Fall Festival Is Almost Here!

FALL FESTIVAL: LESS THAN ONE WEEK AWAY! 

I know it does not seem like it, but the Annual Fall Festival is the largest attended event of the year for JIBC. We pack the worship center out for Christmas Eve and Easter. But we will have three times that number at the Fall Festival on Wednesday, October 31. Susan and her team have done a good job of recruiting volunteers, gathering mountains of candy and dealing with the construction obstacles this year. So, this year may be a little…different. Hotdogs and drinks will be served outside at the Kickin Chicken Food Truck. All restrooms will be the port-a-potties! We will not have anything inside this year since the side door-elevator entrance is under construction. Remember the goal: a family friendly, extremely safe, fun filled alternative to the traditional Halloween (going door to door, accepting candy from strangers, too much emphasis on evil, etc). Families of preschoolers and children can have a great time, get plenty of candy and be about as safe as you can be (our security team will be in full force). If you have not signed up to volunteer but want to, please let Susan know. There are jobs where you can sit the whole time, mingle the whole time, give directions or actively participate at a booth. This is a day the Lord has made, let us be glad and have fun with it. The devil does not get to decide what we do on any day of the year! Amen!?


THEN COMES ADVENT. You know your pastor, I absolutely love the Christmas season. Just about the only thing I do not like about Christmas is the idea of someone going into debt or spending money they do not have on things that will not last. I absolutely love that JIBC has found a wonderful way to combine Advent with Missions. Susan Warren and our old friend Charles Dillon will be gathering a list of items for us to bring each Sunday of Advent. This year we will, of course, bring jelly for the James Island Outreach. The other three Sundays of Advent, we will bring items needed in the hurricane relief efforts. Hopefully, we will be able to take a load down the week after Christmas to our old friends at Carpenters House Global, Charles and Judy Dillon. The Dillons are former members who have gone full time into Disaster Relief work.

As I said last week, starting with the Fall Festival, this is my favorite season of the year!

Pastor Tom

Fall Festival and Operation Christmas Child

COMMUNITY OUTREACH: FALL FESTIVAL 

In just about 2 weeks we will put on a community party known as The James Island Baptist Fall Festival. I know there are some who totally embrace the whole “Halloween” experience and some who totally object to anything related to Halloween. I try to take my lead from neither of those two positions. Over the years, we have decided to take the Halloween tradition head on. We have tried, with God’s blessing, to offer a family friendly Fall Festival that gives families a positive alternative to Halloween. This is a day the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it. We don’t run inside or go out to eat to avoid the crowds. We go after them, invite them, and show them good clean fun for FREE! And just like on any given Sunday we cannot keep out the scary people or those with impure motives. What we can do is pray for them, love on them, surround them with God’s people looking to bring God joy and to share that joy with the world. 

This year will be a little bit of a challenge with all of the construction going on. Susan and her team are ready to make last minute adjustments based on where we are on the days just before October 31! 

By the way, we still need three more things: More prayers, more candy and about 20 more volunteers. We have 40 signed up but we still need a few more to serve as greeters and to help point people in the right direction! Please sign up Sunday or touch base with Susan! We will have more people on our campus on October 31 than on any other night or day of the year! Let’s show them a Good and Beautiful God and His Good and Beautiful Church family known as JIBC. 

CHRISTMAS IS COMING AND THAT MEANS 

OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD SHOEBOXES 

Susan has lost her mind! JIBC and over 300 shoeboxes…really? Just teasing. That is the goal for this year: over 300 Shoeboxes filled with toys and supplies to take God’s love around the world. Wouldn’t you like to see all those faces of the little children who open these boxes? It basically takes around $9 to fill a box with the suggested items and, if you can, Operation Christmas Child asks for an additional $9 to help cover the shipping. But you bring the box filled even if you cannot cover the shipping. I suspect that the cost will be covered. The filled shoeboxes are DUE BY WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14. For more info contact Susan@jamesislandbaptist.com. 

See you Sunday, Good Lord willing! 

Pastor Tom 

FALL FESTIVAL OR BUST!

One of the longest standing mission/ministries/traditions of James Island Baptist has been our annual Fall Festival. It has truly become a community event. Do you remember how we started it? We wanted to go head to head with a fun, but questionable, night of Halloween. I know many of us had so much fun as kids going door to door getting free candy, dressed in homemade costumes. We stayed out to the wee hours of the night until everyone turned their lights out. Our Piggly Wiggly grocery bags were filled with an assortment of goodies. Very seldom was there any meanness, razor blades or poison in candies, seldom a mention of child predators and drugs were not an epidemic. That was then, this is now.

