Community Bias: It’s almost impossible to see what our community doesn’t, can’t, or won’t see.
Here are some helpful resources to delve deeper into some root causes of this particular bias and wisdom from some fellow sojourners. We encourage you to deliberately seek out time with fellow Jesus followers as you explore and pray about this in the week ahead.
To Be a Healer: Explore the devastating role of loneliness and begin to practice deeper forms of connection (including solitude with God) Listen to the Podcast or Read the transcript of the conversation.
Reflect on a quote:
“It is not physical solitude that actually separates one from others, not physical isolation, but spiritual isolation. It is not the desert island nor the stony wilderness that cuts you off from the people you love. It is the wilderness in the mind, the desert wastes in the heart through which one wanders lost and a stranger. When one is a stranger to oneself, then one is estranged from others, too.”
We continue to lift up the Hutchinson family as they grieve his death and rejoice in his homecoming. We’ll gather in the church sanctuary to thank God for Bob’s life, next Saturday, October 14, 2023 at 10am.
Family will be available for visitation from 9:00am-10:00am.
Burial will follow at Hollywood Cemetery for family.
Robert Hutchinson Obituary
“What kind of train does bubble gum prefer?” Bob would answer, “the Choo-Choo!” Bob thought he had the most hilarious jokes. He would literally crack himself up and his laugh was infectious.
Robert Hutchinson Jr, “Bob”, was born in Richmond VA on September 20, 1944. He attended St. Christopher’s School followed by University of Richmond. He could be described as a home body, marrying Cindy and setting up his businesses in RVA. Bob found a passion in photography, starting with Weddings by Hutchinson on Grace Street followed by the VA Photo shop on Main Street. Bob had a passion for black and white photography, and developing his own pictures. He owns a patent for a developing chemical he created in 1982. Bob also had a love of physical fitness and was a regular “gym rat” at the Franklin St. YMCA for many years. After retiring VA Photo, Bob became a certified personal trainer, helping people at the MAC and American Family Fitness gyms in Midlothian. He loved watching people take control of their lives through exercise and fitness.
Bob had a sincere and eclectic personality. He missed his calling in meteorology as evidenced by his daily weather advice for anyone who would listen. Bob enjoyed making his own natural concoctions and Kombucha tea. There was always a vitamin to fix an ailment and a natural remedy to aid in recovery. He loved sharing these passions with his family and friends. He loved baseball, swimming, diving and musical theatre. Bob wouldn’t miss his kid’s plays, concerts, baseball games or dive meets. You could count on him eating a crunchy peanut butter sandwich for lunch every day, making rock hard fudge in family bake offs, and butt dialing one of his kids. Running a car into the ground was also a special skill of his. He had a real appreciation for theology, and you could find Bob reading his Bible late at night and preparing Sunday school lessons.
Bob died on September 21 2023 in the early morning with Cindy by his side. He had just celebrated his 79th birthday. He was preceded in death by his parents Ann (Lipford) and Robert Hutchinson Sr. He leaves his wife of 44 years Cynthia (Walker), 3 children Ashley Stigall (Wesley), Meredith Hutchinson (Korrey Allen), and Bobby Hutchinson (Lauren), 6 grandchildren Quinn, Sloane, Sullivan, Kody, Maya, Maisy, Bobby’s little one on the way, and brothers, Walter (Sharon) Hutchinson and Foster (Mindy) Hutchinson, nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents Ann (Lipford) and Robert Hutchinson Sr. He grew close with Cindy’s mother, Carole Walker over the last year as she stepped in to care for him when Cindy was working. He loved his family fiercely and was their number one fan through it all. Bob truly lived until the very end, he never gave up.
Bob’s life will be remembered and celebrated at Tabernacle Baptist Church at 1925 Grove Avenue on Saturday October 14, 2023 at 10am. Family will be available for visitation from 9:00am-10:00am. Burial will follow at Hollywood Cemetery for family. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Tabernacle Baptist Church in Bob’s memory.
If you would like to view the service by Livestream, click here.
