Category: Worship & Fellowship

This year Tabernacle committed to providing Christmas Dinner to 100 of our friends and neighbors who are in need.  On the morning of December 19, 2015, about 50 people gathered in the Community Room in preparation for the delivery of 100 Christmas Baskets.  A light breakfast was provided, delivery procedures were explained and deliveries began.  The process was well organized and everything went according to plan.  All of the vehicles were loaded and on the road by 11:00 am, and deliveries were completed by early afternoon.

While the actual event was only a matter of hours, a lot of work and planning occurred long before the deliveries.  Things start in October when we begin getting requests for Christmas Baskets.  This year we changed the procedures to have all calls for requests go to a designated phone. Thanks to Priscilla Kinchen and Jerry Spiller for taking the calls and filling out the request forms.  Requests are recorded and reviewed before accepting the requests.  Then, all to receive the baskets are grouped by location into delivery routes and maps made with directions for each route.

Days before delivery, everyone who is on the list is called to ensure there are no address changes and to be sure someone will be home to receive the baskets the day of delivery.  Trying to contact 100 people is a big task, but this is necessary to ensure smooth deliveries.  Thanks to Jane Denzler for making the calls.

Non-perishable food is picked up the day before delivery in order to pack the boxes, perishables (turkey, eggs, and milk) are picked up on the morning boxes are delivered. Thanks to Bill Gradwell for getting the boxes and picking up the food.  And, thanks to all who helped with the packing.  Much of the canned goods in the baskets was from the Richmond Concert Band who contributed approximately 1200 items of food.

Only then are we ready for the deliveries.  It is easy to explain the process in words but very hard to describe the atmosphere and feeling that day.  This report is filled with thank yous because it takes a lot to make this event happen.  It could not take place without the volunteers’ time and money.  Cost of the Christmas Baskets was just over $4500. Enough money was raised to cover all of the costs with a little left over.

Saturday morning was fun and busy.  We had children, young adults, and not-so-young adults helping to make this a great experience.  I never think of this ministry as delivering food.  I think of families at their tables on Christmas, sharing a meal that they would not have had without the efforts and generosity of members of the church we call Tabernacle.  Someone made the exclamation, “WOW 100 baskets.”

I think of the WOW as how God has provided us with the resources and people to do this worthwhile ministry.  As it says in 1^st John 3:17-18, “…let us not love with word or tongue, but in deed.”

Many of the people who received baskets also come to the Food Pantry.  These are people who are just getting by.  This ministry is another example of helping and sharing our love for Christ.

Dick Denzler

During our recent Quarterly Business Meeting, Nelson Melton provided church members with an important update from the Construction & Renovation Committee.  That report gave our congregation an overview of actual costs of the project and the recommended sequence of construction events as we continue our fundraising efforts.  The committee members are very appreciative of the support received throughout this process of planning and fundraising for the monumental tasks before us.

Since that update, the Committee decided to address directly the reality that the construction and renovation costs are significantly higher than originally estimated(based upon additional plan requirements primarily to meet code requirements, asbestos abatement, and higher current market construction cost of materials and subcontractor pricing).  The Committee agreed to work with our architects and general contractor in a team 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.

Therefore, the Committee has agreed to move forward over the next four to six weeks with our lead architect to complete a professional program evaluation of the use of our existing space.  In this way we make certain that we are utilizing all of our available areas in the most efficient and effective ways.  This ensures that we as a Committee are more certain about the direction we are taking for the future of Tabernacle in meeting our needs as they change with our ongoing growth.  Even though you will not see construction begin in January 2016, we believe that you will see change begin in early 2016.  A presentation will be made in the January church business meeting that will provide you with more details.

We will also move forward with the removal of the asbestos from the row houses, as well as with patching the Williams Building roof.  Further discussions with the roofing company indicate that we do not need a new roof for this winter, saving a significant amount of money as we finalize our sequence of construction 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.  We rely upon your continued support as we pursue a God-Sized Vision for our church and our future.  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).

During our recent Quarterly Business Meeting, Nelson Melton provided church members present with an important update from the Construction & Renovation Committee.    For those of you who were not able to attend that church meeting, Nelson plans to repeat this update on a Wednesday night in the near future, and perhaps again on a Sunday prior to church services.  We want everyone to be aware of the necessary changes to the originally planned phases of construction and related costs.  And if you would like a refresher for information that you have heard, we will be showing the presentation on the video monitor in the Meadow Street foyer in the near future.

