A NEW NAME ON YOUR PRAYER LIST

I want to encourage our church family to add Tom and Lisa McConnell to your prayer list. You may be aware that we, as a church family, commissioned Tom McConnell to a new ministry. I don’t mean just new as in just beginning. I mean new as in I don’t know anyone else doing what he will be doing. So let me explain.

Tom recently accepted a job in Georgetown, South Carolina. He and Lisa moved to their new home in Pawleys Island. They still consider James Island Baptist their church…at least their home church. They started visiting churches around the area where they live. There are some large, growing, thriving churches in the area. What they found and what burdened them was the smaller, struggling rural mind set churches. Churches that had so few people they could not afford to call a fulltime pastor, not even a part time or bi-vocational pastor. Tom grew up in a small rural town and began his faith walk in a small rural church. These two experiences tugged on his heart.

He came to me with an idea. He would offer his services to these small churches at no charge. He would basically serve as their free interim pastor. His unique skills of teaching and leading would help the church families look at two options. One, do they want to exist? Do they want to continue on or do they see their days as over? If so, Tom can help them plan their exit strategy…how to use their assets to continue the legacy of their church. On the other hand, if they believe God is not finished with them, how do they turn around? How do they re-vision and re-engage in Kingdom work?

Truthfully, this is a hard work. God can do all things…the question is often do we want Him to? It would be much easier to start a new church than to resurrect a dead church. Both are dependent on the grace and power of God. Tom feels called to at least try. This mission seems so big and so impossible I think it must be of God. When Mr. T was asked his prediction of the fight with Rocky Balboa he said “pain”. I make the same prediction…pain. I also know there is never a feast without a sacrifice; that we know Jesus in the power of His resurrection as well as in His suffering.

So pray. Pray for wisdom, patience, courage, boldness, kindness. Pray for open doors that Tom will find favor with God and with the churches looking for help. Pray for how JIBC will join God as the doors open.
Interestingly enough, the Charleston Baptist Association just voted on its new purpose statement. The CBA exists to do three things: strengthen churches; strengthen pastors and leaders; plant new churches and develop church plant leaders. Almost sounds like Tom McConnell was listening in on that meeting. Really, it sounds like God is doing something. So pray.

See you soon, Lord willing,

Pastor Tom