AND SO IT BEGINS…INSERT BIG SMILE HERE!
The next time you come to the church campus you will see the first steps of the Daring Faith renovations. The lines are drawn, the workers are lined up and we are off to the races, so to speak. Just a reminder of the renovation going on at the point of Maybank and Wappoo. Remember what you see is not the finished project. It will look like poles in the ground for a brief period. Ultimately, there will be decorative box/sleeves and lights for each of the poles. You can see the concept at the main bulletin board going into the Fellowship Hall. You can also see them on the church website at www.jamesislandbaptist.com. I am sure you will like it and I am hoping and praying it will be as functionally protective as we are planning! Amen. At this point, it looks like the front renovations will be mostly completed by Easter Sunday. I love it!
BAPTISM PLANNED FOR SUNDAY, MARCH 11
Just a heads up that we are planning for baptism on Sunday March 11 and on Sunday, April 1. Baptism is a public declaration of a person’s commitment to become a follower of Jesus Christ. It is a matter of obedience to the command of our Lord given in Matthew 28:19-20. It follows the example of our Lord who was baptized. It is a beautiful picture of the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus. It can be such a beautiful act of worship and a powerful testimony. Be in prayer for all who will be baptized over the next few weeks.
Joy Club Outing
The JOY Club (Just Older Youth) will be going to Boone Hall on Tuesday, March 6. This was a change of date from February 27. Hope you signed up for this fun outing. The JOY Club almost always goes to interesting places and ALWAYS finds good food to eat while having great fun.
Blessings,
Pastor Tom
The Beauty of the Olympics
I so enjoy the Olympics, whether winter or summer. Even though I I have never been involved in “curling” I find it fascinating to watch. I love the thrill of the high jumps and the speed of ice skating. Perhaps my favorite in the winter Olympics is couples figure skating. I love the grace, the elegance, the beauty, the strength involved. I find myself wanting to say “thank you” for contributing beauty to the world. For a brief moment in time, we are able to set aside right and left and see the fruit of hard work and dedication. In America, we are in such a politically divisive time, I am so very grateful that politics has mainly stayed away from the Olympic sports. Thank you to all of the Olympic athletes from around the world. You are a two week gift to us all. By the way, how about the JIBC connection with the Romanian Bobsleigh team, Beatrice Puiu! I feel sure she will sign autographs and do selfies with us when she returns.
The Beauty of the Christ Life
One thing I enjoy more than the beauty of the Olympics is the beauty of seeing the Christ life lived out. It is a work of grace and beauty to see a transformed life now being used by God to transform lives. It takes obedience, surrender, humility and inner strength. But to watch it in action is beautiful. It is like a vessel filled with a lovely, healing balm that is poured out at the right time, in the right way, with the right attitude. It is a simple cup of cold water…or a hot meal served to the homeless on Wednesday evenings and Sunday nights. It looks like befriending someone very different because they are in the image of God and Christ lives in them too. It looks like arms open wide to welcome back the prodigal and to celebrate the return. Hugging is not an Olympic sport but if it was JIBC would medal. If welcoming the broken were a sport, you would wear the gold! I love being on the team together with you. See you Sunday for another warm up!
Pastor Tom
There has been a slight change of events!Two years ago we launched a really ambitious and fun event…The JIBC Easter Egg Drop. It was a fun success with more people than we ever imagined. It was so worth it. What is the most important thing about real estate? Location, location, location. Well, the Easter Egg Drop was all about location. The First Baptist Recreation Complex was the only site that fit the necessary criteria. Unfortunately, it is not available this time. The First Baptist School is in the middle of a building program and that ties up a lot of their parking space. Without parking, the even cannot happen. We used almost every available space they had last year. And we anticipate each year would get bigger and bigger. So…no JIBC Helicopter Easter Egg drop this year. I can almost hear the creative minds asking “What about the park or the High School or other locations. Trust me, it is very difficult to get people to allow a Helicopter to drop 10,000 plastic Easter Eggs at a children’s event. They say no before the insurance companies do it for them.
Now, as creative as Sean is, you know he is not just letting this idea drop. See what I did there…drop??? Anyway, we have cut him loose to come up with a positive, creative, outreach alternative. Let’s see what happens.
Dementia Support GroupOur Dementia Support Group meets this Sunday at 12:30, after the morning worship service. If you have a family member or friend struggling with dementia or Alzheimer’s, this monthly meeting could be a big help to you. I encourage you to come by and check it out. If you want more information, please call and ask to speak with Susan Warren. She will be very happy to help answer your questions. Unfortunately, we see this happening more and more in our families and to our friends. In the church, it can mean stepping down from positions of service and leadership. For others it can mean being unable to attend certain functions as often as you would like.
Good Lord willing, see you this Sunday. Use lots of hand sanitizer, do the fist bump or elbow bump, stay home if you are sick, stay healthy!
Pastor Tom