Increased Costs
Our General Contractor, Kjellstrom & Lee, received actual bids from the Richmond construction market based on finalized architectural drawings.  Our finalized drawings reflect the due diligence completed by our architectural firm, Huff-Morris, addressing the City’s interpretation of National Fire Code and City building codes.  The bids obtained and summarized are indicative of a larger scope of work than the Construction & Renovation Committee knew about before completion of all of the architectural due diligence with the City.  The larger scope of work includes:

• Add a Sprinkler System/Pump House for the Williams Building
• Install Larger Water Pipes to the Church Building to Maintain Water Pressure
• Complete Asbestos Abatement for the Williams Building, Needed When We Add the Sprinkler System
• Install a New Electrical Service for the Williams Building
• Totally Separate the Williams Building and Church Building to Meet Fire Code Requirements by such changes as permanently closing some windows on the Williams Building Side of the Church Building
  Note:  If we do not implement the fire code requirements outlined by the City to totally separate the Williams Building and the Church building, we would need to install a sprinkler system in both the Williams Building and the entire Church building.  The cost and functional requirements of adding a sprinkler system to the Church would be prohibitive.

In addition to the larger scope of work, construction costs have gone up significantly over the past year and a half.  These factors combined result in the actual bids for our planned changes to be double what the cost was estimated to be in late 2013.  Our previous estimate was around $2 million.  The actual costs today total $4 million.

What Do We Do Next?

The Construction & Renovation Committee recommends that we proceed with the next four sequences of construction, with sequences modified from what was planned and presented in our last update.  The sequence shown below starts with Sequence 2, understanding that we completed Sequence 1 this past summer with improvements made in the Fellowship Hall area.   Details for how we proceed with Sequences 3 – 5 will be revealed in January 2016, after we have had the opportunity to engage more of our congregation in decisions needed related to that construction.  Current funds raised will be used to complete this work.

• Sequence 2.  Remove Asbestos in Row Houses, Obtain Demolition Permit from Richmond City, Add New Roof for the Williams Building
• Sequence 3.  Complete New Church Building Gathering Place
• Sequence 4. Relocate Existing Church Offices
• Sequence 5. Complete New Church Building Sunday School Classrooms

Sequences 6 – 10 as shown below will require raising additional funds.  Bill Welstead and the Follow-up Sub-Committee are working on fundraising strategies that will enable us to finish the work in these sequences.  This is a challenge that we know God will guide us through.  This is not the first time that our Church has been at a crossroads.  As in the past, we will continue extraordinary efforts to meet this challenge, knowing that the changes to be made in our structures are meant to nurture our spiritual missions.  With your prayers and support, we will realize the Vision that God has for us.  This is our story, and it is a story of faith.

• Sequence 6. Move Child Care & Family Ministry Operations into Church Building
• Sequence 7. 
  • Demolish the Two Row Houses
  • Complete Construction of Office Complex, Child Care & Family Ministries Space, & Demolition of 3^rd Floor
  • Remove Asbestos in the Williams Building
  • Install Sprinkler System in New Offices & Williams Building
  • Install New Elevator
  • Remodel the Williams bldg. 1^st and 2^nd Floors
  • Sequence 8. Landscape & Hardscape of New Area in Front of New Offices
  • Sequence 9. Move Child Care Operation back into the William’s Building; New Church and Child Care offices are occupied
  • Sequence 10. Remodel Third floor of the William’s Building for New Parsonages and Visiting Student Bunk Rooms.

As always, 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 greatly appreciated!

The Construction & Renovation Committee requests your attendance at the upcoming Quarterly Business Meeting to be held after church services on Sunday, October 25^th.  As indicated in the townhall meeting held on August 30^th, Nelson Melton, committee chairperson, has some very important factual information to present to the congregation about our God-Sized Vision.  We want everyone to be there to understand how the committee is approaching next steps for this essential structural improvement project in support of our key spiritual missions.

What will you hear?

• You will see and hear an explanation of the actual cost numbers for construction and renovation that are based on completed bidding from the Richmond construction market.  What changes we have agreed to make, any updates to the needed changes based on City code requirements, and the closest we can come to actual cost numbers are included in this part of the presentation.
• You will view a couple of revised architectural drawings and reference the current plan for the sequence of construction elements.  The planned sequence has been impacted by City code requirements, and you will hear about why it is important that we align the sequence to meet those code requirements.

