This Sunday we’ll turn our hearts to Luke 10:25–37—the familiar but ever-challenging parable of the Good Samaritan. Jesus tells this story in response to a question we’re still asking today: “Who is my neighbor?” In it, compassion crosses boundaries, defies categories, and disrupts prejudice. As we prepare to worship together, here are a few questions to carry with you this week:
I wonder what keeps us from seeing the suffering right in front of us.
I wonder how courage and compassion might look in our own lives this week.
I wonder who has been a neighbor to you when you needed it most.
I wonder how God might be inviting us to “go and do likewise,” embodying mercy, justice, and grace in real ways.
Let’s also pray especially for our youth group at Passport Camp this week—that they would experience God’s love and guidance in powerful ways.
I hope you’ll join us Sunday as we listen for Jesus’ call to become neighbors in a world so desperate for compassion.
Grace and Peace,
Rev. Sterling W. Severns, Pastor
______________ Image: Vincent van Gogh, The Good Samaritan (after Delacroix), 1890. Public Domain. Courtesy of the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam.
This past Sunday, we chose to begin worship at the table. Before prayers or offerings, before much else was said or sung, we paused to share Communion—passing trays from one to another, serving and being served, bread and cup in our hands.
It wasn’t about earning anything, or proving ourselves ready. It was about acknowledging something true before anything else: that grace is given. That God provides. That all of us come hungry in one way or another.
In these tender and challenging days, when so many questions swirl about what comes next, there is something quietly powerful about starting there. To recognize that whatever happens begins not with our certainty or our planning, but with God’s own generosity. That nothing we’re about to do—our singing, our praying, our listening, our giving—creates grace. It simply responds to it.
Passing the bread and cup among us reminded us of our shared dependence. It was a small act of trust: receiving what someone else handed us, offering it in turn. A way of saying we cannot provide for ourselves alone. That God is always the one who moves first, offering what we cannot make ourselves.
For those who would like to reflect more on why this small shift in the order of worship can matter so much, I want to share this thoughtful piece that speaks to it beautifully: Grace at the Start: How Moving Communion Changes Everything.
I keep thinking of these words from Rachel Held Evans that many of us have carried with us:
“This is what God’s kingdom is like: a bunch of outcasts and oddballs gathered at a table, not because they are rich or good, but because they are hungry, because they said yes.”
Because whatever questions we’re asking about the future, whatever uncertainties wait for us beyond the doors of this sanctuary, we begin by acknowledging the grace already given.
And in serving and being served, we remember who we are.
People who are hungry. People who say yes.
People who find, again and again, that God meets us at the table.
“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”
– Annie Dillard
No Turning Back
There’s something unflinching about Jesus here.
Luke says he “set his face toward Jerusalem.” It’s the moment he stops wandering and starts going. Not drifting. Not hedging. But choosing the road ahead—come what may.
He’s honest about it. Bracingly so. He says following will cost you. He says you’ll have to let go of “but first.” He says you can’t plow straight if you keep looking back.
And it’s not cruelty that makes him speak this way. It’s love that refuses to lie. He knows the road leads through suffering. But he also knows it’s the only road that leads to life.
I think there’s mercy in that clarity. A grace in being told the truth about what matters most. Because when you know the cost, you get to choose freely. And love that’s chosen freely is the only kind that lasts.
I imagine us standing there together in that moment. Hearing his voice. Not with shame. Not with fear. But with a holy honesty that says: “Yes. Even this. I’ll follow.”
I wonder: I wonder what “but first” you’re holding onto these days. I wonder what you’d have to lay down to follow more freely. I wonder what you might gain on the other side of that choice.
Looking Ahead
As we prepare for worship next Sunday, I hope you’ll take time to read ahead in the Gospel—Luke 10:1–11, 16–20.
Jesus sends seventy others on ahead of him. He doesn’t weigh them down with baggage. He sends them lightly, with trust and purpose, to bring peace and healing wherever they go. He tells them to say: “The kingdom of God has come near.”
If this week is about choosing the road, Next week is about walking it—together.
And there’s hope in that. We don’t walk alone.
I wonder: As you read and pray this week, I wonder what it would mean for you to go lightly. I wonder how you might speak peace into someone’s life. I wonder where you might notice God’s kingdom drawing near.
