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An Exciting Month for Changes in the Williams Building!

March 2nd is the launch date for our next project to update the Williams Building—installing air conditioning for the 2nd floor.  On that Saturday, the old unit will be removed.  You can already see the dust barrier strategically placed as you enter the 2nd floor from the main stairwell.  You will not be able to access the 2nd floor from the main stairwell on that day, so use the “back” stairs if you need access to that area this Saturday.

Following the demolition of the old unit, there will be some electrical work completed and masonry work to close off the doorway to the row house before the new air conditioning units are put into place.  That means that the dust barrier will likely be in place for at least three weeks. We will make every effort to keep you informed for exact dates of when these various work activities will be done. Please be aware that this work is in progress, and you may need to adjust your usual entry and exit path for the 2nd floor only.

Also during March we are planning to begin improvements for the bathrooms on the 1st floor of the Williams Building.  We promise to keep one of the two bathrooms operational at all times.  Please look for signs to direct you if one of the bathrooms is out of use while the installation of new sinks and some painting are being done.  You may also notice some painting in progress for our TCCC Walker Room. Again, we will provide more exact dates for the 1st floor improvements as those time periods are determined.

We have requested that this type of work not be done on Wednesday evenings and not on Sundays so that we minimize any conflict with usual church events.  We are trying our best to keep from interrupting our ministry efforts while we make these significant improvements to our Williams Building facility.

Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding.  Please direct any questions to Donna or Jim Soyars.

 

tbc Worship & Fellowship

Members on Mission: Kathy McGraw

Hello, friends.

I was thrilled to share with you last year about my employment with Dream Catchers Therapeutic Riding Center in Williamsburg, VA. Since then I have entertained many questions and much encouragement from you all, and I appreciate that. This work does not involve my personal horses, nor is it located on my property. The Dream Catchers barn in Williamsburg, VA offers services to special needs individuals to improve their quality of life while they battle physical, emotional and developmental needs. We do this by providing evidence-based therapeutic riding, equine assisted activities and advancing effective practices through professional education and research.

Annually, the students have the opportunity to exhibit the skills they have achieved over the past year by performing in our “Catch A Dream” horse show. This is the one time that all instructors, volunteers, students and their extended family have the opportunity to join together to celebrate  accomplishments. I am hoping that some of you might have an opportunity to attend the horse show, (after church service, of course) and help cheer our students on. I have made available on our events page and Facebook information about the show and have also included information on how you can sponsor a team or if inclined, make a small contribution to this amazing event. I truly hope to see you there.

For more information about the Catch A Dream Horse Show on Sunday, March 3, click here.

If you’re interested in information about becoming a sponsor, click here.

tbc Worship & Fellowship

Transition: Jerusha Moses

A message from Jerusha:

After 19 years of living in North America as a full-time international student, I am transitioning into a new phase of that of a Religious Worker. I have prepared for this day for a long time and I am grateful that the time has finally come to apply for a Religious Worker Visa. I ask that you pray for the visa process. As part of the process, I will be temporarily stepping out of my position as Minister of Children and Families at Tabernacle Baptist Church effective February 12th, and I hope to hear something from the officials in 1-3 months. While I am away, Katye Snipes and April Kennedy have generously volunteered to coordinate Children’s Ministry responsibilities with the Children’s Ministry Team. We are committing to making sure your children are taken care of well in this period of transition. Please contact April Kennedy or Katye Snipes if you have questions.

tbc Worship & Fellowship

TCCC Director Report: One Year

What I’ve Learned in a Year: Kristen O’Sullivan

This time last year I was focused on getting to know the kids of TCCC and their parents.  It is interesting looking back at which of the children reached out first. Not the extroverted ones necessarily. More often it was the ones that maybe needed a little bit of shelter in a classroom full of friends. When I visit a class in the midst of their activities and constant action, I’m not wanting to interrupt and so the child that’s maybe not in full swing or is feeling a bit of discord is the one I end up drawn to.  And what joy it is to steal a few minutes with someone that just wants a cuddle or quiet conversation. Wow, do I love them.

