ONE LAST ADVENT HURRAH!

We have had a wonderful Advent Season. I loved the title we chose for this year: Best Day Ever! I think we have succeeded in providing a constant, loving reminder of the “reason for the season”. Our worship team and technical team have done an outstanding job of leading us in worshipping our Father and our Lord, Jesus Christ. Our church family and friends have responded with great generosity in making sure we can connect Advent worship with Advent missions. I do not have any easy way to count the jars of jelly, the boxes of diapers and wipes or the ever so cute outfits for the preschoolers. Thank you, Lord Jesus and thank you ,JIBC family and friends for your amazing love and generous giving. My best guess estimate: Over 200 jars of jelly and 100 bottles of syrup for James Island Outreach; 150 outfits for the preschoolers helped by Lowcountry Orphan Relief; maybe over 5000 diapers for Lowcountry Pregnancy Center. Now, let’s add, so far, $19,476 to the Lottie Moon International Missions offering! This may be the largest Lottie Moon Offering ever in the history of JIBC. By the way, we also sent $4000 to our mission partners in Campulung, Romania. They are starting a mission church to the Roma, sometimes referred to as Gypsies. I requested a list of mission projects they were trying to accomplish. Cheryl Parish did the contact work for us. They sent us a list of 4 projects they were attempting: House shoes for 326 orphans; wood for the winter for the mission; linoleum in the church hall of the mission; 20 more second hand chairs. JIBC has been so blessed, we asked if we could meet all these needs. We will show a brief 3 minute film from the Romanian Pastor and our own, Cheryl Parish.

We are still receiving diapers, jelly, syrup, 5T and 5 yr old clothes and offerings for International Missions. To God be the glory.

CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES

Please note this change. For this Sunday, Christmas Eve, we will combine our 9:00 and 11:00 worship services and meet at 10:00. Janie and I are hosting a drop in at 9:00 AM in the fellowship hall. Come on by and say hello…or Merry Christmas. We changed the morning services to give a break to our leaders since we will all be back for our traditional Carols, Communion and Candlelight Services at 4:00 and 6:00.

Merry Christmas One and all! We love doing life with our JIBC family.

See you Sunday, good Lord willing.

Pastor Tom

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways!

I know Elizabeth Barrett Browning was not talking about Christmas. She is talking about the deep spiritual aspects of love. I want to borrow her words and talk about James Island Baptist and Christmas. Oh, how I love JIBC and the Christmas season.

I love that Christmas brings out lots and lots of generous giving. I get requests everyday in the mail. Some are ministries and organizations that Janie and I support. We make giving to them a part of our celebration of our Saviors birth. Since I can’t give Him gold, frankincense or myrrh, I can give financially to people in need and ministries that bless. I love the lights of Christmas that remind me Jesus is the Light of the world. I love Christmas music. From here until Christmas I will try to incorporate Christmas hymns into my daily Quiet Time. I enjoy easy listening Christmas jazz. I love sending a receiving Christmas cards. Many of them are beautiful pieces of art. Janie and I save any cards we might receive. Starting January 1 we start going through the cards and praying for whoever sent them. I pray for them one day and then place them where Janie has her Quiet Time. Then she prays for them. Then we save them for Mark Livengood and his ministry in Ukraine or Slovakia.

Have you seen the stage in the Worship Center? It exploded with love and generosity. More that we could have imagined or asked for. And we still have three more weeks to receive gifts of diapers, wipes, 5T and 5 clothes, jelly and syrup and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.

Hey, by the way, when we were collecting these gifts, we had a group collecting items for prisoners in South Carolina. Fantastic! Oh, James Island Baptist, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. It would be almost impossible to count the ways because so many are doing so many wonderful things. Bless you for staying outward focused. Your generous giving will result in praise and thanksgiving to God.

Dear Father, you gave the best and most awesome gift, Your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ.

See you Sunday, good Lord willing.

Pastor Tom

WORSHIP X 4

This past weekend, I was blessed with “worship x 4”. I had four very unique and very moving worship experiences. The first one came from what some may think of as a very unusual time. Saturday, we had a Life Celebration/ Funeral Service for Breanna Simmons. I had the privilege of marrying Breanna and Al Simmons almost 10 years ago. Bre developed breast cancer. She fought for the better part of 3 years with a positive attitude and strong courage. Our worship leader, praise team and tech crew put together a beautiful Life Celebration Worship service. I felt as though God would have been pleased and honored as we sought to give Him glory and ask for His mercy and strength. Bre’s life celebration service was attended by around 150 to 200 people. Only handfuls were from JIBC. That means a lot of people were blessed by our effort to show them a good and beautiful Father and to present the Good News of the Gospel.

The second and third worship times happened on Sunday morning as we gathered together with our church family. Our 9:00 service was attended by 94 people. It was a great way to begin this year’s advent season. We sang a favorite Christmas Hymn “O Come O Come Emmanuel”. One hour later, 127 of us gathered at 11:00 to celebrate the Hope we have in the advent/coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. I so love this time of the year as we celebrate “Best Day Ever!” The Advent Mission Gifts are beginning to fill the worship center stage. It looks beautiful.

The fourth time of worship was during Celebrate Recovery. Pastor David and his team lead the CR group in “celebrating” our recovery. The songs are always heartfelt. By the way, did you know that half of the people who attend Celebrate Recovery are there for reasons like co-dependency, control issues, relationship issues, PTSD, depression or other mental health challenges? I so love singing with others who are on journey toward recovery.

I felt I was particularly blessed with WORSHIP X 4. Worship makes the most wonderful time of the year even a little more wonderful.

Remember when you are out shopping to pick up one or two of the items we are collection this year: diapers, wipes, jelly or syrup and any clothes item for size 5 and 5T. We also encourage you to consider a gift to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. Thank you for the outpouring of love to our Father and to those who are under served.

See you soon, good Lord willing,

Pastor Tom

2024 Mission and Ministry Budget

Let’s start with blessings: God is good; His people at James Island Baptist are generous; our church has no debt; we are fully staffed with gifted and talented leaders; the Word of God is taught; outward focus to the community and world is a priority; and to God be the glory. In addition to the mission support in our budget, in 2023 you have given an additional $92,000 to local and global mission causes. That is above our budgeted mission and ministry line items. Really, that is not nearly all that you do, but it is enough to get us started shouting AMEN! Take a moment and think what you would add to this blessing list. Thank you for your generous giving and your generous living.

Each year our Budget and Finance Team gathers budget requests from all of our ministry and mission teams. Along with the staff, they review these requests with prayerful and expectant hearts. I cannot remember a mission request ever being turned down. There were many times when our team found a better way to provide and fund a mission or ministry request. Your Budget and Finance Team works with the belief that if God is leading us to a mission or ministry, HE will provide the means. That has been a blessed combination.

Copies of the 2024 Mission and Ministry Budget are available at all the entrance doors to the Worship Center. The names of the Budget and Finance Team are included in the brochure. Please feel free to ask them any questions you might have about the budgeting process. The Church Family will vote on the Church Budget on Sunday, December 31.

This Budget represents our church family’s efforts to carry out the purposes of God: to bring people into God’s family; build them up to be more like Jesus; involve them in ministries to the church and community; to lead them to be outward focused in their life, the life of their family, their Connection Group and Church; and to worship Him with how we live our lives and as we gather weekly.

To God by the glory,

Pastor Tom

THE BEST DAY EVER

This year’s Advent theme is going to be “The Best Day Ever”. It would be hard to argue with the concept…the day Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem, up to that point that was the best day ever! Maybe we could say the resurrection was the best day ever…but certainly before the resurrection, the birth of God’s Son would be considered “The Best Day Ever”.

A reminder about why we celebrate Advent. The word “advent” comes from the Latin word meaning “coming”. Advent refers to the four Sundays before Christmas. It is the period of preparation for the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It also refers to His second coming. We decided a while back to celebrate advent as a part of our church calendar for a few reasons. One, we wanted to provide help to those looking to break free of the incredible pull toward a secular and commercialization of Christmas. It was a Christian Holiday/Holy day long before it was a secular or commercial holiday. Second, we wanted to build a worship theme around “The Best Day Ever”, the birth of our Savior, Jesus. The theme of Advent changes from year to year. The purpose stated in the song says it well: Oh Come Let Us Adore Him. So we seek to Honor God, exalt our Lord Jesus and to lead our Church family to never forget the true meaning of Christmas.