May God grant us the grace to see clearly, the courage to choose freely, and the love to walk this road with one another.
As we step into a new season of worship, we’re inviting you to help shape what comes next.
We’re navigating a meaningful time of transition in our worship life, and now more than ever, we’re leaning on the gifts of our whole church family. Whether you’ve helped lead worship before or you’re open to trying something new, we’d love for you to consider stepping in.
Scripture readers, prayer leaders, singers, instrumentalists, testimony-givers—there’s room for all kinds of voices. If you’re willing to give it a try, we promise to support, guide, and walk alongside you every step of the way.
It’s not about perfection. It’s about presence, growth, and faithfulness.
The Buildings and Grounds Committee is pleased to introduce our new Church Emergency Operations Plan, which was developed to help our church respond effectively and calmly in the event of an emergency. This plan outlines procedures for various situations, including medical incidents, severe weather, fire, and other potential risks.
We encourage all members, volunteers, and staff to review the plan and become familiar with the key steps. The Committee will be hosting training sessions in the fall for staff, leader, and members of the congregation to better prepare ourselves for emergencies.
If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions regarding the Emergency Operations Plan, please talk with Kyle Kennedy or email him at Kyle@kyleandapril.com.
Last Sunday in worship I shared a small piece by Frederick Buechner called Sacrament. It begins with these sentences: “A sacrament is when something holy happens. It is transparent time – time when you can see through to something deep inside time.” Something sacramental began on Sunday as we celebrated our shared ministry of over 45 years. We celebrated connection to God and to one another and we stood on the edge of time looking backward and fearfully beginning to peek forward.
I cannot thank you enough for 45+ years of shared ministry. We have walked together and sung together through joy and sorrow always looking to God for the way through. As I step away from “professional” ministry and the congregation steps into a time of change and discernment we can both walk boldly into sacramental time when our awareness of the Holy that surrounds us will guide us on the road forward. Last Sunday was an amazing experience of celebration and remembrance. Let it be a sacramental beginning for both of us
Thank you for sharing life and music in the service of God with me. The road does indeed lead on with God’s guidance. I can’t wait to see what is around the next turn.
“A sacrament,” Frederick Buechner once wrote, “is when something holy happens. It is transparent time—time when you can see through to something deep inside time.”
A Moment Worth Holding
And wouldn’t you know it, last Sunday felt like that. Not holy in a big, dramatic sort of way. Nothing flashy. Nothing staged. But holy in a way that you could feel in your chest. In the quiet that settled before a hymn. In the steady presence of people who knew this moment mattered. In the kind of moment you know you’ll carry with you.
Judy stood there—humble, clear-eyed, and fully herself—and guided us, as she always has, with the kind of wisdom that doesn’t need to raise its voice. She reminded us that Baptists don’t really “do” sacraments. But that doesn’t mean we don’t know when we’re standing on sacred ground.
“This is a transition,” she told us. “But more than that—it’s a glimpse. A thin place. Transparent time.”
She was teaching us to notice the holy humming beneath the familiar. To pay attention.
Honoring Judy
Last Sunday felt like one of those moments where the everyday and the sacred sit side by side, and you can sense something deeper just beneath the surface.
Music lifted us, stories grounded us, and a spirit of celebration reminded us who we are together. We honored Judy Fiske, Organist Emerita, for her years of ministry—decades spent faithfully stitching together worship and community in ways that have shaped us more than words can express.
We hold Judy, Eric, and their entire family in prayer as they step into this new season—a time to rest, reconnect, try new things, and enjoy being together in a different rhythm of life. We also anticipate seeing Judy in worship again in September—not in a staff role, but as a fellow worshiper. We’ll be eager to see her at the organ bench with some regularity, though we’re still discerning what that rhythm will be.
We’re deeply grateful for the many hands and hearts that planned and facilitated such a meaningful day—thank you for helping us mark this transition with so much love and care. The beauty of that moment continues to echo in the life of our church.
This Sunday’s Gospel: Luke 8:26–39
This Sunday, Jesus steps off a boat and into the chaos of a man’s life. The man’s name is Legion. That alone tells you plenty. He’s a walking crowd of pain.
