WHAT A GREAT CHURCH FAMILY!

It is hard to explain all the JIBC events that have taken place in the past two weeks. We set up for the Thanksgiving dinner last Wednesday night. The youth and all the volunteers did a fantastic job in a record amount of time. Wow! Chairs and tables brought down from upstairs, seating for 240 arranged and set up. Thank you all. Then, the big day comes! We had a full house in worship this Sunday. Our Kitchen Krew served Wednesday night, Sunday morning and Sunday night! They served pretty close to 400 delicious meals this past week. Sunday, they served over 240 and did it in record time! Thank you all, your team is amazing. We had an entire family from outside our church family that volunteered to serve! Thank you all. And then after the meal, volunteers came from every direction. The decorating team went into beast mode and got the worship center decorated for Christmas. (By the way, the first Sunday of Advent is this Sunday!) The other volunteers took down all the tables and chairs and set back up for Celebrate Recovery. Again, you guys are the best! Our students did an absolutely amazing job with great attitudes, strong backs and smiles on their faces. Really, a pastor could not hope for anything better. This was a model of volunteer production.

FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT. This Sunday, December first will be the first Sunday of Advent. Advent means “coming”. As believers we celebrate the first coming of our Lord Jesus and anticipate His second coming. In a world of busy schedules and secular messages, I love that JIBC draws our hearts, minds and actions back to our purpose in Christ. We remember the reason for the season and will commit to staying in God’s Word and joining in God’s work. Each of the four Sundays of Advent, we put an emphasis on others, on reaching out, on helping those in need. These are values we have all year long so it is not a stretch for us to focus on them at Christmas time. This is a great opportunity for parents to teach children about missions and helping others who are under served. Take them shopping as you buy diapers for Low Country Pregnancy, food for James Island Outreach or for Back Pack Buddies. The first gift of the season for Janie and I is always the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. This is a way to help missions around the world and 100% goes to mission work. No administrative costs are taken out. It is the most mission bang you can get for your buck.

This really is a most wonderful time of the year. I love the music, the lights, the giving, the increase in charity, the emphasis on God’s plan to reach, redeem and restore a lost and broken world.

See you this Sunday for the first Sunday of Advent when we will light the candle of hope! W are rejoicing that Jesus Christ, our Hope, came into the world to show us God’s great love and His desire to reach a broken and sinfully marred human race. Jesus…What a Beautiful Name It Is!

Pastor Tom