This coming Sunday, November 23, is the Sunday before Thanksgiving. There are a couple of reasons why that should matter. Three events will happen on that Sunday.
First, we will be celebrating The Lord’s Supper. “He took the bread and He gave thanks”. What a great season to receive the Body and the Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us take the bread and give thanks: thanks for Jesus, for our salvation, the presence of His Spirit, the love of our church family, and for “Friends-Giving”. We hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving on Thursday the 27th. We also hope you have a wonderful worship experience on The Lord’s Day, November 23.
Second, we will present our 2026 Mission and Ministry Budget. Our Budget represents the vision of the Ministry Team leaders. It reflects what they believe God is leading them to do as they work with Him to reach, redeem and restore a lost and broken world. Our process is to present the 2026 Mission and Ministry Budget. Then anyone can ask questions to any of our Budget Team members (names listed on the budget brochure). Then we will vote to approve the Budget on Sunday, December 28.
Third, it will be another Sunday for anyone who would like to donate a Christmas Gift, new or slightly used, for over 300 children in East Tennessee/Western North Carolina. One very creative family donated boxes of their puzzles. They we used only once, repackaged and look brand new! I love that idea. We probably have close to 200 gifts as of Monday, November 17!
ADVENT 2026 starts Sunday, November 30. This year we chose the theme : ALL HAIL KING JESUS. We will focus on what the Bible says about Jesus’ role as King…the One born King of the Jews! Advent will be designed to keep our worship and thoughts focused on the reason for the season. It also helps to encourage us to be generous givers as we support Children’s Christmas in East Tennessee and Western North Carolina; donate Jelly and Pancake Syrup for our neighbors and friends through James Island Outreach; and as we make a financial gift to International Missions. By the way, how would you like to provide firewood for the Gypsy Church for the entire winter and help put a need roof on to our church partner in Campulung, Romania? Why yes please, I think we can! We can accomplish both of those projects for $2,500. Let’s make it happen.
May He bless you with a great Thanksgiving and a holy and wonderful Advent Season!
Pastor Tom
Thursday, November 20, 2025
Friday, November 14, 2025
A Timely Prayer Request
A few Sundays ago, we had a timely prayer request turned in during the time of our offering. That is usually the time in the Sunday Worship Service when everyone is invited to “turn in” their prayer request. Back to the timely request. I loved the way this person turned in a prayer request concerning the need for a Bible Study for young single adults. The age group in college and into their early thirties. We currently do not have a Bible Study for that age group/demographic. They are just welcomed into the next available age group. I am asking, along with the person who put in the prayer request, that you would join us in prayer. In Matthew 9:37-38 Jesus invited us to “pray to the Lord of the Harvest that He will send out laborers into His Harvest. The Harvest is truly plentiful but the Laborers are few.” This is a wonderfully precious time of life. Let’s see if the Good Lord will send us laborers!
Christmas in Eastern Tennessee
We are working with our volunteer missionaries (See what I did there? Volunteer, The Tennessee Volunteers) Charles and Judy Dillon. They are working with the Hunger First Tri-County Mission seeking to provide Christmas to 300 Children. That sounds like a challenge that JIBC would take on. JIBC does something a little different during Advent. We incorporate Missions into the celebration of Christ’s coming. We will receive an offering for International Missions which always includes The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, Jelly and pancake syrup for James Island Outreach and this year, 300 gifts for Eastern Tennessee Children affected by the extreme rainfall, terrible floods, landslides. If you would like to help and are able, they will receive any toys, even gently used ones, for ages birth to 14 and for Senior Adults. (We are sending 100 copies of The Good News According to John, the readable Bible Women’s Missionary Union Gift Edition.) Each of the 300 children will also receive a Christmas Stocking filled with candy courtesy of left over JIBC Fall Festival candy! Double blessing! If you do purchase or donate a gift, please bring it to the Worship Center or place it right outside the office.
Thank you for your prayers, your generous giving and your service to His Kingdom. God is good all the time and all the time….You got it!
Pastor Tom
Christmas in Eastern Tennessee
We are working with our volunteer missionaries (See what I did there? Volunteer, The Tennessee Volunteers) Charles and Judy Dillon. They are working with the Hunger First Tri-County Mission seeking to provide Christmas to 300 Children. That sounds like a challenge that JIBC would take on. JIBC does something a little different during Advent. We incorporate Missions into the celebration of Christ’s coming. We will receive an offering for International Missions which always includes The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, Jelly and pancake syrup for James Island Outreach and this year, 300 gifts for Eastern Tennessee Children affected by the extreme rainfall, terrible floods, landslides. If you would like to help and are able, they will receive any toys, even gently used ones, for ages birth to 14 and for Senior Adults. (We are sending 100 copies of The Good News According to John, the readable Bible Women’s Missionary Union Gift Edition.) Each of the 300 children will also receive a Christmas Stocking filled with candy courtesy of left over JIBC Fall Festival candy! Double blessing! If you do purchase or donate a gift, please bring it to the Worship Center or place it right outside the office.
