Blessed to be a blessing…now what?

I think I almost always enjoy my “job” as a Pastor. Of course there are times of struggle when things can get a little bit challenging. But overall, I would say that I really like being a pastor and I love being a pastor at James Island Baptist. My time here has never been a stepping stone to bigger or better. I am aware there are many churches that are bigger…I do not know of any church I would consider “better”. Here recently, we have watched as our church family tries to give away $15,000 to bless the community. Again, it might not be the most fun I have ever had, but it has been the most fun I have had in a while. I am so looking forward to sharing the heart moving stories with you. We plan to do that on Sunday, November 20th as part of our Thanksgiving Sunday Service.

By the way, did you know that you have already given 600 jars of jelly for the underserved people in our community? That is a half of ton or more of grape and strawberry love! And on top of that you have given over 10,000 diapers…that represent a lot of dry and happy babies. Last night we gave some of the diapers to the women from the Charleston Center. They felt like Christmas had already arrived! To God be the glory.

On top of that, you have supplied enough candy for around 1000 kids who will attend this year’s Fall Festival. This coming Monday, October 31, we will throw a big old party for our community. It will be fun and free, hosted by some of the best people God ever created…you!

One of our long time members came for the first time last year. Her response was “Wow, I never knew what I was missing! I had no idea this was so big and so well done!” Pray for the Fall Festival: safety, families, for volunteers who will give away; love and candy. Pray for our safety team led by Bill, the policeman who blesses us each week. Let’s love them in Jesus name and help them have a great family event.

Let me close with an ongoing need we have. One of our most successful, yet most trying ministries is Celebrate Recovery. Last night we have about 40 people in attendance. That means more babies and more children. The challenge is these can be some of the most challenging children. It takes someone with a passion to help those who are hurting but don’t know they are hurting. Maybe you would like to check it out or volunteer for a night or two? Joanne Brown will be more than happy to give you the tour! Just a thought.

See you Sunday, good Lord willing,

Pastor Tom

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”

Have you ever heard that phrase? “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” is an old phrase, hard to find its origin. It seems to mean that what is beautiful is subjective. What is beautiful to me might not be so beautiful to you. I have several pieces of art work that would most likely not be considered very beautiful. But in my eyes, they each tell a story and call me to a place of love and peace.

Now, let’s circle back to my point concerning beauty in the eye of your pastor. Janie and I have just returned from a 10 day vacation. We went to Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons. As much as we loved seeing those places that is not the “beauty” to which I refer.

When I came into the office today, I walked around and saw the mountain of diapers and the multitude of jelly jars. It was and is a beautiful sight. I know to some it looks out of place to see what looks like a warehouse of diapers and jelly. I have never seen our church campus more beautiful. I am fully aware that to some the diapers are just diapers and the jelly is just jelly. To me, I see little babies being changed, dried and comforted…lots and lots of babies; babies born to moms who opted for life even when it was going to be tough. I see young mothers and fathers picking up free diapers and not believing they are really free. Yep, free and given with love, prayers and gratitude. When I see the hundreds, maybe over 500 jars of jelly, I see two elderly senior adults, living on a fixed income, enjoying jelly on their toast and biscuit; I see kids going to school with the universal “pb&j” sandwich of champions!

I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Look around with a thankful heart at the beauty we see on a regular basis. I looked at the volunteer sheets for the Fall Festival just around the corner. Beautiful. Old members, new members, young members, old members, people helping who are not yet members of JIBC. Beautiful.

Thank you for being salt and light in a community that desperately needs it. You add sweetness, hope, love, and joy. Yes, Janie and I saw some beautiful parts of God’s creation while we were on vacation. None of them are more beautiful in my eye than seeing JIBC reach out to the poor and underserved.

No sight I saw in the National Parks was higher than my joy reading about what you are doing to bless the community in 75 days, in 75 ways. We will plan to share these on Thanksgiving Sunday.

God is good and God is great! Love you in Jesus’ Name.

