DON’T HOLD IT AGAINST ME, PLEASE!

What was Noah’s greatest fear? A pair of termites. Get the hint where this is going yet? I will try another: What do termites like on their toast? Window Jamb. OK, one more: What did the termite say to the JIBC stained glassed window? It was nice gnawing on you!

Ok, whether you put it together or not here is the scoop. A few weeks back we discovered one of the windows in the church worship center had termites.

We called the termite company and they came to inspect it. Thank you Jesus, it did seem limited to that one window and it did not look like the termites were active. So far, part of that last sentence seems to be true. It does seem limited to one window but they were still active. So, we have the right people on the job. They had to take down the entire window frame and remove the stain glass window completely from the window. Incredible what skilled people can do! We have one crew from Auburn AV installing sound treatment panels and one crew from Axis Construction (Wilson Walpole) taking care of the window. We are grateful for both teams skillfully doing their jobs. I am also thankful for our church being so blessed with generous givers that this can be taken care of without upsetting or straining the church budget. Many of us remember the days when that was not the case. Thank you Father, the Giver of every good and perfect gift. We will keep you in the loop as progress is being made.

I cannot say for sure, but I thought I heard the termites singing “Shall we gather by the window?” When I went closer to see what was going on, I saw a little cowboy termite. He said his name was Clint…Clint Eatswood. It was the last termite I talked to that really made me mad. I asked him what he was doing here. He said he first went to the Sports Bar across the street. He asked the termite next to him “Where is the bar tender?” The other termite said “No where here, you might find something at the Baptist Church across the street!” I do not want to hear them quoting Psalm 122:1.

Please, don’t hold it against me. It helps to laugh a little. And this is about as little as you are going to laugh.

Pastor Tom

 

And just like that!

For me, the worst part of Christmas is when it is over. And just like that it was over. Our Orthodox friends get to stretch it out to January 6. I might end up adopting that tradition!

Remember the Advent season for us is the frame work we use to Focus our Worship on Our Heavenly Father and out Lord Jesus; it is the opportunity we have to give generously to our Mission Partners like Low Country Pregnancy, James Island Outreach, Helene Recovery and Lottie Moon International Missions offering; and third, it is an opportunity to celebrate! We sing great music, hear great stories, enjoy special meals, see friends and family, etc. To me Christmas is a great big birthday party celebrating the birth of our Savior.

This Christmas season you were so generous in your giving. You gave over 220 jars of jelly and over 120 bottles of pancake syrup! James Island Outreach has already come to pick that up and give it out! You gave a small mountain of diapers and baby wipes for the Lowcountry Pregnancy Center. These will make such a significant difference to those who receive them. You went over the top by giving just over $4000 worth of gift cards going to Western Carolina families. The Cowboy Church we worked with will be distributing these cards to families in need. You also gave a wonderfully generous gift to The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions supporting over 3, 500 full time missionaries around the world. As of this writing, the total amount given is $12,400. You supported missions across the street, across the state line and across the oceans! Yay God. And last but not least, the Christmas Eve offering was $4,375 that will also go to missions. We are trying to find out what it will cost to “upfit” the mini homes the Mennonites are building for Hurricane Helene victims in WNC. I think we will use this amount to help purchase a few heaters, a mini-refrigerators and cots! Our friend Charles Dillion is checking on that for us. (Btw, please pray for Judy dealing with a kidney issue. They are traveling to Alabama to meet with her doctors).

Well, just like that, Christmas 2024 is over. Already looking forward to Christmas 2025!

Love you all,

Pastor Tom

THE BEST GIFTS EVER

The Advent Season of Worship, Mission and Celebration has come and gone. I loved this year’s theme and I loved that our church was able to help focus on the reason for the season…Jesus! I want to thank you all for your prayers and your generous giving. We will easily go over 200 jars of jelly, 100 bottles of syrup, 2,000 diapers, 3000 baby wipes, $3,000 in gift cards for Western North Carolina and maybe $8,000 for the Lottie Moon International Missions Christmas offering. (By the way, all said and done, we will probably give over $20,000 to support our 3,500 full time missionaries!)

I have on occasion heard someone say “Why can’t we be this generous all year long?” It is a great question. Part of my answer is “Come join James Island Baptist Church and you will take part in year- round missional living and generous giving.” Thank you for loving other so much.


