PASSION WEEK

Passion Week is the time between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday.  This year, that would be April 1 (Palm Sunday) through April 8 (Easter Sunday).  It is so named because of the passion that Jesus had to go through.  His obedience to the father and His love for us was so passionate, He paid the ultimate price of suffering and death.  I am inviting you to spend time reading in the Gospel of Mark in preparation for Passion Week as well as the following weeks in April.  You will find the Passion Week stories in Mark chapters 11-16.  During the month of April, all the messages will come from these chapters.

The Passion Week also includes Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday.  At JIBC, we choose to remember the passion of Christ with a contemplative service on Good Friday.  One of my pastor friends, Curt Bradford of Riverbluff Church, has a Maundy Thursday service.  Both are planned to lead us to remember the passion of Christ, the price He paid for our sins, and the Fathers great love for us. “Maunday”, by the way, comes from an old Latin word meaning “mandate”…as in “a new command I give to you that you love one another as I have loved you” (John 13:34).  A traditional Maundy Thursday service includes a foot washing ceremony remembering what Christ did for us.

For our Passion Week, we choose to observe Good Friday, the Friday immediately before Easter Sunday.  It is not named Good Friday because what happened to Jesus is good.  The arrest, beatings, and crucifixion was brutal.  There was nothing good about it.  It is referred to as Good Friday because of what happened through Jesus for all of us.  Romans 5:8 says “God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners Christ died for us.”   1 Peter 3:18 says “For Christ died for sins, once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.”   So with a contemplative service, we will remember, observe the Lord’s Supper, give thanks, and pray.

I hope to see you during this time of the year when we celebrate His love.  Remember, you have family and friends you have been praying for and loving.  If there is one or two times a year they will attend church, Easter is one of them.  Invite them to join you for this years Easter Celebration.  They will hear the Good News of God’s great love.

See you Sunday, good Lord willing,

Pastor Tom

Where we are at in 40 Days in the Word

HARD TO BELIEVE

Here is a blast from the past.  Do you remember the old Carol Burnett Show?  She closed her show each week with a song that said “seems we just got started and before you know it, came the time we have to say so long.”  The 40 Days in the Word spiritual growth campaign has almost come and gone.  Seems like just yesterday we were praying about starting it, seeking God’s blessings on the number of Connection Groups, trusting God to provide all we needed.  Now, we have just one week left, and it seems we just got started.

The first Sunday of April will be a day of celebration for the 40 Days in the Word.  We will have an opportunity to hear from those involved, about the Micah 6:8 projects, the struggles to memorize scriptures, new friends made, etc.

SMALL GROUP/CONNECTIONS MEETING WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28

Here is a big old invitation to everyone and anyone who would like to attend.  We are asking for all the group leaders, host and facilitators to join us on Wednesday night, March 28 at 7 p.m. in the Worship Center.  We want to hear about your group experience, get you to help us plan the April 1st  Palm Sunday Celebration, and ask about continuing in a Connection Group.   We will even provide a great dinner for you and your family at a nominal fee!   We would really appreciate your presence and input at this meeting.  There is so much to celebrate and the future potential is great.

IMPACT POTENTIAL

Again, imagine with me the potential impact of having a church family learn how to study the Word of God, practice for 6 weeks different devotional methods of reading the Word, involved in an outreach project of doing the Word, memorizing 6 Bible verses about the Word of God, training up leaders for ongoing Connection groups, hearing 6 messages about the Word of God, and enjoying 6 weeks of fellowship with the people of God.  Where is the down side?  I know we had a lot of people who could not or did not get involved.  It may be too late to get involved in the 40 Days in the Word spiritual growth campaign, but it is not too late to jump in on the ongoing benefits.  Be looking for more information concerning the new Connection Groups that will be started.  Jump on in.  The blessings are waiting.

See you Sunday, good Lord willing!

Pastor Tom

North American Missions: “Whatever It Takes”

I like the theme of this year’s North American Missions emphasis.  The North American Mission Board is the way Southern Baptist unite and cooperate together to reach one of the world’s largest mission fields…the United States of America.  That is where the name  The North American Mission Board comes from.  We also have the International Mission Board charged with leading Southern Baptist to reach the world.

