tbc Worship & Fellowship

Construction and Renovations Committee Report: January 2019

CONSTRUCTION AND RENOVATIONS COMMITTEE REPORT

Row Houses Subcommittee Report: Nelson Melton

The calendar year of 2018 began with Tabernacle’s congregation voting to move forward with the major remodeling of the two row houses, adjacent to the main church building.

The positive vote by the congregation necessitated the Church move forward with regulatory actions which needed approval from the City of Richmond planning authorities and Richmond City Council to alter the two row houses into residential housing units.

A special use permit (SUP) needing approval involved both the Church’s child care function along with the two row houses. The child care’s SUP was approved first, and then at the suggestion of Richmond City authorities and with the advice of the Church’s legal counsel, the SUP approved for the child care operation was amended, granting the Church authority to convert the two row houses into residential apartments. The amended SUP was approved on November 13, 2018.

During the first part of 2018 the Church approved moving forward to borrow $400,000 from the Baptist Extension Board (BEB). This loan was approved by the BEB in February, 2018 and will be used to pay for a portion of the remodeling work on the two row houses. In addition, a part of the God Size Vision funds will be used to pay the balance of the cost of the remodeling the two row houses not covered by the loan from the Baptist Extension Board. The remainder of the GSV funds will be used for improvements in the main Church building, with a small amount of funds used to improve the first floor and second floor of the Child Care function. The majority of the funds designated for the Child Care operation will be used for a new parent entrance on the east side of the William’s building. This new entrance was caused by the elimination of the old entrance into the William’s building by
the remodeling of the two row houses.

During the first half of 2018, a myriad of legal paper work to create two limited liability corporations was approved by the Church and put in place with the State of Virginia Corporation Commission. The two organizations were titled, 1913 Grove Avenue LLC and 1915 Grove Avenue LLC and will hold legal title to the two row houses.

As the year of 2018 moved toward closing, the Church’s contractor, Eliot Clark, began preparations to begin the remodeling work on the two row houses. Legal documents which will manage the loan relationship with the Baptist Extension Board were received and were under review as the year drew to an end.

Williams Building Subcommittee: Donna Soyars

Our accomplishments with renovations in the Williams Building have been steady over the past year. Our most important change was to create a new entranceway for our TCCC families to create a safer and more private access as row house construction and renovation begins. We are very pleased with the outcome of these efforts and quite grateful to Jay Hartman and his team for their support.

Funds utilized to date are close to our budgeted amount, understanding that there were additional, unforeseen improvements that had to be made as we worked out the details of each change. We will continue to prioritize our efforts for the benefit of those who use the Williams Building and maximize how much we can accomplish within our $45,000 budget.

Please address any questions related to this project and what we are planning for 2019 to Donna or Jim Soyars.

Main Building Subcommittee: John Gass

Renovations to our main church facilities have begun with the major basement-level renovations completed. Additional designs are underway and are being priced for feasibility within our fixed budget.

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TCCC Report: January 2019

TABERNACLE CHILD CARE CENTER (TCCC) REPORT: Kristen OSullivan

2018 was an exciting year for TCCC as we welcomed our new Director, Kristen OSullivan in January, upon the retirement of Frances Thrift after her 26 years of devoted leadership and ministry. Highlights of this transitional and transformative year including the following.

January 2018

  • The children of TCCC began attending weekly Chapel. Facilitators include the child care director and church pastoral staff.
  • A monthly bible verse promoting the teachings and education within the classroom unifying the message each month by staff of the church and center was implemented.
  • Epi-pen and allergy training was conducted for all staff. Emergency allergy information was posted in all classrooms where necessary.
  • Emergency Go-Kits were created to house emergency supplies and documents needed to go with staff during any emergency incident.
  • Digital database for families and enrolled children was created.

February 2018

  • Pre-K hosted its 100 Day of School Party.
  • Emergency Policy and Procedure Binders were created and added to all classrooms and the church office.
  • Staff participated in full day professional development taking a full day to become certified in CPR/First Aid.
  • New statewide fingerprinting process was implemented requiring all existing employees participate in fingerprinting program through FieldPrint.

March 2018

  • TCCC was granted a special use permit providing a waiver from City zoning requirements.
  • Exit doors were added to all classrooms as required by licensure and in preparation of increasing occupancy.
  • Staff participated in professional development/training focused on positive reinforcements/incentives and logical/natural consequences.
  • TBC hosted its annual Easter Egg Hunt attended by many TCCC families.

April 2018

  • TCCC staff member Catherine Chop completed training to be the Certified Food Manager.
  • Staff participated in professional development/training focused food and nutritional safety procedures.

May 2018

  • A new certificate of occupancy was awarded to accommodate up to 80 children and 28 staff.
  • TCCC celebrated its teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week. The parents helped to treat the teachers to lunches, snacks, and coffee throughout the week.
  • The 2017-18, Pre-K class held their graduation ceremony at the end of May. Families, church members, previous staff, and former director Frances Thrift were in attendance. Portraits were completed by Sterling and presented to the children as gifts from the church during the ceremony.

