Do you ever need a helping hand? We all do at one time or another. Like the Beatles would sing “I’ll get by with a little help from my friends” So, here is the story. We were blessed by a family member who offered us their place in Costa Rica for a week. My daughter Brook and her kids went and my youngest daughter Erin and her family met us there mid-week.
This place is ruggedly beautiful. One excursion involved going through a preserve with a guide. Great! At any moment I expected to see jaguars, snakes or crocodiles. That matters because I can no longer outrun any member of my family but Janie!
With no advance warning, we come to a swamp crossing made up of old tree stumps. We have to walk across 20 stumps of various sizes and heights. All my kids crossed that so fast you would think they were auditioning for American Ninja Warriors. Did I mention the little stumps were all wet and muddy? I am wondering why we paid good money to put my life at risk. I was already planning if I would fall into the mangrove root system or into the green murky swamp water. Five stumps in and I was stuck. I mean froze up, scared, not going forward and can’t go backwards. I started shouting out instructions on how to get me to the nearest hospital!
Then came the helping hand. My grandson, Noah, walked right through the swamp to come and rescue me with a helping hand. Maybe in the day I could have crossed the swamp with grace and confidence. Now, I humbled myself and took my grandson’s hand and made it to the other side. He went back to get Grandma too!
That’s life. Sometimes we all need a helping hand. There is no shame in the game when we have to ask for a helping hand, a hand up or a steady hand for balance. You can’t lift it, ask for help. You can’t figure it out? There are wise people around you willing to help you. Spiritually, we all needed a helping hand when it came to being made right with God. That helping hand just happened to be nail scarred. Jesus’ helping hands healed, they blessed children, broke bread, were often raised in prayer. We all need His helping hand.
From time to time, we all need a helping hand. My guess is more often than not you are offering a helping hand. Thank you. By God’s grace, we can get by with a little help from a friend. See you
Sunday, good Lord willing.
Pastor Tom
Thursday, July 2, 2026
Friday, June 26, 2026
GONE AGAIN, HOME AGAIN
Janie and I just returned from a vacation with part of our family. Brook and her three kids along with Erin, Trey and Wyatt joined us in a trip to Nosara, Costa Rica. Yeah, I did not know where it was either. Some would ask us “What part of Costa Rica are you going to?” I showed my geographical ignorance…I did not know where we were going or that there were parts! Turns out we were on the West Coast, right where the beautiful mountains and the jungle meets the Pacific Ocean. Like always, it was a joy to be there and to enjoy another part of God’s beautiful creation. But it is twice the joy to be back home! Thank you to all who make this kind of a trip possible by covering all the bases while we are gone.
The week before we left for vacation, my brother called to tell us he was diagnosed with stage 4 liver cancer and that it had metastasized to other parts of his body. The outlook is not good. If the doctors are right, he has 4 to 6 months to live. If Kathie is right, maybe not quite that long. So, Janie and I met my sister and went to spend some time with Bubba and Kathie. They live in Newport, NC. We hoped to bring some sort of positive to a negative situation. My sweet Janie was so very helpful in helping them work through all their legal issues like wills, power of attorney, medical POA, etc. By the way, do you have a will, a Power of Attorney, a Healthcare POA? If not, do yourself and your family a favor and have them drawn up. The truth is that we all have an ending date, all of us have an appointed day to die. We choose to live our lives not looking at death but rather looking at life. But the date will come, unless Jesus returns first.
One day, there will be no more death, no more sorrow, no more tears. Until then, we deal with the penalty and consequence of sin, death. Our hearts cry in times of sorrow is like a call for that day when death will be no more. Until then, “The Lord is my Shepherd…”
See you this Sunday, Good Lord willing!
Pastor Tom
The week before we left for vacation, my brother called to tell us he was diagnosed with stage 4 liver cancer and that it had metastasized to other parts of his body. The outlook is not good. If the doctors are right, he has 4 to 6 months to live. If Kathie is right, maybe not quite that long. So, Janie and I met my sister and went to spend some time with Bubba and Kathie. They live in Newport, NC. We hoped to bring some sort of positive to a negative situation. My sweet Janie was so very helpful in helping them work through all their legal issues like wills, power of attorney, medical POA, etc. By the way, do you have a will, a Power of Attorney, a Healthcare POA? If not, do yourself and your family a favor and have them drawn up. The truth is that we all have an ending date, all of us have an appointed day to die. We choose to live our lives not looking at death but rather looking at life. But the date will come, unless Jesus returns first.