Thank you for your prayers, your generous giving and your service to His Kingdom. God is good all the time and all the time….You got it!
Pastor Tom
Friday, November 7, 2025
Advent Christmas Giving
One of my favorite parts about Thanksgiving and Christmas is getting ready for the Advent Season. The word advent means coming. Christmas is the celebration of the coming, the advent, of God’s Son into the world. It is so easy for me to be distracted by political news, family events and secular messaging. To help me stay focused I have some spiritual practices that I try to incorporate into my holidays. Starting December 1, I will re-read the Christmas stores and all related passages. There are times when I use an Advent Devotional. It usually includes a scripture reference, a short thought and a prayer for the season.
As a church family, one thing we do involves remembering why we give gifts. Following the example of the Wisemen/Magi/the Three Kings, we bring our gifts to celebrate our Lord’s birth. We still give family gifts and have wonderful days of family gathering with gift exchanges. Christmas is not the only time we give gifts but it is one time when we are most likely to share love and gifts!
Here is one tradition I love as much as any. Our church family for years has incorporated mission giving and mission support into the Advent Season. The gifts can vary from year to year. The intent is always the same: love someone in Jesus’ name and bless them however you can. This year, we are doing three gifts for Advent. The first one is by far the biggest challenge. We have been asked to provide Christmas for 300 children in Western North Carolina. These can be gently used toys or new toys. They can be for ages starting at birth and going through age 14. There can also be gifts for Senior Adults. Please join us in trying to provide 300+ toys for these children. I think we will have twice that number. By the way, you do not have to wrap them. They will have a special way to deliver the gifts to the families. No wrapping required. We will have at lease three Christmas trees around the church campus: the worship center, the atrium and the fellowship hall. You can drop them off any time. We will be taking the gifts to Greenville, Tennessee, the collection place. They will get them to their Ministry-Mission warehouse from there. So, the last date to receive toys at JIBC is Monday, December 8.
The other two Advent mission projects include our Jelly and pancake syrup for James Island Outreach. How sweet it is! Keep an eye out for the BOGO deals. Let us know where you find great deals and we will spread the word.
The last of the mission projects includes an offering for International Missions. This fund will be directed to mission efforts around the world. Among them will be the Lottie Moon Christmas offering.
Well, it is early, but the days are flying fast. Make plans now for how you will celebrate Advent.
Blessings,
Pastor Tom
As a church family, one thing we do involves remembering why we give gifts. Following the example of the Wisemen/Magi/the Three Kings, we bring our gifts to celebrate our Lord’s birth. We still give family gifts and have wonderful days of family gathering with gift exchanges. Christmas is not the only time we give gifts but it is one time when we are most likely to share love and gifts!
Here is one tradition I love as much as any. Our church family for years has incorporated mission giving and mission support into the Advent Season. The gifts can vary from year to year. The intent is always the same: love someone in Jesus’ name and bless them however you can. This year, we are doing three gifts for Advent. The first one is by far the biggest challenge. We have been asked to provide Christmas for 300 children in Western North Carolina. These can be gently used toys or new toys. They can be for ages starting at birth and going through age 14. There can also be gifts for Senior Adults. Please join us in trying to provide 300+ toys for these children. I think we will have twice that number. By the way, you do not have to wrap them. They will have a special way to deliver the gifts to the families. No wrapping required. We will have at lease three Christmas trees around the church campus: the worship center, the atrium and the fellowship hall. You can drop them off any time. We will be taking the gifts to Greenville, Tennessee, the collection place. They will get them to their Ministry-Mission warehouse from there. So, the last date to receive toys at JIBC is Monday, December 8.
The other two Advent mission projects include our Jelly and pancake syrup for James Island Outreach. How sweet it is! Keep an eye out for the BOGO deals. Let us know where you find great deals and we will spread the word.
The last of the mission projects includes an offering for International Missions. This fund will be directed to mission efforts around the world. Among them will be the Lottie Moon Christmas offering.
Well, it is early, but the days are flying fast. Make plans now for how you will celebrate Advent.
Blessings,
Pastor Tom
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