Southern Baptist Churches voluntarily work together in prayer, work, and giving to work with God to reach America.  Starting on April 1, no fooling, we will begin a month long emphasis on mission work in North America.  It will begin with a prayer guide you will find in your worship bulletin on that Sunday.  After that, you will find prayer bulletins on the information tables in the back of the worship center.  It really doesn’t matter what month, week, or day you begin praying for these selected missionaries.  Anytime is a great time to begin praying.  Many Southern Baptist Churches will actually begin their North American Missions emphasis in March.  We will have a special love offering to go toward the mission efforts of starting new churches in areas that do not have evangelical churches.  This offering also helps resource 3,500 chaplains, many of them serving in the military.  It also helps resource and co-ordinate the 82,000 Southern Baptist volunteers who respond every time there is a disaster in the United States.  We are privileged to have some of our very own JIBC family that are blessed by this offering as they seek to serve Him.

I encourage you to think about an offering that you might give to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering.  By the way, Annie Armstrong was a passionate missionary who founded the Women’s Missionary Union.  The offering was named after her because of her example, her dedication, and effectiveness in mission work.  It was a good choice of names; she is a Southern Baptist hero who served courageously.

40 Days In The Word

The 40 DITW will serve as a nice introduction to the North American-Home Missions emphasis.  I am very excited and pleased with the wonderful results of the Connection-Small Groups.  The emphasis on the Word of God will without a doubt come with blessing.  I am also thrilled to hear of the many and varied Micah 6:8 projects getting our groups into the community.  You will hear more about them in days to come.  My Tuesday night group is going to minister to the veterans at the West Ashley nursing home.  To God be the glory. 

See you Sunday, Good Lord willing,

Pastor Tom

WHAT’S NOT TO LOVE?

WHAT’S NOT TO LOVE?

Really, why would any pastor not be in love with what the Holy Spirit of God is doing through 40 Days In The Word?  Since last week, over 1,500 churches have joined in participating in 40ditw bringing the total to 6,000 church families.  Let’s just say that all, if not most, of the churches are doing as well or better than James Island Baptist.

Here, we have doubled the amount of adults we have studying the Word of God; we are training each of them on how to understand and apply the Word of God in their lives; we are leading them to memorize 6 key verses from God’s Word (OK, truthfully, this may be the hardest part); we have 19 small groups meeting plus the Sunday Adult Bible Study Classes participating; and will have most of them involved in a Micah 6:8 project reaching out in a way that acts justly, loves mercy and walks humbly.  Our goal is to help you love the Word of God like never before, to learn the Word of God like never before, and to live the Word of God like never before.  Is there anyone who can not completely get on board with that?  Again, what is not to love about that?

INTERESTING EMAIL GOING AROUND

I received this last week and thought you might enjoy it.  “Ever wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phones?  What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?  What if we flipped through it several times a day?  What if we treated it as though we could not live without it?  What if we gave it to our kids as gifts?  What if we used it even when we travel?  What if we used it in case of emergencies?  The Bible, in the short run and the long run of eternity, can make a transforming difference in our lives.  It is better than 4G…it crosses time and eternity to make sure we have a clear message of a Good and Beautiful God.

Oh yeah, work on memorizing the Bible verse.  You never know when it might be the text message you need in your emergency!

See you Sunday, grateful and excited,

Pastor Tom

Mission Work with a fun little twist?

Most of the time we think of mission work as over there.  If you ride a motorcycle, here is a cool way to make a difference, maybe make some friends, and help tackle one of the biggest global problem…clean, safe drinking water.  The world-wide water crisis claims more lives than war, natural disasters, AIDS, or even hunger.  If you ride a motorcycle, you can help make a difference and have some fun.

On March 17, Low Country Harley-Davidson is hosting a benefit ride to help Water Mission International.  Join Pastor Tom and Janie for a fun day for a good cause. Find out more on line at bikers4water.  Janie and I rode in this event last year.  It was a lot of fun.  Timmy Glover who served as our interim worship leader was the official spokesman for the police escorted ride.  It is a lot of fun to hear 300+ bikes rev it up for a good cause.  We will post the info on the main bulletin board, but the best way to get the info is to go on line.  You can pre-register and get a free event t-shirt.

More missional living.

