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Food Pantry/Clothes Closet Ministry

This ministry provides food and clothing to needy families in our neighborhood.  The food pantry and clothes closet are open every Thursday from 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm and are staffed by dedicated volunteers.  Food is distributed and the clothes closet is open for all to shop.  This is also a place where people can come to share their experiences and situations, and sometimes to just fellowship and talk or have prayer.  It is funded by contributions made to the Fellowship Fund and Food Pantry Fund and grants.  Bill Finley was again able to secure a $1000 grant from Chevron.

In 2015, we distributed 1969 bags of groceries to 540 families, including 71 homeless persons.  Some came only once and some every month.  On average a family came between 3 and 4 times a year.  There were 192 families who visited the food pantry for the first time in 2015.  We distributed over 38,000 pounds of food (19 tons) this year.  We strive to provide well-packed bags of food each week.

This year about 80% of food we distributed came from the USDA program.  The Food Bank makes an allotment of food based on number of families served.  USDA food is picked up on the first Wednesday of each month.  Nathan Hatfield has been a real help in organizing volunteers to pick up food on the first Wednesday of each month.  A special thanks to Jay Hartman for his help in providing trucks as well as personnel.

 

This ministry to the needy could not be accomplished without the help of a lot of volunteers.  In 2015, 19 food pantry and clothes closet volunteers gave close to 2400 hours of their time to make this ministry possible.  Many thanks to our regulars who come most every week – Jerry Spiller, Priscilla Kinchen, Jack White, Bill and Jean Finley, and Linda Southworth – who serve so faithfully and to Austin Rose who helped stock and serve this summer.

Jane Denzler continues to manage the clothes closet, assisted by Linda White, Brenda Cox and Connie Jones who also helps in the food pantry when needed.  Each week  volunteers sort donated clothes, shoes, etc., hang clothes in designated areas for women, men and children and assist clients in selecting clothes.  Items chosen are bagged and toiletries given out if available.  An important part of this ministry is maintaining a friendly environment where clients feel welcome and comfortable.  Each week, a steady number of clients visit the clothes closet as the word spreads about this ministry.  Consequently, we always need clothing and shoes, particularly for men.  Thank you to everyone who donated clothes and toiletries this past year.  With your donations, our clients tell us Tabernacle’s Clothes Closet is the best in the area.

This ministry helps people in our community to be better able to provide for their families. We want people to feel better when they come here by providing food and clothing and treating them with dignity and respect.  All who serve in this ministry are here for that purpose.  By the grace of God we are able to provide this help.  I hope that this ministry will be here as long as there is a need.

 

Dick Denzler

Director, Food Pantry/Clothes Closet Ministry

A little history:

Since July of 2003, when I started working in the food pantry we have distributed almost 34,000 bags of food, almost 639,000 lbs. (319.5 tons).

Most of the food is handled from 7 to 8 times from picking up at the food bank to putting it in the hands of the people.

That is the equivalent of lifting from 4 to 5 million pounds.

DEACON REPORT

Dear beloved members of Tabernacle:

The Deacon Board has the unique honor and privilege to serve as spiritual leaders in the church. From making hospital visits and writing birthday cards to constant prayers and heartfelt conversations in person or over the phone, the members of the deacon board have had a stellar year caring for each member of the congregation!

Last year, the deacon board had the honor of ordaining into ministry Kristen Koger and Megan Fullerton Strollo. We ordained as deacons Jerry Jones, Anita McCarty, John Burgess, Anna Tuckwiller, and Bawk Ja Makha. Many thanks to all of these individuals who have accepted a new calling within our own congregation and within the universal Church. Our prayers are with each of you as you begin to settle into the new role!

In addition to spiritual care, the deacon board serves to aid the pastoral staff in their work. This past year, subgroups of the deacon board worked to hire Art Wright as the Minister of Spiritual Formation and Samuel Uk Ceu Lian as our Intern for the youth. In addition, after much prayer and deliberation, the board approved a new arrangement of our annual mission giving. This rearrangement gave more of the blessing of funds to ministries that are local and/or personal to Tabernacle, including ReEstablish Richmond, Camp Alkulana, the Coppage family, and Joe Perdue serving at Metro Baptist Church.