One day, there will be no more death, no more sorrow, no more tears. Until then, we deal with the penalty and consequence of sin, death. Our hearts cry in times of sorrow is like a call for that day when death will be no more. Until then, “The Lord is my Shepherd…”
See you this Sunday, Good Lord willing!
Pastor Tom
Thursday, June 11, 2026
PART TWO: PRAY CHARLESTON 2026
Many of you will remember that JIBC joined dozens of other churches from a variety of denominations to “Pray Charleston 2025”. The goal was to have every day, of every week of every month for the 2025 Calendar Year covered in prayer. The focus was on Charleston, hence the name “Pray Charleston 2025. We chose the 10th of every month from January to December. On the 10th, we had 168 volunteers to pray in 15-minute segments and we covered the entire 24 hours of the 10th of every month. Well done, JIBC, well done.
This year, we changed the pace a little. We are still involved and partners in “Pray Charleston 2026”. We are just expanding or deepening our prayer ministry. We are no longer praying just on the 10th of every month. We are asking our IBC family and friends to include a Pray Charleston topic every day you have your quiet time. The first 6 weeks we prayed for Charleston leaders, first responders, school administration, etc. This next 6 weeks, we will pray for JIBC Missions and Ministries. Our Youth Pastor, Logan Duvall, put this one together for us. He gives us just a brief prayer suggestion and scripture for Monday through Sunday. This guide leads us to pray for many of the ministries of JIBC: evangelism, missions, children’s ministries, Connection Groups, Student Ministry, Volunteers, Worship, preaching and teaching, etc.
He gives some very helpful suggestions and the QR codes that will take you to more resources about prayer. Let’s Pray Charleston 2026! And while we are at it lets Pray JIBC 2026.
VBS is two weeks away! Here we go, Evangelism and Mission, priority one. Thank you for your prayers and volunteer hours. To God be the Glory.
Pastor Tom
This year, we changed the pace a little. We are still involved and partners in “Pray Charleston 2026”. We are just expanding or deepening our prayer ministry. We are no longer praying just on the 10th of every month. We are asking our IBC family and friends to include a Pray Charleston topic every day you have your quiet time. The first 6 weeks we prayed for Charleston leaders, first responders, school administration, etc. This next 6 weeks, we will pray for JIBC Missions and Ministries. Our Youth Pastor, Logan Duvall, put this one together for us. He gives us just a brief prayer suggestion and scripture for Monday through Sunday. This guide leads us to pray for many of the ministries of JIBC: evangelism, missions, children’s ministries, Connection Groups, Student Ministry, Volunteers, Worship, preaching and teaching, etc.
He gives some very helpful suggestions and the QR codes that will take you to more resources about prayer. Let’s Pray Charleston 2026! And while we are at it lets Pray JIBC 2026.
VBS is two weeks away! Here we go, Evangelism and Mission, priority one. Thank you for your prayers and volunteer hours. To God be the Glory.
Pastor Tom
Thursday, June 4, 2026
THE FAVOR OF THE LORD
There are times when some things go wrong. It happens. There are also times when somethings go wrong but most things go right. As one philosopher said “It’s not all good, but it’s not all bad either”. Then, there ae those wonderful times when there are so many things going well one might describe it as “the favor of the Lord”. It is a time of unearned grace, approval and tangible blessings of the Lord.
This year’s Awana ministry seems to have found the favor of the Lord. Each year we have been blessed with an amazing number of children coming to learn God’s Word. Some age groups actually reached the limit of how many children they can accommodate. Together, the Awana Ministry brought and donated over 950 jars of jelly. Their year end Awards Banquet filled up the house of the Lord and the Children’s program was outstanding as the Gospel was told through the words and action of the children, led by their dedicated leaders. Well done everyone involved!
We celebrated the season’s last Wednesday night supper with a free meal. We did say donations to James Island Outreach would be accepted for that night. Turns out we will be able to give James Island Outreach and additional $473. It is the favor of the Lord.
The Kitchen Renovation, a project years in the making, finally has happened. There is a relatively small punch list to be completed. I would say it is about 99% complete. It did not keep our Kitchen Krew from presenting their amazing signature dish of fried chicken, Mac-n-Cheese and banana pudding! Wow. Thank you for a great year of serving!
Last, but in no way least, the favor of the Lord is upon us in calling our new staff member, Josh Sorrow and his sweet family. It seemed like our Father in Heaven just kept leading and affirming every step of the process.
I pray that in our individual lives and in the life of our families, we will continue to experience the wonderful favor of the Lord. Blessings to you.
Pastor Tom
“And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.”
