Monday, September 29, 2014

A BIG OL’ TAILGATING THANK YOU


I could not believe it would rain on our Tailgating Party this past Sunday. Or maybe I should say, given the weather pattern, how did I think it would not rain? Even more impressive and just as hard to believe was the large number of people that braved the rain and stayed. For those who stayed it was well worth getting a little damp. The food was outrageously good and abundant! The booths were prepared and did a good job in representing. I am looking forward to hearing stories of what happened. A big thanks to all the volunteers, cooks, servers, connection groups, ministry teams, etc. Apart from the rain, it happened just the way we hoped!

LIVING LIFE ON PURPOSE

We called this three part series “JIBC: Living Life On Purpose”. The goal was to launch a year of intentionally giving attention and focus to the purpose of God. We believe God is in the business to reach, redeem and restore a lost and broken world. JIBC is in the business of joining Him. The way we do that is…well, on purpose. We GROW on purpose. That is we grow up and in, spiritually and numerically. We will build all we do around growing on purpose. Next we made a commitment to SERVE on purpose. Mark 10:45 appears to be a life verse for Jesus: “The Son of Man came to serve, not to be served, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” To be like Jesus is to serve. You are wonderfully gifted and enabled by God to serve the Body of Christ known as JIBC. You help the church grow and you grow. This past Sunday celebrated CONNECTING on purpose. The value of connection groups is vitally related to our spiritual growth, our numerical growth, and our mission. I love what I see our Father doing in our church family’s outward focus out into the community. To God be the glory.


TRANSITION HOUSE NEED

Does anyone have a wooden crib and/or a walker you would like to donate to the Transition House? These are two needs that will always come up. We would be glad to recycle them and put them to good use. Give us a call at 762-0244.

See you Sunday, good Lord willing,

Pastor Tom


Tuesday, September 23, 2014

CONNECTING ON PURPOSE


This Sunday will be a fun event for the family and friends of JIBC: The On Purpose Connection Tailgate Party. So, here are the plans. First, there will be no 8:30 worship service for this Sunday. Everyone is invited to join together for the 11:00 Worship Celebration. Sunday Connection Groups will meet at their regularly scheduled time. The 11:00 worship service will include baptism…always an exciting and meaningful time for a church family. God has blessed by adding to His church. Amen and amen.

Dress casual and comfortable for the tailgating after the worship service. All of our Connection groups have been invited to host a tailgate food fiesta. Last year there was more food that one could possible sample. Enjoy the food and get to meet people you may not know. Do a little behind the scenes secret interviewing…see if there is a connection group you relate to or at least one that you like their food! Really, what a great time to visit many of our Connection Groups and meet people who attend. Find out when and where they meet. Could be a match made in heaven.

In addition to our connection groups, we will have several of our mission groups present. This should give everyone an opportunity to learn more about some of the outward focus mission points. Ask questions, sign up, volunteer….volunteer someone else without their permission. Just kidding…tell them…but tell them after you sign them up.

Really, let’s have some fun ON PURPOSE. If the weather allows, we will have great food, great fun, fellowship and information.

ON A MORE PERSONAL NOTE
This coming Saturday we will celebrate Wyatt Wilkins’ first birthday. Hard to believe that we are over a year away from the agonizing days of Erin’s pregnancy and Wyatt’s birth. I want to thank our Father in heaven for His mercy and faithfulness. This could have gone so many different ways. Thank you, Father. I also want to thank so many of you who interceded and sought the favor and healing of God. Thank you. It is not enough, but thank you. Wyatt is a happy, healthy, beautiful baby boy who looks like he is ready to be a linebacker for Clemson. Erin and Trey could not be more joyful for the miracle. Thank you. I love you all so much.



Pastor Tom


Tuesday, September 16, 2014

LIFE ON PURPOSE @ JIBC




This past Sunday I started a series of messages “Living Life On Purpose”.  There are really three parts of the teaching series followed by the On Purpose Tailgate Sunday.

This past Sunday we looked at the teaching of the Bible related to growing on purpose.  We grow deeper in our relationship with Jesus.  We often call that maturity, discipleship or spiritual growth.  It does not happen automatically.  As the old book says “disciples are made, not born”.  One of our sister churches has this motto:  We make disciples that make disciples that change the world.  I like that.  We seek to grow on purpose, to develop deeper faith and a deeper relationship with our Lord.    It is also about growing wider, that is growing numerically.  The Great Commission is to go into all the nations/people groups and make disciples.  We usually refer to this as evangelism, missions, an outward focus.  It is one beggar who has found bread (Jesus the Bread of Life) telling another beggar where to find it.  Three ways we can do this.  First, pray for God to open our eyes to the harvest around us.  We believe God is working, ask that He gives us eyes to see where He is at work that we may join Him.  Second, invite someone you know.  Please do not underestimate the power of a personal invitation.  It is still a very powerful, perhaps the most effective outreach tool that we have.  Invite someone you know (family, friend, coworker, your server where you eat, etc).  Invite them to your Connection Group party or to the next outing to see the Riverdogs or Stingrays. Let them rub shoulders with people changed by God’s grace.  It is powerful.  Third, plug into your passion.  What has your heart?  What do you spend time thinking about, wishing something could be done about?  Want to help teach a child to read, help feed the hungry, be a mentor to an teenage mother, help supply basic necessities for orphans, give support to those who have an unplanned or unwanted pregnancy?  We are committed to helping you live out your God given passion to make a difference.  Last, why not go ahead and get a passport?  Maybe you will go on a beautiful cruise…or say a mission trip. We have JIBC connections in the following countries:  Asia, Nepal, South Africa, Ukraine, Romania and Guatemala.  Don’t see a place you like?  Let us know.  Our International Mission Board probably has someone serving where you would like to go.

