Sterling Severns Building for Hope, Life of the Community, Staff, Testimonies

What is God showing us through the life taking shape among us?

For a long stretch, much of our energy has gone toward the needs directly in front of us. That work has been necessary, and I am deeply grateful for the leaders who have helped carry it. Together, we have repaired, responded, organized, encouraged, adapted, and made faithful decisions in real time. Even so, we have kept looking toward the horizon, which is no small thing when the present has required so much attention. That steady faithfulness has helped lay the foundation for the season now taking shape among us.

By the grace of God, the dust has settled enough for us to begin seeing that horizon more clearly. We have a better sense of who is here and of the many resources God has placed in our care: gifts, relationships, experience, imagination, buildings, partnerships, financial resources, etc. We also have a growing sense that others are on the way, and we are beginning to understand what it will require to welcome them well, help them find their place, and become more fully church together.

The horizon before us is wider still. We are being called to grow deeper ties in our neighborhood and city. We are learning to receive as well as offer, to listen as well as speak, and to join what God is already doing beyond our walls even as we tend what God is doing within them. We are a church in the city, for the city, and with the city.

There is urgency in this, and I believe it is holy. It’s important to remember that urgency is not the same thing as panic. Panic diminishes vision. It makes everything feel immediate and leaves little or no room for prayer, wisdom, or love. Holy urgency sharpens attention. It helps us recognize that this season together matters, that we should not drift past what God is stirring among us, and that when the next faithful step becomes clear, we ought to be ready to take it.

Throughout this season, I have found myself returning to this question: What is God showing us through the life taking shape among us?

  • I see it in our youth group and in the generous support surrounding their upcoming mission trip to Puerto Rico.
  • I see it in Building for Hope, especially in the quality of conversation taking shape with congregants, neighbors, partners, and local professionals.
  • I see it in Community Ministry, where welcome keeps becoming relationship. People are known by name. Needs are shared. Stories are exchanged and the circle of “we” keeps widening.
  • I see it in the encouragement we are receiving from neighbors and community partners, in budding friendships across the city, and in the growing sense that Tabernacle’s life is bound up with the life of our neighbors and our city.
  • I see it in our guests, in longtime members leaning in again, in renewed energy across the congregation, in leaders asking healthy and courageous questions, and in the many servants of this church who do quiet work with steady faithfulness.

All of this deserves prayerful attention. The life God is stirring among us is beautiful, and it also brings responsibility. One encouraging sign is that careful stewardship is becoming more deeply woven into our shared culture. The season ahead will ask much of us. Our property and mission belong in the same conversation. Our budget should help us tell the truth about what God has entrusted to us and how God is calling us to live. Our partnerships will need care, and our leaders will need support. We will need to discern carefully, so that the sacrifices we make together are faithful to the vision God is giving us.

Holy urgency asks us to stay awake, to tell the truth, and to move with courage when the Spirit makes the next faithful step clear. We have many ideas, and many of them are exciting. Some may become faithful next steps. Others may teach us something and then give way to clearer invitations. That, too, is part of discernment.

Where do the gifts God has placed in our hands meet the needs God is placing before us in our community? This is the question that belongs to all of us right now. 

My hope is that we will enter this season with open hearts, asking God to shape our imagination, strengthen our courage, and deepen our trust. As we listen to the testimonies being shared in worship, in conversation, and in the faithfulness of daily service, I believe we will hear a deeper story.

God is forming us in real time.
God is showing us something through the life taking shape among us.
May we have eyes to see it, patience to receive it, and courage to follow where the Spirit leads.

Yours in Christ,

Sterling W. Severns
Senior Pastor

April Kennedy Abundant Community, Art of Neighboring, Life of the Community, Rule of Life, Rule of Life Together, Testimonies

Beyond Service: How Shared Ministry Fosters True Belonging

As I reflect on the past few months of Community Ministry, one word keeps coming to mind:  Mutuality. This is a place where ministry is not a one-way street. It’s not about one group giving and another receiving. Instead, it’s about neighbors, strangers, and members coming together as equals—each bringing something valuable to the table.