But Jesus doesn’t flinch. He sees through to the deep inside. And in that seeing, there’s healing. In that moment—terrifying and tender and beautifully human—there is mercy.
Not the kind that says “I’ll pray for you” and keeps walking. The kind that stops, listens, lingers. The kind that stays.
Jesus sends the man home, not just well, but whole. With a story to tell.
A Request for Prayer
Like him, we too are walking forward with a story to tell—grateful for healing, grounded by mercy, and reminded that our calling is not just to look back with thanks, but to look ahead with hope.
That’s where we are, church. On the edge of something new. Listening to the Spirit who whispers, “Now go tell what God has done for you.”
We invite you to be in prayer for our pastoral and music staff, and for our congregation, as we take up the shared work of worship planning and leadership. These next few weeks will be a time of transition—filled with both memory and discovery. Let’s ask God’s Spirit to guide us gently and clearly through each step.
And together, we will keep walking—grateful for what has been and expectant for what is still to come.
This past year has brought financial challenges—but also steady, faithful progress. Together, we are moving toward a more sustainable future—one that aligns our financial life with the mission we believe God is calling us to live out in this place and time.
The 2025/2026 Budget: A First Step Toward Long-Term Vitality
We are presenting a balanced budget for the coming fiscal year. This marks a major shift from last year’s approved budget, which included a $67,000 deficit. In preparing this year’s proposal, we have:Kept expenses lean, mindful of current giving levelsMade strategic choices to position us for long-term healthTaken the first steps toward diversifying our income streamsWe are deeply grateful for the Endowment’s support in sustaining our ministry during challenging seasons. Even so, we are setting a clear goal: to reduce our reliance on Endowment support for operational expenses by at least 20% over the next three years. This will allow the Endowment to focus more fully on capital improvements and ministry initiatives in the years ahead.A Season of Intentional Commitment This budget is more than numbers—it’s part of a larger framework we are building for the next five years. We are entering a season that will require both financial discipline and meaningful sacrifice as we take faithful steps into the future together.
Here are four areas of focused work that support that larger vision:
1. Responsible Stewardship We are launching a more intentional stewardship initiative, guided by the Missional Business Services (MBS) report and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s Cultivating Generous Congregations cohort. 2. Strategic Property Use We are conducting a full review of the Row House LLCs, including revenue projections, expenses, and tax implications, to better understand their role in supporting long-term sustainability. 3. Equitable Shared Use We are reassessing shared expenses with ministry partners to ensure fairness, clarity, and alignment with our mission. 4. Innovation in Mission: Exploring Social Enterprise Through Building for Hope, we are exploring social enterprise—creative, mission-aligned uses of our physical space that respond to real community needs and help sustain our ministry. We are listening closely and moving thoughtfully as we join God’s ongoing work in our neighborhood.This budget is not the finish line. It is a faithful, deliberate step—a way of saying we believe God is not finished with us, and we are preparing, together, for what comes next.
Thank you for your generosity, your prayers, and your commitment to this shared journey.
Proposed TBC Budget for Fiscal Year 2025-26
The Finance Committee (FC) and Administrative Board (AB) are posting the budget for our upcoming fiscal year beginning on July 1, 2025 and ending on June 30, 2026. The highlights of the budget were presented at the last Quarterly Business Meeting with questions raised and answered. The budget will be posted for a 2-week period (6/11 – 6/25) during which time you may ask questions, seek clarification, and vote on the proposed budget. Click here to access the budget. Copies have also been printed and made available in the back of the church sanctuary. The FC and AB will be available to answer any of your questions.
To vote electronically, please Click Here. Remember you must be a member of the church to vote and please only vote once. (Paper Ballot or Electronically)
Please feel free to email any questions to Margaret Ailes at mlailes@hotmail.com and/or see Dan Herman and Nathan Ritchie. We look forward to hearing from everyone in our church community.
Voting will end on Wednesday, June 25, 2025 at 5:00 PM.
We will celebrate Judy’s 45 + years of ministry at TBC on Sunday, June 15th. The celebration luncheon will take place in the Fellowship Hall. If you are unable to make it in person, we will have a zoom link so you may participate in the program portion of the luncheon. The link will be posted as we get closer to the date. For the worship service you may join us via Livestream.
Proposed TBC Budget for Fiscal Year 2025-26