Third, we have married Advent to Missions. Let’s remember those who are underserved or in need. We have 4 mission partners that we join hands to support. We love our friends at Lowcountry Orphan Relief. True religion, as James says includes loving the orphans. They are in desperate need of size 5t and 5 children’s clothes. Any type: shirts, pants, pajama’s, etc. We also love our partners at Lowcountry Pregnancy Center. We help provide new moms who chose life with diapers and wipes. All you have to do is look at the price of diapers and you will know what blessing that will be! We also use the Advent season as a time to show some love to James Island Outreach. We are the “jelly” church. We were asked years ago to make sure they always have jelly. You do such a great job; they have asked if we could add pancake syrup to the list! Of course we can. Last, but not least, we support our International Mission partners at the International Mission Board. We will receive offerings for the next six weeks to help support over 3,500 full time missionaries serving around the world. This is usually my first gift I give during the Advent season. I am honored to be able to give.

So, why Advent? How about worship, focus on the meaning of Christmas, building generosity, and a full all out effort to support our mission partners. Thank you for being so generous. The stage will begin to be transformed with gifts of love starting this Sunday!

Pastor Tom

WOW AND DOUBLE WOW!

We knew the Taste of James Island Baptist event would be good. We didn’t know it would be that good, over the top good, borderline on great! Our thanks to everyone who worked so hard to make this such a wonderful event. We will have a very brief video of the event this Sunday as a part of our Thanksgiving Celebration. And…we will present the gifts to the three whose names were drawn. You may remember we were giving away a $200 Halls Chophouse certificate, two Yeti Lunch Boxes and a night out with Kyle and Melissa at the Charleston Crab House! Well done JIBC, very well done!

DON’T LOOK NOW, BUT ADVENT IS COMING

I know, I know, it is hard to believe that Christmas is less that 6 weeks away. We celebrate the Advent, the coming, of Christ. The Christ-birth stories are among my favorite in the Bible. We are already beginning to plan for this year’s Advent theme: “Best Day Ever”.

JIBC does something a little different for our Advent Celebration. We join together the worship of Jesus focusing on his first coming/advent and our commitment to missions. For the four weeks of Advent, we ask our church family and friends to consider giving gifts that support our Mission and Ministry Partners here and around the world. Here are the four gifts ahead of time. Let us know if you find really good deals anywhere. We will pass it along. Here is the list, in no particular order. You can buy any of these and bring them any week of Advent. We are not collecting items for a particular Sunday. You may bring them and set them on the stage. Our Elves will display them in a beautiful order.

There are FOUR ADVENT GIFTS we would like you to consider as a part of your Christmas giving list. FIRST, we will, of course, be bringing jelly and pancake syrup for our local mission partner, James Island Outreach. SECOND, you know those little babies at Lowcountry Pregnancy need diapers and wipes; any size, any kind. THIRD, we were told by Lowcountry Orphan Relief that they desperately needed children’s clothes size 5T or regular size 5. LAST, but not least, we will be receiving an offering to support International Missions through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. One hundred percent of this offering goes to support 3,521 full time International missionaries. For as long as I can remember, the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering is our first gift that Janie and I give every year.

DON’T SKIP THANKSGIVING

I love me some Christmas season but I never want to forget about Thanksgiving. This Sunday, we begin a two part series on Thanksgiving. We will celebrate with the Lord’s Supper at the 9:00 and the 11:00 services.

See you Sunday, good Lord willing!

Pastor Tom

GOOD TIMES, GOOD FOOD AND GOOD FRIENDS!

This Sunday, November 12, is the Sunday of our Taste of James Island Baptist. I read a couple of quotes I really liked: Dinner is better when we eat together; the secret ingredient is always love; everything has been seasoned with love; good food and good friends make the perfect combination!

All of these are exactly what I have been thinking about The Taste of James Island. We are so excited thinking about this fun fellowship time.

So, if all things work together for our good, here is what we are anticipating. Ron Corry and his set up team will be at JIBC at 8:00 Sunday morning. Set up time will be from 8:00 until 9:45. Connection Groups will begin at 10:00. Then our combined worship services will be at 11:00. (We will not have a 9:00 service this Sunday. We will start back with the 9:00 service the following Sunday, November 19.) During this Sunday’s Worship, we will have an early dismissal time for all those who need to go outside to put the final touches on their booth.

Ron Corry’s set up team will be putting up tables and chairs and will be available to assist anyone who needs them. JIBC will provide tables, some chairs, paper products (bowls and utensils), drinks and ice. The different Connection Groups and Ministry Teams will provide the food seasoned with love. BY THE WAY…there is not a way to run electricity out to your tent. Some will use chafing dishes to keep food hot and ice chest to keep food cold. We have plenty of ice. Think “tail gating”. Decorate, be creative, let’s have some fun.

Let me go out on a limb here. My hope for this festive and fun event is to introduce our church family and friends to our different Connection Groups and Ministry Teams. I would love for us to have 200 people visiting every booth, tasting wonderful food and meeting wonderful people. Every booth will be sprinkled and seasoned with love. Good times, good food and good friends…let’s make it happen.

See you Sunday, good Lord willing,

Pastor Tom

ON BOARD AND READY TO GO

Our new Associate Pastor, Kyle Hooss, has his first Sunday and first day at the office at JIBC under his belt! Kyle was at JIBC Sunday morning bright and early eager to start meeting our church family and friends. He already had the opportunity to share the Gospel with a church guest! Melissa and the babies will join us soon. We can’t wait for everyone to meet them all.

Just a reminder, Kyle is coming on board as our Pastor of Connection Groups (leading our small group ministry) and Administration. He will help with the day to day operations of our missions and ministries. I am so excited to have him here with our church family. You will be seeing a lot of him real soon!


A PERSONAL WORD

If I might share a personal word in relationship to Kyle coming on board at JIBC? I think a few people were thinking that since Kyle has come on board that meant I was retiring. The answer is no. Kyle is coming as our much needed Pastor of Connection Groups/Small Groups. Janie and I do not have any plans on the table for retiring…yet. We know that day is coming but we do not think it is soon. As I have said so often, our church family and leadership have taken great care of us over the years. So, we are ready and able to retire as far as finances are concerned. We are thankful to God and to JIBC for that. That being said, we have not heard any word from our Lord about retiring. We love our church family; love what God is doing here; love our staff; love being on James Island and in Charleston. Our retirement, whenever that might be, is not connected to Kyle’s coming. I celebrate his arrival at JIBC and the arrival of his sweet little family. I look forward to years of service with him and with you all.


NOW NUMBER NEXT

We have the 2023 Fall Festival behind us. Now, we turn our attention to the Taste of James Island Baptist Mission and Ministry Celebration. On Sunday, November 12, we will have over 20 of our ministries and mission teams serving up love and their best food dishes. WE WILL NOT HAVE A 9:00 SERVICE THAT DAY. ALL THE 9:00 FAMILY WILL PLEASE JOIN US AT 11:00 FOR A UNITED FAMILY WORSHIP EXPERIENCE. And then join us for great food and fellowship. Meet many of our team leaders and their teams and find out what they do. Who knows…it may be exactly what you are looking for.

See you Sunday, good Lord willing, as we continue going through the Book of Mark.

Love you all,

Pastor Tom

WHY NOT?

I was thinking about this the other day: Could we work hard for a “High Attendance” Sunday? Sunday, October 29 will be our new Associate Pastor’s first Sunday as our new Associate Pastor! Why not welcome him with a full house, a high attendance at the 9:00 and the 11:00 Worship Services? Why not?

Kyle, Melissa, River and Ember will be moving in on Johns Island on Monday, October 23. The staff will take a day off to go and help them move in. Kyle’s first day at work will be Monday, October 30th . We will welcome Kyle to his first staff meeting as a staff member. His first Sunday with us will be Sunday, October 29th. Wouldn’t it be great if our JIBC family and friends made a real effort to welcome Kyle with a full house? Why not? We could do that. We are already planning a baptism on that Sunday. Let’s add a strong attendance at both services. Come on out and meet Kyle. By the way, meeting Melissa and the girls may come a little later. New born twins are twice the blessing…and twice the…oh, let’s just stay with twice the blessing! We will certainly look forward to seeing them all. Please mark your calendar and make sure you can be present to welcome Kyle.

ONE MORE SUNDAY

We have one more Sunday before the biggest outreach event of the year, our Fall Festival. We always host this party on October 31. We will expect to have the usual 1,000 people showing up for a great time. This Sunday, October 29th , we will have the signup sheets in the worship center. We still need about 25 more people to volunteer.

YOU JUST CANNOT MISS IT

The Taste of James Island Baptist Church will be held on Sunday, November 12 right after the 11:00 worship service. Please note that for that Sunday, we will NOT have a 9:00 service. We will combine as a family at 11:00 and have a great day of partying! Every Connection Group and every ministry team is invited to set up a table and a booth. Our goal is to get around 200 people to visit each booth. This would be a great time to promote what your team does and to possible recruit new members or at least create awareness. By the way, if you have a moment would you call or text the office and let us know what you are planning to serve at your booth. I personally would be thrilled if we ended up with 13 mac-n-cheese dishes! But maybe some people do not have the same addiction as I have! You can call the church at 843.762.0244.

