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Greetings, my sisters and brothers in Christ! 

I hope this finds each of you well. I understand I’m very late to write to you this but better late than never, right? I want to say thank you to you for my time at Tabernacle as the Pastoral Intern for the youth from September, 2015 to May, 2017. First, I would like to acknowledge the fact that you raised me up to lead the youth because of that, I could lead the youth group that I was once in. Tabernacle is “home” for me because of you. I am thankful and grateful for the youth leaders and mentors that came before me; I won’t name them all. But they have shaped my life in a way that I could not expect when I first came to Tabernacle.  

Second, 

To the congregation: I cannot thank you enough for your love, support, encouragement and kindness you gave me as a pastoral staff. Thank you for allowing me to lead you and showing me what it means to be a minister not just to the youth but the whole congregation. Since the first day I stepped into Tabernacle back in 2009, you always welcome me with open arms and show me what it means to share the love that Christ has given to others. Kudos to you for raising me right! Thank you for allowing me to minister you by giving me opportunity to share sermon and communion with you. You have shown me what it means to welcome everyone at the table. 

To the youth parents and team: I don’t know how you let me the teenagers. For that, I will always be grateful and thankful to you because it takes a lot of courage, trust and faith. You supported me since day one as I led the youth. Not only you allowed me to minister the youth but also to you as well. I could not have done it without you. I know there were times I might have let you down, but you picked me up and encouraged me be a leader to the youth. Your support, love and patient meant the world to me. Thank you for trusting and having faith in me as I led the youth. 

To the youth: I do not know where to begin but we, indeed are wonderfully weird and for that I’m thankful. Though I was to lead and teach you, I think you have taught me more than I could have ever imagine. You welcome whoever enters the youth room with opened arms and always make a place for them at the table. I do not have enough words to describe how much you have impacted my life to be a leader and minister. Keep supporting and encouraging one another as you have done. Know that you matter, are loved and worth so much. Thank you for trusting in me as I led and ministered you. I LOVE each and everyone of you. Though I may not be your youth leader, do know that I am still here for you and I am one of your biggest fans. May our God watches over your head and blesses you. 

Words cannot describe enough how grateful and thankful for being a Pastoral Intern for the Youth. The Tabernacle is HOME and I give thanks to God for that. 

Your brother in Christ, 

Samuel Lian 

We are excited to welcome our Associate Pastor Candidate for a visitation weekend, Nov. 9-12. It’s important that we spend time familiarizing ourselves with the Associate Pastor Job Description prior to her arrival. Please carve out 10 minutes to listen to the introduction and read through the description. Contact a member of the Search Team, or Sterling, if you have specific questions.

Please remember to sign-up for one of the Q&A Sessions for the visitation weekend. 

The turn of events for the TBC Construction & Renovation Committee over the past six weeks has been rather astonishing.  The change in direction for our efforts was presented to the members who attended the Quarterly s Meeting on October 15^th, and the new proposal seems to have been very well-received.  Please review this summary of events and next steps to remain updated and engaged in the future of our TBC facilities.  We sincerely appreciate your involvement in what has been a story of patience.

At the July 2017 Quarterly Business Meeting the congregation voted approval of demolition of our two row houses.  This may have been the third or fourth time the church has voted to take the houses down, and this decision was no easier than in the past.  It was a difficult choice that we felt was necessary based on the condition of the houses and the anticipated costs to fix them.  This vote included an understanding that we would proceed with creating a new front to the Williams Building after row house demolition, as well as with creating more detailed plans for the “green space” that would be result from tearing down the row houses.  We had completed plans and pricing for the demolition, scheduling the destruction to begin on 10/2/17.  We also scheduled a meeting with our neighbors to alert them to any impact the work would have on them for 9/24/17, and we invited both church members and our TCCC families to bid on items in the two row houses to raise money before demolition began.

That’s when our path began to take a new course!  An individual interested in some of the items for purchase from the row houses asked Eliot Clark of Stonewall Construction to stop by to help with making sure some of the items of interest would work.  Eliot’s immediate reaction was not so much about those items but rather what he could do to save the houses.  His professional career has been working on the restoration of Fan District homes, rehabilitating hundreds of homes in his own neighborhood.  His father died in May, and he knew that his father would be honored if Eliot could help us save these historic homes.  He quickly created a possible cost/profit estimate spreadsheet, and he left a message for our Senior Pastor to call him.  Sterling called Eliot about twenty minutes before Fellowship activities on Wednesday, 9/20/17, walking into the Fellowship Hall that evening in amazement at what he had heard.  Eliot made a generous offer to help significantly reduce the overall costs of renovation, essentially making an offer to save the church close to $250,000 in professional fees.  Could this be another example of God’s divine intervention in the life of our church?

With this new opportunity regarding the row houses, the committee members agreed to pause the efforts related to tearing down the row houses and focus on refining the details around saving them.  Since 9/21/17 the members of the Construction & Renovation Committee have worked to validate that Eliot’s proposal to save the row houses and turn them into duplexes (two apartments per building) is doable for TBC.  There are many elements to consider—construction costs, how we pay for construction, City Code requirements, tax implications, tax credits that may be available due to restoring historic homes, property management, impact on the Tabernacle Child Care Center (TCCC), etc.  Our research so far indicates that the proposal appears to be viable.  We will know more about the effect on the bottom line income numbers when all costs have been identified and incorporated in our analysis.   We will continue to expedite additional research to ensure that all aspects of this proposal make this new approach for the row houses is in the best interests of our congregation today and in the future.

