Good News!

First, let’s start with some financial good news. The blessings of the Lord have allowed us to do some things we have not been able to do before. First, we are in the process of replacing our old boiler system and cooling tower. Most of us didn’t know we are on such heat and a/c systems. I will say this; we have gotten our money out of them. They have been running since Noah brought them over on the ark. Our members and local Heating and Air companies have patched, matched, rigged, replaced, prayed and repaired them as much as they could. Terrace Heating and Air only had one man who ever worked on boilers and he has retired and gone to the islands to live. I seriously think they have been working for over 40 years. Now that is good stewardship!


Second: Because tithes and offerings have been up, we are able to ask our ministry team leaders to submit budget request for the 2014 Missions and Ministry Budget. The down economy over the past years has been reflected in our down offerings. That makes sense. In those years, there was really no need to ask ministries to submit a budget, we had to hold the line and trim where we could. Any ministry and mission that needed extra funding could put in a request. As far as I can remember, we have never had to deny any request for ministry or missions. Praise the Lord. Just a reminder of how a budget works. For example, a ministry may have a budget of $2,000 for their year. In reality, that $2,000 is not just sitting in a bank waiting for that ministry to spend. It comes in over the 52 weeks of the year. Generally speaking, many of our budgets don’t need their funds on January 1…or we could never meet the request. Spread out over the year, usually, we have no problem. Again, generally speaking, we do not spend money and then make the budget request; we make the budget request, make sure the monies are available, and then spend the money. Our team leaders have been very good about this process over the years. By the way, increased offerings usually allow for increase giving to missions and ministries, paying our debt down and doing needed, but unscheduled, repairs. Hallelujah.

Third: A personal note. On behalf of our entire family, thank you again for the wonderful prayer support for Try, Erin and Wyatt. Erin is home now and goes back and forth to MUSC daily, sometimes, multiple times, to be with Wyatt. We do not know when Wyatt will get to come home. His due date was January 6, so we hope before then. I think Erin is hoping for Thanksgiving…how wonderfully appropriate. He is doing as well as expected. I think most of his issues are just because he is a preemie. Hopefully as he grows, the issues just go away. Again, we are humbled and grateful for your prayers and support.


Pastor Tom

IT’S AN ANNUAL EXTRAVAGANZA

Every year we do several outreach “bridge” events into our community.  The Fall Festival is a good example of an event targeting the community.  Here are the only limitations I see…you can’t put 10 pounds of potatoes in a 5 pound bag.  In other words, we cannot manufacture any more space.  This event is about as big as we can make it on our church campus.  Otherwise, it has been a wonderful opportunity to serve the community.

Let me review some of our goals for this event:

1. We are intentionally going head to head with Halloween.  We believe we can offer a family friendly, fun and safe event that does not pay tribute to witches, devils, or any of the dark side associated with Halloween.

2. Instead, we offer a family event that features fun, activities, a safer environment in a setting with followers of Jesus.  Not many events bring as many unchurched  families onto the JIBC campus.

3. Our goal is to provide a positive experience that allows families to come and enjoy time with their children in a safer environment.  It has been a long time, if ever, when it made sense to send our children to the doors of strangers,  on darkened roads,  to accept gifts from strangers.  Not trying to spoil anyone’s traditional fun, just sayin’ there are safer alternatives.

4. Even if we set aside the missional aspect of serving the community; the social correctness of family friendly activities; the theological issues with Halloween….it is just a BIG FUN EVENT!

So, how do you plug in?  Pray.  Really, we will do more than pray.  We will do more and better after we pray.   Volunteer.  This is a volunteer army.  On Wednesday night, October 30, we will wear our work clothes and be staging for the Thursday night Fall Festival.   It takes dozens of  volunteers to staff this festival.  All types of volunteers are needed:  work a booth, cook a meal, clean and empty, welcome and greet, watch for security, etc.  Sign up tables are by the church office.   Donate Candy.  No child wants to feel like they missed out on the opportunity to load up on sweets…they surely get their bag filled at JIBC!    Donate funds.  Always there is something that has to be purchased.  Your gifts make it easier to do.

Good Lord willing, I plan to be there.

Pastor Tom

WHAT A GREAT WAY TO BEGIN

WHAT A GREAT WAY TO BEGIN!