June 2018

  • HVAC: new units were installed for the Williams Building first floor. These costs were covered by the child care center.
  • Smoke Alarms were updated throughout the 1st and 2nd floors of the WIlliams Building.
  • TCCC’s Leave Policy was updated, including the addition of a Parental Leave Policy.
  • TCCC’s Paid Time Off (PTO) and carry-over policy was fine-tuned, with online tracking of earned time and an addendum added to the Employee Personnel Manual.

July 2018

  • A Scholarship Committee was formed as a sub-committee of the TCCC Ministry Committee.
    • A Scholarship Mission statement was developed.
    • A Scholarship Agreement was developed and shared with three potential scholarship families. All three children accepted the offer. Other families were contacted, but transportation to and from the center on a daily basis was a hindrance.
    • The Scholarship Committee will continue building a process timeline to establish practices and protocol for the 2019-2020 academic year.
  • In January, full time employees were offered the opportunity to earn an additional employment bonus based on six months of employment and positive performance appraisals at the conclusion of the new director’s six months in service. In July, ten out of eleven employees remained employed during the transition period and received bonuses to recognize the added efforts and support they have shown.
  • Tadpoles, a communication and record keeping software program based on iPads, was piloted in two classrooms.
  • Rock Band hosted by Grove Avenue Piano was offered as an afternoon enrichment program for the summer.
  • TCCC incorporated eco-friendly sugarcane paper products such as snack bowls and plates.

August 2018

  • Pre-K and Yellow Room classes participated in group swim lessons via the YMCA, transportation by the Richmond City busses.
  • Pre-K and Yellow Room classes completed a neighborhood scavenger hunt ending in a pizza party at nearby Joe’s Inn.
  • Building permit was issued for William’s Building entryway.
  • A new floor was installed in the kitchen as required for the Richmond Health Department for child care licensing purposes. TCCC and the church shared this project’s cost equally.
  • Digital exit-interview offered to previously employed personnel was developed.
  • Staff participated in professional development/training focused on child development and behaviors, specifically biting and preventative measures.

September 2018

  • Due to increased rigor in education practices and a demand in services, TCCC expanded programming to offer a Junior Kindergarten classroom for older 4 and 5-year-olds, beginning September 2018.
    • There are now two classrooms, each with a licensed teacher and one assistant on the second floor of the Williams Building.
    • An open house for the Pre-K and JK was held in August to meet the new teachers and answer questions.
    • The JK room was painted, furniture was refinished, and the new classroom was opened.
  • A new sandbox was added to the playground to make way for row house renovations and TCCC new entry. The TCCC storage shed was relocated.
  • After piloting, Tadpoles was deemed a positive resource. iPads were purchased for each class and staff began training and using the program.
  • Yoga was added as an enrichment program.
  • Henrico County and the City of Richmond were hit with several tornadoes and the area was under tornado warnings. TCCC staff and children took shelter in various church and center locations for the duration of the event.

October 2018

  • TCCC staff hosted the annual Fall Festival, offering games, music, and snacks for all the families of TCCC.
  • Fawn Tin Par became a U.S. citizen in 2018. Her ceremony took place on 10.17.2018 and was attended by TCCC staff and church members.
  • Staff participated in professional development/training focused on human/child rights.
  • A new wall added to the center to create an entryway/lobby area entering to the playground that will serve as the new entry moving forward. Lights were added.
  • New mulch was added to the playground.

November 2018

  • A parenting seminar was hosted by TCCC for all families and church members. Susan Holt of Everyday Parenting Solutions spoke on the topic of parenting with boundaries.
  • A small gate was added to the back blacktop fencing. Playground fencing and gate was repaired. These costs will be covered by the child care center.
  • A new door was added to the lobby and the previous entry to Grove was closed permanently.
  • New Job Descriptions were approved and individuals were hired to fill the positions for Facilities Manager and 2nd Floor Janitor.
  • FunBus began additional enrichment classes for the Blue Room children aged 18 months to two years.
  • Digital request of recommendation for potential employee was developed.

December 2018

  • TCCC hosted its annual Christmas Pageant followed by snacks and hot cocoa, with a date change due to inclement weather.
  • The sleeping nooks in the baby room were painted.
  • A new door in the hall to Yellow Room was added given children direct access to bathrooms.
  • WiFi upgrade in the Williams Building to enhance the users’ experience with Tadpoles is in process.
  • With the addition of iPads in each classroom, digital versions of labor law posters, the Parent Handbook, Employee Personnel Manual, and program procedures and policies were added to an employee drive.
  • The church approved TCCC’s 2019 operating budget of $908,548, which assumes a 2019 enrollment of 79 children (including 4 Pre-K, JK scholarship students). TCCC’s year-end 2018 financial reports are available elsewhere in this document.

Respectfully submitted,
Kristen OSullivan, TCCC Director

TCCC Ministry Committee: Donna Soyars and Mollie Barton, church representatives; Faith Alejandro and Johnna Woods, parent representatives.