There is a whole lot of blessing going on. Come on and join us!

Pastor Tom

Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May those who love you be secure.

May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels.”

Psalm 122:6-7

Here is a simple explanation of a very complex situation. Israel is at war with Hamas. Israel is defending itself from a major attack from the terrorist group known as Hamas. Hamas is a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist militant group. They rule the land known as the Gaza Strip. They are sworn enemies of Israel and want Israel destroyed and Hamas wants to replace Israel with an Islamic State. Right now, we can pray for the peace of Jerusalem. I was hoping and praying this war would be quick and to the point. At this point it does not seem to be the case. So we pray for peace.

FALL FESTIVAL

Now, back at home. We have two really fun and BIG events coming up. First is the Fall Festival. We never know for sure, but we estimate that we will have around 1,000 people on our campus on Tuesday, October 31. We go head to head with Halloween and offer a positive, family oriented, church based festival. We do need a large number of volunteers. You can put together a team of 4 and that way know for sure you will only serve 1 ½ hours and then you can go enjoy the fun. There are all levels of opportunities to serve: registration, set up, clean up, fun games, serving free hotdogs and drinks, Safety Team, etc. Signup sheets are right in front of the office. I love the comment from one of our members who came for the first time last year. She said “I had no idea the fall festival was this big or this good!” Oh yeah!

NEXT: THE TASTE OF JAMES ISLAND BAPTIST

Please put this one on your calendar: Sunday, November 12, right after the 11:00 worship service. (BTW, we will not have a 9:00 service that day) We are asking every Mission and Ministry Group to host a table and serve some of their favorite deliciousness. You will meet Connection Group Leaders and Mission and Ministry Team Leaders and get a chance to learn about their mission and ministry. You will taste some outstanding food. And we are working on giving away 3 prizes that you will absolutely, positively want to win. All you have to do to win is go by and meet the host of each table and get Taste of JIBC card signed. As soon as we have these three best prizes ever, we will let you know. Whoohoo. This could be the best time in a long time.

See you Sunday as we continue going through the Gospel of Mark.

Pastor Tom

WE ARE BACK!

Janie and I have been away for a week of vacation. We went somewhere we had never been before…Branson, Missouri! I had heard about Branson for years. The opportunity came up, so off we went to the Ozarks for hiking and great musical shows. And great food! We were not disappointed. I want to thank our staff and leadership for taking care of things in our absence. We are always thankful for time away and are twice as thankful to be back home. I look forward to see you all this Sunday, October 8. My teaching will come from Mark 1:29-39.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

Usually the phrase “Friday Night Lights” refers to High School Football. So, JIBC is getting our James Island Charter High Football Team ready for Friday Night Lights. We were asked by our very own Coach Hilyer if we could feed 85 football players, coaches and cheerleaders this Friday before they hit the road to play May River High School. James Island Football is undefeated so far this year. It will be our pleasure to send them out on a full stomach and a strong Gospel Word from Pastor Logan! GO TROJANS…BEAT MAY RIVER!

THREE EVENTS YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS

Our next baptism planned for Sunday, October29; the Fall Festival is Tuesday, October 31; and a Taste of James Island Baptist on Sunday, November 12. If you would like to be baptized on the 29th, please call the church office at 843-762-0244. If you would like to volunteer to help at the Fall Festival, you will find Signup sheets in the hallways by the office this Sunday. We need all hands on deck for this event. Also, would you consider bringing a bag of candy for the party? And last, but not least, the Taste of James Island Baptist. Once your group has decided to participate and decided what to cook, would you let us know? Just let us know what deliciousness your team is going to bring!

What a great month. I am so happy to be back with you all this Sunday, good Lord willing.

Pastor Tom

FINALLY, THE BEGINNING IS IN SIGHT!

There is an old song that says: “It’s been a long time coming, but I know a change is gonna to come”. We are finally at the time and place where we can say our new Associate Pastor and his sweet family will soon be here. All God’s children said “AMEN!” It has been a long time coming…but I know a change is gonna come.

We went through a very thorough process and interviews and meetings with a lot of prospective staff members. Some we liked, some we did not care for and some we loved. Kyle and Melissa were at the very top of the list of the ones we loved. We are so happy their arrival date is within sight. They are scheduled to move in on October 23rd. They will be living at the Forest at Fenwick just over the bridge on Johns Island. Kyle’s first day will be Monday, October 30…JUST IN TIME FOR THE FALL FESTIVAL! Perfect timing.

We will be sending out a brochure to introduce Kyle and his family to you. I think you will quickly see why we think he is the right person to join our staff and the JIBC family. We will be working with Kyle to get him introduced to as many people, as many Connection Groups and as many Ministry and Mission Teams as we can and as quickly as we can. We want him to know the JIBC we love and the JIBC that will love him and his family.

TWO BIG EVENTS COMING UP

We have two big events happening real soon. The first is outward focused: THE ANNUAL FALL FESTIVAL. This is an annual all hands on deck event. We need as many volunteers as we can get. This is easily the numerically largest event of the year for JIBC. We will likely have over 1000 people on our campus on October 31. We design the Fall Festival to be a positive, family friendly, alternative to the traditional trick or treat. Kids will have a blast and gather all the candy their parental units will allow them to consume. And if all goes well, we will feature Mark Livengood presenting the Gospel story. How can you help? First, consider volunteering for a 2 hour shift…or more. Second, pick up a big bag of deliciousness and drop it by one of the collection bins. Third, pray that the love of God will be effectively communicated to our community. Thank you.

The second big event is A TASTE OF JAMES ISLAND BAPTIST . We are planning a church wide fellowship on Sunday, November 12. It will be held right after our 11:00 service, out under the oaks. We are inviting every Connection Group and every Ministry Team to put up a tent and serve up some of your favorite foods. Not only will this be fun, but it is a great way to get to know more of our church family and to see the ministry needs. More information to come!

See you Sunday, good Lord willing!

Pastor Tom

SAVE THE DATE: SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 12!

We are in the very first stage of planning “A Taste of James Island Baptist”. Right now we don’t have a lot of details, but we do have a date, Sunday, November 12. We will ask our Connection Groups and Ministry Teams to cook up their favorite dishes for this event. It will be right after the 11:00 Worship Service and will be held right here at JIBC under the Oaks. Music, food, fellowship, mission and ministry! What is not to love? More details to come.

Speaking of save the date, don’t forget about our biggest attended event of the year, The Fall Festival. It is always held on October 31 no matter which day of the week it lands on. We will have all the people our church campus can handle. We offer a positive, safe, family friendly alternative to the traditional Halloween. We will have the “Candy Boxes” out for donations. Remember when you go shopping; grab a bag or two of candy. For those who are new to JIBC, there is a place for everyone to volunteer. Everything is free and we give out a ton of candy! One of the best comments I have ever heard was from a member who came for the very first time. They said “I had no idea how big and how well done this event is. This is great!” I agree. Felecia Hebert and her team will do a great job as they always do! Just a little over 1 month away.

Follow up on Beach Baptism
We are planning to “debut” the new video of the beach baptism on Sunday, October 15 at worship services, 9 and 11. We have a beautiful photo of the event for those who were baptized. You can pick them up at the beginning or the ending of either worship service. Our thanks to David Martin, Jr and his crew for making this happen. To God be the glory.

Don’t hold me to these exact numbers, but Awana has 84 children enrolled and over 70 attending! Way to go Commander ReRe and Team! Let’s reach them before we have to rescue them, amen?

Pastor Tom

 

CLOSE BUT NOT YET

That is how I am describing our relationship with our prospective Associate Pastor Kyle Hooss. I know it has seemed like a long time since we started a relationship with Kyle. At first, everything was going according to plan. Our leadership believed Kyle and Melissa are a good match for us at JIBC. On their side, they felt the same way. Now, let’s make it interesting. They were pregnant expecting twins! So that rightfully slowed everything down for a minute. But now…babies are here! Kyle and Melissa are the proud parents of twin daughters, River and Ember Hooss. As of now, they are all well and getting adjusted to having two beautiful human beings added to their family mix! Congratulations to all of you. Well done Melissa, you go girl!

So, once the twins arrived and once resignation letters and matters were handled, they are ready to start planning for the move to Charleston! Plans are for them to arrive mid-October…just in time to help with the Fall Festival! They still have to find a place to rent or by God’s grace, to buy. By the way, if you happen to know of an affordable rental in the area, please let us know. They would like to rent for the first year here. It would relieve so much stress for them knowing they had a place to stay.

