As Janie and I were returning from our vacation, we listened to the JIBC Livestream. By the way, the quality of our livestream is great. A big ol’ thank you to the teams that make that happen each week, twice a week and on special occasions! Janie and I loved singing along with our church family. What I really loved was Pastor Logan’s report of 20 Youth going to camp and 4 of that 20 made professions of faith in first steps of becoming disciples of Jesus! Hallelujah and Amen. We had 2 children that made professions of faith during Vacation Bible School. You know my old saying: “Let’s reach them before we have to rescue them!” Our profession of faith is a first step, not the only and certainly not the final step. Now they continue the journey of becoming fully devoted followers of Christ.
Then at Monday morning Staff meeting we celebrated that we have two JIBC teams going on International Mission trips. One led by Cheryl Parrsh going to work with one of our partner churches in Campulung, Romania. The second team, led by Mark Livengood, is going to Slovakia. It is possible that we will have 5 members of JIBC serving Jesus half way around the world! God is good all the time.
The Children’s Ministry is going wide open with love and enthusiasm. We had a great Vacation Bible School with over 90 children each night. Today as I type this we are waiting to send our children to a week of Children’s Camp hosted at Charleston Southern University. Joanne and her team will, no doubt, by God’s grace, see spiritual fruit and the kind of fruit that remains. Then one week after they return, JIBC and two out of town sister churches will sponsor a Riverland Terrace Sports Camp. Last year at this event, we had 50 children attending who were not connected in any way to JIBC. They got to hear the Gospel and have a blast while playing sports. Way to go team.
Want to see all this come together beautifully? Join us on Wednesday, August 7 at the Folly Beach County Park for our Baptism Celebration! We have about 5 confirmed for baptism and about as many still considering. Make sure you put that on your calendar. Let’s have a BIG OL’ JIBC gathering that evening. Baptism happens somewhere around 6:30ish.
See you this Sunday, good Lord willing,
Pastor Tom
P.S., I know you will join me in saying “thank you” to Kat Cumberledge for her heart and leadership in our children’s ministry. Kat has been a part time staff member of our team. She feels the Lord leading her to focus more on her faith and her family as well as her career as a gifted painter. While she will not be on staff, she will continue to serve in our children’s ministry and in the Mom’s Bible Study Group. I am so happy Kat will be around to serve. She has been a wonderful addition to our staff team. Kat, thank you is not enough. But thank you for your beautifully gifted servants’ heart.
