THE SEASON OF ADVENT: ANTICIPATION AND HOPE

Let’s review for a moment why we are celebrating“CHRISTMAS…ON PURPOSE”.  The word “advent” means coming or arrival. Many churches celebrate the Advent Season as a way to focus on the first advent of Jesus Christ and His second advent, His return. It is indeed a season of hope and anticipation. It is a way to celebrate the truth of God; that God became a man born of the Virgin Mary; and by his life, death and resurrection provided life, forgiveness of sin and purpose.

In a secular world, it is too easy to be swept up by the commercial nature of Christmas. Each week as we gather for worship, we will read a part of God’s Word that tells of His advent; we will light purple candles as a reminder of His royalty and a pink candle as a reminder of the great joy caused by His coming. Each week it is a reminder to reflect and to remember to celebrate Christmas on purpose and with purpose.

The Magi, as wise men from the East, honored the first advent by bringing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. How can we honor Him this year? What do you give a King who owns it all? We are encouraging our church family to consider special advent gifts this year. Gifts related to ministries that we support throughout the entire year. These are gifts they have requested as helpful and useful. The first Sunday of Advent is November 30. Would you bring reusable water bottles for Florence Crittenton, the home for young unwed mothers? The second Sunday of Advent, you could bring boys pajamas…any size, for the Lowcountry Orphan Relief. Week three would be jelly, any flavor, for our partnership with James Island Outreach. The fourth Sunday of Advent would, appropriately enough, be diapers. That would have been great for the first advent or any year there are babies involved! Our friends at Lowcountry Pregnancy will appreciate the gifts of love.

Do you see where we are going with this? Celebrate His coming…the Advent of God’s Son. God becoming flesh; the Light coming into a world of darkness; a Savoir for people in need of saving! It is a celebration. The focus of advent is on Him. The gifts we give to others share the good news of hope, peace, joy and love. My prayer is we will have so many of each gift, we will have trouble transporting them all.  Let's do Christmas...On Purpose.

Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas



Pastor Tom

Thanksgiving 2014: Let’s Take It Up A Notch

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances,

 for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not put out the Spirit’s fire.” 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-19

It has been said that gratitude is the greatest of all virtues and the parent of all other virtues. I think I agree with this statement. I do believe the attitude of gratitude plays a major role in God’s blessings in our lives. Even for the non-believing, I think the attitude of gratitude makes a real difference in every aspect of our lives. Read the verses from Thessalonians again. Look at the parts: joy, prayer, thanksgiving, God’s will and the power of the Holy Spirit. My point is that right in the middle of the wonderful mix is thanksgiving. The listing of joy is connected to thanksgiving. The mention of prayer is along with thanksgiving. Doing God’s will follows thanksgiving. Even finding the blessing of the Holy Spirit is connected to this powerful virtue of all virtues…being grateful.

This year, Thanksgiving 2014, I want you to enjoy what I am calling your BFFFF. Not best friends forever. Rather Black Friday, family, feast and for many…football! Enjoy and have a wonderful Thanksgiving. President George Washington did us a favor by proclaiming the first nation-wide day of Thanksgiving. He did it as a time for a grateful country to give thanks to Almighty God. Let’s continue the tradition. Let’s make this a day of Thanksgiving. How do we take a good tradition and make it better? How do we go from good to great!

See if you can wrap your brain around this idea. Gary Chapman wrote the book The Five Love Languages. See if you can find a creative way to say “thank you” using the five love languages. Say “thank you” to God and/or to those who have blessed your life. Here are the five love languages: words of affirmation; quality time; acts of service; receiving gifts; and physical touch. Why not? Thanksgiving 2014 let’s take it up a notch. If you care to, email or face book me and tell me your experience. I would love to hear what He did!

See you this Sunday for our annual Thanksgiving Worship Celebration. No 8:30 service. Sunday Connection Groups met at the regular time.

Pastor Tom

SHARING RESOURCES

Even as I am typing this article, the James Island Exchange Club is holding their monthly meeting in the fellowship hall. Next week we will have a Riverland Terrace community meeting led by Sunoco concerning future building plans across the street. (Don’t ask, we do not know any details! LOL) JIBC regularly hosts, by providing space, The Riverland Terrace Neighborhood Association meeting.

Really, none of these are burdensome or difficult. But I want to thank you for being the kind of church family that gives us the freedom to reach out and serve the community in so many different ways. Believe it or not, there are some churches that are not so willing to share their space and resources. We, on the other hand, are looking for ways to build bridges to the community. It is a part of our ON PURPOSE strategy. What need does the community have that we could meet? Sometimes it is just a nice place to hold a meeting. That is just one of the things I love about our church family. Thanks.

TAKE A DEEP BREATH

Believe it or not, we are just a few days away from Thanksgiving and then full on into the Christmas season. We are already writing the Advent readings for this year. This year’s Thanksgiving service will be Sunday, November23. We will not have an 8:30 service that day. We will join together for the 11:00 service to celebrate The Eucharist…thanksgiving for what God has done for us through His Son, Jesus Christ. We will then enjoy the annual Thanksgiving meal provided by our outstanding Kitchen Krew. You are invited to bring your favorite dessert, or if you would like, your favorite dish. There will be plenty. Weather permitting; we will be seated outside and inside this year. There will be a tent set up outside and the fellowship hall will be prepared for the inside. There will be plenty of food, plenty of love and plenty of fellowship to be enjoyed. And then by the time the tables are cleared, we will start setting up for this years Christmas season! Bring it on baby. I love the Christmas season.

See you this Sunday, good Lord willing,

Pastor Tom

A GREAT FALL FESTIVAL

Thanks to the tremendous number of volunteers who made this year’s Fall Festival such a success. We really have no way of accurately knowing the number of people that attended. We only know it looked bigger than ever before. To those of you who brought candy, gave money, set up and took down, volunteered at the booths, cooked, registered, played, provided safety, etc…a great big thank you. Certainly families had a wonderful and safe alternative to Halloween. Some of our team has already started thinking about next year and how we can make it bigger and better. Now join us as we pray for the follow up efforts. Thank you again for your willingness to work and to serve in an event aimed at the community. We believe that some of those who attended will have occasion to visit JIBC or will come in contact with some of our family. Let’s pray for His will to be done here on earth as it is in heaven.


THANKSGIVING SUNDAY

We are only three weeks away from our annual Thanksgiving Sunday Celebration. On this Sunday, we will not have an 8:30 worship. We will all join together for an 11:00 Worship service followed by a church wide Thanksgiving Meal. On this Sunday we will celebrate Lord’s Supper and recognize all who have joined JIBC or one of our connection groups this past year. For them, we are particularly thankful. It is a good time of the year to start thinking about a special offering to International Missions. Southern Baptist usually have a Lottie Moon International Missions Christmas offering. Generally speaking, we give the International Missions Offering to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. Talk with your family concerning your gift this year. It is a worthwhile way to see your Christmas gift used to help change lives as the Gospel is preached around the world.

See you this Sunday, good Lord willing!

Pastor Tom