Now, not to “jinx” the process, but I describe this as being “close but not yet”. I compare it to catching a fish. You have the fish on the line but you don’t have the fish the boat. Melissa and Kyle are praying and planning just like us. We expect everything to go great. The reality is we have the fish on the line but not in the boat…if you know what I mean. I have every reason to believe the Good Lord will continue to bless this process as He has done every step of the way. But continued prayers for all the little details would be much appreciated.

I want to thank our staff again for picking up a lot of the things our former Associate was doing. In many areas, we have not missed a beat because of our great staff. Thank you one and all!

By the first of October, we will send out a more formal announcement about Kyle and his sweet family. Until then…we are close, but not yet. That phrase reminds me of the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus. I believe it is close but it is not yet.

See you Sunday when we celebrate believer’s baptism again!

Pastor Tom

JESUS LOVES THE LITTLE CHILDREN

In Matthew 19:14 Jesus said “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” It might not surprise you but it might surprise some people…Jesus loves the little children. Think about the context for that Bible verse. The people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. Then Jesus said this to them: “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” The people somehow knew that Jesus loved the little children, all the children of the world, red and yellow black and white! He loved them. Maybe they observed him playing with the kids at some point? Perhaps they were just desperate to have someone bless their children for the hard life that was ahead of them? Somehow, they knew.

Our church family has an opportunity to continue the legacy Jesus left concerning children. We can love the little children; welcome them with love and acceptance. We can teach them about God the Father and our Lord Jesus while we still have the opportunity. We do some of that each week. When you might ask, when do we ever do that? When you provide for children’s ministries like Awana, Sunday Connection Groups (Sunday School), Vacation Bible School, children’s camps, etc. I see every one of these children’s ministries as Jesus opening His arms to welcome them and to love them.

We have had the privilege of baptizing quite a few children over this past month or two. To me, baptizing children is the ultimate example of mixed emotions. I am thrilled when any child and their parent announce the great news “My child has made a profession of faith!” And now they inquire about baptism. We do all we can to make sure children are ready for believers baptism. We hear from the parent, the Sunday School teacher and our children’s staff member. We also give them a first step disciple children’s workbook. We want to do all we can to encourage them as followers of Jesus. We also want to have the attitude of Jesus when he said “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

I have this thought in the back of my head: if the fallen broken world can come after our children to teach them all kinds of evil, then we need to go after them to teach them about Jesus. Let’s reach them before we have to rescue them. After all….Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world!

By the way, the next baptism is scheduled for Sunday, September 17.

See you Sunday, good Lord willing!

Pastor Tom

BACK TO BASICS

For the last 5 weeks I have been teaching a series of messages I called “Back to Basics”. My hope and desire has been to remind of us a few of the foundational doctrines, beliefs and practices that help us to become more and more like Jesus. The bottom line is not so much what you believe but what you do. We may say what we are thinking but we do what we believe. Let’s take another look at the basics I chose.

First, there was grace, the amazing grace of God. I chose that to be first for a reason. It is easy to think we are made and kept right with God by our own efforts as if God was pleased with us based on our accomplishments. What a gift when we understand God’s undeserved favor and love. It is indeed Amazing Grace.

Second, we took a look at the Biblical teaching on being connected. Beginning in Genesis God stated it was not good for us to be alone. To meet that need, He made His people, the Church, to be a body. We are better together working as a body, with different parts, yet as one body. It can be hard to say but I need you…and you need me.

Third, we looked at how to work with God to leverage our talents, gifts and abilities for His Kingdom work. Every one of us has these God given gifts, talents and abilities. We are to use them in the church to help build a stronger church and in the community to draw people to our Father. Don’t let the devil tell you that you have no talent, gifts or abilities. God says different!



Fourth, we looked at our Life Mission...to invite others to be a part of God’s family. It was the message of the Great Commission to go into all the world and make disciples. It is an awe inspiring thought to believe God could use us to reach the world starting with those across the street, across the river and then across the ocean. He is doing that very thing.

And then last Sunday we examined Worship. In some ways, I think worship empowers all that we do. Worship motivates and inspires. It gives us vision and courage. It helps us focus upward on God, inward on our own hearts and outward to a lost and broken world.

This Sunday, we will build the service around yet one more basic, The Lord’s Supper. We will observe one of the two ordinances given to us in God’s Holy Word. Take a moment sometime this week or weekend to go back over the basics. How are you doing in living these out in your daily life? Such a time of reflection would be a good way t o examine our hearts before observing The Lord’s Supper.

Back to Basics…it is always good to review. See you Sunday, good Lord willing.

Pastor Tom

BACK TO SCHOOL

KEEP THEM IN OUR PRAYERS

Some of our area schools have already started back. Some are starting this week. No matter when they start, let’s keep them in our prayers. Let’s pray for students, teachers, administrators, parents, bus drivers, everyone we can think of connected with the task! These teachers are like missionaries and for some of our children, being in school is like being immersed in a foreign culture. Let’s keep them in our prayers. Pray for those who know the Lord that they would be salt and light.

PUT IT ON YOUR CALENDAR

We have a few events you want to make sure you put on your calendar. First, the NIGHT OF WORSHIP-A REASON TO PRAISE. This will take place on Wednesday, August 30. We have had so many ask for a Night of Praise and it is finally here! I am sure Pastor David and David Jr have an inspiring night planned that will lead us in praise and adoration! Free meal served from 5 to 6. The Night of Worship starts at 6.

Second, the JIBC Women’s Ministry presents HEARTS OF FIRE. This is scheduled for Saturday, September 9 at 9:00 A.M. It will combine amazing mission testimonies, great worship and a deluxe breakfast! Women, mark your calendars and be sure to register! You can register by texting HEARTS to 843-762-0244 or call the church office

Third, we have another baptism planned for two of our precious children. What a joy to be a part of helping these to become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. God bless the parents, grand-parents, teachers, workers who pray, share the Gospel and encourage these little ones to follow the Lord.

Thank you for all you do to pray for and support the mission and ministry of JIBC. I hope you can see the fruit of our faithful labor.

See you Sunday, good Lord willing,

Pastor Tom

“Be Still and Know that I am God” Psalm 46:10

We have had an exciting two weeks at James Island Baptist Church. It is as though we are in the Lord’s sweet spot and He is pouring out blessing after blessing. It is as though we are at the beach and there is one great wave after another. You can’t make the wave; you can only admire it and ride it.

We celebrate the 19 beach baptisms and the beautiful baptism of Jaxon Ortiz. If you were here when Jaxon was baptized you know what I mean when I say he was the most excited person I have ever baptized. It was pure joy. On a coming Sunday we are planning to baptize Story Wolff (Jada Hughes’ daughter). To experience 21 baptisms in 3 weeks…Be still and Know that I am God!

We distributed 234 back packs filled with love and school supplies. Emmanuel Baptist brought about that many. Together, we gave out around 400 back packs full of school supplies. Mark Livengood, who is on his way to Slovakia this week, shared the Gospel with over 90 children at this event.

On Tuesday, August 15 we are taking almost 150 back packs filled with supplies to Mt Zion Elementary on Johns Island. We had about 5 boxes full of supplies that we gave to Sean Rheaume at Live Oak Church on Johns Island. He will be able to share those with Angel Oak Elementary on Johns Island. Your love was spread far and wide.

Rhett Iler just returned from Vermont from a Disaster Relief trip. He was on a “mud out” team helping with the aftermath of their floods. Be still and know that I am God.

Now, catch your breath and get ready for these two waves you may want to catch. First, the NIGHT OF WORSHIP: WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30. We had so many requests for such a night and it is close to happening! You can enjoy a wonderful meal and a wonderful night of worship. You want to attend this night if possible. I hope to see you there.

Second, our Women’s Ministry is hosting “Hearts of Fire”. This will be held on Saturday, September 9 from 9:30 to 12:30 in the church Fellowship Hall. It would help if you register, but come on out even if you did not register online. To register, just text “hearts” to the church number 843-762-0244.

Now, let’s read it again; Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10

Pastor Tom

BE ON GUARD

This past Monday I encouraged our staff to be on guard spiritually. The Bible speaks of the devil as being a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. He is a thief and a liar. He practices to deceive.
That has not changed so why be on guard now?

Take a moment and reflect on what is going on at JIBC right now. First, we are planning a beach baptism and we have 15 signed up and confirmed to be baptized. No, we just added another so it is 16. No, we just added another now it is 17. Wait, 2 more were added, so now it is 19! Somebody say Amen. In addition we baptized Jaxon this past Sunday at JIBC and are planning to baptize Story in two weeks. That is a lot of baptisms, right?! RIGHT. I don’t suppose our enemy, the devil, will like that.

