AND JUST LIKE THAT WE ARE BACK…KIND OF!

This Sunday, May 31 at 11:00, we will be having a “soft re-entry” worship service. That means we will be checking out all the new procedures we are putting into place. We have done as much research as we can, consulting and meeting with leaders in every area necessary: political leaders on a national, state and local level; medical personnel have helped shape our policies; professional preschool leaders and children’s leaders; etc. That means is we are doing our best to show love and concern for those who would like to return to our gathered worship times at the JIBC Campus. (Remember, we have always been gathering and worshiping…just differently) So, if you would like to be a part of this “trial balloon” give us a call, email, text to let us know. It will be so good to be back.

WHAT ABOUT JUNE 7TH? 

On Sunday, June 7th, we really have some options for you. We will be offering three, count them 1, 2, 3 worship service options. There will be a 9 am and 11 am service in the worship center/auditorium. Temporarily, the balcony will be closed and we ask that everyone sit on the ground floor. There will be preschool and children’s care available at both of those services. 

There will also be a 10 am service outside under the big tent. This service will feature music by Laureen Deibert and her band! These songs will have a little folk gospel and a few baptized classics! No preschool or child care at this 10 am outside service. The goal for this service is to provide a worship option for those who would feel more comfortable outside. Our best health practices of social distancing, no hugs and handshakes will still be encouraged. You will be able to register for the service you plan to attend.

WHAT DO THEY HAVE IN COMMON? 

We fully understand that we have members and friends all over the Covid-19 Spectrum. That means some who believe it is totally and completely a hoax and the opposite, those who believe it is deadly serious. Either way, we are taking steps to say we love you and want to do our best to provide worship while implementing the Best Practices for Re-entering Worship. So, everyone will have their temperature taken. If you have a temperature over 100.4, the best recommendation is to love your neighbor and stay home. The Welcome / Greeters / Health Stations will also ask you like 4 basic questions that help screen those who will attend. *Mask is optional. If you feel uncomfortable participating in this screening, it is perfectly ok for you to stay home and gather with us online as we have been doing for the last 10 weeks. 

THIS IS TEMPORARY 

We hope that sooner rather than later, we will be returning back to our usual gathering practices. Until then, remember we have always been worshiping…just differently. We have also continued doing mission, ministry, discipleship and fellowship. We don’t just go to church. We are the church. 

See you soon, good Lord willing

Pastor Tom

“I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the House of the LORD!” Psalm 122:1

The Good Lord willing and the Creek don’t rise, we are planning the Re-Entry into Worship for Sunday, June 7! The first Sunday in June will be our attempt at “wading” back into the full flow of worship. The next few weeks you can expect a barrage of information coming your way about the process and the plans! Someone say “Amen!” I know that you have more questions than I can possible anticipate and answer in this article. So, we will be sending out letters, emails, and directions to our website, our Facebook page, smoke signals and any other way we can help communicate the plans and strategies.

Our staff has been “going to school” over the past months trying to learn as much as we can from leaders from all disciplines. We have heard from medical, legal, church, State Convention, Charleston Baptist Association, several churches of all denominations on James Island, professional preschool and children’s leaders, political figures and on and on! We have done about as much research as we can to prepare for re-entry back into worship.

We have put together JIBC teams in what we believe are the most necessary places and have assigned staff members to lead and assist in seeing these teams help our re-entry process go as successfully as it can. Our Re-Entry Teams include: Preschool; Children; Worship; Sanitation/Medical; Online Presence; Leaders who are influencers; Greeter/Safety Teams; and communication.

For the next 3 weeks, we would welcome any questions, thoughts, observations that you have. Send them to the church office and Neale will make sure we see them. The goal this week was to make the announcement that we are planning to re-enter worship on Sunday, June 7. Each week we will address more and more questions. You may have noticed that even on a national level, things change quickly: wear mask/don’t wear; gloves one week/gloves are bad the next week; 6 feet social distancing/18 feet distancing. So, my goal is not to criticize what anyone else is saying or doing. My goal is to plan as carefully and thoughtfully as we can, prepare as well as we can and be ready to adjust where we can. We do suspect there will be major adjusting from week to week. That is ok; we are a resilient group of people.

Now, hear this: there are some people who perhaps should stay home for a while longer. If you are in an at risk group, why push your luck? You have our blessing to stay home until a later date. By the way, we are investing in better equipment so we can Live Stream for anyone who cannot join us physically. What a great team we have!

We will be sending more information as soon as we can. Please don’t hesitate to send your questions in. Just remember, be kind. No one has all the right answers except our Father.

