What's Going On...

MINISTRY MANAGEMENT TEAM MEETING 

We are planning for a Ministry Management Team meeting on Wednesday night, May 13, beginning at 6:30. This will include Staff, Elders, the Renovation/Decoration Team, Ministry Team Leaders and Deacons. Come and enjoy the Wednesday night dinner from 5:30-6:30.

PRAYER FOR NEPAL 

Thank you for your loving response in praying for Nepal. Prayer and love are always appreciated. We have former members who serve as missionaries in Kathmandu, Nepal. We had immediate word that they and all their teammates were safe. As always, in times like this, you can safely make financial contributions to our Southern Baptist International Mission Board. Please check them out at www.imb.org. They are featuring articles about our work happening right now and there is a special message from our IMB president, David Platt. They also show you how you can donate on line. Another resource that you may consider is Franklin Graham’s Samaritan’s Purse. You can check them out at www.samaritanspurse.org. If you do not have access to check them out on line, call the church office. If you make a donation through JIBC we will make sure it gets to them. You may also want to consider the American Red Cross. They also are quickly responding to the Nepal earthquake victims. Check out their work and service at www.redcross.org.

TASTE OF JAMES ISLAND 

Just a reminder about this Saturday’s annual Taste of James Island. You can drop by anytime from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. You do not have to stay for the whole event. Come by for great food, fun and fellowship. Many of the churches of different denominations will be present and participating. The event takes place behind James Island Christian Church, just off of Folly Road, behind Arby’s. It will be great and the weather should be perfect.


See you Sunday, good Lord willing,

Pastor Tom

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 

A SURE THING!

It’s a sure thing: the sun will go down this evening. Beyond that, there are not a lot of things I would call a sure thing. The upcoming TASTE OF JAMES ISLAND is about as close to a sure thing as I think we can get. Churches of many denominations will have their best cooks cooking; groups from many churches will be praising; food will be brought to help the poor; fellowship across all barriers will be enjoyed. That is about as sure a thing as I could imagine.

There are 2 or 3 times a year when all churches of all denominations come together for a common purpose. The Sunday before Thanksgiving, we come together to worship, give thanks, fellowship and give to help the poor. On Saturday, May 2, the James Island Churches will join together at James Island Christian church for our annual TASTE OF JAMES ISLAND. Admission is one non-perishable food item for the JI Outreach Ministry. Each church is asked to do a food drive these next 2 weeks to help replenish the shelves. We are the “JELLY” church…but you absolutely can bring anything!

You can’t miss…it is about as sure of a thing as you can get. Helping the poor, fellowship between all races and denominations, praise music AND great food. Where is the down side? Rain or shine, the event will happen.

To put it in perspective, last year the James Island Baptist Church family gave 1 ½ tons of jelly and food…approximately $5, 600 worth of food. The James Island Outreach gives out about 150 jars of jelly each month. We have 7 of our members actively serving in this ministry. Way to go team JIBC. Put it on your calendar. Drop by that day for a Taste of James Island…it is a sure thing!

Pastor Tom

Whew, what a ride!

I want to thank our staff for picking up the slack while I was took a week off to enjoy the early spring pollen and virus. Yikes. I will understand if you avoid me for the next 2 weeks while this thing runs its course. Knuckle bumps or elbow greetings will be just fine and understood. I am grateful for Sean being willing to step up and hit it out of the park. Thanks Sean. 

Sean began our newest teaching series on Galatians 5:22-23, the fruit of the Spirit. The title we chose is “Fruit Inspection”. The idea is that we inspect our own hearts and lives first. The focus is not on inspecting others fruit…although among people in covenant, that is a good thing, not a bad thing. We have gone over this a dozen times and it bears repeating. There is a significant difference in judging and being judgmental. We make judgment calls every day, all day in almost all situations. Based on God’s Word and the life of our Lord, we judge an action to be right or wrong, healthy or unhealthy. When you judge the person, you have taken over God’s role. Not a good idea. A doctor telling you the x-ray looks bad is making a judgment. The doctor is not being judgmental. Neither would the doctor be a very good doctor by pretending there was nothing wrong with the x-ray. You are in a type of covenant relationship with your doctor and you expect honesty and help. At times, believers can become judgmental, better than you, holier than thou. That is the hurtful and non-helpful attitude. I know it is difficult to not judge…especially when we think our sins are not as bad as “their” sins.

