Lighthouse

Our story as a family of churches starts with the planting of James Island Christian Church.  Pastor Richard Dority and a group of families began gathering in 1987 and purchased land on James Island in the Crosscreek neighborhood.  Since that time, the campus has expanded,  James Island Christian School was founded, and the church continued to grow.  

In the next 30 years, JICC continued to serve the Charleston area and invest in global church planting -- putting specific emphasis on the authority of God’s Word, the Power of his Spirit, and the call to raise up the next generation to honor him.  Throughout the years, there were various prophetic words and prayers that came from inside and outside the church about JICC’s call to be “a lighthouse to the nations.”

Most of the churches in our extended family are between 50-125 people.  They gather in various places and at various times -- some meet in other church’s buildings and fellowship halls, some meet in outdoor pavilions and others on the private land of church members.  Just like individual families, each church shares a unique identity based on their leadership and their members -- while still retaining the shared values of “Word and Spirit” that we hold as an extended family.  

JICC functions much like the churches in Antioch and Jerusalem did in the New Testament -- as a hub for training and sending out leaders and teams.  The physical campus serves a two-fold purpose:  First, to be a space where people can gather to be equipped, and Second, to be a place where new people who are only familiar with worshipping on a Sunday morning inside of a church building can catch a vision for multiplication and multi-generational faithfulness and then participate with us in God’s expanding work in the city and around the world.
[Link: Core Values]

Each of our churches are led by 2-5 elders -- including a lead elder.  The lead elders of each church meet monthly with the other lead elders and the apostolic team for prayer and equipping.  These times also serve to guide decisions on key areas of doctrine and practice as they arise (see Acts 15).   Like Paul, Barnabas, Titus, Timothy, and James did in the early church, an apostolic team based out of JICC serves these local churches.  
[Links:  3 Groups of New Testament Leaders, JICC as an Antioch church]

Daily, we read the Scriptures.  This daily reading overflows into discipling relationships among our neighbors and friends.  These also overflow into our homes -- as we ask God to impress our children with a love for Him.   Through these readings and discussions, we are seeking to establish people in the gospel of Jesus Christ and to walk in obedience to him.

Weekly, we gather to worship.  This happens in various places and times -- but with the same purpose:  To exalt Jesus together.  Through this time we devote ourselves to the apostles teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayers (Acts 2:42).  Practically, this looks like one of the elders teaching through a passage from the weekly reading or from another portion of Scripture, individual members contributing to the fellowship through their individual spiritual gifts, and the entire family gathering together around the Lord’s Table.

Yearly, we gather for celebration.  The people of Israel gathered together three times year in Jerusalem for three pilgrimage feasts: passover, pentecost, and booths.  In the same way, our churches come together for corporate celebrations.