TCCC Administrative Committee: Kathy Allen and Jim Soyars, church representatives; David Brown and Jaime Wisegarver, parent representatives.

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Board of Deacons Report: January 2019

BOARD OF DEACONS ANNUAL REPORT: Woody Jenkins
The Board of Deacons for 2018 has met regularly throughout the year. This year the deacons continued to meet during the summer months in part because there were ongoing matters that needed the attention and action of the deacons. The final quarterly report for 2018 is included in the Appendix. For the purposes of this Annual Report allow me to highlight several significant matters with which the deacons dealt this year. Further details of deacon activities can be found in the quarterly reports.

  • The deacons agreed to focus on four “big picture” areas during the year: 1) marriage process; 2) Race relations; 3) Missional focus; 4) Relationship with our Burmese groups. The deacons tackled items 1 and 2 diligently, however, we did not do as well on items 3 and 4. These still need our attention, hopefully in the year to come. A Marriage Covenant/Process has been approved by the deacons for presentation to the congregation.
  • The deacons approved the hiring of Hope Nycum as Hunger Ministry Director, Hogan Brock as Youth Minister, and Jerusha Moses as Minister of Children and Families. We unanimously affirmed Jacque Brown Green for ordination to the gospel ministry.
  • Amanda Pohl volunteered to work with Woody Jenkins on reviewing the ministerial evaluation process and providing for model for use throughout Tabernacle. Significant progress has been made, although there is still much more work to be done. This will be a priority in the upcoming year.
  • After careful consideration of a proposed re-visioning of the deacon ministry structure, the deacons decided to move forward with implementation of this proposal on a trial basis in 2019.

On a personal note, I have been fortunate to have had this body of deacons with whom to serve this year. I cannot express adequately how thankful I am for their dedication and support throughout the year. I want to express special thanks to Laura Jones for serving as our secretary/treasurer for much of the year, to Alicia Phillips for stepping in to be our recording secretary, and to Katye Snipes for her faithful and devoted attention to her tasks and for filling in for me when I was away.

In Christ,
Woody Jenkins
Tabernacle Deacon Chair

tbc Worship & Fellowship

Children’s Ministry Team Report: January 2019

CHILDREN’S MINISTRY TEAM REPORT: Rev. Dr. Jerusha Moses & Jessica Corbitt

It has been an exciting year for the Children’s Ministry at Tabernacle.
In the beginning of 2018, we began work to create and approve a new Part-Time position of Minister to Children and Families. The search team consisted of Jessica Corbitt, Mark Snipes, Karen Herman and Patrick Braford. We were thrilled to welcome the Rev. Jerusha Moses into our fold in September of 2018.
Our Sunday School classes have been faithfully led throughout 2018 by wonderful teachers. We continue to use the Deep Blue Kids Sunday School Curriculum. Our preschool class was led by Sara Anne Burgess and Mark Snipes. For our Elementary students, we have continued to use a rotation of teachers. The teachers included: Maria McGraw, Hope Nycum, April Kennedy, Katye Snipes, Laura Severns, Jonathan Barton, Emily Ball and Helen Davidson. We are grateful for their weekly leadership with our children. We continue to have paid nursery workers that support our weekly volunteers in the handling of our littlest ones. Dianna Faison and Kara Faison have done a wonderful job with their presence of consistency. It has been extremely helpful in guiding both the children and leaders in the nursery.
We have continued with our Worship Explorers curriculum for children in Kindergarten through 2nd grade. These children leave the worship service during the sermon for a short lesson focused on the Narrative Lectionary passage for the day. In the fall, we initiated our 6-week Everyone Worship curriculum, once again led by Penny Jenkins. This is a wonderful 6-week curriculum for children that are entering 3rd grade to help prepare them in engaging during the worship service. They study the various elements of worship as well as learn about the liturgical seasons.
Wednesday evenings have continued to be a busy time at Tabernacle. We continue to average about 40-50 children each week. We have Preschool Choir led by Helen Davidson, Charity Roberson and Larry Allen. The 1st and 2nd graders are led by Judy Fiske, Susan Braden and Kathy McGraw. Jessica Corbitt and Terry Witt lead the 3rd-5th graders. We have been incorporating both crafts and bible study into the choir time.
The Children’s Leadership Team planned various Fellowship Events throughout the year so that families could get to know one another as well as have fun together. These included things like Family Game Nights, Annual Easter Egg Hunt hosted by Judy Fiske, a Chili Cook Off, and a Breakfast in Bethlehem event.
We are grateful to each person that helps to support the blossoming children’s ministry at Tabernacle from nursery volunteers to drivers and everyone in between that are helping to guide our children. It is a blessing to see the halls full of children scurrying around and we continue to look for additional leaders to support this vibrant and vital ministry!