This past Sunday we celebrated the baptism of 8 followers of Jesus. The Lord added 2 from the Hispanic Church, Luz Y Verdad. It is always a joy to work with Pastor Claudio. They are averaging around 50 every Sunday and are as active in outreach as I could possibly imagine! Then we baptized a mother with her three children. Follow that up with the baptism of a mother and her teenage daughter and you have a wonderfully exciting celebration. To God be the glory. Thank you for your generous giving that allows us to have missions like Celebrate Recovery and the Transition House. You make an impact on individuals, their family and the entire community.

LIFE’S HEALING CHOICES

I am thrilled with the start of our church wide series on “Life’s Healing Choices”. We have 11 Connection Groups that meet in homes throughout the week and in various communities. We have 9 Sunday Connection Groups that meet on campus every Sunday morning. Some are continuing the Adult Bible Study and some are using the Life’s Healing Choices” Bible Study material. Either way, you have great options for connecting with God, God’s Word, God’s people, and His community. Off to a great start! Susan Warren is leading this ministry. If she can be of help to you or your group, please give her a call at the church office, 762-0244.

PERSONAL WORD

An update on my daughter Erin, Trey and baby Wyatt. By the time you read this, we may have a baby on board. Monday as I type this, the plan was just made to start the ball rolling to deliver this week. Not that they asked me, but I agree. I cast my granddaddy vote for Thursday, but gladly surrender to the wonderful timing of the Lord. I cannot thank you enough for your prayers and thoughts. He is our strength and salvation.



See you Sunday, Lord willing,

Pastor Tom

Wyatt was born Monday night, October 7 a little after 9 pm, weighing approximately 2 pounds. Mom and baby are doing good...Please continue to pray as Erin recovers from a c-section and Wyatt continues to grow bigger and stronger each day!

Life’s Healing Choices

This Sunday we will begin a new sermon series on “Life’s Healing Choices”. This is a part of our church wide mission and ministry. Several wonderful things will happen. First, we have baptism scheduled for the first Sunday of this campaign! New life for new followers of Jesus. What a joy. Second, we will launch new weekday connection groups. Meeting in homes throughout the community spending time in fellowship, the Word, ministering to one another and reaching out to the community. What’s not to love? Third, we actually start a new Sunday Connection class with Dean Kelly as the leader. There is room for anyone who would like to be a part of this wonderful class. Fourth, I will be teaching a series of messages on “Life’s Healing Choices”. These messages are based on the Beatitudes found in Matthew 5. I am very excited to share with the church family the kind of discipleship and Biblical teaching that we share weekly in Celebrate Recovery . The message of Celebrate Recovery is based on the Word of God and form the basis of a Christ centered 12 Step program. I anticipate healing and blessing from this series. It will be difficult for some to deal with their “junk”…but it can be liberating. If you are interested in how to get involved or find a connection group, please give us a call at the office, 762-0244. Last, we will be continually encouraging all our connection groups to be outwardly focused. What will your group do to take the Light of Christ to an area of darkness? Susan has a list of several ongoing ministries where you can plug in and participate. Your group is certainly free and encouraged to find areas where you have a passion to make a difference. It’s all good! It can all be one of “Life’s Healing Choices”.

Personal Word: Today, September 30, is Week 26 of our daughter Erin’s pregnancy. You have been so kind and gracious to let us share the journey of her incredibly difficult pregnancy with you. She has been in MUSC for a month this time. She was in and out before. She will stay until little Wyatt is born. We give thanks for bringing them safe this far. We continue asking for safety and wisdom on when, during the next two weeks, to deliver.



See you Sunday, good Lord willing,

Pastor Tom

THANK YOU JIBC FAMILY

This past Sunday, September 15, marked our 28th year together with JIBC. Janie and I moved in to our first James Island home on Friday, September 13, 1985. We moved in with our three children: Bryon (5), Brook (3) and Erin (1). They are now grown adults with their own families attending here at JIBC. Some of you may remember that Erin, as an infant, was soon admitted to MUSC and diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis. After seven years of treatment and care at MUSC, she was “released” from their care. They don’t like to call it cured. Whatever they call it, we thank God, give Him glory and will always remember the head of the CF Clinic, Dr. Margaret Jenkins, fondly. Twenty eight years later, Erin is back at MUSC. She has been in and out several times over the past month. She finally reached week 24 of a very difficult pregnancy and will likely stay at MUSC until Wyatt arrives. Miracles and modern medicine are familiar territory for Erin. We are so grateful to all our friends for their prayers and love.
I constantly remind myself of the joy and privilege of being a pastor in one place for such a long period of time. That certainly is not the trend. By the way, the pastor at First Baptist Church James Island, Rev. Bernard Gadsden, came the same year as I did. Both of us have been blessed with long pastorates. Janie and I thank you for your love and support. We have loved raising our 3 children, and now 6 and 1/2 grandchildren, as part of James Island Baptist. We are blessed to have our entire family continuing to join us weekly in worship and service.
We are grateful for the “Pirate Mickey Mouse” you gave us Sunday. Most of you could not see that Mickey had envelopes in both hands. One contained restaurant gift certificates and the other a coffee shop gift card! We will look forward to enjoying them once this season of watch is over for Erin, Trey and Wyatt. Why Mickey Mouse? Janie and I went to Disney World on our honeymoon and have made it our annual anniversary trip since then. You gotta love the Mouse to understand.