We’ve had a wonderful year of ministry, and we look forward to another great year! There are big things coming, and we hope that you will be in prayer alongside the deacon board about how we can all serve this place that we call home!

In Christ,

Megan Strollo

Chairperson of the Board of Deacons, 2015

Kristen Koger, Pastoral Intern/Resident Report 2015

January 29th marks the 4^th anniversary of my walking through the doors of Tabernacle Baptist Church. It was by total accident that I ended up in worship on that day, but I sure am glad I did. It was the Epiphany season; walking into the church was a little intimidating with the big building, and not knowing where to go. I knew handful of BTSR students who attended at Tabernacle, but wasn’t sure where to find them once I arrived; they didn’t know I was coming. I walked into the sanctuary and had the same response many folks have as they arrive during Epiphany- “Wow. What is this place?” Stars were careful hung above the pews, blue and white fabric was spread around the room, twinkling lights glowed on the communion table- it was magical.

For me, the Epiphany season has taken on new meaning in the last four years. For me, it is a time to slow down and be still after a busy holiday season. I will often find myself picking up books- both ones that are new friends and ones that are old favorites- and spending time reflecting on the words that have been written much more eloquently than I could ever hope to write. It’s a time of re-centering, reflecting on the past and dreaming about the future.

 

This past year was packed full with more milestone events than I ever thought possible- ordination, moving to “grown-up” housing, graduation, finishing one job, transitioning from intern to resident. It felt like the entire year was spent moving forward. To be honest, I never really felt settled because I was always getting ready for the next milestone. There were wonderful moments of ministry that happened in the midst of the moving. Moments I won’t soon forget.

When the winter/spring season arrived, I spent my Wednesday nights leading the marriage enrichment group discussion as we looked at our family systems. This fall, I led a discussion group on Sunday mornings focused on the sexuality dialogue that was happening on Wednesday evenings for adults. Both of these opportunities gave me the chance to interact with adults in a different way than I have before. This summer, I had the opportunity to travel with the youth to UniDiversity Youth Camp and then travel to Metro Baptist Church for CLUE Camp. Both of these trips brought new levels of conversation and connection with our students. I also continued to work with our Children’s Leadership Team as the size and demographic of our children’s ministry continues to grow and change. We are seeing more children in the building each week than we have in many years. It’s a wonderful thing to have new faces and new life joining us on a regular basis.

 

I continue to be grateful for the love of support shown to me from each of you. I am growing more and more comfortable in my own skin each passing week. You offer a wonderful space to live in challenge, learning, growth, and love. Never have I felt as safe in a place as this one- a place where mistakes can be made and grace flows abundantly; a place where challenges are not seen as a threat, but something we work through together; a place where all are welcome, laughs carry through the hallway, and love exudes from the very fiber of our being. Well done, Tabernacle Baptist Church. You continue to show me what it means to be Church. Keep up the good work.

In Christ’s service,

Kristen Koger

Pastoral Intern/Resident 2015

Metro Baptist Church Partnership 2015

Tabernacle has worked in partnership with Metro Baptist Church, 410 West 40^th St. New York New York for more than 25 years.  We have provided leadership for their summer camps, sent them interns and staff members, cooked Thanksgiving and Christmas meals with them, hosted their youth retreat and assisted in the 9^th Ave Food Festival to help their youth raise funds for Passport Camp.  In 2015 we partnered with Bryon Lepere of Buena Vista Baptist Church to provide leadership for the final week of Clue Camp Aug. 1-8.  For the first time in many years three members of our youth group served as leaders along side several adults.  Kekoa Burgess, Waysnah Htoo and Monica Iang joined Judy Fiske, Kristen Koger, Emily Witt, Samuel Lian and  Courtney Jackson in providing leadership for that week.