Jerusha Moses
Minister to Children and Families
and
The Children’s Ministry Team

tbc Worship & Fellowship

Youth Report: January 2019

YOUTH REPORT: Hogan Brock

This winter, the youth continued to study and learn together. We celebrated and supported Kekoa Burgess in his baptism. We welcomed Meesha Moses into the youth group when her mother, Jerusha, joined TBC as Minister to Children. We welcomed Ali Powell back as she and her family returned from resting after the birth of her sister, Ruby Powell. Throughout the fall and winter, many youth led in worship through music, reading scripture, and dramatic storytelling.
Meg Lacy joined Youth Worship Arts on Sunday afternoons to lead a small group in liturgical writing. The group of writers has written Calls to Worship for the Epiphany season and will be leading us in worship for the rest of the season.
In December, the youth helped plan one of the contemplative Advent services that took place on Wednesday night. Working together to plan this service allowed the youth to dig deeper into what makes worship meaningful to them and what seems empty. Thinking through worship in that way proved to be meaningful and has opened up some good conversations!
At the end of December, the youth said thank you to Sarah Smith and Andrew Sabatini for their leadership in Sunday School. After many months of teaching, they will be taking a break from teaching to rest, recover, and reinvest in their own spirituality. We are thankful for Judy Fiske, Ron Simmons, Marty Watkins, Emily White, Kathy McGraw, Gerard Burton, Sara Anne and John Burgess, Sandi Lowery, Jerry and Jenny Jones, Matt Jones, Mark Snipes, Sterling Severns, David Gorman, all of those who provided meals for the youth, and so many others who have supported and loved the youth group so well this quarter and throughout the year.

Grace and Peace,
Hogan
Minister to Students

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Music and Worship Report: January 2019

MUSIC AND WORSHIP REPORT: Dr. Judy Fiske
The first quarter of 2018 had a lot of activity packed into it. Epiphany began with a beautiful installation that included many origami stars as well as the wonderful Moravian stars that always hang in the Sanctuary. Jay Hartman added to our collection a group of stained-glass stars that he had rescued from a building renovation. They cleaned up beautifully and looked like someone had made them to hang in the sanctuary. For the first time in many years we added the celebration of Black History month to the music program in worship. We used a spiritual for the call to worship each Sunday in February. We used a Howard Thurman poem, “Listen to the Stillness”, as our theme for the Epiphany season. Susan Braden composed a lovely SATB setting of the text that the choir sang on February 11, Transfiguration Sunday. Unfortunately, I did not get to hear this anthem as I fell down steps on February 7 and broke my right wrist in three places!! This began a long period of recovery that included two surgeries and many people covering the work that I usually do. Brenda Brown substituted at the organ, Ron Simmons did a large amount of the conducting for the sanctuary choir, Susan Braden covered several of the Younger Children’s Choir rehearsals and performances, and Eric Fiske did a lot of driving and heavy lifting. Somewhere in there I also managed to do a little work! I cannot adequately express my gratitude for the work of all the people who helped —and continue to help cover my work responsibilities. My right hand is mostly working now.

Our Lenten installation included beautiful pictures of people in the congregation overlaid with the words of our Lenten theme song, “What Could You Do with Me,” by Josh Wright. This song was presented each week in Lent by a different soloist or group. We also used a shadowbox in a doorframe in which we drew a symbol that was drawn from the week’s scripture passage. This gave us six large drawings, which were used on Good Friday to remember what we had learned throughout the season. The service that evening used music and narrations written by Susan Braden that took us through the final hours of Jesus’ life as a human. Each of the drawings was torn to remind us of how shallow our understandings of Jesus’ message continue to be. The Sanctuary Choir conducted by Ron Simmons led us through the music.

The Older and Younger Children’s Choir participated actively in worship throughout the quarter by singing, reading and candle lighting. The Youth in the Worship Arts Ensemble also were active worship participants. These groups are led by Jessica Corbitt, Terry Witt, Susan Braden, Kathy McGraw, Ron Simmons, Marty Watkin and me. The children and youth are learning a great deal about worship leadership.

This was an interesting quarter for me. It was difficult to be one handed for much of the time. I cannot thank all of the people who covered work for me and made the music in this quarter amazing.

April 1st was Easter in 2018 so we started the second quarter off with a bang. Easter is always an exciting conclusion to a busy and meaningful Lent and Holy Week. Following Easter, the Sanctuary Choir began preparations for Pentecost and for summer. The Children’s Choirs also began preparations for a final performance. This year the final program was held on the last Wednesday evening in May and consisted of a concert of all types of music from Sacred to Broadway. Everyone had a great time and the music was beautiful. Many thanks are due to Jessica Corbitt, Terry Witt, Kathy McGraw and Susan
Braden for their wonderful leadership with the school-aged choirs. Helen Davidson and Larry Allen provide amazing leadership for our Preschool Choir.

Our summer music program included a month of sharing favorite hymns and their stories, both the hymn story and their stories in our lives. This was a great deal of fun and helped people to get to know one another as we sang and shared songs we love. In late June seven of us attended Animate Worship Arts Camp at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. This camp is a favorite and we love attending. Meg Lacy was one of the preachers again this year. Each of the youth learned so much about designing and participating in worship services. Later in July, twenty-eight people attended Music and
Worship Arts Camp at Eagle Eyrie. This camp is open to children over the age of 10. We sang a lot, learned about worship, played in the amazing EE pool, and figured out how to go to bed without a parent to tell us what to do. This camp experience is very valuable to both the spiritual, musical and physical development of the children. They learn a lot about independence at camp.