On Saturday mornings, we see neighbors arriving not just with needs but with contributions to make. They bring their stories, wisdom, and care for everyone present. They offer encouragement and generosity—whether it’s through sharing what they have, helping others feel welcome, checking in on someone, helping cook breakfast, or finding the perfect outfit for a neighbor in the clothes closet.

And then there are the volunteers. Some have been members of this church for decades, while others are new faces—people who initially arrived as strangers but have found a home in the work we do together. They bring energy and dedication, and in the process, they become part of the fabric of this community. It’s beautiful to see how quickly someone who came to serve becomes someone who belongs.

As the walls between ‘us’ and ‘them’ break down, we are more able to live into our shared identity as God’s children.

This ministry isn’t just about food, clothes, or showers; it’s about the relationships being formed. It’s about seeing Christ in one another and discovering what happens when we trust that everyone has something to give.

So, thank you. Thank you to the neighbors who come and show us how to love each other better. Thank you to the volunteers who give their time, skills, and hearts. And thank you to the people who call Tabernacle home and support Community Ministry through your participation, prayers, and financial gifts.

As we look ahead, let’s continue leaning into this vision of shared ministry. Let’s keep making space for everyone to contribute, to belong, and to experience God’s presence here.

April Kennedy
Minister of Abundant Community

April Kennedy Community Ministry, Testimonies

Glimpses of the Kingdom: How God Provided on Our Busiest Day

Saturday marked the busiest day of community ministry this year, with over 140 families coming through our doors. It was amazing! We had been moving steadily for over an hour when I had a brief conversation with Sterling. He mentioned he’d heard it was a “slow morning.” I couldn’t help but laugh, knowing full well it was anything but slow.

What we experienced was God providing exactly what was needed, often before we even realized we needed it. Take the neighbor who stepped up to manage sign-ins outside, confidently giving directions in English and Spanish while I helped by making name tags. There was also a neighbor couple who jumped in without hesitation, assisting in the clothes closet and preparing cold bags for others, their faces beaming with smiles. A neighbor we’ve just started getting to know offered to take out the trash whenever he is here. A new VCU student stepped right in to shop with neighbors, and another new volunteer spent a long time attempting to bring order to the chaos of toiletries in the pantry.

Each of these moments was a small glimpse of the Kingdom of God—expanding into a beautiful picture of who we are becoming together: a place where we all belong and where we can all love and be loved.

tbc Devotional, Devotionals, Media, Testimonies

Advent Devotion: The Gift of the Stranger

written by Ginny & Fred Karnas Narrated by Donna Soyars in 2019

The Gift of the Stranger

Scripture Reading:  She gave birth to her first Son, wrapped him in cloths and laid him in a manger – there was no room for them to stay in the inn. (Luke 2:7)

Meditation:   It was my first night as a volunteer at the new Salvation Army shelter, opened to address the growing needs of homeless men in downtown Phoenix.  I had never worked with homeless people before, so I sat nervously at the registration table asking each man a few questions as he signed in.  As I got more and more into the flow of the job, I became more mechanical in my duties, soon failing to look up before asking the next man in line his name. As I crouched over my clipboard, I called out for the name of the next person in line.  A voice quietly said, “My name is Joseph.”   Continuing to stare at my clipboard, I asked, “And your occupation?”  Joseph quietly answered, “I am a carpenter,” and then he disappeared into the crowd heading through the shelter door.    

At that moment, just a few days before Christmas, I was jolted out of the complacency of my “official” role.  I realized I could not ignore these men. I could not fail to give them the simple dignity of looking them in the eye. If Joseph were there, could Jesus be there also?   And what if I missed the opportunity to grasp God’s outstretched hand and His invitation to journey with Him in service to the world?  

The Bible does not tell us why the innkeeper felt compelled to find a place for Joseph and Mary to sleep that night.  Perhaps it was the fact that it was clear that Mary was close to giving birth that moved him to compassion, but why had none of the other innkeepers felt so moved?  Maybe it was because the innkeeper had access to the cave where Jesus was born and no one else did, or perhaps it was simply a chance to make a little more money from the travelers visiting Bethlehem to pay their taxes. Or, just maybe, it was because by looking into the eyes of Mary and Joseph the innkeeper caught a glimpse of God’s love and chose to be a part of His plan for revealing that love to mankind. 