See you real soon,

Pastor Tom

MOVING TOWARD RE-ENTRY INTO WORSHIP

As we move toward re-entry into worship and fellowship, here is a great verse from God’s Word to consider. Inspired by God, 2 Peter 1:5-8 says, “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

One of the more interesting aspects of this pandemic known as Covid-19/Corona Virus is the wide spectrum of beliefs and feelings. Talking about the virus should be a rallying point since we all have to deal with it in one way or the other. It seems to me that this pandemic is just as divisive as any political issue between Republicans and Democrats. People who 3 months ago were just your well educated neighbours are now smarter than internationally renowned virologist. Others without access to first hand facts are now experts in fields they did not know existed in January.

My personal approach is to listen to the experts and believe that our President, our Governor and our Mayors have these two things in common: they want people safe and they want people working. I want to add to that the desire to see people worshipping together again. Thankfully, many churches are beginning to re-enter back into limited smaller version of gathering for worship. I have been reaching out to the churches on James Island and have been in constant contact with the Charleston Baptist Association. The CBA is doing a stellar job in helping the process information with local leaders from churches, politics, medical, legal, etc. You can check them out at www.charlestonbaptist.net. They have made their resources and research available to everyone. I made sure the James Island Ministerial Association also had access to these resources.

Now let’s get back to the Bible in 2 Peter 1. While I am very appreciative of those who have helped inform our decisions and to those who will help us implement and evaluate our decisions, I am most grateful for the guidance given by God’s Word. My opinion, your opinion or anyone else’s opinion does not trump the mandates found in God’s Word. 2 Peter calls us to add these things to our lives: faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love. Here is my point: we are not somehow exempt from the command to exhibit these qualities just because we disagree with someone. There is no place for arrogance...which you may remember is listed as idolatry. It is always the time, but now in particular, to be kind, loving, faithful, good, self-controlled...did I mention kind. Mom was right when she said “If you can’t say anything good, don’t say anything at all.” Generally speaking, that is pretty sound advice.

See you soon, good Lord willing.

Pastor Tom

COULD SOMEBODY HIT THE RESET BUTTON!

I am not quite there yet, but I do understand the emotions that are leading some people to protest! People are ready to get back to…everything: worship, work, recreation, the beach, the gym, restaurants, family, hospital visits, face to face encounters. We are so ready and so over Mr. Corona Virus. To those who are running on emotional fumes I would say “steady as she goes”. Now is not the time to give up, quit trying, slack off of prayers or lose hope. Now is the time for all good people to come to the aid of their country! That was my rally cry a month ago and it is still my rally cry today. Steady as she goes: keep the faith, continue praying, look for opportunity to bless, be encouraging, act responsibly and be kind. Especially be kind!

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE A GOOD BAPTIST? Have you heard that one? What does it take to be a good Baptist? You must be born again and own a good casserole dish! You know that even during a pandemic, the JIBC family is going to be all about the food. James Island Outreach was experiencing a shortage of food and an increase in clients because of the pandemic. In true JIBC style you gave generously. We organized a grocery shopping mission trip for the church staff. The idea was each of us would buy a grocery cart full of needed items for James Island Outeach. We did the shopping, but JIBC family donated the funds. Mission accomplished and you can see the video on Facebook…funny as it is! Before we returned to the office, JIBC family and friends gave another $1,500 for more groceries. So, I asked for 10 volunteers to join me again to go mission grocery shopping. We had 13 show up and bought right at 1,000 pounds of groceries. That made 1,500 pounds given in 7 days. Again, the offerings kept growing. Now I am asking for Jr. High and Sr. High students to join me in a mission grocery shopping trip. I want them to visit James Island Outreach to see the wonderful ministry and mission. My guess is that by next week, JIBC family and friends will have donated over 1 ton of groceries! To God be the glory.

HOW ABOUT OUR WEDNESDAY NIGHT DINNERS? Chef Barry and his Kitchen Krew Warriors did not want the church family to forget about Wednesday night dinners. So they devised a plan to eat and do missions! Winner, winner, chicken dinner. The idea was to buy boxed dinners for you and your family and buy an extra one for someone you know: a veteran, a homebound, an unchurched neighbor. Boom! Instant success. This week we will be sending 10 dinners out to EMT workers in addition to the 100 meals prepared for JIBC and friends. Jesus kind of set the standard when he ate a meal with Matthew/Levi and his tax collecting buddies. Eating evangelism. Gotta love it.

Hang in there, we are one day closer to getting back together. We have a team being put together to make re-entry as safe as possible as soon as possible. Until then, be a blessing to someone and be kind.

Pastor Tom