Second, we are gathering school supplies to help over 250 families. You have donated, at our best estimate, around $20,000.00 worth of school supplies. The first 234 who receive the back packs will also receive a $60.00 gift certificate to The Rack Room for a new pair of tennis shoes. I have a feeling we will have more than enough to fill the 250 book bags that we have. The other school supplies will absolutely be used to bless other schools. Please do us a favor. If you or someone you know needs help buying school supplies, please come by and get some. We would love for you to be the deliverer of blessings! By the way, we are partnering with our African American Sister Church, Emmanuel Baptist Church. We have not even seen the supplies they will be brining. Amen and Amen.

Third, Pastor David and his team are planning a wonderful night of worship on Wednesday, August 30th. You really want to make every effort to be present for that night. We will feature our own praise band and we have special guest coming to participate in leading in praise and adoration. The devil cannot be happy about a church family having a night dedicated to praising our Heavenly Father and Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, what a night!

Fourth, this Sunday we commission Mark Livengood to go to Slovakia to help start and establish Ukrainian churches. We will hear from Mark this Sunday and will commission him in Jesus’ name.

Not to mention Rhett Iler is in Vermont working with disaster relief.

So, be on guard and be aware that our enemy may be on the prowl looking to interrupt Kingdom work. Pray a little more, read the Word a little more and reach out to someone in need a little more!

I love His church called James Island Baptist Church.

Pastor Tom

GOOD NEWS, MORE GOOD NEWS AND SOME MORE GOOD NEWS

There is Good News. Then there is Good News. And finally there is Good News. Let’s start with the Good News.

FIRST GOOD NEWS: James Island Baptist Church is touching the world. We are commissioning one of our Elders, Mark Livengood, to go to Slovakia. His assignment will be to work with the refugees from Ukraine that have relocated in Slovakia. Slovakia is located at the western most part of Ukraine. They are a part of Europe and are a part of NATO. Mark will be going to teach ESL type classes, English as a Second Language. This is a part of the planting new churches strategy. We thank God for the opportunity to partner with Mark in prayers, finances and words of encouragement. Never doubt that our Father can touch anywhere in the world from James Island.

SECOND GOOD NEWS. We are still on for the Celebration of Believers Baptism. This baptism will be a little different. First, we have 15 people signed up to be baptized. That is more that we have had in some years and we are doing it all in one evening. Second, it will be at Folly Beach County Park, right in front of the main building. (Look for the JIBC flag and pop up tent) Beach Baptism will be Wednesday, August 9. We meet before 6:30 pm and will plan on baptisms at 7:00 pm. Watch the traffic…it can be slow going on Folly Road. If you can, leave early. Many of you had a part in leading these to Christ and to believers’ baptism. I hope you will join us to see the fruit of your labors and God’s grace!

THIRD GOOD NEWS. This Sunday we will have all of the Backpack and School supplies in the worship center. (They will not all be filled yet, but they will all be in there!) I wanted everyone to see what $10,000 of school supplies and blessings look like. We will have 234 School Bags with gift certificates to the Rack Room for a new pair of shoes! Each book bag will have the basic school supplies, somewhere around $26 worth! Each book bag will have a card telling them of God’s love and sharing with them the basic ABC plan of salvation. We anticipate having supplies left over. Again, by the way, we are partnering with Emmanuel Baptist Church to distribute the book bags and supplies. There is gonna be a party on Friday, August 11 at the James Island Outreach.

Repeat after me: God is good all the time and all the time God is good!

Pastor Tom

Beach Baptism!

BEACH BAPTISM SCHEDULED

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9, 2023

6:30-7:30 “ish” (Baptism closer to 7)

FOLLY BEACH COUNTY PARK

OK, what a way to end the summer, right? We are celebrating Christian Baptism at Folly Beach. By the way, I may have slipped up and said the Beach Baptism was going to be at another nearby park…not so much. It will be at the Folly Beach County Park. We will try to locate right in front of the main pavilion at the county park. If I am reading the tide charts right, this would be almost 3½ hours before Low Tide. Perfect! For those who are interested, the sun sets at 8:11 PM.

Now, are you ready for the hallelujah news? We have, as of this writing, 13 baptismal candidates. I know anything could happen between now and then (vacation schedules, sickness, etc). But as of right now, we have 6 adults, 4 youth and 3 children. Hallelujah and amen! I want to thank God first for this beautiful harvest. Secondly, I want to thank all the teachers, leaders, volunteers who prayed for, taught, and loved these who are being baptized. It is wonderful when you get to see the fruit of your labor. I really encourage those of you who taught, loved, ministered to, discipled, and encouraged these, to be present to celebrate. Come on and get some sand in your shoes and joy in your heart!

PRAYING FOR MARK LIVENGOOD...Mark is scheduled to go to Slovakia on August 17. He will be working with some of the same believers he worked with in Ukraine. They have now fled and relocated to the neighboring state, Slovakia. He will be helping them start new churches. Think of that and rejoice: God touching the world from a small church family like JIBC. Only a Great God could do such great things.

MEANWHILE, BACK AT HOME...As I type this article, we have guest churches working with JIBC to host a sports camp at the Medway sports fields. The Gospel will be shared and kids will be having a blast. We look forward to reporting the details later.

See you all Sunday, good Lord willing!

Pastor Tom

SURVEY SAYS...

We surveyed 100 people and asked them to name a messy food. Here are the top five answers: #5. Powdered donuts; #4 ribs covered in BBQ sauce; #3 ice cream cones in July heat; #2 anything with jelly; #1 Pickin’ Blue Crabs. (I did not really ask 100 people).  Ok, what was not on this list that you would definitely put on yours? The list could be long and all of it needs to be served at our Fall Wednesday Night Dinners! Amen.

The reality is that there are a lot of things that are messy in life. It is not just the food we eat. Sometimes relationships can be...well, a little messy. Family life can get messy in a hurry if we are not mindful. Look at our political world…beyond just a little messy right?

Celebrate Recovery is one of those areas of life that can be messy. Think about it: there was a significant hurt somewhere at some time. That hurt probably went unattended and became a place of darkness, a messy place of darkness in our soul. The hurt led to anger that led to bitterness that led to self-medicating that led to an addiction. And now the messy part of life just got messier.

Listen, it happens. It happens far more than we wish to admit. And when it happens it will usually get messy: at home, at work or at play. I am thankful for a church family that is not afraid of messy. You know if you eat BBQ ribs, it is going to be messy. You know ahead of time that pickin’ Blue Crabs is going to be messy. It comes with the territory. You know when you get involved in loving and caring for people it is going to get messy. Is it worth it? When you finish a great meal of BBQ ribs with a great sauce…is it worth a little mess? Of course. And it is worth it when things get a little messy dealing with people who struggle with not only their addiction but their addiction lifestyle. Yes, it is so worth it.

We asked 100 people and asked them where a person can go to work on their messy life. The top Five Answers were: #1. Celebrate Recovery, we are all recovering Messes. #2. Church Worship services where we celebrate our Father who welcomes home those who have far too long lived in Messyville. #3. Connection Groups where we gather together with friends who will pray for and support one another as we navigate the messy places in life. #4. Celebrate Recovery where…oh yeah, I already mentioned that one. It is so good, I had to share it twice. CR is not just about recovery from drugs and alcohol. We are recovering from a variety of hurts hang-ups and habits. #5 Don’t forget about your daily time alone with God. That is a great place to start sharing about the mess we are in at the moment.

Life is hard and messy. Don’t panic. Be patient. Add some more BBQ sauce!

Pastor Tom

Abundant life!

“I have come that you may have life and have it abundantly.”   John 10:10

We are literally forever grateful for God’s gift of Eternal Life. We are also thankful for the abundant life He gives to His children. Abundant life! How would you define God’s gift of abundant life? Perhaps you could use the description of the fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23: The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. There would certainly be many more ways to describe abundant life.

Let me offer a different approach. What if abundant life involved both the beautiful qualities described above as well as the beautiful actions like those I am describing below?

When I look around at JIBC, I see abundant life! Last Sunday, our Hispanic Church baptized 9 precious souls. JIBC is scheduled for a beach Baptist on Wednesday, August 9 at Folly Beach County Park. So far, we have 7 who have signed up. That is an abundant life action! This week we have our annual Children’s Camp: next week a Student/Youth camp; the next week community wide sport camp! The fruit of abundant life! This past Sunday, Kat Cumberledge led a Mom’s Bible Study. Her room was full. Looks like abundant life. Pastor David equipped our JIBC praise band and tech crew to carry on full steam ahead…even in his absence! More sightings of abundant life. Above I asked how you would describe abundant life. Now I ask you “Where do you see the evidence of abundant life at JIBC?”