Luke 2:52
This year’s Awana ministry seems to have found the favor of the Lord. Each year we have been blessed with an amazing number of children coming to learn God’s Word. Some age groups actually reached the limit of how many children they can accommodate. Together, the Awana Ministry brought and donated over 950 jars of jelly. Their year end Awards Banquet filled up the house of the Lord and the Children’s program was outstanding as the Gospel was told through the words and action of the children, led by their dedicated leaders. Well done everyone involved!
We celebrated the season’s last Wednesday night supper with a free meal. We did say donations to James Island Outreach would be accepted for that night. Turns out we will be able to give James Island Outreach and additional $473. It is the favor of the Lord.
The Kitchen Renovation, a project years in the making, finally has happened. There is a relatively small punch list to be completed. I would say it is about 99% complete. It did not keep our Kitchen Krew from presenting their amazing signature dish of fried chicken, Mac-n-Cheese and banana pudding! Wow. Thank you for a great year of serving!
Last, but in no way least, the favor of the Lord is upon us in calling our new staff member, Josh Sorrow and his sweet family. It seemed like our Father in Heaven just kept leading and affirming every step of the process.
I pray that in our individual lives and in the life of our families, we will continue to experience the wonderful favor of the Lord. Blessings to you.
Pastor Tom
Friday, May 29, 2026
HE KNEW HE WAS LOST…
Janie and I often go for evening walks in our neighborhood. They are usually totally uneventful. Just two old people getting in their steps. Then it happened. “Look Janie, that is not right”. A two year old toddler with no adult in sight. It happened to be a beautiful African American baby boy. I suggested following him at a close distance to not scare him and to see if he knew where his home was. The next two left turns assured me he was lost and he knew he was lost. A bouncy ball in one hand a truck in the other and a pacifier in his mouth. He would look at us, grin and run. Thankyou Jesus he was two and not four. I can still outrun a 2 year old. We talked, laughed, played ball, all to get him to trust us. Not so much. Two old white people trying to take my bouncy ball. He wasn’t having it. So, we made the call to 911 and reported who we were, where we were and that we had a very lost 2-year-old infant. We were able to guide him to the field at Epworth Methodist Church. More running. It took a while for the cops to show up. Runaway infant being chased by old white people is not a high on the emergency list…except to the old people doing the chasing! The officer that arrived was like an angel from heaven, a beautiful black female officer angel. That little infant opened his little arms and went straight to the officer. The officer said “You two have just made one grandmother very happy.” Apparently, he had gotten away from grandma, made one wrong turn and was lost. With every wrong turn the little guy got more and more lost.
Kind of a picture of life isn’t it. We could be safe at home with our Heavenly Father. Then we take a wrong turn or two and find ourselves lost. Each wrong turn, each wrong decision takes us away from His shelter, His provision. Not away from His love but away from a relationship He wants us to have with Him. We have our version of a bouncy ball, our toy car and our pacifier. What more do we need? His presence. His watch care. His Shepherding. If you made a wrong turn stop, ask Him, He will lead you home and be so glad to see you back. If you won’t stop, don’t be surprised if He sends two old white people to help you or better yet, one beautiful angel officer!
"Dear Father, help us to enjoy what you give us but to never think those things are what we need to be happy. Please place in our lives people who will help us find our way back home. Forgive us our wrong turns. When we have lost our ways, grant us the ability to know we are lost and to quit running. Protect us from dangers we may never see coming. Amen"
Pastor Tom
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
IT’S GETTING REAL UP IN HERE!
Remember what it was like to be a kid waiting on Christmas…it would never get here fast enough. Compare that to remembering the joy of having the summer off with no school but knowing that September would be here before you knew it!
The Kitchen Renovation is about to be complete and baptized with its first function. It is not “complete complete” but it is functional and ready to go. Just a few more things to do. This week will be given to moving things back into the kitchen into their brand spanking new home! There will be one “soft-opening” to make sure everything is up to snuff and ready to go. The big celebration will be Wednesday, May 27 from 5:00 to 6:15. By God’s good grace, we will be serving the #1 meal featuring fried chicken, mac and cheese and all the fixin’s. I believe there will be banana pudding for dessert. My eating plan takes a holiday that night!
By the way, what better timing than to celebrate the renovation with the Awana Awards night! Our JIBC kids and friends will get their well-deserved recognition for all the hard work they did. Awana leaders will get to celebrate the fruit of their loving labor. Teaching children the Word of God…well done.
Then, the welcoming of our new staff member, Josh Sorrow along with his wife, Laura and their three children. We are so happy to have them on the team. Saturday, May 30 we will have a drop in at JIBC for leaders to come by and say hello. Sunday will be the formal introduction and a commissioning. All adult Bible Study Connection Groups are invited to a Meet and Greet Sunday from 10:00 to 10:40. We will have Josh share some and maybe do a question-and-answer time.
