As we enter into this last week of Christmas,I want to thank you for being such a giving church family. During our Christmas On Purpose Advent Celebration, here is a close summary of what you gave. To the Florence Crittenton Home girls, you gave over 130 reusable water bottles. The Lowcountry Orphan Relief will receive over 125 pairs of pajama’s. James Island Outreach will have over 250 jars of jelly to put on their shelves! And the Lowcountry Pregnancy Center will have over 1,500 diapers to keep those precious little bottoms dry! Thanks for all you do. To God be the glory.
The Cartersville Challenge
I received a letter from our International Mission Board saying JIBC is among the 12% of Southern Baptist Churches that met the “Cartersville Challenge”. Cartersville, Georgia is where Lottie Moon accepted the God’s call to take the Gospel to the Chinese people. It is the first milestone of her missionary life. The Cartersville Challenge is the first milestone level of missionary giving. Your gift to the Lottie Moon International Missions fund will help support 4, 810 International missionaries and their 4,000 children. Janie and I will be making our gifts to Lottie Moon, Remember, Lowcountry Pregnancy and other missions and ministries we believe in and support. As we celebrate Christmas on purpose let us remember that we support missions on purpose.
On behalf of all your church staff, we wish you and your loved ones a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. See you Sunday, good Lord willing.
Tom, Sean, Susan, Marty, Neale, Shelley and Amber
Some of our newer members may not be familiar with Lottie Moon. She was a Southern Baptist Missionary during the turn of the 20th century. She served faithfully in China and was used by God to raise awareness and passion for international mission causes. Such an inspiration and role model, the International Missions fund was named after her. Each year, Southern Baptists are challenged to give a sacrificial gift to help support mission work around the world. James Island Baptist has 2 families being supported by the Southern Baptist Convention and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. I want to encourage you to make the Lottie Moon Christmas offering a part of your Christmas giving. Every dollar goes directly to support our missionaries. Not one cent is spent on administrative cost or fund raising. All of that is handled through our Co-operative Fund giving.
Just so you know: we help support 4,810 full time missionaries on the international field (almost that many again as North American missionaries); they recorded 114,571 baptisms last year; we have 28,008 over seas churches; started 6,192 new churches; are engaging 901 unreached people groups; there are still 3,052 unreached people groups in the world.
Our International Missions Board has a clear vision: “Our vision is a multitude from every language, people, tribe and nation knowing and worshiping our Lord Jesus Christ”. Their mission is evangelizing, discipling, and planting reproducing churches among all peoples in fulfillment of the Great Commission. That is a vision and a mission we can support. Consider giving a gift to the Lottie Moon Christmas offering as well as other Great Commission mission organizations. It is a gift that keeps on giving all year long…and for eternity.
Pastor Tom
I love the approach to Christmas On Purpose: looking for ways to bring the Christmas message of hope, peace, joy and love to others. How wonderfully practical: reusable water bottles for the women at Florence Crittenton (going green, very symbolic and useful!); pajamas for Lowcountry Orphan Relief…swaddling clothes if you will; this week jelly for James Island Outreach…how sweet it is; and then diapers for our friends at Lowcountry Pregnancy Center…how wonderfully appropriate.
Make it a family event. One family took the grandkids out to buy the gifts, explaining what they were doing and why. Now that is discipleship at its best (as you go…make disciples…Matthew 28) Don’t forget about ways you can bless other ministries like the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions; Remember the Persecuted Church building an orphanage in Burma; the Salvation Army and their faithful bell ringers; a donation of blood to The American Red Cross (or a cash donation). There are so many wonderful ways to make a difference.
Each week of Advent, it is our desire to draw our attention back to the redeeming work of God. He sent His One and Only, uniquely born Son to be born of a virgin, in a little town called Bethlehem. Humble beginnings with a world-wide eternal impact. A little baby, born in a little town, to an unknown little lady. Do not underestimate the impact of what little deeds, little gifts can do. Jesus put a premium on a visit…in His name; a cup of water in His name; clothing given in His name. We do Church on Purpose. Let’s do Christmas on Purpose.
See you Sunday, good Lord willing, as we celebrate “Joy…On Purpose”!
Pastor Tom
