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TBC at CBFVA MISSION MADNESS, “Neighbours”

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This past weekend, our youth went to CBFVA Mission Madness retreat with a theme, “neighbours” hosted by Walnut Grove Baptist Church in Mechanicsville, VA. The retreat was coordinated by Mark Snipes. The youth learned about exploring ways to go beyond emotional and physical fences that hinder us from becoming a good neighbor to others. On Saturday, the youth went to different mission sites with their new group and did mission work the whole day like cleaning yards, raking leaves, gardening, fixing roofs and roads as well as helping Habitat for Humanity. Also, a few of our youth helped led worship service along with the worship leader, Rachel Scott. We are very proud of the work they did for others.

Also, we are very grateful and thankful for our chaperones, Sean and Chasity Dotson for spending time with our youth for the weekend. We could never thank enough our chaperones for looking after the youth. We also would like to say thank you to Wah Lo and Sah Hay Moo, and Jim and Ginny Meisner for welcoming us and letting the youth shower at their house. We give thanks for all your support, guidance and love for our youth.

tbc Church Business

Tabernacle Child Care Center News: Pre-K Teachers to Teach ESL in China This Summer

TCCC’s Pre-K Teachers, Brittany Kaufman and Catherine Chop, are realizing a dream by going to China this summer to teach English as a Second Language (ESL).  We are so very excited for them!  Not only is this a blessing for the children in China who will benefit from their teaching gifts, it is also a blessing as they return and enrich their teaching to our TCCC children.

Please take a moment to pray for their safe travel to Beijing and success in their English camp with Chinese students.  If you would like to offer financial support, please make a check payable to TCCC and place it in Frances Mathews’ box in the church office.  The TCCC will then provide a total check to the teachers when fundraising has been completed.

Below is the letter from Brittany and Catherine with more information about their trip.  We thank you in advance for your prayers in support of this wonderful opportunity!

We are excited to announce that we have recently been honored with the opportunity to teach English as a second language at a school in Beijing, China this coming summer. 

The students we will be teaching range in age from preschool through middle school. After developing an innovative 2-week curriculum, we will be working with 15 children with the assistance of a local Chinese teacher. This day camp creates a fun learning environment in which children will learn more about our world while hearing and learning English from native speaking teachers.

Because Chinese families value their children learning English from native speakers, the day camp draws children from many other cities surrounding Beijing, and serves as outreach for the school during the summer. Our teaching team will leave the U.S. on July 6 and return on July 24. 

In order to make this journey possible, we need your help in raising $2200 to pay for housing and meals and school supplies while we are in China.

If you would like to contribute to an experience that will not only be life changing for us, but also help the students we will be teaching, it would be greatly appreciated. If you would like more details about our trip before you contribute, please feel free to contact us!  

This opportunity is something that until now, we have only dreamt of doing and can’t wait to begin our journey! Thank you so much for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,
Brittany & Catherine

 

DSCN1074 Catherine Chop Pre K DSCN1072 Rosemary Kaufman Pre K

tbc Media

On Death and Dying: Week 3 (Adult Lenten Series 2016)

This is the third week of “On Death and Dying,” our 2016 Wednesday night Adult series during Lent. Our session this week is led by Rev. Julie Walton and includes discussion of the physical process of dying, what happens to one’s body after death, and making decisions about what happens to our bodies after we die. We’re making these podcasts available if you are unable to join us on Wednesday nights in the fellowship hall.

Questions for Discussion this Week:

  • What values or theological underpinnings do you have today in living that you hope show through in your dying and in the next steps after your death?
  • What scares you about death the most? What gives you peace?
  • What do you want done with your body & what services/rituals?
  • What do you hope your legacy is?
  • What do a good death & and good service look like?
  • What questions do you need clarification on in order to prepare well for a good death?
  • What loose ends do you have in your life right now that you hope will be resolved prior to death, and what steps can you take to move in that direction?

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*Clarifying note: Approximately 12 minutes into the podcast, Julie mentions the relationship between brain death and continuing mechanical life-sustaining measures. She refers to the Terri Schiavo case from the early 1990’s, saying that Schiavo was brain dead and was kept on mechanical support for life sustaining measures. Schiavo was actually in what is often called a “persistent vegetative state” (without recourse for any meaningful recovery even with medical treatment) rather than brain dead, which is a clinical definition for death. The important part of the discussion, at this point in the audio, is underlining the importance of making sure our healthcare wishes for our medical treatment are known to family and loved ones. It’s important to share these decisions and make sure our loved ones understand and are able and willing to respect our healthcare instructions. This is also why it is important to have a medical decision maker, on one’s behalf, in the case that one is not able to speak for themselves. This person should be someone who will honor your wishes and respect your healthcare decisions.*

Series Overview and Schedule

“Dying is the most general human event, something we all have to do. But do we do it well? Is our death more than an unavoidable fate that we simply wish would not be there? Can it somehow become an act of fulfillment, perhaps more human than any other human act?” (Henri Nouwen). Join us for this special five-week Lenten series in the Fellowship Hall from 6:30 to 7:30pm on Wednesday evenings after the fellowship dinner. Led by Jeff and Julie Walton and Art Wright, this series will explore practical and theological aspects of what it means for us to prepare for a good death. Please contact Art Wright (wright@tbcrichmond.org) if you have any questions.

Week 1 (Feb 17) – Introduction, Big Questions
Week 2 (March 2) – The Dying Process, How to Prepare Well for Death
Week 3 (March 9) – After Death, Funerals
Week 4 (March 16) – Grieving