As I said, “IT’S GETTING REAL UP IN HERE.” Kind of like aging…it was slow at first and then it picked up a lot of speed! Love you all.
Pastor Tom
The Kitchen Renovation is about to be complete and baptized with its first function. It is not “complete complete” but it is functional and ready to go. Just a few more things to do. This week will be given to moving things back into the kitchen into their brand spanking new home! There will be one “soft-opening” to make sure everything is up to snuff and ready to go. The big celebration will be Wednesday, May 27 from 5:00 to 6:15. By God’s good grace, we will be serving the #1 meal featuring fried chicken, mac and cheese and all the fixin’s. I believe there will be banana pudding for dessert. My eating plan takes a holiday that night!
By the way, what better timing than to celebrate the renovation with the Awana Awards night! Our JIBC kids and friends will get their well-deserved recognition for all the hard work they did. Awana leaders will get to celebrate the fruit of their loving labor. Teaching children the Word of God…well done.
Then, the welcoming of our new staff member, Josh Sorrow along with his wife, Laura and their three children. We are so happy to have them on the team. Saturday, May 30 we will have a drop in at JIBC for leaders to come by and say hello. Sunday will be the formal introduction and a commissioning. All adult Bible Study Connection Groups are invited to a Meet and Greet Sunday from 10:00 to 10:40. We will have Josh share some and maybe do a question-and-answer time.
As I said, “IT’S GETTING REAL UP IN HERE.” Kind of like aging…it was slow at first and then it picked up a lot of speed! Love you all.
Pastor Tom
Friday, May 15, 2026
The Invitation Has Been Extended!
All things being equal, James Island Baptist Church has extended a call to Josh Sorrow and his family. We are inviting them to join the JIBC family and staff where Josh will serve as Pastor of Administration and Small Groups/Discipleship. Josh is coming to us from Somerset, Kentucky. He grew up in Summerville where his father served for years as the Associate Pastor of Administration and Small Groups at Old Fort Baptist Church. Josh is a graduate of Charleston Southern University and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. In the past Josh has served as Minister to Students as well as Pastor of Administration and Discipleship. Fun fact: some of you may remember Scott Miller who served at Clearview Baptist/New Beginnings Church here on James Island. Scott went to southern Indiana as Pastor of Graceland Baptist Church (yes, named after that Graceland). Josh served as a Student Intern under Scott Miller. He could not have had a better pastor/leader/mentor than Scott.
From our first contact with Josh, which was with his resume, we felt like he was a perfect match for what we are looking for. His experience, his spiritual gifts, his passions are lined up great with the mission and ministry of JIBC. This is the first “public” announcement we are making. We will start planning the details of his move in the days ahead. Oh, by the way, Josh is married; he and Laura have three children, a daughter and two sons! If you are on Facebook, look him up and send him a friend request! I look forward to having Josh and his family as a staff member and as a part of the JIBC family!
PS: Josh is coming to join us in what we sometimes refer to as “Second Chair”. He is coming as the Associate Pastor. He is not coming as the replacement of the old guy that currently sits in the Pastor’s Office. Sorry to mention that but curious minds will want to know.
As I am typing, the Kitchen cabinets and shelves are being put in! They look awesome! Somebody say “Mac-n-Cheese, please!” It looks like our first meal served in the renovated kitchen will be Wednesday, May 20…even though it may technically be “finished” by May 13.
Love you all,
Pastor Tom
From our first contact with Josh, which was with his resume, we felt like he was a perfect match for what we are looking for. His experience, his spiritual gifts, his passions are lined up great with the mission and ministry of JIBC. This is the first “public” announcement we are making. We will start planning the details of his move in the days ahead. Oh, by the way, Josh is married; he and Laura have three children, a daughter and two sons! If you are on Facebook, look him up and send him a friend request! I look forward to having Josh and his family as a staff member and as a part of the JIBC family!
PS: Josh is coming to join us in what we sometimes refer to as “Second Chair”. He is coming as the Associate Pastor. He is not coming as the replacement of the old guy that currently sits in the Pastor’s Office. Sorry to mention that but curious minds will want to know.
Matters Closer to Home
As I am typing, the Kitchen cabinets and shelves are being put in! They look awesome! Somebody say “Mac-n-Cheese, please!” It looks like our first meal served in the renovated kitchen will be Wednesday, May 20…even though it may technically be “finished” by May 13.
Love you all,
Pastor Tom
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