August always brings renewed interest in liturgical installations. This year our theme was “Stitched Together.” We displayed quilts and told their stories as we were listening, worshiping and waiting for God’s guidance in our lives. The quilts provided a wonderful visual for the use of every scrap to make something beautiful in our lives. A group of adults and youth spent a couple of afternoons at the church dyeing fabric and stiffening it with glue after it had been cut into large squares. These were hung in the sanctuary ceiling to form a “quilt” over our heads.

The music ministry moved back into regular programing in September. The Sanctuary Choir and three children’s choirs meet on Wednesday evenings and Youth Worship Arts meets on Sunday afternoon. In September the Narrative Lectionary guides the structure of church thinking. The structure for much of our study and worship follows the structure of this Lectionary. This year we are in Year 1 of the program. The worship installation that was envisioned in August came into being. Advent and Christmas music was rehearsed. The final quarter of the year is the culmination of much work while being the beginning of the Church year.

In October the Sanctuary Choir led a Vesper Service at Lakewood Manor Retirement Center. In November the Sanctuary Choir once again traveled to South Hill to participate in the anniversary concert for New Beginnings, a Gospel Trio. We are always honored to participate in this concert and it is great musical fun! In December the Sanctuary Choir and the Lisu Ladies Ensemble led the Star Lighting Ceremony and Concert at Westminster Canterbury. It was a beautiful program and we were honored to participate. In addition to providing the music for many of the 11:00 am worship services, the Sanctuary Choir also sang a concert at Bruton Parish Church on December 22 and as a part of Christmas in the Fan with Richmond Concert Band. The children and youth worship arts groups kept up a solid educational level as well as sharing in worship leadership at least once a month. People of all ages also shared in the musical leadership of our Christmas Eve service.

The Music and Worship Arts program of at Tabernacle is indebted to the multitalented music staff and many volunteers who gladly share their talents and ideas. There is always space for more voices in all areas of the music and art ministry. Come pray, think, sing and play with us as we work hard together to keep following Jesus in our lives.

Judy Fiske
Minister of Music/Worship/Organist

tbc Worship & Fellowship

Associate Pastor’s Report: January 2019

ASSOCIATE PASTOR’S REPORT: Rev. Meg Lacy
Last Sunday, Epiphany Sunday, marked my one-year anniversary here at Tabernacle. As I moved through worship that day—setting up communion, preparing worship leaders, greeting those entering the sanctuary, and sensing the anticipation radiating from twinkling lights overhead—I felt a wave of peace and joy… a deep sense of home. It takes a long time to get to know a congregation. It takes years of hearing stories, walking through tragedy, attending meetings and parties, and learning rituals and sacred cows. I’ve only been in Richmond a little over a year, so I know I am a long way from knowing our church community fully, but with each week, each month that passes, you begin to feel a little bit more like my people. And this place begins to feel a little bit more like home.

The past 12 months have been a whirlwind of the joys and the challenges of ministry. Here are some of the highlights:

Children’s Ministry
One of the initial tasks on my job description was to offer support to the Children’s Ministry Team. In my role as “ministry architect,” I was asked to help this team assess and reorganize children’s programming around a clear set of values and to eventually hire a Children’s Minister to lead them in this work. I am delighted to report that we have done just that! Over the past year we grew the Children’s Ministry team from 2 members to 5 members, we had a series of listening sessions with parents in order to discern our goals and values for the formation of our little ones, and we hired an amazing new part-time Children’s Minister, Jerusha Moses! It’s been a joy to work with Jerusha in the on-boarding process, to hear her ideas and her vision for Children’s Ministry at Tabernacle, and to see her deep heart for God’s people in this place.

Communications
Another area of ministry that I have focused on in my first year is communications. When I arrived, Allen Lowery was serving as Interim Communications Assistant while the church continued to discern the best shape for this position. Allen was excellent in this role, but when Allen left to pursue other work, we needed an interim for the interim! Our current pastoral intern, Jacque Green graciously stepped into Allen’s shoes. Jacque brought her organizational skills and attention to detail to this work in a way that helped us to see how valuable it could be for us to hire someone with equal skills in the areas of design/communication and organization/workflow management. While I was working with the Personnel Committee to draft a job description that reflected this, Jacque Green was called away to chaplaincy work, and Terry McMahon volunteered to step into her 20hr/week position during our time of transition. Terry’s consistent presence, keen insight, and natural calm demeanor were an amazing gift to us during the busy summer months, as pastoral staff traveled to various camps, conferences, and vacations. I don’t think we would have been able to produce the bulletin each week without him!
While Terry worked to get our weekly publications to press, the Personnel Committee and I created and posted the job description for our new Communications Coordinator position. We sifted through over 110 applicants for this position, narrowing it down to 3 phone interviews, 2 in person interviews, and one final candidate, whom we hired in July, Hope Cutchins! Hope has been an amazing gift to Tabernacle as we’ve re-visioned our communication strategy, created a new bulletin, and launched a weekly e-mail, The Tab Weekly. Hope has helped us shift our communications approach from an emphasis on print and Facebook with some level of prioritization, to an organized, prioritized, and visually engaging strategy that includes print and Facebook, as well as website development and community emails. We have made tremendous strides toward stability and strategy in Tabernacle’s internal communications approach this year. Next year we hope to continue to expand our strategy to include how we communicate who we are and what we are up to with the neighborhood and community around us.