The goal of this series on Fruit Inspection is to challenge us to submit our lives to the Holy Spirit. Let Him be the inspector of our lives. Invite Him to live in and through us. Bear fruit that remains and that is attractive and winsome to a lost and broken world. I suspect we will lead more people to Jesus and discipleship by exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit than by being judgmental and condemning.

Anyone can condemn the darkness…let’s be people that light a light.

Pastor Tom

A DIFFERENT KIND OF KING

This past Sunday was Palm Sunday.  What a wonderful way to begin our focus on Holy Week.  We chose to build Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter around the message that Jesus was and is a different kind of King. 

This Friday is Good Friday, named so not because of what happened to Jesus, but what happened for us.  The terrible suffering, crucifixion and death were so tragic that even nature mourned and darkness covered the earth at noon day.  Join us this Friday at 7:00 pm as we read the stories, sing the songs and feel the emotions of the sacrificial love of our Father and Lord Jesus.  We will observe communion together and join our hearts in gratitude for the wonderful love crucified for our sins…our hurts, habits and hang-ups.  It is not too much to say Jesus was hung up for my hang ups.

It’s Friday…but Sunday is coming!  This coming Sunday is Resurrection Sunday…Easter.  We are combining to have one service on Easter.  Please note that our Sunday Connection Groups will meet as they always do at their appointed times.  The 8:30 service and Luz Y Verdad will join together with the 11:00 worship service for one Easter Celebration.  Luz Y Verdad will most likely join us toward the end of the service for the celebration of baptism.  It is an annual event to “flower” the cross.  We will have a smaller cross on the floor level that will be transformed by flowers from your yard.  You may bring them before, during or after Sunday Connection groups or just before the worship service.  There will be someone there to help you place your flowers on the cross.  It is always beautiful.

Bring an offering of jelly.  As you know, JIBC is the jelly provider for the James Island Outreach.  Churches, businesses, schools and individuals join together to help provide food and other assistance to those in need.  Cal Worthington is the new Executive Director.  We have several people that make up 2 or 3 teams that volunteer at J.I.O.  They are low on jelly.  Watch for those bogo deals and bring an offering that will be a blessing.  Just drop the jelly off in front of the church office in the box just outside the door. 

He is risen…He is risen indeed!

Pastor Tom

THE POWER OF THE INVITATION

For years the most powerful invitation used to be the one offered at the end of a sermon. The invitation was to come forward during an altar call to make a profession of faith…to receive Christ as your Savior and Lord. We even called the music during that time “the invitation hymn”. It was one way the Holy Spirit of God used to woo and call people into His Kingdom. Blessed be the Name.

There is another invitation that the Holy Spirit uses. The Power of the Invitation can be seen when you and I invite our family, friends and acquaintances to join us and to be our guest. The invitation could be to visit your connection group; to go with your small group to a Riverdogs’ baseball game or to attend worship with you. There is power in an invitation. I believe I would be correct in saying the number one way that we see people come into the family of God is through invitation. It is friends inviting friends and family. Think about it: you invite them to worship where they will hear the Word of God, be loved on by the people of God, moved by music focused on God, in the presence of God, under the conviction and calling of the Holy Spirit of God. And it all starts with an invitation…”Would you be my guest this Sunday?”


INVITING IS A BIBLICAL IDEA

There are two or three places I look to for inspiration about using the invitation as a form of evangelism and discipleship. First, let’s look at Jesus. “Come and follow me” seems to have been a favored way of reaching people. He invited and then they made the choice. Not everyone he invited followed but many did. Second, others invited friends and family to come and join them as they encountered Jesus. Andrew is usually found inviting or bringing someone to Jesus. He had some pretty good results…he invited Peter, who become one of the Apostles and he invited the little boy whose lunch Jesus used to feed the 5,000. The Power of the Invitation! The last powerful invitation, and I literally mean the last, is found in Revelation 22:17-18. In the last Book of the Bible, the last chapter of the Bible, among the last verses is an invitation to come…all who are thirsty are invited to come. It is the power of an invitation.

Use the little Passion Week Invite cards or just use an old fashioned invite. Let us pray about who we might invite to join us this Sunday or Easter Sunday. Who could we invite out to dinner after the worship service? The Power Of The Invitation…used by the wonderful work of the Holy Spirit. To God be the glory.

See you this Sunday, good Lord willing.

