ice-cream, and drinks are provided. Just come along! (But let me know in advance if you can!) All are welcome. Food is served at 6 p.m.
Please make a THB 100 donation.
Weekly Offering to All Saints You can still donate in person or online – and now you can use our QR code!. Thank you for your support and love for All Saints and all we are trying to do together. God has shown that God is mighty and we are in God’s hands!
Saturday, February 28th
9:00 AM – meet to carpool to the hike here:
All Saints' Chiang Mai 