This year two of our members are serving on staff at Metro Baptist.  Bridget Fulks is currently their Children/Youth Service Coordinator.  In that position she is responsible for an after-school tutoring program known as Page Turners, the Winter Clothes Closet and for a Teen Center program that includes retreats and summer camp experiences.  Rev. Joseph Perdue is servicing as an Associate Pastor.  He is working in the area of food justice.  In that position he coordinates work on the Hell’s Kitchen Farm Project, meals for a veteran’s counseling program and a large food pantry.   For the first time in this 25 year partnership Tabernacle is participating in helping to fund his position at Metro through the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.

The week of November 23-27 a group from Tabernacle worked with Joe, Bridget and other volunteers from Metro and the Metro community to cook a Thanksgiving meal for over 250 people.  We cooked and sliced 20 turkeys, mounds of root vegetables, apple cobbler, pumpkin cobbler, green beans, gravy and dressing.  The team consisted of Judy Fiske, Renee Grinnell, Katherine Hall, Nathan Hatfield, Faith John, Jerry Jones, Emily Witt and Terry Witt.

In 2016 we are planning to assist Bridget with the 9^th Ave Food Festival May 14 and 15.  We will travel to NYC on May 12 so we can cook with the teens before the food festival.  We will return on Sunday the 15^th.   Tabernacle will be joining with Eric Hasha’s congregation in Jefferson City Tenn. to lead the first week of Clue Camp July 2-9.  Camp will run July 5-8.  This team will need 10-12 people.  You need to have a lot of energy, love school age children and be entering 9^th grade.  This year we hope to help with both the Thanksgiving and Christmas meals.  Make plans to join in one of these trips or give a donation to make it possible for others to go and work.

July Fiske

Music and Worship Arts Report 2015

As I begin writing this final report for 2015 I am remind of the truth of my words last April as I was looking back on the first quarter of 2015.  I am writing this at home in the midst of a giant snow storm!  Hopefully the big dump of snow will save us from the procession of small storms we had last year.

The first quarter of each year is spent recovering from the Advent and Christmas season, getting ready for Lent and Easter and dodging snow storms!!  This year was no different.   An early Easter made for a short Epiphany season.  The winter was cold, but the snow fall was mostly relegated to Thursday so while the children missed a fair amount of school we did not miss our regular Wednesday evening rehearsals.  This meant that Easter could arrive without a large amount of musical regret!

All of our choirs continued on their regular schedule.   Helen Davidson and Judy Fiske lead the Preschool Choir.  The Older Children’s Choir is led by Judy Fiske and Graham Grinnell and the Sanctuary Choir is led by Judy Fiske, Ron Simmons and Ryan Corbitt.  All of the rehearsals are held on Wednesday evenings.  The Older Children’s Choir and the Sanctuary Choir led worship together on two Sundays, one in Epiphany and Palm Sunday.  The Preschool Choir led in worship three Sundays including Palm Sunday and Easter.  The Sanctuary Choir led in worship almost every Sunday during this quarter.  In addition they led the Good Friday Service by singing “Return to Me” by Taylor Davis.  This music is based on the Stations of the Cross.  Ryan Corbitt(piano) and Ulysess Kirksey (cello) provided the accompaniment.   The Karen, Lisu, Kachin and Chin choirs and ensembles led us in worship throughout the season.

Eight children and youth participated in Virginia Baptist All-state Choir this year.  Waysnah Htoo, Monica Iang, Christina Sung, Brynne Severns, Kekoa, Kanoa, Kaeo and Dylan Burgess auditioned and were accepted in the 2015 All-state Choir.   There was an all day rehearsal in January and a Friday and Saturday rehearsal in February followed by a performance on the Saturday.  The children all learned a great deal and were inspired to sing with this group again next year.   Chaperones were Judy Fiske and John Burgess.

The Epiphany season was decorated with its usual assortment of fabrics and lights.  Lent brought with it a large crown of thorns that was hung in the center of the sanctuary.    Large pieces of cheesecloth dyed in six different colors led into the crown of thorns blackened and dirty and led away from the crown of thorns clean by the grace of God.  There was a white piece of cloth that traveled the length of the installation to symbolize the fact that Jesus is always walking alongside us.  David Powers constructed the crown of thorns.