So we went head to head with a favorite night on the calendar. We offer a family friendly, as safe as possible environment that is free…affordable to every family. I am continually amazed at all we are able to offer and do at this festival. Kids get all the candy no parent wants them to have (lol); games are good clean fun; food is always delicious; and every now and again, we are able to share the Gospel story in an introductory way. The music is always the best! We have never really been tempted to offer this on another more convenient night…like a weekend. We always go head to head with Halloween. We encourage all of our volunteers and JIBC folks not to wear scary costumes or dress up in scantily clad costumes. Think family, think preschool and children. There are adult and teen parties that have more mature, frightful themes. We try to target families. By the way, we do not mind when our guestz come dressed in traditional Halloween garb. I personally love that they will see very creative costumes by our church family that are neither scary or “sexy”.

So how can you help? You know the drill: Volunteer for a two hour shift…or more if you have the stamina; brings lots and lots of candy; invite someone with children; pray for favor with God and man. Our challenge this year will include the renovation of the side of our building. That takes away, just for this year, a sizeable chunk of real estate we would use for the festival. Susan Warren and her team are already on top of the Plan B!

Hard to believe it is almost here! See you soon, good Lord willing!

Pastor Tom

PRAYING FOR JIBC!

So we have quite a few things on our plates to lift in prayer to our Father in Heaven. Thankfully, He knows our needs before we can give voice to them. Our praying is to seek Him and find what He is doing. It is not so much to ask Him to bless what we are doing. Second, our praying is a confession of sorts. We confess how much we need Him and how dependent we are on Him for guidance and blessing. So here are a few things for us to lift up to the Father of Lights, the giver of every good gift.

First, let’s give thanks for the time our students have been blessed by Frankie Gilmore. As you may have heard Sunday in the worship service, Frankie is stepping down as the Pastor of Student Ministries. We are so grateful he is not leaving, only shifting. He is going back to more like the status he used to have when he served as Student Pastor Intern. The Lord opened a financial door for Frankie that pays him almost triple what we are able to pay an entry level Student Pastor. He will be working at one of the Escape Game venues in West Ashley. His hours there conflict with the main hours he serves at JIBC or we would have gladly offered him a part time position. He is the type of servant we want on our team. He and Jen will be getting married in 2019 and this career move will allow him to prepare for the wedding and provide for his family. God is good all the time! AGAIN, Frankie will still be here coordinating our ongoing Student Ministries and leading in our worship band on Sunday mornings. But we will not see him around much in the evenings as he works his new job!

Second, please pray for Janie and me as we travel to meet and interview a prospective new staff member for JIBC. We are seeking the Father’s will as we look for someone who will serve as, what is now referred to as, the Executive Pastor. Back in the day, we would have just called them the Associate! We have had several conversations with this prospective staff member and will be meeting with him this weekend. Keep us in your prayers, please.

Third, the Daring Faith Building Believers and Renovating Buildings continues full steam ahead. We have a few minor touches to complete the Fellowship Hall. As soon as they are complete, we will have a ribbon cutting praise celebration! The new entrance and elevator will take a little longer. This may impact our Fall Festival to some degree, but Susan and her team are working brilliantly on a Plan B to adjust for the construction. Thank you for giving so generously of your tithes to support the ongoing mission of the church and your offerings to accomplish the much needed renovations. We will be continuing the Daring Faith Offerings over the next two years. Our hope is to be able to complete all the renovations and to maintain all of our missions and ministries. It is not too late to give a larger one time gift and/or a monthly gift to help offset expenses.

It is a good time to pray and seek Him, to ask His blessings to continue on JIBC. God is good all the time and all the time, God is good!

Pastor Tom

IT IS A LOT TO ASK

James Island Baptist has been blessed in so many ways it is hard to list them all. One way we have been blessed is in tithes and offerings. This church family and our friends have consistently given above and beyond. There have been years where, by God’s grace, we were able to take the entire offering for a week and give it to mission causes. The mission and ministry of JIBC is strong because God has led you to be faithful in giving your tithes to your local church. To God be the glory.

There are times when asking for additional offerings for missions and ministry is needed. Now is one of those times. In addition to our tithes, which should go to the local church where you worship, we have needs beyond JIBC. Let me share three that you might consider blessing with an extra offering.

First, there is James Island Outreach. Now through October 12, you have the opportunity to give and to have your gifted doubled. A benefactor has pledged to match dollar for dollar every financial gift given from now until Friday, October 12. I have challenged our staff to give with the idea that what they are able to give, Janie and I will try to match. Imagine, instead of buying a jar of jelly to donate that cost $1.50, you gave that $1.50 as an offering. It would be matched and you would in effect be giving $3.00. There is no gift to small to be doubled! As the political commercials say: “ I approve this announcement”. You can donate through JIBC or go to http://jioutreach.org/donations. You can make checks out to James Island Outreach and mail them to JIO, 1872-C Camp Road, Charleston, SC 20412.

