tbc Media

Pastoral Reflection: The Right People

Pastor Sterling Severns tells the story of a pastor modeling sacrificial love, and talks about God sending us just the right people at just the right time.

Who has come into your life at just the right time? How have you seen God in the people around you?

tbc Discernment 2021, Going Deeper

Does Church Size Matter?

Pastor Meg Lacy Vega talks to us about how congregations function differently depending on their size.

This podcast is a supplement to our ongoing discernment dialogue as we explore what God has in store for our congregation and the universal church. We invite you to listen each week as we share thoughts, articles, questions, and ideas about our discernment process.

You can read more about church size dynamics in the article Leadership and Church Size Dynamics: How Strategy Changes with Growth by Time Keller.

tbc Worship & Fellowship

Pastoral Reflection: The Gift of Remembrance

Pastor Sterling Severns remembers old friends and those who have left us in one way or another.

I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge— God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

–  1 Corinthians 1:4-9

Who comes to mind when you remember those in the church who are no longer with us?

tbc Discernment 2021, Going Deeper

Going Deeper: Leading Beyond the Blizzard

Spencer Law reads and reflects on the article Leading Beyond the Blizzard: Why Every Organization Is Now a Startup by Andy Crouch, Kurt Keilhacker, and Dave Blanchard.

A brief summary (pulled from the article) is provided here:

  1. The novel coronavirus is not just something for leaders to “get through” for a few days or weeks. Instead, we need to treat COVID-19 as an economic and cultural blizzard, winter, and beginning of a “little ice age” — a once-in-a-lifetime change that is likely to affect our lives and organizations for years.
  2. Due to the complex and interconnected nature of our society and economy, the majority of businesses and nonprofits are “effectively out of business” as of today, in that the underlying assumptions that sustained their organization are no longer true.
  3. The priority of leaders must be to set aside confidence in their current playbook as quickly as possible, write a new one that honors their mission and the communities they serve, and make the most of their organization’s assets — their people, financial capital, and social capital, leaning on relationship and trust.
  4. The creative potential for hope and vision is unparalleled right now — but paradoxically this creativity will only be fully available to us if we also make space for grief and lament.
  5. We write this out of love for Christian organizational leaders and their work, with humility in a time of considerable uncertainty, and a prayerful hope that we are proven wrong by God, in his gracious providence, working miraculously through human ingenuity in this season.

After reading or listening to this article, what do you think it has to say to the current state of our church? Is it correct in its assertions?

What have you learned between March (when this article was written) and now?

Big annual Christmas Meal Ministry to take place tomorrow (12.19.20)

December 17, 2020

Friends and Neighbors, 

This coming Saturday morning, Tabernacle will be providing over 150 families a full traditional holiday meal that they can prepare at home. These “Christmas Baskets” are an annual emphasis, and we are excited to be able to provide such a large number of meals this year. There is a possibility that this will cause a back up in the alley or on Granby St. Please bear with us. We have scheduled households to come throughout the morning and will be working hard to keep all areas clear for traffic passage. Please feel free to ask a volunteer if you need assistance. 
Due to the pandemic, the need for food in our community has greatly increased. Prior to March, our food pantry and clothing ministry was only open once a month, serving around 80 households. At this point, we are seeing as many as 130 households in one week! Each month we are giving away over 5,000 pounds of food. We are grateful to be able to provide food to neighbors in our community. 


Maybe at this point, you are interested how you can get involved?  While much of our food comes from FeedMore, the increased need has meant supplemental food must be purchased or donated to provide balanced meals.  As winter is upon us, we are also regularly asked for coats, hats, gloves, mens jeans and boots. If you’re headed to the grocery store, consider purchasing shelf stable items to add to the pantry.  If you are cleaning out your lightly used winter gear, consider donating it to our clothing closet. These can be dropped off on Saturday mornings from 8-11am, we’d love to say “thank you” in person.  We would also welcome you to join us in a number of volunteer roles.  Finally, if you would like to financially support the work that we are doing to feed local households, checks can be written to Tabernacle Baptist Church, with Community Ministry in the notes. 


Please stop by and say hi on a Saturday morning. The volunteers see so many of you out walking dogs that treats have been purchased to share. 
Merry Christmas!

tbc Leadership Roundtable

SUN, SEPT. 6: A BIG ADVENTURE

Receiving Sustenance through the breaking of Bread. Remembering a promise and keeping a promise.

A day of worship.
A day of reunion.
An adventure with purpose.

On September 6, we will gather for a brief Communion service at 9:30AM before being sent out to worship with sister churches (mostly virtually) and participate in our Sunday School classes. There will be another brief Communion service at 4PM. A page with the hyperlinks will be available in the coming days.