What is the Building of Hope Cohort? The Building of Hope Cohort is a two-year program funded by the Lilly Endowment Inc. It equips congregations to discern how their physical spaces and resources can reflect God’s hospitality and deepen their engagement in God’s Mission.
Why is Tabernacle Baptist Church Participating? We believe God is calling us to listen more deeply for how the spaces entrusted to us can serve as places of connection, trust, and shared life with our neighbors and ministry partners. This program is an opportunity to grow in our understanding of what it means to embody God’s hospitality in tangible ways.
What does the process involve?
A three-person team, made up of Sterling Severns (pastor), Donna Soyars, and Ryan Corbitt, will represent TBC.
The team will attend three in-person retreats in Alexandria, VA:
February 20-22, 2025
May 15-17, 2025
October 16-18, 2025
Between retreats, we’ll use the Good Futures Accelerator, an interactive tool designed to help churches creatively and sustainably discern how their spaces and resources can join God’s Mission.
Who will guide us? Building for Hope Staff, Rooted Good,Dr. Matt Cook, Director and Consultant at the Center for Healthy Churches and Pneumatrix, will serve as our coach. Dr. Cook will provide:
Up to five coaching sessions in the first year and four in the second.
Participation in three one-hour conversations with our cohort and mentor in year one.
What outcomes do we hope to see? Through this journey, we hope to:
Grow in our understanding of stewardship and hospitality.
Discern creative and sustainable ways to use the spaces we’ve been entrusted with to reflect God’s Mission.
Deepen our relationships with neighbors and ministry partners, joining with them in God’s work of love and reconciliation.
How can I be involved? We invite you to:
Pray for our team as they embark on this journey.
Join church-wide conversations as we remember, reflect, learn, and dream together.
Participate in meaningful conversations between the church and the larger community as we listen together for God’s direction.
Reflect on how God might be calling all of us to listen, grow, and share in this Mission.
So many of us remember those early days when families who came as refugees from Burma began worshiping with us at Tabernacle. These were families with no place to call home—dehumanized by those in power and forced to leave everything behind in the place they once belonged. Many of them were grieving the traumatic loss of “home” and loved ones, the unspeakable atrocities of war etched into their stories. And yet, every Sunday, they joined us in the pews, filling the sanctuary with their presence.
It was a time of economic recession. All around us, a multitude of voices—both outside and within the church—expressed genuine concern about not having enough. Scarcity dominated the conversation, and the uncertainty of the moment weighed heavily on so many. And yet, there God was, providing in abundance.
When the offering plates were passed from hand to hand during the doxology, those same families—families struggling to feed their children—placed small bills into the plates. By the time the plates were carried forward, they were filled. What we thought we saw clearly at first grew richer and more profound as God’s hospitality continued to unfold before us, inviting us to grow in our understanding and trust.
We began to realize that what we were witnessing was far more than “us” hosting “them.” Between Sundays, we were invited into their temporary homes—apartments where rent was owed regardless of employment status. They welcomed us with open arms. They didn’t just share their stories; they shared their lives. They modeled faith.
It became clearer over time that this was not about “us” and “them” at all. God, the giver of life, was hosting all of us together. We brought the fish. They brought the loaves. We feasted at the family table together, and in God’s abundance, there were baskets of leftovers to share with others on the way.
I remember those days with deep longing. As we conclude the first month of 2025, we see division everywhere—in society, in our neighborhoods, and, yet again, within our own congregation. The “us” and “them” narrative has returned. There is so much talk of protecting borders, protecting institutions, protecting way of life, protecting legacy, protecting principle, protecting what’s ours.
But the only balm for the predictability of human behavior is the steadfast love of a God who sends strangers into our lives to show us the way home again.
From Abraham welcoming strangers into his tent to Jesus receiving the care of others during his ministry, God has always revealed divine hospitality through neighbors who extend trust and generosity. Again and again, we are reminded that God is the giver of all good things.
Even as the tension mounts, I find myself grateful that a growing number of us are coming to see the gift of God’s hospitality in our midst. On first and third Saturdays, there are droves of neighbors gathering in “our” building—each carrying different stories, perspectives, and needs—and yet the richness of God’s hospitality is being revealed through shared connection. In these spaces, God is changing and maturing our seeing, each at a different pace. For those with eyes to see, there is a growing awareness: we are becoming less and less the “helpers” and more and more people being hosted in the goodness of God.
And then there are more and more of us experiencing surprising life in growing relationships—with the staff, coaches, and community connected to ExCell, our Child Care Center Ministry, Alcoholics Anonymous, Lisu Grace Church, the Richmond Concert Band, ReEstablish Richmond, Akulana, Habitat for Humanity, diverse faith communities, neighbors living in houses surrounding “us,” and so many others whose lives and ministries are intertwined with our own.
Is it possible that the very thing we’ve been praying for—across generations—is unfolding right in front of us?
Could it be that we are becoming a neighborhood church again—not by reclaiming what was, but by having the courage to receive what God is giving now? That God is sending us neighbors to help us find our way back to our true selves…..to help us find “home” (again)….together (again)?
Do you suppose we still have it in us to embrace the truth that God’s hospitality isn’t something we offer, but something we are invited into (again)?
And if that’s true, will we have the courage to receive it (again)?
I pray we will. In fact, I see glimpses of it already.
Yours in Christ,
Rev. Sterling W. Severns, Senior Pastor
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Going Deeper: We are excited to explore how God is calling us to use the facilities entrusted to us more fully in this Mission. To learn more about how the cohort and grant opportunity can guide us in this next chapter of faithful stewardship, click here to read the Q&A and join the conversation.
