Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!  That is kind of a traditional way of greeting someone as we start a new year.  Really, I hope you have had a “Happy Old Year” and will continue with a “Happy New Year.”  I pray for your joy based on Christ as well as your happiness based on your circumstances.

The turning of the calendar is a great time for many people to renew efforts of starting over.  Don’t you wish you had a dollar for everyone who decided this is the year I will shed a few pounds or make a decision to start exercising?  I actually like picking a time to make new commitments or to renew former ones.  The New Year is a good time to start new and make renewed efforts at attaining goals in your life.  It is a logical time to say the past is behind me, today, this week, this month, and this year is a new year.  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me…so I can do this…whatever your “this” is.

Let me suggest some areas to consider as you make New Year commitments.  What will you do to deepen your faith with our Father and our Lord Jesus?  Maybe this is the year you read the Bible through or add a few minutes to your daily time with Him.  This year, above all else, I pray you will guard your heart.  The Father is working to make us more like the Son.  What will you do toward that end?

Second, what will you do this year to be salt and light in your neighborhood and community?  What do you see or think about that makes your heart burn with passion or concern?  It could be that is the area where you can shine the brightest.  I pray for all of us to find ways to join what God is doing outside of what we do here on Sunday mornings.  Every Bible study group and small group that I know of has a regular point of contact in the community.  They have places of darkness where they are taking the light of Jesus.  It can be done.  Don’t be timid about asking your group to consider taking on a project. (By the way, also don’t expect others to leave what they are passionate about to join your quest.  Get it, they are doing already. It is easy to feel like what we are doing is the most important.  It is not.  It is just one of a wonderful array of ministries).

Happy New Day!  Every day is new; His mercies are fresh, and each day is an opportunity to “begin again.”  So make a commitment, try again, and aim for the stars.  You will do more than if you didn’t try.

Happy New Day!  Whether it is January 1 or some other day He has created.  May He continue to do a new work in your life and in the community where you live.

Pastor Tom

EMERGENCY SHELTER and CHRISTMAS EVE

EMERGENCY SHELTER

Over the years, the church has owned a small apartment that is a part of the Ministry Center next door.  The little building, adjacent to the main building, houses Barry’s little café, the café where Luz Y Verdad meets, the Relson Gracie Charleston Jiu Jitsu Academy, next the small apartment, and finally the small food bank operated by Luz Y Verdad.  It has been a wonderfully multi functional building through the years.

In the past, the small apartment has been home for several of our members who had special needs.  Some will remember Bobby Jasch and Viola Skipper.  Other times we have rented it to members in need.  It has been vacant for a little while now.  We have just recently had a person there who had no place to live.  It provided a temporary shelter.

Now here is the deal.  It is a very small “efficiency apartment” that is in terrible shape.  We are currently in the process of emptying everything out of it.  It has a collection of junk from years of a variety of tenants.  Most of it will be given to the Kidney Foundation.  Once emptied, we will have it cleaned and sanitized.  Perhaps some minor repairs and adjustments.

We will most likely rent it out one day.  But for the short term future, there seems to be a need for emergency shelter.  I am hoping we might be able to lightly furnish the apartment for such needs.  It is a small efficiency apartment, so there is no room for big furniture.  If you think you might have something to donate, please call the church office at 762-0244.  Neale will help you make the arrangements.

We will not be doing a major overhaul on the apartment, but we will be doing some minor repairs.  If you would be interested in donating some labor, we would be glad to have you on board.

CHRISTMAS EVE

This Sunday is the fourth Sunday of advent, and then we celebrate Christmas Eve together.  I am so looking forward to this festive service of Carols, Communion, and Candlelight.  I am also looking forward to a wonderful time of worship and celebration of our Heavenly Father’s great love and the advent/coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. If we do not see you then, Janie and I hope you have a very Merry Christmas.

Pastor Tom

Christmas Caroling, Wednesday, December 19

Each year we join together on one of the Wednesdays in December.  We go out into the community, usually three different groups, and sing Christmas carols.  It is always a lot of fun.

This year, we are going to try something just a little different.  We are all going to go to the same place this year.  We are going to the Harvest Health and Rehab Center, Maybank Highway on Johns Island.

Here are the plans as we have them now.  The date for the Caroling is Wednesday, December 19.  Come to the fellowship hall as the gathering place.  We will TRY to leave the church campus at 5:45.  I know some may not be able to make it at that departure time.  You can still come on straight to Harvest Health and Rehab.  We will be there from 6 to 7.  Even if you come late, you will still have a lot of time to enjoy.  It will be our only stop.  Then we will gather back at the church to eat.

Now, here is the reason for the change.  There are approximately 1.4 million people living in Nursing Home facilities.  Nursing homes are in great need of having people come and visit.  The problem is if we arrive at 7, many of them are already medicated and put to bed.  Harvest has welcomed us to come and this will be right after the residents have eaten.  So they will still be awake and ready for a “dinner show.”  We are trying to find out how many residents there are and what small items we might could take them as a small Christmas gift.

Imagine, you live in a nursing home facility, your family lives away and/or cannot visit you regularly.  Here comes a group of 30 children and about that many adults.  There is singing, greetings, beautiful music…ok, fun music, and lots of love.  It is taking LIGHT into the dark places of the community.

I will drive the bus for our children and adults…up to 39 of them.  We can use volunteers to drive and help with transportation.  Dave and Fred will be going, so we will have good music to help us sing.  We will have Christmas songs books, the Good Book, and lots of “Santa Hats.”  It will be fun.  No doubt, it will be meaningful and touch someone’s life deeply.

Ho, Ho, Ho, Hosanna!

Pastor Tom