JUST A REMINDER

The last Sunday of the year is the time we vote on our 2025 Mission and Ministry Budget. Our Budget Team did a great job in putting this budget together. I believe I would be remembering correctly is I said every Mission and Ministry Team that made a request for the coming year was granted that request. God has been so good to bless our church family. An example: The Kitchen Krew asked for an increase in their budgeted amount for 2025. And why not, they feed more people and send out more food to homebound and sick families. It is our own version of JIBC Meals on Wheels. They spend their budget to bless the church and community. Way to go! That is just one example of a team that is on mission with God’s mission.


KEEP THIS ONE IN YOUR PRAYERS

Our staff and some of our leaderships have started talks with a group of Ukrainians. They are looking for a place to meet and to start a “Slavic Church”. That would include countries from Eastern Europe as well as Ukraine. They actually had a small Bible Study gathering at JIBC this past Sunday! It is not a done deal, but we are moving toward that direction. We have helped grow and launch a Chinese Church and a Hispanic Church. Why not Slavic?


I love you all, hope to see you soon,


Pastor Tom

Now you see it, now you don’t!

Now you see it, now you don’t! Part I

Take a deep breath. In just a few short days Christmas will have come and gone, now you see it, now you don’t. Janie and I like to leave our decorations up until the new year, but that is just around the corner too.

One of the “now you see it, now you don’t” events is the Advent Missions Gifts. As of right now, here is an estimate of how that is going. 1) You have given $7,650 to the Lottie Moon International Christmas Offering. 2) The Lowcountry Pregnancy Center has an estimated 1,653 diapers or 51 packs of diapers and about 1,300 wipes! 3) You have given 193 jars of jelly and 74 bottles of syrup to James Island Outreach. 4) To the recovering hurricane victims in Western North Carolina, you have given $2,500 in gift cards so far!

In three short weeks, it will be now you see it, now you don’t. And the mission gifts will be distributed.

Now you see it, now you don’t! Part II

“Now you see it, now you don’t”. I would also like to invoke those words for the current additions taking place in the church worship center/sanctuary. As I type this article, Pastor David is overseeing the installation of acoustic tiles. These will be located around the windows in the auditorium. They will be very obvious when you see them this Sunday. That is the “now you see them” part of the phrase. I suspect that in 6 months, it will be “now you don’t”. They will become a part of the decorations in the worship center. Remember how the “drum cage” was at first? It was so obvious and looked so different. Now, for most of us, we no longer see it because it is part of stage life. The acoustic tiles are designed to do this one thing: make it easier to hear and make everything that is said and played clearer to hear. If they do their job, and we believe they will, the average person may not be able to specifically tell the difference. But that difference is very, very important. There is a certain amount of echo that is a part of a big auditorium. Reducing that as much as possible helps enhance the ease at which we are able to listen to the Word of God. Amen, make it so Lord Jesus.

Plan now to join us for the annual “Carols, Communion and Candlelight” Christmas Eve service. We have two services that are exactly alike. The first one is at 4:00 PM and the second one is at 6:00 PM. Remember to invite a friend. Those not interested in Church may be interested in a traditional Christmas Eve program. Finding child care has been very difficult. At this time, we will not be offering child care at either service. If that changes, we will publicize it as soon as possible.

See you Sunday, good Lord willing,

Pastor Tom

CHRISTMAS TIME

Oh What Fun! On Wednesday night, December 18, we are meeting at Bishop Gadsden for Christmas Caroling. Pastor David has put together a wonderfully unique caroling program. If you heard it last year you will agree. If you have not, you will be blessed! This year is a little different in that we are gathering at Bishop Gadsden. We are not processing together as in previous years. The Wednesday night meal will still be served from 5:00 until 6:15. Those going caroling will want to eat and be on your way by 6:00 or as soon as possible. DO NOT TAKE RIVERLAND DRIVE BECAUSE OF CHRISTMAS LIGHT TRAFFIC. Instead, take the normally crowded Folly Road to Camp Road to Bishop Gadsden, 1 Bishop Gadsden Way, James Island 29412. Oh What Fun!

CHRISTMAS EVE—December 24 : CAROLS, COMMUNION AND CANDLELIGHT.

We offer two Christmas Eve services, the first at 4:00 and the second at 6:00 P.M. It is not too early to start praying about not only attending one of the worship services but also about who to invite. If a non-church person is likely to attend any service at all, it is likely to be the Christmas Eve service. Two unique little blessings about this service. First, we have a gift for the first 500 people who attend and would like a gift. You will be glad to receive this gift and will likely pass it on when you are finished with it!