Pastor Tom

This and That

CHARLESTON BAPTIST ASSOCIATION

Last week the Executive committee of the Charleston Baptist Association met. Moderator, Dr. Ron Dillon, of First Baptist Mt. Pleasant, brought 2 motions that were unanimously passed. The Executive Committee voted to create two study teams. The first would be to look at the future of the Charleston Baptist Association. Why do we exist, what are our goals, what would it look like to be successful, why are the majority of CBA churches not supporting the CBA, etc. It has been over 20 years wince we have taken a look at the purpose of CBA. This will be a look at the future, its purpose and organization. The second team will do a similar study for Bonnie Doone. We have all loved and appreciated Bonnie Doone over the years. Believe it or not, JIBC is one of the few Charleston Baptist Association Churches that have used Bonnie Doone over the last few years. Bonnie Doone is currently $150,000 in the hole financially. If I understand it correctly, it is costing us $4000 a month even with Bonnie Doone closed down with no one using it. This team will study the financial history of Bonnie Doone, the viability of it ever breaking even or operating in the black and get feedback from pastors. This team will then report back to the Executive Committee and the Charleston Baptist Association Annual meeting. PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING: AT THIS POINT, THIS IS NOT A PLAN TO SELL BONNIE DOONE. PLEASE DO NOT START OR CONTINUE SUCH RUMORS. It is a study to look at the future of Bonnie Doone. This study team is only charged with studying the current situation and considering options. Thanks for being in prayer for both of these teams.

A TASTE OF JAMES ISLAND

Now to something more exciting…the Annual Taste of James Island Churches. Mark your calendars for Saturday, May 2 and join the fun and festivities sponsored by James Island outreach. This friendly cooking completion brings out the best from our area churches AND helps raise funds and awareness for James Island Outreach. Admission is one non-perishable food item for JIO. Remember, we are the “Jelly Church”…but you can bring anything! Saturday, May 2, look for more info to come.

REMEMBER 

Rhett Harter and the Remember Ministry still has room on the summer mission team going to Burma. You can go to www.rememberthose.org to find more information on the ministry and the mission trip. Opportunities are available working with medical clinics, construction, children’s ministries, videography and more. The total trip cost is $3,000. You want to make a difference and do something significant this summer…here is your opportunity.

See you Sunday,

Pastor Tom

Relaxing, Unwinding and Unplugging

Janie and I just returned from a week of vacation. It was good to get away and relax, unwind and unplug. Sometimes we “do stuff” on our vacations…climb mountains, look for waterfalls, do Disney. This time we just focused on relaxing…not doing stuff. While we were away, I read a recently published book The Allure of Gentleness: Defending the Faith in the Manner of Jesus written by Dallas Willard. Willard was a philosophy professor at USC…the other USC, the one in California. My preacher buddies and I consider Willard one of our mentors. He has influenced our thinking and our approach to Scripture and life. Let me give you an extended quote from Willard’s book:

“Christian apologetics is not an attempt to prove we’re right…You did not get saved because you were right. You got saved because of the grace of God, who loves you and gave his Son for you, and the Holy Spirit, which touched your heart through the word of the Gospel so that you found yourself believing…That is why so many churches have “Grace” in their name. Not many people want to go to “Right Church”, but will gladly go to “Grace Church”. I’ve been to “Right Church”…it’s a tough place. There are a lot of dead people at Right Church, because life comes by grace”.

The model of life and ministry is Jesus. His approach to the lost, to the open and searching, was with a gentle spirit. He made the Gospel accessible and attractive. He reveals a good and beautiful God who welcomed honest questions. As one person said of Willard’s book “he advocates for truth, born on the wings of grace, and does so in the manner of a fellow pilgrim, keen to listen and to share.” Sounds a lot like Jesus.

The bottom line for us, in defending our faith, is not just our positions on certain issues. It is our disposition as well. If truth would have been God’s only objective, He could have just dropped big old Bibles on our heads with a message that says “Read This-It Is True”. Instead, He sent Truth to us in the person of His Son, Jesus. Truth revealed in the personality of Jesus. God’s position on truth is seen in the personality and disposition of His Son, who is the Truth. It is difficult, if not impossible, to separate truth from personality. It is not enough to just be right. Remember what your mother told you: “God don’t like ugly”.

Truthfully, Willard’s books can be a little heady. So to balance it, we listened to a book on cd, The Shack by William Young! Wow, where have I been to miss this little gem. I laughed and wept on I-95 from Miami to Exit 33 at Pocotaligo! What a wonderful story of a loving God.

I recommend both of these to you. Willard’s writings, as I said, are a little more heady. Maybe a little more academic than we prefer for leisure reading. He is readable, but you may have to chew slowly. On the other hand, The Shack is fun and whimsical. You could read it in a night if you try hard. Either way, happy reading…be blessed.

Pastor Tom