Blog

September 19, 2005

Dear Rev. Severns,

Our visit with you at Tabernacle Baptist Church meant so much to my sister and me.  We deeply appreciate your time, your tour, and the opportunity to see that unique and splendid tree gracefully spreading its arms over the sanctuary, sprouting colorful leaves, celebrating families, and celebrating the grace of seasonal change.  The tree is an engineering marvel, a piece of poetry and a symbol of God’s spirit rooted in the past and reaching ever outward to new generations.  I LOVE THE TREE! And I love the book, The First Hundred Years, which you presented to us along with other materials.  The book turned out to be a treasure trove of information about our grandfather, Robert Moss Smith, as well as a beautifully written story of the birth of the church, its subsequent growth, and its continuing commitment to service in the community.  We knew little about our grandfather other than that there was a plaque honoring him next door to the church, and that he had died as a result of a fall.

The biographical sketch of Robert Smith on page 226 of the book contains a priceless bit of family history for us.  I also discovered that Robert Smith had written a history of the church which was never published, but which Margaret H. Emery used as a reference especially for the early development of the church.  My sister and I were unprepared for how relevant the book would be for us, and decided we really needed to take you up on your generous offer to give each of us a copy…

Greeting to you, sisters and brothers in Christ. I hope this finds each of you well. I give thanks to God for you and what you have done in my life. I’m grateful and thankful for giving me the opportunity be the pastoral intern for the youth. Never have I thought this would be possible but God works in a mysterious way. It is a precious honor and blessing not only for me but also, for my family.

Hence, I’m grateful for my family here and loved ones in Chin State for walking alongside with me and help me to become who I am today! However, Tabernacle and its members have a big role in my life since I first worship our God with you six years ago. This is our new home. Even though there was language barrier, you’ve raised me by your actions. You have helped, guided, taught and shown me what it means to be a follower of Christ and how to love the people of God. There is not enough word to describe.

As I say “YES” to His calling to be pastoral intern for the youth, I can’t give thanks enough for my youth ministers, a few to name: Megan Strollo, Dan Schumacher who have guided since I got here, especially Eric Hasha. I hope that you will walk alongside with me on this journey as I walk with the youth. I, myself and the youth need your guidance and prayers as we take in this chapter in our lives.

May our God with you as always.

Grace and Peace,

Samuel Lian

Pastoral Intern, Youth

On behalf of the entire Construction & Renovation Committee, we extend our sincere thanks to those of you who attended our special church townhall meeting after worship services on August 30^th.  We appreciate the interest shown in this important initiative, as well as the support of the work of the committee.

Nelson Melton presented an overview of the most recent findings in the analysis of our structures, including recent findings related to asbestos abatement in the row houses and the Williams Building, the impact of city fire code requirements, and the resulting need to modify our original cost estimates and time lines for construction.  Bill Welstead outlined next steps in our continuing efforts to raise funds for this project.  Members were then invited to ask questions related to construction and renovation efforts.  Some of the questions included:

1. Where will the library be located in the floor plans?
   The church has not maintained an active library for about six years.  The plans do not currently include a specific location for a library for that reason.  We plan to locate reference materials in our Sunday school classrooms.  Marty Watkins suggested that it would be helpful for our ESL activities to have a library of relevant materials, and Sandi Lowery volunteered to serve as the church librarian.  Discussion around this topic will continue.
2. Where will the history room be located?
   Consideration of the location of the history room is in progress.  We intend to have some of our historical artifacts displayed in various areas of the church, including the new Gathering Area once it is completed.   As we get closer to the time of the renovations for the Sanctuary Level of the main building, we will finalize how to manage how we highlight our important church history.
3. Will there be a lot of windows in the cafeteria for the kids?
   Yes.  There are a lot of windows in the plans for the new cafeteria in the Williams Building.
4. How are we progressing in our response to a letter received from Historic Richmond and the Fan District Association?
   Nelson Melton and Sterling Severns are finalizing a letter in response to the one we received earlier this summer from Historic Richmond and the Fan District Association.  We are crafting a response in expectation that the content will be of public record.  We are also making every effort to be sensitive to the concerns expressed in the letter we received, while addressing our needs to move forward in the best interests of the church and the community we serve.

For those who were unable to attend this special townhall meeting, a copy of the presentation slides will display routinely on the monitor in the Meadow Street entrance foyer.  And if you were not able to ask any questions that you have about this project during this meeting, please write your questions on the cards available on the table in that foyer and place the cards in the Vision mailbox.  We will respond to your questions as soon as possible.  Feel free to reach out to any of our committee members for information related to our Construction and Renovation plans.   Committee members include:  Nelson Melton, Bill Welstead, Kathy McGraw, Jim McMurray, Sterling Severns, and Donna Soyars.

Your continued prayers for our Vision and how we realize that Vision are appreciated!