During the Epiphany season we had the privilege of sharing music composed by one of our members, Susan Braden.  We are looking forward to singing more of her compositions and arrangements.

April, May and June are an important time for the worship arts people in our congregation.  The journey from Lent to Easter to Pentecost is always a creative time for our people who work in worship arts.  The Lenten crown of thorns was turned into a crown of victory over death, the cords of color used in the Lenten installation became connecting cords between an open door and the world outside of the church building.   When Pentecost arrived we made about 100 origami doves of all sizes and hung them in the center of the sanctuary surrounded by the batik fabric that we made in 2008.   It was a fun use of a former project.

The children’s music program is a central part of the Tabernacle music ministry.  Helen Davidson and Judy Fiske led the preschool children.   They finished their season in May.  The winter and spring season for the school age children was led by Judy Fiske and Graham Grinnell in conjunction with the Godly Play program. They also finished their season in May.  Both groups enjoy share their music with the congregation as they lead in worship.

In June four youth, Waysnah Htoo, Monica Iang, Paul Lian and Kekoa Burgess attended Animate Worship Camp at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama.  The youth will be participating in a worship study being conducted by Samford and will also attend this camp next year.  This is a wonderful program that has sparked a great interest in worship arts in our youth group.

Our Sanctuary Choir continued to provide appropriate music for the weekly worship services.  This spring we included the children in several of the anthems we have sung.  This summer the choir participated in an “All-age Choir” that was open to anyone who could read on a second grade level.  There was an adult handbell choir that met during the Sunday School hour in July.  We also enjoyed the music of the Karen and Lisu choirs in worship.

The months of July, August and September were filled with camp, planning and building.  July 13^th-17^th 20 of us attended Music and Worship Arts Camp sponsored by the Virginia Baptist Mission Board at Eagle Eyrie, Va.   There were 18 campers from grades 4-9 and three chaperones.  We had a great time and learned a lot about music and worship.  Special thanks are due to Laura Severns and John Burgess who chaperoned with me and helped with the cooking.  The children and youth are already looking forward to next year.

The All-Age Choir led in worship several times in July and August.  On July 19^th we enjoyed an evening of entertainment as we presented a “Taberet” where various musicians shared their talents for the evening.

 

I began August by leading a mission trip to Metro Baptist Church in New York City.   We partnered with Bryon Lepere to lead Clue Camp for a week.  Several of our youth helped with this camp also.  They were wonderful leaders.  Returning home placed me firmly in planning and building mode.

The planning involved worship, Christmas concerts, children’s choir and youth worship arts team.  I am happy to report that September found all of those plans being carried out.  I am grateful especially for the amazing leadership of Terry Witt, Jessica Corbitt and Graham Grinnell with the Older Children’s Choir, Helen Davidson, Heather Rose with the Preschool Choir and Ron Simmons with the Youth Worship Arts Team.  I am always thankful for the many talented musicians here at Tabernacle who always successfully work to make a plan unfold beautifully.

The building portion of August involved building a tree in the sanctuary.  Despite several doubts that went through all of our minds, we did it!  Special thanks are due to Lugene Fernald for all of her design and production help, to Jay Hartman and ByaWan for their help with the frame and engineering of the tree—to say nothing of their totally fearless ladder work.  Many hands painted and constructed leaves that appeared each week on the tree. The “tree of life”  was a central part of our worship for the fall season.  The planning and building grew into something that enhanced our worship experience as we had dreamed it would.

The choirs spent the fall season working on the Advent and Christmas portion of our planning and leading in worship.  The Older Children’s Choir began spending half of their rehearsal time learning to play handbells.  They shared their bell music and a choral anthem as a part of worship on October 25^th.   The Older Children’s Choir contributed several anthems to the Youth and Children’s Christmas Pageant on Dec. 13^th, played bells for worship and played bells and sang for the Christmas in the Fan Concert on Dec. 20^th.  They had a really busy fall.  This is an amazing group of 3^rd-5^th graders.    The Sanctuary Choir continued to discover how many anthems can be found that are related to the Old Testament texts that are central to our worship in the fall portion of the Narrative Lectionary.  We were delighted to get to Advent and Christmas!  The Sanctuary Choir continued to welcome new members this fall.  We presented a concert at Bruton Parish on Dec. 19^th and then shared most of that music in the worship service on Dec. 20^th and in the Christmas in the Fan Concert on that same day.  This is an amazing group of singers.  We have a great time making music and leading in worship together.