I could go on and on about the ways I see God moving. I didn’t ask permission to use this story, so I will leave the names out. One of our members was shopping at Goodwill for shoes to wear at work. Goodwill did not take the kind of payment he had so he put the 3 pairs of shoes back and would return the next day with cash. There was a lady behind him listening to the transaction. She paid for the young man’s shoes. The young man told her he had the money, just not the preferred way to pay. As they continued in the conversation, turns out they are both members here at JIBC. Another abundant life sighting!

Jesus came so that you may have eternal life and…abundant life. Don’t wait for Heaven…let’s bring heaven down each day. I love our church family!

Blessings,

Pastor Tom

Beach Baptism

 BEACH BAPTISM WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9

JAMES ISLAND COUNTY PARK  6:30 TO 7:00 “ISH”

Why do we baptize?

First, to follow Jesus’ example: Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River. Read about it in Mark 1:9. Second, we are baptized because Christ commanded it. It is part of the Great commission found in Matthew 28:18-20. The third reason we are baptiszed is to demonstrate that we are truly believers and followers of Christ. 1 John 2:2 reminds us that we know that we belong to Him when we keep His commands.

What is the meaning of Baptism? The act of baptism illustrates beautifully the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul spoke of this in Colossians 2:12. It also illustrates our new life in Christ. Two verses I love are 2 Corinthians 5:17 and Romans 6:4.

So why do we baptize by immersion? Three reasons I would suggest. One, because Jesus was baptized by immersion. (Matthew 3:16). Two, every baptism in the Bible is by immersion. And three, the word baptism actually means immerse.

Who, then, should be baptized? The answer is wonderful: every person who has believed and trusted in Jesus Christ. Read the wonderful verses in Acts 2:41 and Acts 8:13.

For JIBC, baptism is part of what we refer to as “First Base: Fellowship and Membership in God’s family. Our desire is to see all people BELIEVE, be BAPTIZED and BELONG to a local church family. In keeping with that, we are planning a BEACH BAPTISM on Wednesday, August 9th at the Folly Beach County Park.

We will gather around the church flags…so you will not miss us. Somewhere around 6:30 or 7:00 we will celebrate believers Baptism. If you would like to be in that group, please call us at 843.762.0244.

Speaking of baptism, our Hispanic ministry partners, Luz y Verdad, will be baptizing on Sunday, July 9, after our 11:00 service. If you want to see a wonderful celebration, try to time visiting during their baptism service. To God be the Glory.

Pastor Tom

WHAT A WONDERFUL WEEK

Well, the 2023 Vacation Bible School, Twist and Turns has come and gone for our JIBC family and friends. I think I am pretty close when I say that this was the 74th Vacation Bible School in our church history. It would have been the 75th except for the Covid year. Our thanks to Kat Cumberledge, Joanne Brown and their amazing teams of volunteers. You all did a wonderful job. Until you volunteer at a VBS, it is hard to realize the stamina it takes to work all day and then come and love on kids for 3 solid hours. Well done, good and faithful servants.

Let me give you a few VBS numbers to rejoice over. We had 73 kids who attended. That may seem down from previous years. This year we did not have the three year olds or the teenagers. So, the number of children was just about the same as last year. We had 35 volunteers who helped make the VBS happen. Truly, we could not offer a VBS without the volunteers. Well done! I hope you all got a nap Saturday and Sunday. We had 13 children who were asking questions about becoming a follower of Jesus. We had three that made professions of faith and 1 that requested baptism. We had another one who immediately started working on the children’s discipleship guide.

The VBS offering given by the children and adults was around $333.00. All of that will go to help buy school supplies for underserved children. For the last two years, JIBC has partnered with Emmanuel Baptist Church on Folly road to host a “Back To School Cookout” at the EME Apartments on Central Park Road. We help sponsor a cookout, music, games, speakers and then give out school supplies for the coming year. The end result is that we have children reaching children and churches reaching children. I love that we can do some cross cultural mission work right here in our own backyard. To God be the glory.

One more cool thing about VBS. All the VBS decorations that you saw and enjoyed have been passed on to a sister church for their VBS. I love that…recycle for the Kingdom. And any that survive their VBS will be passed on to yet another church family.

Your tithes and offerings make VBS a reality. We can purchase what we need and use it to share the Good News of what God has done for us... Your prayers help to make this possible. Thank you all.

It was a great 2023 Vacation Bible School. Take a deep breath…2024 VBS will be here before we know it!

Pastor Tom

YOU CAN TOUCH THE WORLD

It is simply amazing that a church as small as JIBC can touch the world. We sometimes might be tempted to think that only the big churches can send missionaries across the street, across the river and across the ocean. The secret is not in the big church, the secret is THE BIG GOD! We can touch the world in Jerusalem (our local area), Judea (still in South Carolina and the south east) Samaria (we cross boundaries and not just geographical) and the world (places like Ukraine, Romania, and now, let’s add Slovakia.

Mark Livengood is following his passion to reach Ukraine with the Gospel. Now that there is a war going on, he has to take another approach. So, it is official, he is going to Slovakia August 17-28. He will be teaching English to over 100 students. He will be working with some of the “grown” students he has taught in the past. Pray that the Holy Spirit will prepare the hearts of the students and the protection of Mark’s family when he is gone. Amen.

Now, let’s touch the world across the street. Vacation Bible School is an outstanding opportunity to impact children in our community. Bible stories will be told, the Gospel will be shared and lives will be changed. VBS starts this Monday, June 19. Pray for the stamina of all our volunteers. Sometimes we go into the entire world and sometimes all the world comes to us!

This Sunday, June 18 Celebrate Recovery will host a Mental Health Awareness Night. We have two counselors coming in as presenters. Darryl has arranged for a local caterer to prepare the meal that will be served from 5:30-6:30. You do not have to enjoy the meal in order to attend the service at 6:30. If you do want to attend the meal, you do need to make a reservation through the church office.

Sometimes we touch the world through our prayers; other times through our offerings and support; and sometimes we touch the world with our hands and feet as we “go”. I rejoice at how JIBC is becoming outwardly focused and outwardly aware. To God be the Glory.

See you this Sunday, good Lord willing!

Pastor Tom

Mental Health Awareness Night

MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS NIGHT

SUNDAY, JUNE 18, 6:30-8:00 PM

Celebrate Recovery is sponsoring a Mental Health Awareness Night for our church family and friends. Darryl Young has invited two counselors that he knows to speak to us about Mental Health concerns.

This is really a topic that touches us all one way or the other. It is estimated that 1 out of 4 adults in the United States experience some form of mental illness each year. Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, social and spiritual well-being. It affects how we think, feel and act as we cope with life. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life.

Mental illnesses are serious disorders which can affect your thinking, mood or behavior. There are many causes of mental health disorders: family genes, family history, your life experiences, stress or abuse as well as biological influences.

The Good News is there is hope. When you want to give up there is hope. When you think you don’t fit in, there is hope. When you think you are alone, there is hope. Just for your information, the new Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is 988. Just text 988 and you will be connected to a 24/7 hotline with volunteer crisis counselors. You could also find help on line at the national Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) at www.nami.org/help

You have heard me say before that we cannot do everything, but we can do something. Let’s start by removing the stigma of mental health disorders. Second, let’s know at least one resource we could use for ourselves or for someone we love or know.

This Mental Health Awareness Night is a good place to start. Why not put it on your calendar and plan to attend.

See you there, good Lord willing,

Pastor Tom

THREE ITEMS TO SHARE

FIRST, MOM’S BIBLE STUDY THIS SUNDAY, JUNE 4 at 10:00 AM. What a great opportunity to meet with Moms who are believers. It will be a time of encouragement and inspiration. New to JIBC? What a great way to meet someone you already have a lot in common with. If you do not know Kat and Ashley, you will love them. This group will meet in Room 207, upstairs, main building all the way back to the Student Ministry area. Text MOMS to 843-762-0244 to register.

SECOND, VBS TWISTS AND TURNS IS ON THE WAY! Mark your calendars for June 19-23 for our annual VBS Mission opportunity. To attend VBS you must have completed 4K. VBS this year is for 4k through the 5th Grade. You can register on line: Just text VBS23 to 843-762-0244. Or, you can register when you arrive! Just remember…you drop them off AND pick them back up each night. LOL

Is VBS worth the effort? Every year Southern Baptists have 2.5 Million Children in VBS; resulting in over 70,000 professions of faith; discovering over 155,000 prospects; teaching 15 hours of discipleship equal to 7 months of ministry; and lots of singing, fun, and food. Oh yeah, it is worth it. Hard, long, exhausting but so, so worth it all.