The second unique blessing for JIBC is the Christmas Eve Offering. We have traditionally given this offering away to mission causes: Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions; partner ministries in Romania and Ukraine, etc. What a time to make a year end gift or a year end catch-up offering!

I love this time of the year. Blessings on top of blessings, blessed to be a blessing. By the way, we do want to acknowledge that the holidays can be a significantly difficult time for some. This may be the first Christmas without that special someone or another Christmas without them. Our prayers and love to all who grieve. May His presence restore your complete and unbounding joy!

See you Sunday, good Lord willing!

Pastor Tom

THREE ENTIRELY DIFFERENT TOPICS

First, let me tell you about something you might notice, then not notice and then if all goes well, will not notice again. We are making some improvements to our worship center, the sanctuary. Pastor David and David Jr can tell you all the nitty gritty details. I can just give you the big picture. We are replacing some of our old equipment that includes things like our main speakers and amplifiers. That kind of equipment just wears out and/or becomes obsolete as new and better equipment comes along. Added to that, we have contracted with a company, Auburn AV, to install acoustic sound panels with the goal of making everything that is said and played clearer. In some ways, this is what I meant by you will notice them as they are new. Then, over time they will just look like they have always been a part of the building. And ultimately, you will not actually hear the difference. But you may notice you no longer have to “work or strain” to hear clearly. The goal is clarity. It has nothing to do with volume, only getting us a cleaned up easier to listen to sound.

Second, this time of the year you may occasionally hear someone who seemingly finds joy in popping other people’s perfectly happy Christmas balloons. They seem eager to make some connection about Christmas trees and pagan worship or lighting candles and evil Popes for the third century. Or that Jesus’ birthday could not be on December 25th because the sheep would not be in the fields that time of the year. By the way, the sheep are in the fields all year long. God gave them the cutest little wool sweaters to wear. Don’t take the bait. Even Scrooge needed prayers and love. Celebrate the coming, the Advent if you will, of God’s Son, our Savior, God in the flesh.

Third, let’s think about giving. If you can, would you consider donating one of the Advent Mission Gifts: jelly, pancake syrup (for James Island Outreach), diapers, wipes (Lowcountry Pregnancy Center) a Visa gift card for Western North Carolina and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missionaries. The Wise Men brought gifts to Jesus. In His honor, let’s take gifts to those in need!

Love you all, see you Sunday, good Lord willing.

Pastor Tom

IT IS OFFICIAL!

We have just entered into the “Most Wonderful Time Of The Year!” I usually wait until after Thanksgiving to decorate for Christmas and start listening to Christmas music. By the time we gather again, it will be officially Christmas Season. I say it every year, so let me go ahead and get it out of the way. I love almost every part of Christmas: The Christmas Story, Christmas music, lights, festivals, gift giving, special meals and goodies, the cooler temperatures, caroling at the nursing homes and on and on I could go. I do not like the extra traffic. Although, who could tell if it was extra or just regular terrible traffic! And, I do not like stories of people going into debt over Christmas. Please do not make this wonderful time of the year a financial burden.

Our Advent Theme this year is “The Best Gifts Ever”. I will be teaching a series of messages about the best gifts God has ever given us. By the way, the word “advent” means coming. It refers to the coming of our Lord Jesus. It is the celebration of the birth of God’s Son, our Savior. I am of the opinion that you cannot celebrate that too much. Just because the secular world tries to take “Jesus” out of Christmas does not mean we throw the baby Jesus out with the bath water…so to speak. We use Advent to help us WORSHIIP the King and to celebrate His coming. We also use advent to do MISSIONS. We combine the giving of Christmas with giving to help others. Here is how we can do it this year. If you are able, please join us in donating the following. 1) Diapers or wipes for The Lowcountry Pregnancy Center. Let’s help those who courageously chose life over death.  2) We are the jelly church on James Island. Let’s bring jelly and/or pancake syrup to help the underserved. 3) We can never forget the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering that goes to support our International Missionaries. 4) We are asking for Visa Gift cards of any amount. These will all go to Western North Carolina to help hurricane Helene victims.

Someone once asked “How come people aren’t this giving all year long?” I replied, “You need to come hang around the James Island Baptist Family. It is the most wonderful time of the year all year long for these great folks!”

See you Sunday at our first week of Advent celebration.

Pastor Tom