Unable to join us in person? Here is the link to join our Sunday morning Worship Services on Livestream. Thank you for your patience as we are switching over from Livestream.com, which is being discontinued, to Vimeo.com.
Click here to join us via Livestream for Sunday morning Worship
Due to safety concerns caused by icy conditions affecting entry and exit to the church buildings, we’ve decided to move all programs online this Sunday. Instead of our usual livestream, we’ll meet on Zoom at 11 a.m. for a more personal and interactive gathering.
Today’s schedule:
9:45 Some classes have chosen to meet via Zoom, while others have decided to take the day off.
11:00–11:10 a.m.: Centering Gathering in zoom
11:15–12:00 p.m.: Breakout Rooms:
Rooms 1 & 2: Guided discussion on baptism with Judy Fiske & Sterling Severns.
Room 3: Reflection on Epiphany Star Words with April Kennedy.
We hope you’ll join us for this special time of connection!
After thoughtful consideration, key representatives of Church leadership have made a unanimous decision that no church programming will take place on our physical premises this Sunday. This decision was made due to safety concerns related to the current condition of the exterior of our buildings, entrances and exits, combined with recent and anticipated weather events.
Instead, we’ll gather via Zoom at 11 a.m. during the worship hour.
We understand this change may come as a surprise, especially since we’ve been accustomed to using our livestream in similar situations. However, this Sunday will look a little different as we gather on Zoom for a more personal and interactive experience.
Here’s what to expect:
11 am – 11:10 am: A brief formal gathering to center us for the morning.
11:15 am – 12:00 pm Breakout Rooms: After the formal gathering, you’ll have the opportunity to join one of three breakout rooms
Rooms 1 & 2: Guided Conversation on Baptism: Judy Fiske and Sterling Severns will invite reflection and discussion on the significance of baptism in our lives.
Room 3: Epiphany Star WordsLed by April Kennedy, this room is for those who didn’t receive an Epiphany Star Word last week or would like to reflect on their word more deeply. You’re welcome to linger and join in a conversation about the significance of these words and how they’ve offered guidance and meaning in the past.
We appreciate your understanding, flexibility, and grace as we prioritize the safety and well-being of our community. We look forward to seeing your faces on Zoom this Sunday as we gather in a new and meaningful way.
Grace and peace,
Sterling, Judy, April, and Vincent (Staff), Jessica C. (Administrative Board Chair), John G. (Deacon Representative), Donna S. (Chair of Building and Grounds)
The pastoral staff and the B&G Committee are managing the impact of this week’s inclement weather and the City’s loss of water.
The Child Care Center is taking appropriate actions to address their specific needs, and we are working to support them in every way we can.
Our sidewalks were pre-treated. Vincent is monitoring for ice every day, adding more salt where needed. Because we have an area with less sun on the sidewalks surrounding the building, we ask that everyone be careful if you are outside of the church or child care center.
The flooring in the atrium area is wet, and the water will continue due to the snow and ice on the glass roof. We hope to get the roof repair completed over the next couple of months, waiting for Dominion Energy to replace an alley electrical pole for the alley power line to be higher. For now, we prefer that everyone use the church office entrance until the snow and ice on the roof are gone.
A couple of weeks ago, the closure for the Meadow Street glass door broke. We are still waiting for the part to come in for that door to be repaired. We are asking that you do not use the Meadow Street entrance until the door is repaired. Again, we prefer that everyone use the church office entrance until the repair is complete.
The pastoral staff and the B&G Committee will confer on Wednesday at noon to consider next steps related to the lack of water in the building. The church was closed on Tuesday as a safety measure. We will give Vincent time to assess the whole building after water service is restored to be sure all systems are working properly. Once that assessment is completed, we will decide how to move forward day by day. Understanding that there is a need to boil water that is consumed, we are taking every precaution for all users of our buildings. Please look for updates on our website for our next steps in the use of the buildings.
Your understanding and continued prayers are appreciated.
IMPORTANT WEATHER RELATED UPDATE: The church buildings will be closed on Tuesday, January 7, due to lack of safe water.
IMMEDIATE BOIL WATER ADVISORY
RICHMOND, Va. — The City of Richmond has issued a boil water advisory immediately and until further notice for all residents.
This advisory comes after a winter weather storm-related loss of power Monday impacted the City’s water reservoir system, causing the system to temporarily malfunction. Capacity restoration services are currently underway, per the Department of Public Utilities (DPU).
Some may experience a total loss of water service, while others may experience varying degrees of loss in water pressure. Residents in Chesterfield, Henrico, and Hanover counties are not impacted by the boil water advisory.
Once the water system is back online, DPU personnel will begin the process of flushing the system and ensuring that the water is safe to drink.
Below is a checklist for safe water use during this time:
Do not drink tap water during this boil water advisory.
Do not drink from water fountains in parks, public or private buildings that receive water from the City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities.
Do not use ice made from water today. Discard the ice and sanitize the ice machine and/or ice trays. This also applies to water and ice dispensed directly from a refrigerator.
Do not use tap water to make drinks, juices, or fountain soft drinks.
Do not wash your dishes using tap water – use boiled water or use paper plates for the next few days.
Do not wash your fruits and vegetables with tap water – use boiled or bottled water.
Do not brush your teeth with tap water – use boiled or bottled water.
Do not cook with tap water, unless your food will be boiled vigorously for three minutes.
Temporary water conservation tips:
Eliminate or shorten shower times.
Avoid unnecessary toilet flushes, Avoid washing clothes for as long as possible. Postpone washing dishes if possible.
Check all faucets, showerheads and under cabinets for drips. This is a developing story and will be updated as we learn more. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
