BLESSED, REALLY BLESSED

Wouldn’t you agree that we have been blessed?  Think about this:  two weeks ago, we had a parent child dedication for Todd and Libby Tosti, and their daughter Sophia.  They dedicated their family and their new twins, Sara Catherine and Sabrina Joy, to the Lord.  We are planning for baptism again this Sunday during the 11:00 worship service.  A generous donation gave the church a much needed and greatly improved projector for the sanctuary.  Now on the brightest of days, we can still see the screen clearly.  Again, a generous donation came for the flooring in the fellowship hall, and volunteers have put in new ceiling tiles.  Most of the new connection groups started during the 40 Days in the Word spiritual growth campaign are continuing to meet.  We are blessed, really blessed.

Our Youth and Children’s Ministries are planning for a big summer full of great events.  It is a wonderful time to be a part of the youth ministry at JIBC.  They are planning two camps, both focused around joining God to reach the city.  Pray for them as they get geared up.  We are already making plans for this years Vacation Bible School and Children’s Camp at Bonnie Doone.  Making memories…of course.  Making disciples, our goal.

It may not be too late.  By the time you read this, you might just have time to call and see if there are tickets left to this years Spring Banquet, All That Jazz.  It is always a wonderful event.  It is a great example of serving the Body of Christ, enjoying good clean fun, and fellowship.  The crew that puts this together is fantastic.  We give them our thanks in advance for the great time we will all have.  Call, it might not be too late, and you will enjoy the evening.

See you this Sunday, good Lord willing.

Pastor Tom

PLEASE EXCUSE OUR DUST

Over the next few weeks, we will begin a renovation project for the Fellowship Hall.  We had a very generous donation to have new “tile” put down in the Fellowship Hall.  If you have ever done any kind of renovation project at home, you know the process.  It is a little bit like pulling a string on a sweater.  Once you start…

So, here is our plea for temporary mercy and grace.  With the exception of the Annual Spring Banquet, everything that goes on in the Fellowship Hall for the next few weeks is very likely to be postponed, moved to another location or cancelled.  Please don’t feel like you are being targeted…everyone will need to make a few minor adjustments.    Let’s prepare for the worst case scenario and then be pleasantly surprised.  It is possible, but not likely, that your group or event will not be affected.

Here is a rough guess of the schedule.  Monday, April 23 the existing ceiling tiles will be taken down.  Then Monday evening through Wednesday, April 25 the majority of the new ceiling tiles will go up. I know this is very optimistic, but by the time you read this, the ceiling tiles should be all but done.

The next projects include taking up the old floor shoe molding and stripping the floors of wax.  We will not have to take the existing floor tiles up for the process we are using.  Woohoo, or as I like to say, Hallewoohoo!  If all goes well, the new floor “tile” will be put down the week after the Annual banquet, the week of May 7-12.  This is probably the week with the most disruption.  Don’t panic.  Repeat after me…don’t panic.  We know it will have a few challenges.  I think we are ready for them and are blessed to have very good alternatives for you.

Then, there is the painting.  We are not exactly sure when that process will begin.  That could be the most straight forward part of all.  Calling all painters, attention, calling all painters.  Gotta love it…really, you just gotta love the generosity of God’s people.

See you Sunday, good Lord willing.

Tom

TWO EVENTS YOU WANT TO ATTEND

Every now and again opportunity comes to do good, have fun, and be a blessing…all rolled up in one.  Now, you have two opportunities.  Put these on your calendar today, get your Connection Group to do these together.  It will be fun and make a difference.  Here we go…

First, THIS SATURDAY, from 3-6, JIBC will be a part of “A Taste of James Island.”  So far, 8 churches are putting forth some of their best cooks, cooking their signature dishes, for us to enjoy. It is a free event, no admission price.  A “love offering” will be taken, and all proceeds will go to the James Island Outreach.  For those who are new, the James Island Outreach is a community-wide ministry helping to feed the hungry.  It is housed at Bethany United Methodist Church.  Many of our JIBC members volunteer and serve on the board.  There will be live music, featuring two of our bands:  the Sojourn Youth Band and the JIBC Praise Team.

Let’s run through this again:  the best food, great fellowship among church families, super music, feeding the hungry, lowering taxes…ok, not the taxes part, but everything else is the real deal.  Be there or have an excuse from your doctor.

Second, ALL THAT JAZZ, our annual Spring Banquet will be Saturday, May 5.  Listen, the free give-aways that Marie Smith hooks us up with is worth the $8 admission price.  For $8 you get a great meal, side splitting laughter (much of it intentional), clean, family oriented fun.  You have an unchurched friend or family member?  This is the time to bring them…assuming they like to have fun.   It lets them see a side of believers they did not know existed…joyful, fun loving, and still sober at the end of the night!

Really, these are two events that are worth while.  They build fellowship, help others, lower your  taxes…ok, I am a little hung up on wanting taxes lowered.  It will not lower your taxes, but you will feel so good, it might just lower your blood pressure.

See you Saturday, good Lord willing.

Pastor Tom

James Island Outreach

Since hurricane Hugo, James Island Outreach has been faithfully seeking to meet the needs of people on James Island.  We have been a part of this community wide, interdenominational outreach effort.  Bethany United Methodist Church has graciously allowed JIO (James Island Outreach) to use their facilities as the base of the operation.  For years JIO just plodded along providing almost a minimum of service based on a minimum of donations.  For that, we give thanks to our Father and to His faithful followers.

In recent years, new vision and new leadership has lifted JIO to a whole new level.  It is meeting more needs, providing more services and opened more hours.  As you might suspect, that has opened up the need for more finances and resources.  Many individuals, church families, community businesses, local schools and civic organizations are faithfully giving and serving.  In these tough economic times, the needs are as great as ever, maybe even more so.  Our church family has accepted the challenge of providing jelly to the outreach.  Every week some of you bring jars and bags of jelly. By the way, Wal-Mart seems to have the best price on jelly!  We also have volunteers who regularly serve at JIO.

Now, there is coming a way you can make a difference and have a great time doing it.  On Saturday, April 21, there will be a “Taste of James Island” held at James Island Christian Church located just off of Folly Road behind Arby’s.  Area churches have been challenged to let their best cooks loose to provide a sample of their favorite foods.  The event is “free” but love offerings will be received.  Imagine tasting the best of James Island, hearing love praise bands, fellowship with other church families and then enjoying the best food around!

Taste of James Island: Saturday, April 21 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.  Put it on your calendar, bring the family, invite the neighbors and help meet real and significant needs.  What a way to win.  See you there.  If you would like to volunteer to help set up, take down, etc, please let me know.  Make it a Connections Group social event or outreach event.  Bring your Sunday Connection group.  Let’s provide the resources needed to help those who need the resources.

Lord willing, I will see you this Sunday…He is risen-He is risen indeed!

Pastor Tom

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