THIRD, HOLY LAND HERE WE COME. I have been completely surprised by the strong interest in going to the Holy Land. We almost immediately had 40 people interested and now we have over 50. That creates an interesting situation since our tour bus only holds 50! We have 22 who have paid their deposits. I encourage those who are interested to go ahead and make a decision. In just a few weeks, we will open the trip up to some of our friends from a sister church. Janie and I will host another informational this Sunday, June 4th, at 6:30 PM. We will meet upstairs in Room 201, where Janie Brown’s Connection Group meets. It is an open meeting. You are welcome to attend just to hear about the trip!

Check the trip out at https://questtravelgroup.com/pastortombrown

See you Sunday, good Lord willing,

Pastor Tom

NO ONE FIGHTS ALONE

This past Sunday I started a new teaching series entitled “No One Fights Alone”. I really struggled with the title since I know there are a lot of people who fight life’s battles alone. Some of us battle with health issues or mental health issues; others battle with family issues; still others battle with work place issues; and on and on we go. It is tough enough to fight battles. It is twice as tough if you think you are fighting them alone.

So here is my suggestion: “No One Fights Alone” is a vision, a goal, something we work toward. We know it is not yet reality for everyone, but we also know it is a blessed reality for many. I use the example of an emotional support dog. Their job is to be there to provide comfort, safety, familiarity, calm, relieve loneliness, help with depression and anxiety. I love that idea.

Now dream with me: What if we were an emotional support church; an emotional support Connection Group; an emotional support friend? What if we could say “No One Fights Alone”? You know you are in a place that loves you, prays for you, hugs you, cries with you, or can be silent with you? No one fights alone. It may not be the reality but it can sure be the goal, the vision, our purpose and intent. NO ONE FIGHT ALONE.

I will be teaching from some great Biblical stories that teach us that no one HAS TO fight alone in God’s Family. We ended the message with several actions any of us could take to prevent feeling lonely and feeling like we have to fight alone.

MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS SUNDAY 

SPONSORED BY CELEBRATE RECOVERY

Sunday, June 18th at 6:30 PM we will be hosting a Mental Health Awareness event here at JIBC. We will have two guest counselors presenting. We always begin with a Fellowship Meal. This meal is being catered free of charge. To come to the Fellowship Meal, all you have to do is register so we can make sure there is enough food. You do not have to come to the meal to come to the teaching time. The Mental Health Conference will begin at 6:30 PM in the Worship Center. The meeting will end a little before 8 PM. Come on out and join us….and bring a friend. Why? Because No One Fights Alone!

See you Sunday, good Lord willing,

Pastor Tom

WHAT’S NEXT?

I just completed a teaching series I called “Heroes or Villains of the Passion”. We talked about four villains: Judas, Pilate, Herod and Barabbas. Without Christ, there is a villain in each of us…right?

But we also talked about the heroes of the Passion, the people and characters that were around the cross. The first was, of course, our Resurrected Lord Jesus Christ. Then, the unlikely hero, Mary Magdalene who was among the last at the cross and the first at the tomb; the first to see our Resurrected Lord Jesus; and the first to tell the Good News story of Jesus’ resurrection! Then we looked at Thomas, Peter, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus and Mary, the mother of Jesus. I hope this series helped us learn more about the characters around the cross and about our own lives as followers of Jesus.

OK, but what is next? So here is my plan…I hope and pray that it is God’s plan, too! The next teaching series will be entitled: Nobody Fights Alone: Tapping in, not tapping out! The idea is that in God’s Family there is no need to take on life’s battles alone. So, let’s take a look at God’s strategy for fighting and doing battle with the world. You know God already knows the battles we will fight. His Word has the resources we need. Let’s spend the next 6 weeks getting ready for the battle!

HYGIENE KITS
I don’t think I have ever seen more Migrant Hygiene Kits that what you all are brining to JIBC. Our Mission Teams are leading us to participate in providing the kits to be given out at the Migrant Camps in the Low Country. Pastor Claudio and his church family will be actively engaging the Migrants passing through our areas including Johns Island, Edisto and Walterboro. I have often said that our Hispanic Church, Luz y Verdad, may not be the largest Hispanic Church in Charleston, but I do believe they are the most evangelical. They are as committed to sharing the Good News as any group I have ever seen. Thank you for being a part of the mission and ministry.

See you Sunday, good Lord willing,

Pastor Tom

I HOPE YOU WILL JOIN US

This Sunday is Mother’s Day. What a wonderful day to remember and give thanks. My mom has been in her eternal home for a lot of years. I still enjoy thinking about her and remembering all the things she tried to teach me. I do not take it for granted that Janie and I were blessed with moms who worked hard, with our dads, to provide a home and a house for our family. If your mom is still with you, give her some extra love this Sunday. If your mom is not here or you just cannot give your mom some love, find a single mom and share some love with her. I suspect it will be greatly appreciated. A big shout out to all the moms…WE LOVE YOU!

Let’s go crazy with the next idea…come to church with mom this Sunday. Any Sunday is a good Sunday to join us in worship. This Sunday could be an exceptional one. We have a special tribute video from some of our kids to their moms. You gotta be there! The message Sunday will be about Mary, the Mother of Jesus; we will have carnations for all the moms; a special video tribute, and the introduction of a brand new ministry…oops, almost told you too much. Please make every effort to be here with us this Sunday.

Last, but certainly not least, we will have a prospective Associate Pastor and his wife with us Sunday. We have had several video interviews with him and are now ready for them to come and visit James Island Baptist and to see the community. In our language, we are still “dating” so there is really no pressure on anyone for this meeting. We are looking forward to them meeting the staff, seeing the campus and showing them around town. If this meeting goes well, we will set up another meeting that will involve our leadership teams and some fellowship opportunities. So, remember, we are just on a date…we are not “engaged” yet. (lol)

ISRAEL/HOLY LAND INFORMATION MEETING

Janie and I will be hosting an informational meeting about the upcoming trip to the Holy Land. The trip is scheduled for February—March of 2024. We have had about 40 express a real interest in joining us. If you are interested come on and join us either Wednesday, May 17 at 6:30 or Sunday, May 21 at 6:30. Both meetings will be identical. Come on and check it out if you are interested.

Blessings,

Pastor Tom

WHO DOESN’T LOVE AN OPEN HOUSE?

This Sunday, May 7 we will host an open house for the Transition House. For those who are new to James Island Baptist or are not aware, JIBC sponsors a “Transition House” on our church campus. It is the brick house located at 202 Plymouth Avenue.

Years ago we were blessed to be able to purchase this home from the Alton Parker family after the Parkers had both passed away. It was used to house a homeless family, for Senior Adult classes, part of VBS while we were under construction, emergency shelter during hurricanes and maybe a few more great causes. In 2011 we took a giant leap of faith and opened up a Transition House for women, with infants, on step down drugs who completed their time at the Charleston Center Alcohol and Drug Rehab Center. Our dear friend, Marsha Cline came to live with us while she helped to get the ministry up and running. Numerous people have helped in renovations, furnishing, repairing, etc. It was and still is a labor of love. It is a 3 bedroom, 3 bath home. It can house as many as 4 women but we have found the best results when it houses 2 women with their infants/children.

We have been blessed with welcoming 38 women and just about that many infants and children. We are not their last stop…we are their first stop on the road to recovery. For some, we are their first stop with a church family that shares with them the Higher Power named Jesus!

We currently have a Transition House/Opportunity House Team to help lead in this ministry. It is without a doubt one of the hardest ministries I have ever been associated with. I compare it to riding a bull for the full 8 seconds: it is not likely that you will last all 8 seconds, but when you do, there is a beautiful reward. God has been good to allow us to see some beautiful life change in several of these women. Some have become personal friends with many of us here at JIBC.

The house has been re-furnished and wonderfully cleaned. It is ready for you to come on by, drop in to see the resource you offer to those in great need. We have some little gift items for you to pick up when you drop in.

TWO MORE ITEMS FOR PRAYER

First, we are expecting a prospective Associate Pastor to visit JIBC on Mother’s Day, May 14. This is not the more official visits, it is kind of a “let’s get to know each other a little better” kind of visit. If this visit goes well, then we would, sooner, rather than later, have some more official visits. We have had maybe 4 or 5 visit JIBC so far. Having them visit JIBC has proven to be a good method of discerning the Lord’s will and making decisions. Please keep us in your prayers.

Second, by popular demand, we are planning a trip to Israel, the Holy Land on February 23, 2024. We have already had almost 40 express a strong interest in going. We will have an information meeting on Wednesday, May 17 at 6:30; the second will be Sunday, May 21 at 6:30. Both meetings will be the same and will meet in the Fellowship Hall, Room F102.

See you Sunday, Pastor Tom

Celebrate Recovery

“He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: ‘The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.’ Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, ‘Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.’” Luke 4:16-21 (NIV)

Someone not associated with James Island Baptist asked if Celebrate Recovery was really the kind of ministry we wanted to have at James Island Baptist. This was followed by a second question: “Is that really the kind of people you want your church family and guests to see?”

