There are two worship events happening this weekend that you don’t want to miss. I hope you and your family will be well and come with your spiritual cups ready to be filled.
First, there is Thanksgiving Sunday at JIBC. We are concluding the three part teaching series “Living with Thanksgiving”. This Sunday we will build the worship service around the Eucharist: The Lord’s Supper as Thanksgiving. As a part of the message, we will see somewhere around 12 or 13 video stories about how our church family and friends used the $75 Blessing Envelopes. It has been so much fun giving away $15,000 to our community. I can’t wait for you to hear the stories and hope we will have many more to share in the days ahead. “Living with Thanksgiving” has been a reminder to make sure our thanksgiving goes upward to our Father in Heaven, the giver of every good and perfect gift. We also want to make sure our thanksgiving goes outward to bless others to the point that they end up giving thanks to God! This Sunday, we will direct our thanksgiving focus inward…grateful for the love of God that sent His only Son for us! It will be a wonderful service of thanksgiving.
Second will be our annual Community Thanksgiving Service. All churches and all believers are invited to join together in a service of praise and thanksgiving. Several of the church choirs will sing and Rev. David Dubay of Holy Trinity will share the Thanksgiving reflection. As always, there will be an offering received to help support the James Island Outreach. You may also being a canned food donation.
This really is a wonderful gathering of believers gathered not for theology, not for denomination, but rather for praise, thanksgiving and the mission of helping the underserved. The service will be held at James Island Christian Church, 12 Sawgrass Road, right off Folly Road, Sunday, November 20 at 4:00 PM
By the way, seems everyone is benefiting from livestreaming. If you cannot attend Sunday night, you can watch on facebook.com and You Tube, James Island Outreach.
JIBC has been sending 75 jars of jelly every week since the first week of September. Thank you for being so generous in your giving!
Love you all,
Pastor Tom
Wednesday, November 16, 2022
Thursday, November 10, 2022
You know it is true
“May God be gracious to us and bless us and make His face shine upon us that Your ways may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations.”
Psalm 67:1-2
God is good all the time and all the time God is good. You know that is right! Sometimes it seems like the blessings of God keep on coming and now matter how much we give away, He keeps sending more blessings, making His face shine upon us. My prayer is that I will be a good manager/steward of the blessings God has poured out on us.
I just returned from James Island Outreach. Each Monday I take them 75 jars of jelly! So far, you have sent over 300 jars…including some peanut butter as well! We have enough jelly to keep sending 75 jars a week all the way through the first Sunday in December. At a wedding I performed last week, one of the guests asked “What is the story behind all the jelly I see everywhere?” By the way, I thought it was interesting he did not ask about the diapers…like what is with the 10,000 diapers? Lol.
So, speaking of diapers, we are planning a trip to the Lowcountry Pregnancy Center to deliver the diapers. No date or time yet. We are hoping they will be able to give a little tour. Would you like to go and see firsthand what the Low Country Pregnancy Center is all about? Let us know and we will keep you in the loop as best we can.
Time for one more blessing? The Transition House has received almost a total refurbishing! Claudia and Rita, and their faithful sidekick, Pastor David, have really done an outstanding job on replacing broken furniture, deep cleaning, replacing, adding, and fixing so much!. We will have an open house soon for anyone who would like to see the updates. The Charleston Center is moving, so we are not sure when we will get the next two residents. The residents will feel loved from the time they step into the house.
By the way, we are thinking of changing the name from “Transition House” to “Opportunity House”. What do you think? Transition House or Opportunity House?
Sunday, November 27 is the first day of Advent. Hard to believe right? We also are planning for a baptism that Sunday. If you have been thinking , waiting or wanting to be baptized, this is a good opportunity. The next baptism, if we have anyone ready will be on Christmas Eve. What a joy!
May God be gracious to us and bless us and make His face shine upon us…I would say He has done that very thing. Now let’s try to make His name famous.
See you Sunday, good Lord willing,
Pastor Tom
Thursday, November 3, 2022
Taking on the Giants
The entire army of Israel sat on the sidelines afraid to take on the giant named Goliath. God emboldened young David to not be afraid of a giant. Who would not be afraid of someone almost 10 feet tall wearing 90 pounds of armor? Someone who comes in the name of the LORD… that is who!
You have been willing to take on some of the giants in our community. Year ago you joined me in making a commitment that no one on James Island goes to be hungry unless we don’t know about it. Out of that commitment grew a fledgling effort to repair houses and feed the hungry. That small effort grew and grew into the James Island Outreach that is now making an impact, a real impact in our community, taking on the giant of hunger, helping the underserved. We joined with others willing to stand toe to toe with the giant of hunger and to fight for the underserved. You were willing to take on a giant and you made a difference.
