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Virginia Baptist Disaster Response and Baptist General Association of Virginia leaders are continuing to monitor the still-ongoing situation in southeast Texas as a result of Hurricane Harvey. With the rain finally moving out of the area, volunteers will be mobilized and sent to Texas once the floodwaters start receding.

Our current partners for this response are:

• Texas Baptist Men/Southern Baptist Disaster Relief
• North American Baptist Fellowship
• Baptist General Convention of Texas Crisis Resiliency Team
• American Red Cross
• Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster at the local, state, and national level
• These organizations are working in coordination with the Texas Department of Public Safety Division of Emergency Management. We are continuing to maintain close communication with these partners as they determine a response plan that is helpful and effective.

Right now, there are three of ways you and your church can respond.

First, you can pray. Please pray for the victims of Hurricane Harvey. Please pray for officials to make the best decisions in the coming weeks and months ahead. Please pray for those who will be responding to the disaster once cleanup begins. The situation in Texas is simply overwhelming; pray for those who strive to be the hands and feet of God as they offer comfort and relief.

Secondly, you can give at BGAVDR.org/Harvey. You can make the biggest difference right now by making a financial contribution. When your gift is combined with thousands of others, we can provide exponentially more relief. Furthermore, all donations designated for Hurricane Harvey will be used to maximize the benefit to the individuals and families affected by the storm. One-hundred percent of your financial gifts will help disaster response volunteers obtain materials and supplies, food and water, equipment operations, pay for onsite operation expenses, and much more. The BGAV does not retain any funds for overhead or staff administrative costs.

Additionally, we have received a request for Flood Buckets and Hygiene Kits, which we are collecting for distribution through a partner already in place and prepared for this operation. We have received NO other requests for material contributions and will not accept any at this time because we want to focus our relief efforts in the most beneficial manner. If we receive requests for material contributions, we will pass along that information. Financial contributions are the most effective option right now.

Lastly, you can volunteer. Trained volunteers should inform us of your availability over the course of the next several weeks by going online to BGAVDR.org/Harvey. Please inform us of your availability over the course of the next several weeks. Please inform us of your availability over the course of the next several weeks. Individuals interested in volunteering who have not yet been trained should consider attending one of the upcoming training events (see below) or by monitoring the website and Facebook pages for opportunities. There will definitely be opportunities for untrained volunteers for this response, particularly when we move into the recovery phase of the operation.

Upcoming opportunities to train will be held September 3 in Nickelsville, September 23 in Alexandra, and October 7 in Waynesboro. View the training calendar for registration information.

“Virginia Baptists have ALWAYS taken the ‘long view’ when it comes to our responses,” Aaron Lee, Virginia Baptist disaster response coordinator, said. “This response will be no different. There will be opportunities well into 2018 for teams to go and serve.” He added, “As always, we will be looking to establish a long term relationship once the initial relief phase draws to a conclusion.”

The latest updates will be posted at BGAVDR.org/Harvey. You can also follow Virginia Baptist Disaster Response on Facebook.

Should we hire a PT Assoc. Pastor for Families with Children or a FT shared position with our Child Care Center Ministry (Associate for Families with Children + TCCC Assistant Director)

Dear Parents,

At Tabernacle, we feel strongly that the formation of a child’s spirituality is built in several ways.  These include the relationship between religion in the home and times set aside for learning in the church body (Sunday School, mission classes, etc.) as well as through worship.  As we examine the life of the church as a whole, it is imperative to see, as Karen Marie Yust suggests in her book, Real Kids, Real Faith, whether the congregation has welcomed children into the whole life of the church, specifically in worship.

Here, at Tabernacle, we have made a conscious effort to include young children in active ways in our worship.  However, one may still witness the curiosity of a seven-year-old turn into the apathy of a ten-year-old over time when it comes to singing, prayer, and listening attentively to a sermon in worship.

Everyone Worship! has been designed to give both children and parents the tools they need:

? to be engaged in worship, 

? to understand church “lingo,” 

? to be exposed to the intentional rhythms that are part of worship at Tabernacle, 

? to open wide the windows of conversation about baptism, communion, prayer and the church year, and 

? to include the children who find their way into this faith community in one of the most important things we do here – the worship of God!

We will begin the six-week Everyone Worship! program on October 1^st.  The children will be dismissed from the sanctuary at the same time as the Worship Explorers. While the Worship Explorers go to the front of the sanctuary, the Everyone Worship children will go to the back of the sanctuary. This program will be led by Penny Jenkins, and may have a handful of “guest speakers” come in to talk about certain topics.  Because this program has not been offered in the last few years, children in 3rd to 5th  grades are invited to participate.  Each week parents of participating children will receive information about the topic discussed that morning to assist with review and reinforcement during the week and in worship in the weeks ahead.

Please be in touch with Jessica Corbitt at Jessica.corbitt@gmail.com if your child will be participating.  Missing a session or two will certainly be understood.

We are looking forward to this time of learning and growing for your child and your family. We hope that as we continue to worship together, that your child will know that their presence in worship is important and valued. Thank you for your trust as we walk this journey together.