I have several thoughts on that line of questioning…as you might imagine. First, read or re-read the above Scripture. This is what many call Jesus’ inaugural sermon. Here is his target, his goal, his vision, his values, his heart: prisoners, the blind, the oppressed, the poor…he could have continued a long time with his list. He came for the sick and the unrighteous. He hung out with sinners, prostitutes, thieving tax collectors. He freed the demon possessed. Yes, these are the type of people Jesus loves and wants to reach, redeem and restore.

My second thought: “I am one of ‘those’ people”. A church called Dorchester Waylyn Baptist took a chance on reaching out to a delinquent teenager. I was a prisoner to my sin; blind to the goodness and grace of God; oppressed by my own bad choices; spiritually poor and broken. I am so glad Bob Morris had room in his heart and theology to want one of “those people” to come to a camp with the other teenagers. At that camp, my life was changed, my sins were forgiven, I had a group to help me make it.

We had around 45 in Celebrate Recovery this last Sunday Night. My guess, there was a Tom hiding somewhere in that group. Thank you for being the kind of church that welcomes “those kind of people” and for recognizing we are all “those kind of people”. (Romans 3:23)

See you Sunday, good Lord willing,

Pastor Tom

 

THREE IS A GOOD NUMBER

For today’s article, I have three items that I would like to share. Maybe one or more of them will be of interest to you. Let’s give it a shot.

First, we would like to host an open house for the James Island Baptist Transition House. The furnishings have been upgraded and the house is in as good of shape as ever. For those who are new to the JIBC family, we operate a Transition House/Opportunity House for women who are coming out of the Charleston Center Drug and Alcohol Treatment Center. We offer housing and support to mothers with infants who are on “step down drugs”. When we first opened the Transition house, we were the only place in town offering this service. We have had 38 women and just about 38 children go through this ministry. The Charleston Center has not been able to send us anyone since the Covid crisis. So, while we have an empty house, I thought it might be good to have an open house. Sunday, May 7 we will have the house open after the 9 AM worship service and after the 11 AM Worship Service. No reservation needed. Just drop by and see the resource you have given to our Father in Heaven.

Second, we need miracle working organizers to help with a project. JIBC has a “flower/decorating” storage closet. It has vases, candles, table cloths, artificial flowers, globes, giraffes (just seeing if you are still reading, lol). Every year or two, this closet needs a serious makeover. Sounds easy doesn’t it? It is a challenge like any home organization project. Interested? Please call our Office Manager, Neale Young. She will make sure your tetanus shots are up to date! Lol This could be a great project for an individual, a ministry team or a Connection Group.

Third, but so very important. I am asking the Safety Team and the Greeter team meet with me on Wednesday, May 3rd. That gives anyone interested two weeks to plan on attending the meeting. By the way, we will feed you at our Wednesday night fellowship. These are two teams that have not met for a while and have some loose ends that need to be tied up. The free meal will be served starting at 5:30-6:15. Our meeting will be held in the room right off the Fellowship hall in Room F102. If you have any interest or talent related to these two ministries, please make an effort to be present. The Safety Team does just that...they add to the safety of our church families particularly on Sunday mornings. There are currently around 10 people on the Safety Team. Some on out and join us. Did I mention there was free food?

The Greeter Team is another team we really enjoy having as a part of our Worship experiences. Some of you would be absolutely perfect for this Team. No obligation, just come and hear what they are doing and what they need to continue to do a great job!

Love you all.

Pastor Tom

Passion Week

This year’s Passion Week Celebration was one of the best I can remember. While Janie and I were on vacation, we had the opportunity to have an evening meal with a prospective staff member. As we were leaving them he replied “It looks like you all (JIBC) will have a busy week this week.” I thought about my schedule and said “How so?” He had been looking at our Church App and saw the calendar of events for Passion Week. “Oh yes, some of our members and staff will be very busy.” We celebrated Palm Sunday, then we had the Resurrection Party for Children (they were able to “observe” the Passover Seder; then the Good Friday Service; the Saturday Community Easter Egg Hunt; and then Resurrection Sunday Celebration; concluding with Celebrate Recovery Sunday night. Wow, I think he was right, this was a very busy week. A big thanks to all the staff and their teams that made all that happen. Well done, good and faithful servants. It was really a wonderful week. He is risen, He is risen indeed.

By the way, it was a lot of fun having 400 people in worship Sunday. Anyone who was visiting surely went away feeling like they had been in the presence of our Lord. The praise team and our tech team did an outstanding job. Wow and wow again! Well done.

The Search Continues…I mentioned that Janie and I had the opportunity to meet a prospective staff member and his wife. Neale and I have had multiple conversations with people that we think are excellent prospects. We have had several come to visit us here at JIBC and we have a few more coming in the near future. We are feeling very encouraged by the quality of the people we are meeting and interviewing. We do not have anyone that we think is “the one”. We do, however, have several that we think our church family would love.

The process is very slow and deliberate. We are in what I call the dating stage. It may be a few more months before we get to the “engagement” where we bring someone in to meet the staff and leadership in a more formal way. There is an old saying that fits here: “Better to want it and not have it, than to have it and not want it.” Know what I mean? It is better to be slow and deliberate. The staff has given me good counsel to go slow and take our time. As the Word says “He makes all things beautiful in His time”. We feel sure he will do just that.

See you this Sunday, good Lord willing.

Pastor Tom

HE IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED!

I am so looking forward to this year’s Good Friday service and Resurrection Sunday. Good Friday service will be from 6 PM to 7 PM. It will consist of praise and worship songs that focus on the great love of our Heavenly father and our Lord Jesus Christ. There is an old saying “there can never be a feast without a sacrifice”. We have certainly feasted on the riches and glories of our Lord and Savior. Good Friday is an opportunity to focus on the sacrifice that made the feast possible. We will begin the service with the Lord’s Supper and then read the stories about the villains of the passion, concluding our 5 week teachings “Heroes and Villains of the Passion”. I hope you will be able to join us.

Then, “Up from the grave he arose with a mighty triumph over his foes! “ Can you guess which Hero of the Passion we will focus on this Resurrection Sunday? You got it! We will celebrate the Hero of all Eternity, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Remember, this is a great service to invite a friend, a family member, a co-worker or neighbor. It will be a celebration of God’s great love for us all. I have shared with you before about my own family blessing. The only time I ever remember my family worshipping together was on a Good Friday service here at James Island Baptist Church. I was so happy I asked and even more happy they said yes! You know anyone you invite will here great music celebrating God’s goodness and a message that clearly presents the Gospel of Jesus Christ.


FLOWERING THE CROSS
I know our azaleas bloomed crazy early this year. If you have any flowers left in your yard, or in a nice neighbor’s yard, would you bring a few of them for the flowering of the cross? We have a special old rugged cross that will be transformed into a beautiful reminder of what our Father has done for us! Just bring your flowers to the Worship Center before the 9:00 service and the 11:00 service. Our volunteers will help place them on the cross.

He is risen! He is risen indeed!

See you Sunday, good Lord willing,

Pastor Tom

HOLY LAND TRIP IS A TRIP OF A LIFETIME

I have been asked a dozen times when we were going to plan another trip to the Holy Land. Well, here it is and we are getting excited. We are planning to go Friday, February 23, 2024 to Sunday, March 3, 2024. You have almost 11 months to get ready and save your money.

We fly out of Charleston to Atlanta and then on to Tel Aviv. After a night of rest, the joy and wonder begins. I can tell you about all the places we will go…but it will take more than this article. In a week or two, I will have up a web page for anyone to visit and take a look. If you are interested, I can send you the itinerary of the 10 days. The cost of the trip will be around $4,700. That includes the RT to and from Charleston to Atlanta and then to Tel Aviv. That includes all hotels, breakfast and evening meals, all tips, taxes, entrance into the sites, all bus transportation. The only thing it does not include is your lunches and your souvenirs. Everyone, if you can, will want to buy an Olive Wood Nativity Set from Bethlehem. They will send it home for you!

When you finish this trip you will have gone to most of the places mentioned in the Gospels. You will read the stories of Jesus in Galilee and think “I have been there!” We will have communion in the Garden close to the tomb and Golgotha. Oh yes, it is really a trip of a life time. You don’t just go and see…you experience. You literally can walk where Jesus walked.

If you want to go or want more information, please let me know. Staci Lindsey is also a great contact person. So far, we have 16 of our JIBC family wanting to go…and what a great group it is!

I have been to Israel 3 times. Janie went with me the last time we went when we just went with our church. It was such a wonderful time of fellowship, discipleship, Bible Study, and worship. We will gladly serve as your host so you can enjoy the trip. We would be honored if you would like to go with us. Just let us know.

Blessings,

Pastor Tom