1. Why Do We Want Apartments?
   • This approach essentially establishes another endowment for the church
   • The net income from the rent each year can support TBC and its ministries long term

2. What Will We Need to Do to Establish & Manage These Apartments?

1. • Apply for a Virginia Baptist Extension Board construction loan of up to $500,000.
   • Determine how to use our God-Sized Vision funds to support the row houses proposal and any additional approved improvements to the main church building.
   • Verify & Complete Steps for Tax Credits, based on renovating two historic homes (~$100,000 to pay towards costs).
   • Establish an LLC (Limited Liability Corporation).
   • Outline all anticipated longer-term costs associated with the apartments, including:
     • Property Management, with a cost of ~10% of rental income annually
     • Maintenance/Vacancy costs annually, allowing for ~10% per year
     • Insurance Costs (have verified that insurance remains similar to today’s costs)
     • Loan Payments
   • Complete architectural drawings and confirm construction costs.
   • Secure a Special Use Permit (SUP) to change zoning from Single Family Dwelling to zoning for apartments (six month process), and determine costs associated with obtaining this SUP.
   • Set up financial management of the project.
   • Establish what we believe to be true net income/expense dollars during construction, after construction, during paying off the loan, and after the loan is paid off.
   • Present the results of our additional analysis for a church vote regarding whether we proceed with this proposal.
   • Create a milestones plan for renovation and communicate impact of renovation activities to our neighbors and TCCC families.

We invite you to ask your questions to any of our Construction & Renovation Committee members at any time.  It is important for you to be informed about this proposal, and we welcome your input.  We plan to keep you updated on a regular basis prior to holding any vote for action related to how we address use of the row houses.  This is truly a unique story of how God provides, and we can only wonder how He will continue to bless our efforts as we move forward in this story that is part of Tabernacle Baptist Church!

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Music and Worship Arts Report

The third quarter of each year is always a fun mixture of wrapping summer activities and worship planning with the challenge of planning and organizing for the fall season and Christmas to seeing those plans begin to be implemented in September.  July, August and September are busy!

In July 23 of us attended Music and Worship Arts Camp at Eagle Eyrie sponsored by the Virginia Baptist Resource Center.  Children from grades 4 -10 attended under the supervision of Judy Fiske, Bonnie Bailey, Peggy Strong, John Burgess and Paul Lian. The group was divided between two choirs, Alpha, grades 4-6 and Omega, grades 6-9.  Kekoa Burgess attended camp in a leadership track, Delta Track.  Everyone learned a lot of music, singing and playing.  It was a wonderful experience for both youth and adults.  A special thank you goes to everyone who donated money to help make attendance at this camp possible.

The Sanctuary Choir, ensembles and soloists made the worship services during the month of August a special event each week.   The services in August each centered on a hymn or a group of hymns.  The different hymns were sung by the congregation and by ensembles.   The background of the hymns was shared in the service.   We also were gifted a large amount of music and a wonderful large folder cabinet by Patterson Ave. Baptist as they disbanded their congregation in August.  The end of the month of August was spent in preparation and construction of the large art project for use in the Sanctuary in September.  The theme of  “Looking Backwards-Walking Forward” was chosen and the large collage of pictures from our history and current experience was created and placed in the sanctuary to be an integral part of worship for the fall.  The youth group worked really hard on this project.   

In September all of the choirs began again.  Sanctuary Choir began on September 6^th and the children’s choirs began on September 13.  The Youth Worship Arts Ensemble began on October 1.  The Preschool Choir is being led by Helen Davidson and Larry Allen, the 1st-2^nd grade choir is being led by Judy Fiske and Kathy McGraw with frequent help from Susan Braden, the 3^rd-5^th grade choir is being led by Jessica Corbitt and Terry Witt.  Ron Simmons, Judy Fiske and Marty Watkin are leading the Youth Worship Arts program.  Each of these groups has between 15-22 participants.  We are busy!  If you are interested in a music group please contact Judy and we will connect you with a choir.  

Ryan Corbitt continues to provide amazing leadership from the piano each Sunday morning as well as wonderful accompaniments on both the piano and guitar.  He has spent a large amount of time this year enlarging his piano teaching/tuning/sales business with a new location on the “other” end of Grove Ave.  His business is operating at a new location in the area of Libbie and Grove as well as here at the church.  He spends a lot of time encouraging young and old musicians.

Ron Simmons and Terry Witt provide strong leadership in the Sanctuary Choir and in the children’s and youth music program.  They are the steady and strong voices that allow our volunteer Sanctuary Choir members the flexibility to come and go without leaving us singer-less on Sunday mornings.  They work hard to make sure that we present the best possible music with the groups of singers we have available each week.  

We are all looking forward to the next quarter as Christmas is coming!!  We are all rehearsing Christmas music and preparing to lead worship and sing concerts.  Plan now to join us.  If you want to sing it is not too late to join us!

Judy Fiske

Minister of Music/Worship/Organist