The Youth Worship Arts Team began meeting in October under the leadership of Judy Fiske, Ron Simmons and Marty Watkin.  The group met each Sunday afternoon and enjoyed a lunch prepared by parents or volunteers from the congregation.   They led the music in worship for the first time on Nov. 1.   This team then wrote the Christmas Pageant that they presented on Dec. 13.   They also sang several anthems as a part of this worship service.  This is also an amazingly diverse and talented group of youth.  We are looking forward to the next year of working with them.

The Meadow Street Band continued to rehearse and play both at Tabernacle and for other venues.   Their performances this year include the St. Mary’s Woods Valentines Banquet and their 20^th Anniversary celebration, a Fan Zone for the Tacky Light Run and the International Bike Race, Ashland Train Day, St. Stephen’s Farmer’s Market, the Carytown Watermelon Festival and various coffee houses and restaurants in Richmond and other areas in Virginia.   Look for opportunities to support these musicians when they play in the Richmond area.

Tabernacle is filled with wonderfully talented people who willingly share their amazing musical talents both in worship and in concert settings at Tabernacle.  Our music staff is very talented and they are surrounded by an equally talented group of volunteers.  Tabernacle is a great place to make and enjoy music.

Our Worship Arts Team is equally talented and enthusiastic.  This group officially began work in the fall, but many of the members have been collaborators on earlier worship arts projects and had their roles made “team official” in the fall. Their work combines with the music, scripture presentations, praying and preaching to make each worship service at Tabernacle a deliberate effort to make people more aware of the presence of God in their lives.  In July an online publication of Duke Divinity School, Faith and Leadership, featured and article about worship at Tabernacle that included interviews with several of the team members and the staff.

2015 was a busy and productive year.  We are looking forward to vibrant music and creative, engaging worship again in 2016.

Dr. Judy Fiske

Minister of Music/ Worship/Organist

A Word of Introduction, Rev. Sterling W. Severns, Pastor

There is a phrase I find myself using quite often these days as an assortment of folks ask questions about how things are going at Tabernacle Baptist Church. Generally speaking, neighbors and colleagues will allude to something they have seen or heard about us:

“I hear that things are going quite well at the church…..it sounds like you are really growing?”

 “I saw pictures on Facebook of your Sanctuary last Sunday…it looks so creative!”

“I spoke with __________ about finding a home at Tabernacle, I’m pleasantly surprised they have joined you as I thought they had given up on The Church”. 

I always enjoy these types of conversations as they provide a wonderful opportunity for me to share the story of what God is doing among us. After sharing some of the details, I inevitably use this phrase,

“…..Life begets life”. 

The re-emerging church at the corner of Grove and Meadow continued to gain momentum in 2015. The life that God has poured into our little congregation is drawing others to us and, ultimately, drawing all of us towards the source of life. We, by the grace of God, are vital again and the gift of that vitality is increasingly evident to anyone that has contact with us. The secret is out. People know that Christ is at work in this place and the sharing of our story is opening doors for partnership, ministry, and growth.

This last year of worship and ministry has taken many of us by surprise. Growth was anticipated in 2015 but not at the level we experienced it. Signs of life emerged in unlikely places and new spiritual formation programs grew at a pace we couldn’t have imagined only twelve short months ago. Two feature articles in national publications drew attention to our congregation by brothers and sisters from all over the world. The process of commissioning and sending two our own to southeast Asia has opened doors that we are only just beginning to discover. To say that it was a very good year would be an understatement.