What do you need to do?

• Please be present so that you can fully understand how the Construction & Renovation Committee is making its decisions to move forward with our structural changes.
• Encourage your church friends to attend.
• Write down any questions that you have during the meeting so that we can make every effort to answer your questions at the designated time.  You will have the opportunity to ask questions at the end of the presentation.
• As always, 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!

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!

Last week, ten excited youth and three brave adults packed up and drove to the University of Tennessee, where they participated in a week of youth camp called UniDiversity. This year, twenty-four churches and 462 participants gathered together to focus on the theme “It’s Complicated.” This theme was all about relationships, and we focused on the relationship between Peter and Jesus as we talked about trust, influence, pain, and purpose. Youth and adults alike wrestled with being vulnerable and accepting of others; they began to unpack how we are always in relationship with other people, and how we as Christians should treat others and be treated in those relationships; we talked about how we are influenced by those around us, and how we can work to be positive influences in the world; and we found ways to think about how we have been hurt in relationships, and hurt others, and how we can pick ourselves up with God’s help. It was a transformative and challenging week for everyone.

The title of this article speaks to the larger picture of UniDiversity. During the day, youth are mixed together into different groups. Often during the day, you would hear chaperones asking one another “Have you seen…?” Because for most of the day, youth were all over the place, building relationships with others; forming community. And we didn’t see each other a whole lot. But that was because youth were putting into action what we were focusing on this week- they were building relationships with one another. Between bible study, seminars, and electives, our youth were out meeting new folks and reconnecting with friends made last year. That’s a benefit of UniDiversity- since it only happens for one week in the summer, and many of the same churches return year after year, we are able to reunite with friends they haven’t seen since last year. The UniDiversity family is one of the strongest and most genuine I have ever encountered. And for that I am grateful.

As we return home, we return as a group who has been challenged to look at relationships differently. We are finding ways to be the presence of Christ in the world to all we cross paths with. On our last night at camp, we each offered a sentence prayer with the prompt “God, as I return home, help me to…” Each youth and adult based their prayer off something that touched them this past week. While all the prayers were meaningful and important, one prayer summed up the week: “God, as I return home, help me to love others, even when I don’t feel like loving them.” That’s the Gospel, friends. That’s what we are called to do in this world filled with meaningful, challenging, complicated relationships. So go- serving the complicated and mysterious God, and knowing that you have been equipped with the tools to navigate the world.

Rev. Kristen Koger

Pastoral Resident

The Food Pantry and Clothes Closet Ministry provides food and clothing to families in our neighborhood.  The pantry and clothes closet are open every Thursday from 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm.  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 from time to time grants.

Food pantry and clothes closet are staffed by dedicated volunteers.

In 2014, we distributed 2,503 bags of groceries to 650 families, including 70 homeless persons.  Some came only once and some every month.  On average a family came between 3 and 4 times a year.  There were 261 families who visited the food pantry for the first time in 2014.  We distributed over 50,000 pounds of food (25 tons) this year – an increase of 6% over 2013.  We strive to provide well-packed bags of food each week.

This year about 75% of food we distribute comes 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.  One week we picked up almost 4,000 pounds of food.  Each week, a steady number of neighbors visit the clothes closet as the word spreads about this ministry.  Consequently, we always need your clothing and shoes, particularly for men.  Thank you to everyone who donated clothes and toiletries this past year.

If you visit us on any Thursday, do not be surprised if you hear laughter, for it truly is a fun working environment.  Every week people tell us what a great thing this church is doing and how much they appreciate what we do and the way they are treated.  I think that is what this ministry is about – whether it is getting food, clothing, or just having someone listen.  We want people to feel better after coming here.  I find every year that the people who serve in this ministry do so because they want to help others.  We are still here because there is still a need and because we have people willing to help address the need.

A little history:

The food pantry started around 1978 by collecting food from the congregation and distributing to people who came to the church.  It was actually stored in a pantry.

In 1998 (first year we started keeping statistics) the food pantry began participating in the USDA program. The first year the monthly average was 19 families and 27 bags of food distributed.  In 2014 monthly average was 185 families and 209 bags.

In the first 5 years we had about 540 families visit the food pantry.  As of December, 2014 that number has grown to 3,682.

The clothes closet began in 1978, and in 1998 it was operating in a 10 ½ by 22 foot room, about 230 square feet.  We have expanded the clothes closet space to almost 1,400 square feet.