Thank you for a great 28! My prayer is for Him to be glorified, His people to live sanctified and our community to be justified...in Jesus’ name!

Pastor Tom and Janie

Connected?

This past summer I taught a series of messages from 1 John.  I called the series “Believe Right + Love Right = Live the Life God Intended.  In September, I am teaching a series called “Connections”.  It is a reminder, a re-casting of vision of why we exist as a church.  We exist to help join God in His mission.  We do that by helping Connect people to God through worship; to God’s people through fellowship; to God’s Word through discipleship; to God’s heart through service; and to God’s world through mission.

We are putting emphasis on getting people connected.  We believe the clear biblical directive is that God’s people are to live life in community, connected to God, each other and the world.  So let’s talk about getting connected to each other.  I meet every week with my small group of pastors.  We have been meeting together every Friday morning for 20 years.  Friday is not my day off.  It is just a day that includes my small group time with my pastor friends.  I also teach an adult Bible Study Class every week.  I don’t have to, I love to!  I deeply enjoy the groups I am doing life with.  One meets a deep personal need and the other meets a more social need.  Both provide a place where I can love and be loved, serve and be served, encourage and be encouraged.

This month, we are encouraging everyone to sign up to be a part of a “connection group”.  We have connection groups that meet on Sunday mornings (formerly called Sunday School Classes) and connection groups that meet during the week.  Some meet on campus and others meet off campus in homes.  Why not try a group and see if you find friends there you could so life with?

Starting in October, we will be doing a church wide study on “ Life’s Healing Choices”.  All connection groups are invited to join us during this helpful study.  This would be a great time to try a small group.  It is only 8 weeks.  By then you will know if this is the right fit or not.  There will be sign up tables in the hallways by the office with greeters there to help answer questions.  You can also call Susan Warren at the church office, 762-0244.  Let’s get connected and so life together.   Let’s Believe Right + Love Right  and then Live Life they way God intended…connected.

Pastor Tom

Let’s Get Connected

Generally speaking, we like the idea of being connected.  We don’t like it if we lose connection for our computers, our phones or electricity.  We want to be connected.  We love it when we are connected to someone who can help us get a good deal on a purchase.  Facebook is a social media that helps us stay connected, sometimes too connected, to family and friends.  Being connected is usually a good and healthy thing.

During the month of September my teaching series will be on “Connections”.  The big idea is that God has given His children points of connection.  There are five of these connection points that we will visit over the next four weeks.  As we get connected to these Biblical points of connection, we will enjoy a more balanced spiritual journey. 

During this month, we will be challenged to examine three levels where we can get connected to God’s purpose for our lives.  First, we will look at how our entire church family is doing in living out these points of connection.  Second, we will be challenging all of our Connection Groups, whether you meet on Sunday Morning or during the week.  How balanced is your small group?  We sometimes can get stuck or over emphasize one purpose at the expense of the other five.  Last, we will be encouraged to examine our personal walk with Jesus to make sure we are connected in a healthy way.

Imagine a typical car running with an engine and on four good wheels.  Balanced, smooth, and connected to the road.  Now imagine taking a wheel off.  Imagine taking one wheel off and having a second wheel that is undersized.  Picture having all four wheels but no engine. Get the point?  We need all four wheels, all four connection points, as well as the engine.  Our biblical connection points are worship, fellowship, discipleship, service and mission.  All five are necessary to be connected to God’s purpose for your life.  Let’s get connected and live a balanced life, have a balanced Connection Group and Church family.

See you Sunday, good Lord willing,

Pastor Tom