Administration
Sterling and I are still working to determine exactly how my gifts can be used to contribute to administrative processes at Tabernacle, outside of communications. However, there are a few administrative tasks that I have taken on throughout 2018 that may be helpful for you to know. In January, I took over the leadership for our All Staff meeting, which includes some pastoral and all administrative staff. I have also taken on, in conjunction with Personnel, supervisory responsibility for non-ministerial staff members, including Susan Lumpkin (Finance), Vincent Sallie (Custodial), and Hope Cutchins
(Communications). It has been a joy to get to know and work more closely with each of these individuals who contribute so much to the life of our congregation, mostly behind the scenes. In the fall, we conducted annual reviews for these positions. I hope having a ministerial staff member present for the reviews enabled us to see more clearly how we can better support our employees. As a result of these reviews, Personnel has proposed a change in Vincent’s job tile and responsibilities in 2019 to more clearly reflect the work he actually does. For a one-year trial, Vincent will move from “Custodian” to “Building and Grounds Coordinator.” He will continue to be responsible for custodial duties, but he will also serve as the staff liaison to the Building and Grounds Committee and will have more input in repairs and maintenance.
In addition to staff-related administrative tasks, I collected data for the work of the Nominating Committee. I compiled information from each committee chair about what that committee will be working on in 2019 in order to better select leaders for particular tasks and positions. This year, I have been taking notes on the nominating process in order to expand our recruitment and development of leaders in 2019.

Pastoral Leadership
In June, Sterling, April Kennedy (the chair of my search committee) and I met for a check-in. We realized in this meeting that while I have been busy working, much of it has been behind the scenes. I was hungry for more interaction with congregation members, and there was a need for my leadership to be more visible. In response to these concerns, I spent the second half of the year shifting my leadership focus to more relational (and often more visible) endeavors. In September, I started the Lectio Divina group that gatherings on Wednesday evening to read Scripture and pray. This has been a lifegiving space for me to get to know congregation members more deeply. I also began preaching more regularly in the fall, a passion of mine, and led a 5-week writing class in Youth Worship Arts. This writing class was one of the highlights of my year. More than half a dozen young women gathered in order to listen closely to scripture and craft theologically rich pieces of writing to be used in worship during Epiphany 2019. Hogan Brock and I also worked together during December to organize an evening of contemplative worship to help us start off Advent in a state of deep connection to God and others. All of these opportunities have given me great life and great joy this year!

Lay Leadership Restructuring
In the final months of 2018 we made progress on one of the initial goals of my hire—helping Tabernacle rethink its structure of lay ministry. We have such gifted laity (that’s you!) and we want everyone at Tabernacle to find a place of service in which they can share their passions and gifts. In December, the Deacon Board approved a proposal for four new Ministry Teams to help us facilitate this process. These ministry teams will be developed around our four core values: Mission, Discipleship, Worship, and Fellowship. The teams will be comprised of deacons and laity who are passionate about each area of ministry, and each team will have a staff liaison to support the team’s work. We are excited to get these teams off the ground in 2019 and our hope is that they will help bring new vision and energy to the embodiment of our values!

Looking back on 2018, it has been a busy year. It has been a year of transition, new experiences, new people, lots of learning. But looking back it seems to me that we as a congregation, and I as an individual, are finding a new sense of stability. As a congregation, we have grown our staff to a full and amazing group of leaders. We have tweaked and organized our leadership and administrative processes. And we have done so while listening deeply to God’s vision for our shared life together, and how our congregation can be a part of healing and wholeness in our community and our world. Thank you for the ways you have welcomed me into your hearts, lives, meetings, and systems this year. It has been a joy to walk alongside you in this adventure we call ministry.

Blessings,
Rev. Meg Lacy

tbc Worship & Fellowship

Pastor’s Report: January 2019

PASTOR’S REPORT: Rev. Sterling Severns
Fourteen and a half years ago I stood before you and attempted to preach my first sermon as Pastor of Tabernacle Baptist Church. I don’t remember much about the specific sermon. I remember feeling both nervous and hopeful. I remember telling you that I had no idea what I was doing or where God was taking us. However, I also remember telling you that I didn’t feel the need to know the specifics because I was confident that God would reveal our collective calling as we continued to take leaps of faith. There was a tremendous sense of purpose in those fragile days of transition. Against all odds, we were still here. The nursery only had 2 active children, conveniently they relocated to Richmond with their parents when the church called their father to serve as Pastor. Back in 2004, our resources were fairly sparse and our vision was vague at best. Many outsiders didn’t think the church would survive. The odds were against us but God was for us. 