Pastor Tom

The Vision of Fall Festival

Should the Good Lord tarry in His return, this year will be the 35th Fall Festival here at James Island Baptist Church. Some of us can remember when we first started, everything we did was held inside the Fellowship Hall: food, booths, games, registration…the whole thing…inside the Fellowship Hall. And it was good and it was well attended. We even had a reptile room provided by Mark and Annette Petit.

Now, we use every bit of space we have in our back parking lot and under the oaks. It is still, by far, the largest attended event of the year for JIBC. Let me take a moment are refresh why we do the Fall Festival.

I am aware that Halloween is a favorite celebration for many people. I can make a strong case that Halloween has its origins in the dark side of life with devils and demons and I can make a strong case that it has its origin as a day to honor all saints…and then it got a little “wonky”. None of that really made much of a difference to me. You can argue pro and con till the cows in costume come home; you still will not have decided the matter.

My goal has always been to go head to head with a tradition that seemed to have gone south in many ways. Sure, there was a day when you could and would take candy from strangers, walk the streets late at night without a parent, maybe participate in a, shall we say, minor mischievous activity or two. Now, that just does not make much sense and really does not sound safe. So we go head to head with the cultural phenomena known as Halloween and offer a family friendly, all free, positive alternative. We do not promote, devils and witches, zombies or anything related to the “dark side”. By the way, we also do not allow those kinds of decorations to have a place in our preschool and children’s areas. They occasionally “sneak” in…but they sneak back out just as fast!

My belief is “this is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.” This is the Lord’s day, not the devils day. We don’t run and hide. 1 John 4:4 says “Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.” We are not taking this day back from the devil. He never had the ability to take it from God. October 31 is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and have a Fall Festival celebrating it! Let’s show the community how to have a holy party and let them rub elbows with followers of Jesus.

See you this week, good Lord willing.

Pastor Tom

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race” 2 Timothy 4:7

It is not how you start the race that counts, it is how you finish! Our JIBC family finished the “jelly” race in record time. Now, you are running a marathon! I had set a goal, a good goal, of asking our church family to bring 75 jars of jelly and 75 packages of diapers each month: September, October and November. Then I got a little more ambitious and asked that we go ahead and do the same thing for Advent in December. The jelly and diapers are to bless our ministry partners at James Island Outreach and Lowcountry Pregnancy Center. Wow, the starter pistol fired and the church family and friends went onto a record breaking pace. During September, you brought over 400 jars of jelly. Technically, you brought 350 jars of jelly and 57 jars of peanut butter. You reached and exceeded the entire 4 month goal in less than one month. We have 4 large displays where you can drop off jelly and diapers. Each of the four displays almost equaled the goal we set for each month.

Now, as impressive as those collection areas are please don’t miss the real picture. This month, there will be widows and under-served senior adults who will enjoy jelly on their biscuits or toast. There will be children going to school with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches because mom or grandmom went by James Island Outreach and found lots of jelly! Picture over 350 newborn babies who get dry diapers as needed. Picture a single mom not having to spend $30.00 on a pack of diapers.

Thank you all for giving. Thank you for leveraging your influence to lead others to give. One coach led the football team to bring over 100 jars of jelly and the 57 jars of peanut butter. One teacher led her class to bring formula and diapers…and they brought a lot, a whole lot! Commander ReRe and her team led the Awana kids to bring over 100 jars of jelly.

We are starting to receive some of the stories of what you did with the Blessing Envelopes. I cannot wait to share the stories. I will need help telling those stories. My eyes are leaking already. We gave out 180 Blessing Envelopes to our church family and friends. Crazy, right? You didn’t even have to be a member to receive and envelope with $75 cash for you to use to be a blessing. No strings attached, no real instructions, just pray and ask God to lead you or…just do what your heart says to do! There are still a few envelopes left. Contact Neale in the church office if you would like to participate.

Blessed to be a blessing is a part of who we are and a part of how we live out our faith as followers of Jesus Christ. It is who we are it is what we do. And I am glad Janie and I are a part of it all!

“Have I told you lately that I love you?” Really, I am honored to pastor this church family.

Blessing in the Great Name of Jesus,

Pastor Tom