Did you know that Goliath had three brothers? The giant of hunger also has brothers. One of them is addiction. Again, years ago, you journeyed with me as we started Celebrate Recovery taking on one of the giants in our community. It grew and developed into one of the strongest Celebrate Recovery Missions and Ministries in Charleston. It grew to include the Transition House…in my opinion, the biggest and baddest of all Goliaths giant brothers. Almost all addicts, with very few exceptions, are knowingly or unknowingly fighting a mental health issue. The mental health issue becomes the tail that wags the dog so to speak. Every week, every Sunday night, JIBC hosts Celebrate Recovery. Last week we had around 40 in attendance. We are currently refurbishing the Transition House, so we don’t have residents there just now.
Here is my point: these giants, those struggling with additions and mental health issues, have babies and children. They often bring them with them to Celebrate Recovery. Our team has done a great job of providing for them. Here is an excellent article written by Joanne Brown who leads our team of volunteers working with CR Children.
Would you like to make a difference in a child’s life? Are you willing to help a child in need? Children are like wet cement, anything that falls on them makes an impression. The Celebrate Recovery mission at the church is growing, and we are in need of help with care for the wonderful children. Children are a gift from God; let’s make the lasting impression a godly impression. We have ages ranging from 4 weeks through 5th grade. We are looking for some nourishing people to care for a baby, play with preschoolers or hang out with elementary age children. Are you the special person who can make a difference in a sweet child’s life? Matthew 25:40 tells us, “Truly I tell you, whatever you do for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Celebrate Recovery is a fantastic way to serve our Lord, by helping His children know the love He has for them. (Joanne Brown)
It will take special people to volunteer their time to help these kids. Maybe that is you. You might volunteer 1 night a month, or just one month a year, or every other week? You need to know that you are taking on a giant…or at least the children of those struggling with the giant of addiction. Do you have a passion for children, or recovery, or special needs, or the gift of helps or mercy? Give us a call at the church office, 843.762.0244. Ask for me, Joanne or Neale.
Taking on the giants! I love you JIBC.
Pastor Tom
You have been willing to take on some of the giants in our community. Year ago you joined me in making a commitment that no one on James Island goes to be hungry unless we don’t know about it. Out of that commitment grew a fledgling effort to repair houses and feed the hungry. That small effort grew and grew into the James Island Outreach that is now making an impact, a real impact in our community, taking on the giant of hunger, helping the underserved. We joined with others willing to stand toe to toe with the giant of hunger and to fight for the underserved. You were willing to take on a giant and you made a difference.
Did you know that Goliath had three brothers? The giant of hunger also has brothers. One of them is addiction. Again, years ago, you journeyed with me as we started Celebrate Recovery taking on one of the giants in our community. It grew and developed into one of the strongest Celebrate Recovery Missions and Ministries in Charleston. It grew to include the Transition House…in my opinion, the biggest and baddest of all Goliaths giant brothers. Almost all addicts, with very few exceptions, are knowingly or unknowingly fighting a mental health issue. The mental health issue becomes the tail that wags the dog so to speak. Every week, every Sunday night, JIBC hosts Celebrate Recovery. Last week we had around 40 in attendance. We are currently refurbishing the Transition House, so we don’t have residents there just now.
Here is my point: these giants, those struggling with additions and mental health issues, have babies and children. They often bring them with them to Celebrate Recovery. Our team has done a great job of providing for them. Here is an excellent article written by Joanne Brown who leads our team of volunteers working with CR Children.
Would you like to make a difference in a child’s life? Are you willing to help a child in need? Children are like wet cement, anything that falls on them makes an impression. The Celebrate Recovery mission at the church is growing, and we are in need of help with care for the wonderful children. Children are a gift from God; let’s make the lasting impression a godly impression. We have ages ranging from 4 weeks through 5th grade. We are looking for some nourishing people to care for a baby, play with preschoolers or hang out with elementary age children. Are you the special person who can make a difference in a sweet child’s life? Matthew 25:40 tells us, “Truly I tell you, whatever you do for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Celebrate Recovery is a fantastic way to serve our Lord, by helping His children know the love He has for them. (Joanne Brown)
It will take special people to volunteer their time to help these kids. Maybe that is you. You might volunteer 1 night a month, or just one month a year, or every other week? You need to know that you are taking on a giant…or at least the children of those struggling with the giant of addiction. Do you have a passion for children, or recovery, or special needs, or the gift of helps or mercy? Give us a call at the church office, 843.762.0244. Ask for me, Joanne or Neale.
Taking on the giants! I love you JIBC.
Pastor Tom
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