Some of the highlights include:

• The gift of connection with the Universal Church:  We offered bread for the journey to numerous members called to step across the threshold of our church doors to serve in corners throughout the country and world. Twenty-four new family members crossed over the same threshold to enter into the membership of our local church. Each of them helped connect us with the the larger body. I will never forget Preston and Hazel’s baptisms in early 2015. God is using these two young believers to build the kingdom.  We prayed with Rob and Amanda as they discerned God’s guidance on where to serve and, ultimately, we helped to commission and send them to Myanmar. What a privilege it was to participate in that process and to see the church step forward to create a support system for them. The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Virginia and Faith & Leadership, a national digital publication sponsored by Duke University, featured Tabernacle in stories centered on our use of worship arts. We have been contacted by numerous congregations, from throughout the ecumenical spectrum, to serve as a resource for the creative use of gifts and physical space in worship. Our partnerships with ReEstablish Richmond and Camp Alkulana provided invaluable opportunities to contribute in the lives of families here in our community. Our partnership with Metro Baptist Church in NYC, by way of the ministry of Rev. Joseph Perdue, Bridget Fulks, and our mission team(s) connected us to a long line of servants that have kept an important bridge in tact between our two churches. Our partnership with Doug and Lea Coppage in Hungary reminds us that God can overcome the greatest of distances to keep us connected and unified. The gift of technology, through the use of the live-stream and podcast ministries, allows us to worship with brothers and sisters that can’t be physically present with us but are still a very important part of our everyday lives.

• The gift of servants of the everyday saints: We said goodbye to “Teddy” McClure after decades of service as our Church Sexton. Teddy has been a beloved member of our church family through such a pivotal time in our story. He helped to hold the line when we were struggling and helped us to emerge into the congregation we are today.  He kept our facilities safe and clean and he did so with an amazing attitude. We also said goodbye to Evanne Benson, our Financial Secretary. Evanne served our church faithfully and provided some much needed stability.  The personnel committee had a very difficult task at the beginning of the calendar year in the loss of these two staff members. Clearly the hand of God was at work in the search process as we welcomed Vincent Sallie, our new Church Custodian, and Susan Lumpkin, our new Financial Secretary, into the fold. Both of these gifted servants stepped into their ministry positions with open hearts and an eagerness to work. They are both thriving in their positions and I am beyond grateful for their leadership!  Kristen Koger’s transition into the Pastoral Residency position was seamless. She is an extraordinary Pastor and has such a heart for ministry. Art Wright began the year as our Deacon Chair but quickly transitioned into a new position onto the pastoral staff in February. The Spiritual Formation Program, under his good guidance, hasn’t been this strong in generations. Art’s leadership and guidance has been invaluable. The addition of our very own Samuel UC Lian onto the pastoral staff has been such a blessing. Many of us remember Samuel when he was in our youth group. The fact that he is now serving as our Pastoral Intern, working with our youth and families, is direct evidence of God’s grace working in full circle. The unstoppable Judy Fiske rounded off her 35th year of ministry among us with style, creativity, and unconditional love. I know of no other Pastor that works so diligently to facilitate meaningful worship and care of a congregation. The purchase of the “Judy Van”, a 15 passenger vehicle used to carry children and teens safely to church and camp alike, is a fitting tribute to her commitment and sacrifice. Betty Robertson, our Church Secretary of ten years, provides the glue that keeps us together. She represents our family to the community-at-large with integrity and warmth. She facilitates care and keeps us all in loop. She is well loved for good reason. The ever-evolving job descriptions for the members of our music staff kept Ron, Terry, and Ryan on their toes. However, they rose to the challenge, and many of our music programs are thriving because of it. Bonnie Bailey continued to serve behind the scenes to assist Teddy in his departure and also to help teach Vincent the ropes. I don’t know what we do without her. Frances Mathews longevity of service in the Child Care Center Ministry speaks to her passion for ministry to children and families. She is looked to as a Pastor by so many current and former parents. I thank God for each of these servants and for their willingness to equip you, the everyday saints of Tabernacle Baptist Church.

• The gift of ordination: The ordination of Rev. Kristen Koger  and Rev. Megan Strollo are two of the highlights of 2015. What a blessing it was to ordain these two gifted and caring servants and to do so beside so many other congregations and institutions. The Kingdom of God is a brighter place because of Kristen and Megan’s commitment to serve as equippers and caregivers.