The Leadership Roundtable is now half-way through our initial 60-days of focus to move our church forward in our Season of Renewal. You may recall that in our meeting on August 28th, the group agreed to form three action teams, meant to focus on areas of concern you expressed in Listening Sessions with Mark Tidsworth. Those teams are:
Reconnecting and Connecting as a church – renewing and building relationships and community (including pastor-church relationship) – Leader, Erin Braford with assistance from John Gass
Advancing Youth and Children’s Ministry – Leaders, Mark and Katye Snipes
Advancing Hospitality Ministry – Leader Woody Jenkins, with assistance from Jerry Jones
We also launched a Mutual Ministry Team, whose purpose is to address people-pastor relationships. Team members include Barb Satterwhite, Martin Tiller, Jerry Jones, and Sterling Severns. Their goal is to work together to create a mutual agreement that clarifies expectations for pastor, leadership and communication among all of us. This team will likely evolve over time, possibly with more engagement of the pastoral staff and other leaders after its initial 90-day focus period, helping to keep a pulse on relationships and trust for all of us.
In our most recent meeting, facilitated by Mark Tidsworth on September 25th, each team provided a progress report. All teams have met in person and/or online to establish purpose, priorities, and key next steps. Look for individual updates from these teams in the TAB in the weeks ahead. Please know that our work is being coordinated, and we are attempting to consider our capacity for volunteer effort in all activities that we are suggesting. And we are considering resources that may be beyond our walls to help us achieve our goals.
Mark Tidsworth will return on-site on the weekend of October 28th and 29th. On Saturday, the Leadership Roundtable will gather again in a session facilitated by Mark for updates from each team and to add some additional strategic thinking to our next period of focus. Mark your calendars to join us after worship on Sunday, October 29th for a session facilitated by Mark Tidsworth, leading us all in discussing next steps in TBC’s Season of Renewal. Lunch will be provided.
Please continue to pray that we listen to God and each other as we do His work and strive to be His light in our community every day. We walk this path of renewal together, and hope that you will continue to pray for all of us for wisdom, compassion, and continued love for each other as we move forward.
‘God simply loves us. This love is based on the identity and character of God, not on our worthiness. God’s love is gift, pure and simple. “ Excerpt page 170, Shift, written by Mark Tidsworth
JACKSON, Louise Villemagne, of Richmond, Virginia went to be with the Lord on August 10th, 2023. She is survived by her son, Richard Gary, wife Janet and two grandchildren Tyler, wife Michelle, and Lindsey and great granddaughter, Lillian Louise Jackson.
Family and friends are invited to a graveside service at Westhampton Memorial Park on Monday, August 21st, at 2 p.m.
Our church consultant, Mark Tidsworth, has written a summary of the group meetings that he held a few months ago. Click here for a summary of his report. This is the information he shared at the Congregational Meeting on Sunday, August 13, following worship. If you were unable to make the meeting either in person or by zoom, click here to watch the recording of the meeting.
On Sunday, August 13, 2023 following worship, we will have a congregational meeting in the Fellowship Hall. Lunch will be served. At this meeting, items will be shared from the Leadership Roundtable Retreat that will take place on Saturday, August 12. Mark Tidsworth, our consultant from Pinnacle Leadership Associates, will be sharing with the congregation.
If you are unable to make it in person, here is the Zoom link for the meeting:
Topic: Congregational Meeting – August 13, 2023 Time: Aug 13, 2023 12:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Our Quarterly Business Meeting will be held following worship on Sunday, July 30. Lunch will be served. For those of you who will be joining us in the virtual acre, here is the link to join us in Zoom. We hope it will be in your plans to join us. Click here to access a link for the Quarterly Book of Reports. It will be at the bottom of the email.
The Finance Team (FT) and Administrative Board (AB) are providing the TBC Budget for our upcoming fiscal year beginning on July 1, 2023 and ending on June 30, 2024.
Click here for a copy of the Tabernacle Child Care Center 2023-24 Budget.
Please CLICK HERE to vote for the TBC Budget and please CLICK HERE to vote for the TCCC Budget. Voting ends on Sunday, June 18, 2023 at 2:00 PM.
Thank you for your strong endorsement at the Quarterly Business meeting to partner with Pinnacle Leadership Associates entering a “Season of Renewal” as a church. We are building on our collective experience during January’s Making The Shift Weekend, moving into the next season. To that end, we need a way to gather our collective discernment about our calling as a church.
Over the weekend of June 2-4, our partner in ministry Rev. Mark Tidsworth will be on campus at Tabernacle, eager to gather this church’s insights. Everyone who considers Tabernacle their church is invited to participate in a listening group. These are one-hour sessions with up to 10 persons, facilitated by Rev. Tidsworth. We encourage everyone to participate, whether your name is on the membership list or not, helping us discern our calling and focus for the present and near future. You can register via this link or on a clipboard in the back of the Sanctuary.