We will have to wait until we get to heaven to get the answer to that question, but what we do know is that the birthplace of Jesus is an important part of the revelation of God’s story.  Through His humble birth, Jesus was connected to the world of the broken, and through that was able to teach us about compassion and grace and hope.  As Thomas Merton reminds us:

Into this world, this demented inn, in which there is absolutely no room for Him at all, Christ has come uninvited.  But because He cannot be at home in it, because He is out of place in it, His place is with those others for whom there is no room.  His place is with those who do not belong, who are rejected by power because they are regarded as weak, those who are discredited, who are denied the status of person, who are tortured, bombed, and exterminated.  With those for whom there is no room, Christ is present in the world. He is mysteriously present in those for whom there seems to be nothing but the world at its worst… It is in these that He hides Himself, for whom there is no room.

Prayer:   Lord, thank You for the innkeeper who chose to be a part of God’s plan for the world.  Help us to be aware of those around us who need to find room in the inn – be it a place of physical rest or spiritual hope.  Amen.

Introduction to Ginny and Fred’s Devotion Series

tbc Testimonies, Worship & Fellowship

The gift of presence.

Sunday I received a heartbreaking call with news that a neighbor we connect with through community ministry had been found dead Saturday afternoon. This neighbor had been coming to Community Ministry for longer than my time here. He was unhomed and relied heavily on organizations like ours to provide for basic needs like food and clothing.  A few months ago, he approached us and asked if he could take a shower in our facilities. After checking the hot water and finding some towels, I showed him to the shower. I was a little hesitant, but the shower was a blessing for him and for us. One shower led to regular usage, and those showers led to longer conversations and more personal connection and care.

A week ago he requested corduroy pants to help with the cooler nights.  I hesitated—does he really need them now?  Should we wait? Maybe we could wash what he has.  Do we have enough?

Amazingly, we recently received a donation of several pairs of corduroy pants that were his exact size! So the decision was made to share what we had and address future needs later. We set them aside, clean and folded, ready for his next shower.

Saturday morning, just hours before his death, he showed up for his weekly shower. As usual, God showed up in our interactions. Following his shower, he came outside with a huge smile on his face. He expressed how much he loved this place and how grateful he was for how God was taking care of him. Tears rolled down his face as 5 or 6 volunteers talked to him and made sure that he had foods he could easily eat in the coming week.  

My last memory of our neighbor, is him walking away, food in a bag hanging from his walker, wearing new corduroy pants and a long sleeved blue shirt.  He turned around and said ‘thank you’ multiple times as he left.

God is present in the alley.
He continues to provide.
He loves each of our neighbors.

These interactions challenge me to be more present and in the moment with our neighbors. They challenge me to pay attention to where God is at work. They prompt me to examine the use of our abundant resources. They remind me God continues to provide “enough”- which is a promise I have embraced throughout the pandemic.

April 

April Kennedy
Community Minister Director

tbc Media, Testimonies, Worship & Fellowship

Tabernacle Stories: Mary Jo Dailey (04/05/17)

“We need to tell stories as a testimony to what God has done and is doing. If we do not share the stories, their power and truth are diluted, and their impact forgotten” (Wright/Davis).

On April 5, 2017, we invited Mary Jo Dailey to share her call story.  We are grateful for her bravery and vulnerability. Mary Jo’s testimony to God’s presence in her life is inspiring.

tbc Testimonies, Worship & Fellowship

Visual Testimony: Week of March 29, 2020

Christ is at work among us.

Christ is at work among us. We are an extension of his hands, feet, and heart.

We celebrate the creative use of the the gifts and resources God has given us.
We testify as an expression of gratitude to Jesus, and also to encourage those he his using to bring light in darkness!

Thank you, Tabernacle, for your courage, love, and faithfulness.

Christ is at work among us.

Christ is using the church as an extension of his hands, feet, and heart. Help us testify!

Please send screenshots, written testimonies, and videos to Pastor@tbcrichmond.org. Please just be sure you have permission to share, especially if minors are in the images.