It’s A Most Wonderful Time Of The Year!

We have chosen “Prepare Him Room” for our Advent theme this year. The word advent means “coming”. So, advent can refer to both the first coming of our Lord Jesus (the Christmas Story) and the second coming of Jesus. I have come to really love and enjoy the Advent season. First, is all the hustle and bustle of Christmas time, the Advent Season and events helps us to stay focused. Advent becomes a weekly, even daily reminder of the reason for the season: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us”(John 1: 14). As a part of Advent, we light a different candle each week: Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. Then at the Christmas Eve service we light the Christ Candle. The focus is on God’s Word and the Gospel story.

Second, I love the mission aspect of Advent that we have added. We make gifts and presents a part of our mission DNA. Each week of Advent will feature one of the ongoing missions that we support. You can bring any gift any on any Sunday during December. But each week will focus on a different ministry and a different gift. This year, we bring Jelly for James Island Outreach. Look for the BOGO deals! James Island Outreach also has a special need for cooking oil, so the second Sunday of Advent, December 9 we will bring cooking oil. Again, you can bring any item on any Sunday or any day of the week. I do all my shopping at one time and then just bring them all together! The third Sunday of Advent, December 16 will focus on Low Country Orphan Relief. They have asked for pajama’s and underwear of any and all sizes from 3T to XL. You know some displaced children will love to snuggle up to some super hero p.j.’s. Then last, we will bring diapers and pull ups of all sizes for our friends at Low Country Pregnancy Center. Oh, boy oh boy, this will be fun. Want to make it complete? Volunteer with Susan to take any of these items to the ministries. You will be double blessed.

Last, but not least, let us find a way to be generous and give to the International Mission Fund, the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. Supporting close to 4000 full time missionaries around the world, this is about the best bang for your buck! Many of our missionaries work in Moslem countries and are the constantly at risk. Pray, give and support the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.

Oh there is more: Christmas Caroling on Wednesday, December 12, a Children’s Musical on December 19, a mission program on December 5 and then our annual beautiful Christmas Eve Service. It is a most wonderful time of the year!

Pastor Tom

SEASONED WITH THANKSGIVING

It was a wonderful Thanksgiving Sunday! Could it have been better? Hard to imagine. Kevin and Nancy Walsh were back from an unbelievable series of circumstances. When they entered the worship center, the church family erupted in applause. The worship was strong and enthusiastic. I have to believe part of it was because our attendance was backup and more voices means more praise!

Our Kitchen Krew is the best ever! They served the entire church family a wonderful Thanksgiving meal. Homeless people ate to their hearts content, the Hispanic church joined us after their worship service and had plenty of food to enjoy. If that was not enough, the Kitchen Krew came back and served 55 more at Celebrate Recovery Sunday night. Well done to all our cooks, servers, volunteers, etc. Well done!

One of the most exciting parts about the day of Thanksgiving: It was one year ago that we had the ingathering offering for Daring Faith: Renovating Believers and Buildings. Imagine all that has been accomplished in the renovation projects. Accomplished, paid for and checked off the list. We roofed all of the church buildings; resurfaced the front and back parking lots; added the new sign and the row of protection bollards (the boxes with lighting have concrete poles to protect life and property); added sidewalk and safety curbing; landscaped; completely remodeled the fellowship hall from top to bottom, floor to lighting! During all that time, we still met and exceeded the goal for Shoeboxes, sent supplies to hurricane relief, collected jelly for James Island Outreach, etc, etc. To God be the glory.

If you are looking for a way to give an extra gift of thanksgiving, may I recommend you consider the Daring Faith Renovation? The next phase is one of the most exciting…adding a new entrance and the elevator. Some of our members and friends have given a large one time financial offering. Some prefer to make a monthly gift. You see what God is able to do with His family. I believe your financial gifts are well used and are intended to bring God glory and help us reach His community with love and the Gospel. Your generous giving allows us to feed the church family at no charge; to offer food to the homeless, to feed the patients from the Charleston Center each week, to maintain the Transition House, and so, so much more. Thank you for your prayers, your service and your financial gifts. May your life be seasoned with thanksgiving, now and forever.

Pastor Tom

THANKSGIVING SUNDAY CELEBRATION

This Sunday, November 18 is our Annual Thanksgiving Celebration. There is an abundance of great things to thank God for this year! Let me share a few:

First, we want to recognize and thank God for all of our new church family members and friends. This Sunday, we will invite everyone who has joined JIBC or one of our Connection Groups this year to come forward. We will take a picture for our history books and join together to say thanks to God for adding to His church family!

Second, we will observe the Lord’s Supper as the focal point of the worship service. The “Seasoned With Thanksgiving” series will conclude this Sunday as we give thanks for the Body and the Blood, given by God’s grace to redeem us.