All these years later, I look back to those tender days with delight. What a journey it has been. The vitality, and spiritual growth, we experienced in 2018 is a continuation of God’s faithfulness in our story. We are small but God is doing great things through us. The legacies of the every-day-saints that came before us continue to prosper through their generosity and examples. The new life that has come to us is a direct result of God’s desire for us to grow into our identity as Christ’s followers. Each day brings a sense of adventure and each relational opportunity helps us to reclaim an influential role in the kingdom. I am more hopeful and optimistic about our future than ever. Whereas, I still don’t know what I’m doing or where God is taking us, I am confident that God isn’t finished with us. If anything, we’re just getting started….

Here are some highlights from this past year of life and ministry together:

Steady and Faithful Leadership
Our veteran staff members continued to use their God-given gifts, and love of the church to guide us forward into a productive year of ministry. Thank you to our veteran equippers: Judy, Susan, Vincent, Ron, Terry, Ryan, Dianna and Kara. You have been such a blessing to us. Your tireless energy and creativity help to make this place a beacon of light in the city. 

I can’t begin to express the depth of my gratitude for the faithful leaders that guided the flock throughout 2018. I am grateful to Woody Jenkins and Kathy McGraw, the chairpersons of our two major Boards. You, and all of your colleagues, led us well! Connie Jones, our beloved Treasurer, spent innumerable hours serving behind the scenes in the financial office and clothes closet. Connie, your integrity and dedication never ceases to amaze us. Thank you for your faithful service. We also owe a debt of gratitude to Allen Lowery, Jacque Green, and Terry McMahon for taking the helm in the office during the first portion of the year. Thank you also to Brenda Brown, for stepping back into service at the organ while Judy’s wrist healed.

I never cease to be amazed by the caliber of gifts and generosity represented in our pews. Thank you to all of our Ministry Team and Committee leaders for a stellar year of ministry together.

New Leadership
One of the strongest markers of health in the life of a congregation is exhibited trust. Our little church took an enormous leap of faith in hiring six new staff members in 2018. Meg, Hogan, Jerusha, Hope C., Hope N, and Kristen also took leaps of faith in coming to us. God has honored our collective trust in bringing each of these gifted servants into our fold. Our new staff members have brought a tremendous amount to joy to Tabernacle. The veteran staff and congregation have found deep wisdom in their words and inspiration in their leadership in the form of servanthood. Welcome home, friends.

Jacque’s ordination
One of God’s greatest gifts in 2018 was the ordination of Jacquelyn Brown Green. What a blessing it was to join together with multiple churches and mentors in Jacque’s life to affirm her calling and nudge her forward in ministry. We are better as a community of faith because of Jacque’s presence in our lives. Her unifying voice is needed in the Kingdom of God and we are humbled to play a small role in helping to shape her call.

Zoe and Kekoa’s Baptism
Two of the most memorable moments in 2018 centered on Kekoa Burgess and Zoe Jamerson’s baptisms. These two disciples, both wise beyond their years, professed their faith in Christ through spoken testimony and the waters of baptism. We are grateful for their trust and eager to see what Jesus will do as they continue to walk in faith.

A Strong financial year
Another strong marker of health in the life of the church is stewardship. We started the year with a huge leap of faith in the creation of the budget and ended the financial year in the black! Thank you, Tabernacle, for faithfulness and sacrifice.

A deepening relationship with leaders and families in our Child Care Center Ministry
Two years ago, we set out to reorganize the leadership structure of our Child Care Center Ministry. We did this in anticipation of Frances Thrift’s retirement and also with a desire to connect with the TCCC leaders, children, and families in a deeper way. I am continually amazed by what God is doing through the ministry of Kristen, our Director, and the unstoppable leaders on our TCCC Ministry and Administrative Committees. We’re gaining momentum with each passing season. The center is thriving.

Bread for the Journey
We offered bread for the journey to numerous family members that have moved into various ministry positions and/or opportunities in other cities, states, and countries. Whereas, the goodbyes have been very difficult, we can’t help but feel connected to the Universal Church, as they plant roots in new places. I won’t make a list of names for fear of leaving someone out. However, God continues to use these difficult transitions to keep our motives pure and help us to see that we are participating in something so much larger than our little corner at Grove and Meadow.

Marriage Enrichment
One of the strongest highlights of 2018 came in our open dialogue about the strengthening of marriage and the expression of our desire to support couples seeking marriage. The deacons were charged with a difficult task on the other side of the official acceptance of our Statement of Welcome in 2017. That role does the church play in helping couples grow into their covenant with God and one another? What is the role of the church in the area of accountability and mentorship of couples before, during, and after their wedding day? I encourage you to take a moment to review the working draft of our marriage policy in the appendix of this Book of Reports and pray for guidance as we live into re-commitment to marriage enrichment.