They make my day, everyday.  I’ve said on many occasions that I drive home with a smile on my face.  I don’t need to unwind or let go of stress — during the day I get to go sit with a child that asks for nothing more than a cradle or a tiny loving moment.  When I arrived at Tabs last January, the children were wide open and they simply just reached out and I got to be there for them. And so everyday when I drive home with that smile on my face it’s because I know what a blessing that is.  

In today’s world we are faced with conflicts that we can’t fix.  We can’t mend the social injustices, we can’t heal the sick child, we can’t halt a devastating storm, we can’t unite a family torn apart…and we’re left feeling helpless, our hands tied, horrible inside.  Yet here I am, blessed daily. I get to go to work and I get to be there for someone.  Someone super cute, super small, who doesn’t judge and doesn’t expect.  I get to steal a moment with someone that has no agenda and be there, and the world out there isn’t quite as horribly sad.

This year, I am reminding myself of all things I get to do. All the chores, all the tasks, all the mundane….I get to do for my girls, my home, my work (my kids).  I get to, because I am blessed with all of those things, actually, especially those things.

tbc Worship & Fellowship

Kitchen Team Report: January 2019

KITCHEN TEAM REPORT: Dr. Judy Fiske
The Kitchen Team coordinates the Fellowship Meals on Wednesday nights during the program season of the church year—September-May. The team also helps to coordinate receptions, meals for special events such as business meetings and the Fan Feast and the cleaning and care of the kitchen and eating areas of the Fellowship Hall. The members of this team serve faithfully each week to make sure that meals are served that both taste good and are affordable. Bonnie Bailey, Priscilla, Joey and Paul Kinchen, Gerry Spiller, Peggy Strong, Tara Neely, Connie Jones and Linda and Jack White have served as the mainstays of this committee for several years. Anita McCarty, Woody Jenkins, Meg Lacy and John Burgess served on Wednesday evenings as our “cashier.” Vincent Salley has been an important staff person to assist this team. Vincent is often helping to cook and plan menus as well as helping to make sure the space is clean and “critter” free. This ministry is both budgeted and supported by the payments for meals each Wednesday. It has been a great help to have the “Square” available each week to help them as they take payments. We work hard to stay within the budget. The budget for the team includes all of the paper goods used in the kitchen. This includes paper plates, cups, utensils and paper towels as well as coffee and tea. This year’s menus have been set out in a six-week rotation so we know what is for dinner a long time in advance. We are now cooking for over 100 people
each Wednesday evening and 150 when we have a business meeting. We use all of the really big pots!

The kitchen continues to see a large increase in use as our International congregations often have meals as a part their events. Tabernacle Child Care Center uses it each weekday to prepare the meals for their children and staff. TCCC continues to eat their lunches in our Fellowship Hall. Groups that stay in the building sometimes prepare their meals in the kitchen. Tabernacle has served as the host facility this year for events held by several other non-profit groups including Re-establish Richmond. We are often cooking in shifts, cleaning as we go so that the next group can prepare for their event. The equipment and space are well used.

The tile floor was replaced in August. This involved moving all of the appliances so the floor could be replaced. We found out exactly how heavy that great big stove is. It now sits on a specially covered section of the floor. The week of December 9th both the very old refrigerator and the very old coffee maker breathed their last. We arranged for TCCC to use one of the Food Pantry refrigerators for a couple of weeks while arrangements were made to purchase a new refrigerator. We suffered without coffee for several weeks. The new refrigerator arrived January 3rd and the new coffee maker was functional on January 11th.

We are blessed to have a great kitchen and serving space—you should come volunteer to serve on the kitchen team! We don’t have a lot of meetings, but are likely to be together cooking and cleaning. If you are not afraid of a BIG pot containing a lot of food then the kitchen is the place to be! The best conversation is always had in the kitchen—-just like at home!

Dr. Judy Fiske
Minister of Music/Worship/Organist
Decent Cook—Terrible Dishwasher
Chief Procurement Officer