It is not either/or, missions or maturity, discipleship or outreach.  It is both/and.  Let’s go get them.  We can do this together, on purpose.

See you Sunday, Pastor Tom


Wednesday, September 10, 2014

IT’S A NEW DAY

You know, things change.  One day people are reading from a scroll made of sheep skin; the next day…well, centuries, they are using movable type.  Still the same trustworthy, reliable, inspired Word of God.  The Bible was moved from hand copied scrolls and parchment to a more easily reproducible book form.  You may remember that the Gutenburg Bible was the first book published using movable print.  Seems kind of like a small breakthrough, but it was really a major advancement for people of faith.   Many believers gave their lives to make sure the precious Word of God could be translated from the Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek and Latin and printed  into the language of the people.  Now, we have the Bible in so many good translations, you may never have time to read them all.

Breakthrough number next:  the digital age.  I know…we all miss the day of using our scrolls to read God’s Word.  Ok, so we don’t really remember using scrolls.  Most of us getting up in age, have only known the Bible to come to us in book form.  It has a cover, it has pages to turn and a place to put your book mark.  You could underline and highlight it if you so chose.  You can carry it with you.  Our Gideon friends made the Bible small enough to fit in your pocket or your pocket book. You could buy a Bible big enough to be the center piece of your coffee table.  That is how I grew up.  The big, black copy of the Bible that weighed several pounds was always prominently displayed on the coffee table in the center of the living room.

IT’S A NEW DAY.  The world has gone digital.  I am so thankful for the believers that have continued the tradition of making the Bible easily accessible.  I am sure all the sheep are glad we no longer use scrolls.  It is very common for worshipers to pull out their phones when the pastor asks “Now, will you open your Bibles to …”.  Gladly, they take out their phone, go to their Bible app, choose the Bible translation, the book, chapter and verses.  There it is…right there on their phone.  It looks like they are playing “Candy Crush” or checking facebook…but they are accessing the Word of God.  They also have the ability to underline, highlight, take notes, look up commentary, double check the pastor’s reference to the Greek word “agape” and instantly share with their network of social media friends, what is going on in worship at that moment.  Yes, I know, they actually tweet out while we are singing “In the Tweet by and by” or “Tweet Ye First”.    IT’S A NEW DAY.  I am still old school and use my old tried and true printed version of God’s Holy Word.  At other times, like at night before bed or while I sit and wait for an appointment, I use the Bible app on my phone. It’s the Word of God…whether it is a scroll, a 6 pound coffee table size Bible, my old 20 year old NIV or my phone’s Bible App…it is all good, all God, all the time.  IT’S A NEW DAY…but it is the same wonderful words of life.

See you Sunday with my Bible in my hand…and my phone Bible app near by.

Pastor Tom


Wednesday, September 3, 2014

VISION NIGHT: JIBC



VISION NIGHT: JIBC is a leadership event to be held on Monday, September 8 from 6:30-7:30 in the fellowship hall.  We will provide a meal to be served from 5:30-6:30.  Childcare will be provided for anyone who needs it.  Spouses that are not on the leadership are invited and are more than welcomed to attend.  It would be our pleasure for them to join us.

I am inviting all staff, all deacons and elders, all connection group leaders and all leaders of ministry teams.  If you cannot attend, I would ask that you send someone who would come representing your team or connection group.  We are expecting to have 45 leaders to attend.

I am calling this VISION NIGHT: JIBC for this reason: I hope to share with you a compelling vision and direction for the next 16 months.  The staff and I have met together to prayerfully seek direction and leadership for our church family.  We had a very successful 2 day retreat examining where we see God moving, what we see Him blessing, examining needs of the community and dreaming how we could join Him.  We will present a calendar of the major events and dates that will help you, your family and your ministry team/connection group as you make plans for the coming year.

Recently, this statement has been going through my mind and heartGod is in the business of reaching, redeeming and restoring a lost and broken world.  We, the JIBC family, exist to join Him in His business.  What we will share at VISION NIGHT: JIBC will be how we believe God is going to do this through His JIBC family.  In some ways, what I will be sharing is a continuation of what has been in my heart from day one:  making a difference in our families, our neighborhood, our community and world.

As you know we strive to be driven by the purposes of God as revealed in the Great Commandment and the Great Commission.  We exist to bring people into the family of God (Membership), help them become like Jesus (Maturity), involve them in serving one another (Ministry), sending them into the community and world (Mission) and to glorify God (Magnify).  That is what we do.  Who we do it with can be seen in concentric circles starting in the Community, bringing them to the Crowd, involving them in the Church, helping them move to grow as the Committed and sending them back out to the serve as the Core.  The vision for the next 16 months includes doing church together ON PURPOSE.

We do a pretty good job of keeping a thin calendar.  So I will do my absolute best to not waste your time.  If there is one meeting for you to absolutely attend, this is it.  You will hear my heart, see my commitment, and feel my passion.  I love what I do and who I do it with.  I am looking forward and praying for the best year ever.  Let’s do it together, ON PURPOSE!

Blessings,

Pastor Tom