Third, we will have a church wide Thanksgiving Dinner. You don’t want to miss this wonderful time of fellowship and feasting. Get to know some new faces and rub shoulders with some new friends. You do not have to bring anything but a good appetite. If you want to bring your favorite dessert, that will be great. By the way, all the finishing touches have been made of the Fellowship Hall just in time for this Thanksgiving Meal! Another Daring Faith project completed.

Fourth, Sunday night you can choose from two great options. One, join us each week, any week for Celebrate Recovery. God is at work setting the captives free. The meal is served at 5:30 and the Celebration Service starts at 6:30. The second option is the James Island Community Thanksgiving Service at 6:00 pm being hosted by First Baptist Church, James Island on Camp Road. This is always a great service of praise and thanksgiving. Bring some jelly or a cash offering as a part of the service. This is usually one of the best experiences of the year.

Thanksgiving Sunday is seasoned with thanksgiving. Take advantage of a great day, join us for worship, fellowship, mission, ministry and mission.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

Pastor Tom

SEASONED WITH THANKSGIVING: A Verse, A Chapter, A Story, A Life

The teaching series for the three weeks leading up to Thanksgiving is “Seasoned With Thanksgiving”. I am praying that we will continue to build this spiritual discipline, this spiritual habit, into the very DNA of our lives, our Connection Groups and our Church Family. Everything we do…seasoned with Thanksgiving.

A Verse to memorize: Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” In your anxious times, give thanks; in your prayer times, give thanks; when you need the peace of God, give thanks,; when you are guarding your heart, give thanks. Season everything you do with thanks!

A Chapter to meditate on: Psalm 100. “Enter His gates with thanksgiving…give thanks to Him…For the Lord is good.” Try taking time this week to read and re-read Psalm 100. It is an invitation to worship the Lord. Imagine our Good and Gracious Lord inviting you into His presence. How do you prepare, what do you say? Thanksgiving must be on the list. It is the appropriate response to any revelation God makes to us…praise and thanksgiving.

A Story: Luke 17:11-19 is a great story about one who returned to say thank you to Jesus. It changed his life forever. Such is the goodness of God, the mercy of our Lord Jesus and the power of giving thanks.

We will culminate this series on the Sunday before Thanksgiving when we will give thanks for a precious soul ready to be baptized; observing the Eucharist/Lord’s Supper; recognizing all the new members that have joined JIBC this last year. Let’s season it all with thanksgiving.

By the way, this past Sunday night we had almost 40 adults at Celebrate Recovery, maybe 15 to 20 in the Student Bible Study, a dozen or so in Celebration Station for Children. In the adult CR, we had 3 who were new, 4 who celebrated 30 days of “sobriety” (not all who attend are alcohol or drug related), 1 who celebrated 1 year sober and one who celebrated 3 years sober, and 4 who brought friends. Thank you all who make CR a real celebration.

Until we gather again, may your life be “Seasoned with Thanksgiving”!

Pastor Tom

SEASONED WITH THANKSGIVING

This Sunday I will begin a teaching series leading up to Thanksgiving.  Here is the basic idea:  A Verse, A Chapter, A Story, A Life…Seasoned With Thanksgiving.  First, we will work together to memorize a Bible verse about Thanksgiving.  Second, we will study one of the greatest chapters in the Bible about Thanksgiving.  Third, we will look at one of the greatest stories ever told about giving thanks.  And last, we will celebrate what our Lord Jesus did for us as we celebrate Eucharist: The Lord’s Supper on Sunday, November 18.  This is such a wonderful time of the year for being thankful.  Fill a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child…be thankful for His many blessings.  Plan to attend worship regularly as a way of expressing your gratitude.   Drop into the Dementia Support Group on Sunday, November 11 and be really thankful for a support group.  Join us on November 18, Thanksgiving Sunday, as we plan to have a ribbon cutting to give thanks and dedicate the completed Fellowship Hall.  Surely, the Daring Faith Ministry has been so worth it all.  A Verse, A Chapter, A Story, A Life…Seasoned with Thanksgiving.

FOR YOUR PRAYER LIST:

JIBC is hosting the Baptist Women’s Day of Prayer on Monday, November 5.  What a day of blessing   in so many ways.  For more information please contact Linda Iler.  This meeting is open for anyone to attend. 

Pray for our Quarterly Ministry Conference as we share updates on Daring Faith Renovation Hearts and Buildings and updates on potential staff members. 

Pray for our attendance in Connection Groups and the Worship services.  It might just be the time of the year, but we are experiencing really low attendance over the past few weeks.  We have been blessed with such healthy attendance for so long, it makes it so noticeable when we are way down in attendance.  Join me in prayer about this; call and check on those who you have been missing; invite someone to come with you. Our focus has always been on Church Health, not Church Growth.  We know that a healthy church (and a healthy Connection Group) is a growing church and a growing Connection Group.

Pray for our Mission Outreach for the Advent Season.  We will focus on how we can help hurricane victims.  Susan will be sharing more about this in days to come.

See you Sunday, good Lord willing!

Pastor Tom