BTSR
The greatest collective loss we experienced in 2018 was the official notice of the closing of the Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond. The seminary will close their doors in January 2019 and hold their last graduation in May. God has used BTSR to give us life in so many ways….for so many years. We are indebted to the students, graduates, faculty and staff for their partnership over this last quarter of a century. We grieve with the seminary community and trust that God will bring resurrection in surprising ways.

A turning point with our neighbors
Of the residual effects of the renovation of our row houses is positive connection with our neighbors in the Fan District. What a blessing it has been to encounter neighbors with a common sense of hopeful investment in our community. It is hard to believe we were slated to tear the houses down two short years ago. God is good!

Race Dialogue
We are a historic church located in the heart of the capitol of the confederacy. We are uniquely obligated and poised to actively engage in racial reconciliation. We spent the first half of the year in active dialogue and the back half of the year praying about next steps. I encourage you to look at the overview of our dialogue in the appendix of this document. I have no idea what fruit will be born through our lengthy conversations and faithful work of our leaders. However, I am eager to see what God will bring as we have opened the door and prepared our hearts for a new chapter together.

Hunger Ministry
We recommitted ourselves to hunger ministry in 2018. The emergency assistance program shifted to first Saturdays and we added a new weekly program for senior adults. We are eager to focus our efforts on a deepening of relationships with our neighbors and we are especially grateful to Hope Nycum for her tireless leadership, Miriam Kennedy for her support last summer, and to all of our former and current lay leaders.

Family Ministry is growing
Would you believe that we now have 90+ children and 15+ teenagers actively engaged in church life in any given month? What a difference a year makes! We’ve hired Hogan and Jerusha to focus their gifts in discipling our children, students, and parents. Ministry teams have offered stellar support and all signs point to more growth in the year ahead!

A renewed commitment to our global neighbors
2018 brought a renewed focus on support of the global community. The Rone Support Team served faithfully. The Coppages remained in touch on a weekly basis. Rob and Amanda began a new company and planted roots in a new city. Both couples came home for furlough. Our ESL mentors worked diligently with our brothers and sisters from Myanmar. Our citizenship mentors celebrated with hard working students on the other side of numerous hours of study and successful citizenship test taking. Jim McMurray helped multiple refugee families purchase their first homes. Re-Establish Richmond
continued to thrive in their support of the Refugee Community. Kate Illian moved to Indonesia to teach English. Lindsay Comstock, and her wife Mary, began a new company in Bali, and several families were blessed to return home to visit with loved ones they haven’t seen in years.

God bless the little church at the corner of Grove and Meadow. Looking forward to another wonderful year of life and ministry together.

Yours in Christ,
Rev. Sterling W. Severns, Pastor

tbc Worship & Fellowship

128th Anniversary Celebration!

Over 130 years ago, a little church school, inspired by the dreams of a paperboy, was planted amidst a grove of trees in the quiet countryside on the outskirts of Richmond. Over the years, a neighborhood grew up around the little school and, in turn, the little school grew into a full-fledged church (January 28, 1891)  The neighborhood and church grew up together. The grove of trees was eventually transformed into Grove Avenue, a bustling corner of a an expanding city. The church thrived where it was planted. What began as a little school would later become one of the largest Sunday Schools on the eastern seaboard.
 
Tabernacle Baptist Church and the Fan District reached a numerical zenith in the years preceding WWII. However, the years that followed the war would bring a steady decline of both congregants and neighbors as young families migrated to the suburbs. During this period of time, many downtown churches followed the families out of the city and some churches were even forced to close their doors. The little church, that became a big church at the corner of Grove and Meadow, found itself “little” once again. The congregation found itself at a crossroads, “do we follow the others out of the city or do we take a risk and remain?”.  The church took a courageous stand and chose to remain true to the vision first cast in 1887. Limited resources made it difficult to maintain deteriorating facilities. However, the church never lost sight of its original commitment to serve God and to share the love of Christ in this community. There was always the expectation that God would honor the church’s continuing commitment and prayers for renewal. 
 
Many years later, the little church found itself turning a significant corner. Positive signs began to surface in the late 1990s and momentum came steadily into the turn of the century. We began to see some dramatic growth in 2005 as young adults, students and professionals alike, began to stream into the church. Three years later, a massive influx of refugees from Burma arrived on our doorstep. Our brothers and sisters from east Asia brought numerous children back into the corridors of the old church building and together our wonderfully diverse family began to live into something new. The veterans that remained so faithful, for so many years, welcomed each and every newcomer with open arms. A surge of public and private educators, social workers, investors, lawyers, construction workers, seminarians, nurses, doctors, architects, artists, sushi chefs, etc., soon joined the ranks. Today, the momentum continues to build and we are eager to live into the vision God has put before us. 
 

Tabernacle Baptist Church looks back over these 130 years of ministry with a full awareness that we are participating in a story larger than our own. We are celebrating renewal and recommitting ourselves to the initial vision cast thirteen decades ago: the nurture, care, and spiritual development of children, teenagers, and their families. We are also uniquely equipped to facilitate ministry for partners wishing to serve in the city or for others wishing to develop their gifts in a healthy ministry environment. 

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