Second, there is the GoFundMe for Kevin Walsh. The unique circumstances make this a ministry we want to support. On an airplane returning from a business trip, Kevin had a massive heart attack. The plane was rerouted to Dallas Texas and Kevin was airlifted to Baylor Hospital. Monday, he had an LVAD inserted that will help his heart to function until he can have a heart transplant. The hope is to bring him back to MUSC, a hospital that accepts their insurance. If you would like to donate any amount you can go to www.newheartforkevin.com

Third, will be the massive Disaster Relief effort for victims of Hurricane Florence. This devastation is likely to be more extensive that Katrina in New Orleans. We have already sent one loaded UHaul trailer full of supplies. My guess is there will be many more in days to come. Once the water recedes and damage is accessed, then there will be a time and place for teams to go and help. Pace yourself on this one. It is easy to be fatigued by non-stop pictures and information about the devastation.

IT IS A LOT TO ASK. We have been blessed to bless. Pray…it is always the number one request. Give when you can as the Lord blesses. Prepare for the time when we may be taking trips to help out.

See you Sunday, good Lord willing,

Pastor Tom

What's Happening at JIBC

Class 101: Discovering Church Membership is scheduled for this Sunday, September 23 at 4:00 pm. We have 12 signed up for this discovery seminar! I am always to excited to think about how the Lord leads people to unite with His family here at James Island Baptist. Beautiful families with stories of how God has blessed them. Each of them came to JIBC on different paths but now feel ready to take the next step to explore membership. To God be the glory! 

Daring Faith Continues Making Progress. Many of you have seen the wonderful makeover for the Fellowship Hall. It is NOT finished, but it is already such a wonderful improvement with beautiful colors, a fabulous looking floor and improved lighting. The little finishing touches are on the way. We will have a ribbon cutting celebration when everything is ready.  AND…the new entrance with the elevator is in progress. As I am typing this article, the workers are drilling and hammering away! Thank you for your patience during the transition time. Many of you have volunteered to park off campus and walk a little extra to leave parking for Senior Adult, families with small children and guests. You guys are the best! Keep your fingers crossed we can have this completed by the time of our Annual Fall Festival, October 31st. If not, Susan and her team have a really good Plan B ready.

Thank you for your faithful giving to make these renovations possible. Every Pastor I know wishes we did not have to spend money on renovations, upkeep, improvements, etc. But just like our homes, it comes with the territory. And the end result, we believe, will be so worth it all. Thank you for generously giving. If you have not made a gift to Daring Faith, please consider doing so. Some found it easier to give a large one time gift and then to regularly give a monthly gift as God blesses. So far, we have been able to pay for the construction as we go along. That is possible because so many gave so generously upfront. The more we pay off, the better it is in avoiding interest!

The Storm That Was Not. We are grateful for the blessings of not having to face a Cat 4 hurricane. Florence missed us and for that we give thanks. It hit our neighbors to the north and continues to do severe damage across the Carolinas. Please continue to be in prayer for first responders and those still in harms way. Thank you to everyone who helped cover bases for Sunday worship. Again, you guys are the best. See you Sunday, good Lord willing.

Pastor Tom

FLORENCE OR NO FLORENCE…THAT IS THE ANNOYING QUESTION!

As I type this article we are watching regularly the non-news news about Hurricane Florence. This is such a difficult time for everyone that is anywhere near the potential path of destruction. Like many of you, we have our families to prepare for and then we have our business to prepare for (in this case James Island Baptist Church). How do you properly prepare for something that might not happen? You prepare as though it might happen! So, here are some suggestions that might help.

First, pray. Really, that is a good strategy. Pray for peace, wisdom, discernment, energy, leadership, etc. Pray and trust that our Father in Heaven wants to bless you. Pray for those who are first responders, medical personnel and those who will serve and work in the storm.

Second, prepare. I really don’t mind buying things that I will use during the year anyway. We will always use water, canned chicken, duct tape, plastic, extra gas, etc. We try to buy the kind of things we will use eventually anyway. I know I am going to grill out…so make sure the tanks are full. We always need flashlights to check outside and in dark places…so have batteries on hand. The hardest thing to prepare for me is the emergency list and contact information. Most of my emergency people are here! So be creative.

The rule of thumb at the church is if Charleston County School District closes, we close. That makes it so hard because we do not have a phone tree to get the word out to everyone. Our thinking is we don’t want you taking a chance on being out if the officials have warned everyone to stay off the roads, or if flooding is imminent, etc. We will try our best to get word out but stay in touch with social media whenever possible. Now, the good news! By the time you read this, whatever is going to happen will have already happened. This will be good information for the next time!

Be safe, be prepared and pray. Does anyone around you need help? Let us know.

Pastor Tom