One of the wonderful benefits of 40 Days In The Word is the involvement of each group in a Micah 6:8 Project.  It is designed to help us actually “do” the Word.  Imagine this for a moment: there are 4, 500 churches involved in the 40DITW spiritual growth campaign.  JIBC is kind of a small to medium size church.  In Charleston, Cathedral of Praise is participating, and they are a very large church.  Let’s just say each of these church families have 25 small groups, and each of them has a Micah 6:8 project showing love, justice, and mercy in the community.  That would be 1,125,000 potential mission projects into the community.  I suspect there is far more, but that is if most of the participating churches were our size and not the mega church size.  I am obviously pretty excited about this.  What else has doubled the amount of people in Bible Study, led the church to memorize scripture together, build intimacy among the membership as we carry out the “one another’s,” teaching them to do daily Bible devotions, and time alone with God.  Hallelujah, what a Savior.

See you Sunday, good Lord willing.

Pastor Tom

Lot's Going On...

LET THERE BE LIGHT!

I know it may not seem like an earth shaking event, but I am very excited about the track lighting installed just outside the church offices.  It now provides a more professional way to display a variety of art work.  If you did not see it Sunday, come on by and take a look.  Our thanks to Charles Oliver for having the lighting installed and loaning us some of his art work for display.  I look forward to the variety of ways we can use art as worship as well as enjoyment.  By the way, Charles loaned us art work that goes along with the Southeast Wildlife Exposition in town.

HERE IT COMES AGAIN: Annual Joy Club Mystery Trip

Once a year, the staff is responsible for planning a mystery trip for our Joy Club.  It is a Senior Adult ministry, but they are very generous about letting anyone attend.  Last year’s mystery trip will be hard to top, but I think we have a pretty good chance.  Just ask those who went last year.  They would not have wanted to miss it.  I really believe they will be saying the same thing about this Tuesday’s trip.  Meet at the church at 9:00 a.m..  The bus will leave at 9:15 sharp.  Don’t be late.  You will not want to miss this one.  Bring $10 for lunch.  If you don’t have $10, come on anyway, and Pastor Brent will buy your lunch for you…hehehe.

www.40ditw.com

Check it out, you will enjoy the 40 video devotionals by some of the leading pastor from around America and even Internationally.  I am so pleased with how the 40 Days In the Word is going.  We have over doubled the amount of adults in weekly Bible Study.  If that is all we did, it would already be a great success.  That means we have double the amount of Adults learning how to have a daily Bible Study, memorize, and meditate on God’s Word and how to apply God’s Word to their lives.  Now in addition to that, we have gone from 2 off campus connection groups to 19.  Our prayer is that many of the folks in these groups will so enjoy their time that they will want to continue in a small group as a way of living out their discipleship.  We give God the glory and thank Him for His faithfulness.

Pastor Tom

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Isn’t there something in each of us that wants to make a difference, to leave this world a little better off than we found it, to live in such a way that we help others find the Kingdom of God we so enjoy?  I really think there is.  We want our lives to count for something.  I believe it is built in us to leave a legacy, to pass on to the next generation values and faith that can change our hearts.

One pastor described it this way: “Community is when we use our lives to make a difference in the life of someone who is already here.  Mission is when we use our lives to make a difference in the life of someone who is not yet here”.  Read that again.  It is very powerful. It is worthy of some thought and meditation.

Community is what you and I as members of a church family enjoy.  It is where we live out the over 40 “one another’s” talked about in the Bible.  We love one another, encourage one another, admonish and pray for one another.  That is community.  Your community is the group that knows when you are gone, when you are celebrating, when you are hurting, when you have needs.  Your community is the group you ask to pray for you, help you with the kids, give you a ride or visit your family member in the hospital.  Usually that is your church family, your Sunday Bible Study group or your small group.  Your community is the group of people you try to influence, love and make a difference in their lives as you do life together.

There is also mission…when we use our lives to make a difference in the life of someone who is not yet here, not yet in a small group, not in anyone’s Sunday Bible Study class.  Mission is when you love, serve, pray, and care for someone who is not yet here…not yet connected to God’s family.  We are not responsible for making them “get born again.”  That is God’s work.  We are responsible for using our lives to make a difference.  Good news about that…I believe we are created with that in our DNA…we are created in the image of God.  It gets marred and messed up along the way and results in self-centered thinking and living, then we meet Him and are born again.  The DNA of His purpose starts to grow and flow.  You start believing that you can make a difference and that you were put here and are still here for a purpose.

Since September 15, 1985 my goal has been the same:  “To lead JIBC to make a difference in our families, our church, our community, and the world.”  That is community and mission.  It is still the vision, still the mission, still the value, still the goal.  I love Him more today than ever and am just as excited, by His grace and power, to make a difference.

Pastor Tom