• The gift of diversity: The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship featured Tabernacle in an important story focusing on multi-cultural relationships and the gift of unity we find in Christ. Our story was shared with hundreds of churches, many of of which have contacted us to offer encouragement and gratitude. The TBC ESL ministry continued to morph and I continue to be grateful for the assortment of leaders and volunteers that keep this ministry moving in the right direction. A good handful of our burmese rooted family members became US citizens in 2015 and some of my favorite memories of the year feature house blessings for our first time home buyers. God continues to provide. Our sexuality dialogue, on Wednesday evenings last fall, set a hopeful and respectful tone for important conversations in the year ahead. God has used our theological, multi-cultural, socio-economic, and racial diversity to create a beautiful picture of the Kingdom of God.

• The gift of progress:  A major phase in the renovation of our physical structure was completed in 2015. The basement of our main building welcomed an overhaul and provided a hint of things to come.

• The gift of longevity:  We are a well-rooted congregation and we are grateful for our legacy. We buried six members in 2015. Two of them had been active members for 80+ years. Louise Cochrane died at age 99. She and Harwood were married for 81 years; their commitment stood as the 10th longest surviving marriage in the world. We stand on the incredibly strong shoulders of those who came before us.

• The gift of growth: 2015 ushered in a baby boom at Tabernacle as the nursery hasn’t seen this many children in 40+ years. We averaged 50+ children and youth on Wednesday evenings and needed multiple vehicles to transport them to an assortment of camps in the summertime. If the volume of noise in the sanctuary, at the conclusion of any given Sunday service, is an indicator of life….we have assurance that the church is alive and well. Our adult Sunday school classes and small groups are growing rapidly to the point that we are looking for new spaces to meet on Sunday mornings and Sunday evenings. Numerical growth isn’t something we specifically seek out. Rather, it is an indicator of health and a direct result of God’s Spirit moving among us.

Future generations will be better equipped to put the year into perspective as we are too close to the story to fully understand what God is doing. Only time will tell. That said, I feel so very fortunate to live into the story beside you.

Yours in Christ,

Sterling W. Severns

Pastor

As mentioned in our December update, the Construction & Renovation Committee agreed to move forward over the next four to six weeks to complete a professional program evaluation of the use of our existing space.   We expect this analysis to be quite helpful as we revisit the approach for our construction next steps now that we have a more accurate and complete understanding of the costs associated with the approved plans.  We know now that additional plan requirements to meet building code requirements, the need for asbestos abatement, and higher current market construction costs and subcontractor pricing mean that the construction and renovation costs are significantly higher than could be originally estimated.

John Gass along with our lead architect from Huff-Morris, Jim Byerly, are currently meeting with various church groups and the pastoral staff to reaffirm space utilization needs that were defined approximately eight years ago.  The Committee agreed that this is a prudent effort to ensure that we are making wise choices in how we utilize the money you have generously given to this effort and will give in the future.  We believe that one of our most important roles in representing you is to be good stewards of the funds entrusted for creating a physical structure that meets the needs of our spiritual ministries.

We expect that the space evaluation will be completed around early March.  This will help us to make certain that we are utilizing all of our available areas in the most efficient and effective ways.  This also ensures that we are certain to consider how we meet our needs as they change with our ongoing growth.  A presentation will be made in the January church business meeting that will provide you with information available at that time.

Additional recent Vison activities include:

• Completion of the removal of the asbestos from the row houses,
• Patching the Williams Building roof.  (Discussions with Saunders Roofing Company indicate that they expect the roof to hold up during the winter, which will save us from spending a significant amount of money as we complete our space analysis and perhaps revise our construction sequence of events.)

We are encouraged in scripture to “run with patience the race before us”.  This is exactly the manner in which the Construction and Renovation Committee is working.  Every day Tabernacle Baptist Church takes patient and planned steps toward our God-Sized Vision.  Your gracious giving makes this possible.  If you or someone you know would like to know more about how you might participate or different ways that you might become a donor, please do not hesitate to call one of our Construction & Renovation Committee members (Nelson Melton, Bill Welstead, Kathy McGraw, Jim McMurray, or Donna Soyars).

