BEST CHRISTMAS GIFT EVER!

I have said for years that the biggest mission bang for your dollar was the missions offering called the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. Why so? Because every penny of your gift will go straight to helping and supporting our full-time missionaries around the world. Not one cent is taken out for advertisement, promotion or administrative fees. You will be helping greatly improve the work of our missionaries. Janie and I have traditionally made the first Christmas gift of the year our offering to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. We know that is one of the most productive uses of our gifts. So far, our church family and friends have given $6,145 to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. I have no doubt that more will be given. 

Now, let me tell you about a new twist to our International Christmas Offering. In the past, we have used the Christmas Eve offering for international missions. It almost always goes to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. This year, the Christmas Eve offering (unless it is designated to something else) will go to “SEND RELIEF” a part of our International Missions. I am so excited to share with you how this works. We can designate our gifts to buy “projects” that can help a family start a business, provide food and possibly break them out of poverty. Here a list of examples: $3 will buy 10 fish to help a family start a fish farm; $10 will buy seeds to enable a family to grow produce to eat and sell; $25 buys a pair of rabbits…no explanation needed here; $25 buys 10 chickens to give access to eggs and meat that can help start a business; $50 is a pair of pigs; $75 buys a goat; $100 buys a gift of one sheep and $300 one cow; $100 buys blankets for 10 kids; $35 buys 5 books for kids; etc. Now let’s skip to some big ticket items: $2,000 buys a new home for someone is a disaster relief area; $588 buys a bundle of relief that helps a family start their own farm; $375 buys a pallet of water; $750 supplies a three day dental event; $1,000 buys a water well; etc.

Can you see why I am so excited? I am praying we will receive a Christmas Eve Offering that will be big enough to purchase at least one of all of these! That would perhaps be the BEST CHRISTMAS GIFT EVER.

Be praying about a gift you might give for the Christmas Eve Offering. Oddly enough, also pray about the way we will receive the gifts. Passing the plate is in our DNA but not in our Covid Mitigation plan! You can, of course, designate your offering to budget or to Lottie Moon. I can’t wait to make another offering on Christmas Eve to help buy a couple of farms!

See you Sunday, the fourth Sunday of Advent.

Pastor Tom

Really, I’m fine!

Sometimes we tell people we are fine when we may really be living in denial. But really, I am fine. I have been out more Sundays since September than all my years at JIBC put together. I missed a Sunday with surgery, was back a few Sundays; then missed two Sunday’s with Covid 19, then back a Sunday; then missed a Sunday with a “complication” for the surgery; then back a Sunday; and then, Janie and I were out last Sunday for our annual anniversary trip (45 years and going strong). But really, I am fine.

Now, back to our business. You all did a fantastic job on donating 5,600 pounds of food to James Island Outreach. By the end of the year, that number will probably pass 6,000 pounds. Combined with the rest of 2020 we will be wearing the scales out aiming for 10,000 pounds of food relief for the underserved in our community. To God be the glory.

Our Advent Mission points include the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. This is the most bang for your mission buck that you can possible get. Every bit of your donation goes to support missions around the world. It is always the first Christmas gift of the year for our family. We also will be buying diapers to help women who have chosen life for their babies rather than abortion. Have you bought diapers lately? I know those who receive the diapers are very appreciative. When our kids grew out of diapers we felt like we had a pay increase! Of course, we always are collecting jelly for James Island Outreach. The new mission support this year is the BackPack Buddies. What a beautiful thought trying to make sure every underserved child has food to eat over the weekend when they are not in school. We have a groups that goes to James Island Outreach two Thursdays each month to help pack the supplies.

If you choose, you can bring these items on the particular Sunday they are being emphasized or you can bring them any Sunday. You can bring them to worship with you or drop them by the church office. It is all good!

Advent…the perfect time to combine worship and mission. Thank you for being such a loving and giving church family. See you Sunday, good Lord willing.

Pastor Tom