I am amazed at the ways in which I can sense God’s presence among us as I look back over the past year.

Our small group program has seen amazing growth and vibrancy this past year. In any given week, more than fifty adults (plus children) meet in homes around Richmond for discipleship and fellowship. We have started two new groups in the past year, bringing our total number of small groups to five. We will probably add a couple more groups before the end of 2016. Weekly small group meetings are opportunities to talk and get to know one another in deep, meaningful ways, to dig into lively discussion of the sermon text, to wrestle with how God is at work in our lives, and to pray for one another.

Small groups also create neat opportunities for mutual care and collaborative involvement in mission. Group members care for one another and are often on the “front line” of providing meals and support for each other when a member is sick, has a new baby, or is in need for whatever reason. Groups are also finding ways to serve and minister together; my hope is that in the coming year we continue to strengthen the emphasis on mission in small groups.

This past August, we had our first small group leader training. Our small group leaders are nothing short of amazing. They open their homes and offer hospitality in abundance on a weekly basis. I find that I am constantly grateful for their leadership.

Our Sunday school offerings continue to be a vital part of spiritual formation at Tabernacle. The Welstead Class has experienced growth in the past year, and we have a relatively new intergenerational class that meets in the Community Room downstairs that is also growing. Two of our historic Sunday school classes, the Men’s and Women’s Class and the Blanton Class, continued to meet throughout the year for discipleship, carrying on the rich tradition and history of Sunday school education at Tabernacle.  We have also continued to offer various special series during the Sunday school hour.

One of my highlights of 2015 was the Wednesday evening Sexuality series during the fall season: “Let’s Talk about Sex: A Conversation about Sexuality in the Church.” Dr. Tracy Hartman and I developed and led the series, and the response was tremendous. For each of thirteen weeks, we had between thirty and forty adults in attendance—and more via the podcast—for very meaningful discussions about a wide range of topics related to sexuality and faith. This series gave us a chance to talk about things that should be talked about in churches, but often are considered taboo. Our hope was that this series would alleviate much of the shame associated with sex and sexuality, that it would equip people to think theologically about a number of issues related to the topic, and that it would prepare parents to have these sorts of conversations with their children and youth. The feedback we have received suggests we met these goals!

As I look to the coming year, I sense a number of needs. First, we must continue to be diligent in offering hospitality and in finding meaningful ways to integrate new faces into the life of our community of faith. Second, we must continue to offer creative ways for people to deepen their faith, to become spiritually formed, and to use their gifts to participate in God’s mission in our church, in the city of Richmond, and in the world. Our small groups and Sunday school classes will continue to help meet this critical need. Third, I want to continue to raise up discipleship leaders among us who have gifts for teaching and for guiding others in their journeys of faith. This will entail equipping new small group and Sunday school leaders, as well as providing opportunities for leadership on Wednesday evenings and in various Sunday morning series.

I am looking forward to 2016. We have just re-convened the marriage enrichment class that meets on Wednesday evenings. Despite not meeting in the fall of 2015, twenty-two people attended the first meeting of this group in January 2016! Kristen Koger and I are planning a Marriage Retreat for this group and other couples for April 15–17th, 2016. We expect that this will be the first of many annual retreats. Our Wednesday evening Lenten series this year is entitled “On Death and Dying.” Julie and Jeff Walton are joining me in preparations for this important series that will deal with theological and practical matters surrounding death. My hope is that it will allow us to have meaningful conversation about this most common of all human experiences, and to equip us and our loved ones to prepare in healthy, even fulfilling ways for it.

I am grateful for your trust and the support of this community as I finish up my first year of service as Minister of Spiritual Formation with you. I have learned a lot during this past year, and am thankful for the ways in which you’ve supported my growth, have been patient with me, and have encouraged me along the way. You all are a tremendous blessing in my life. I believe we will continue to find creative, meaningful ways to grow spirituality together, and to be attentive to God’s presence and work among and in us.

Grace and Peace to you all,

Art Wright

Minister of Spiritual Formation