Tabernacle Baptist Church of Fiskeville

Pastor’s Report ~ April 2006

Centered in Christ – that is our focus for this year.  As we become more centered in Christ we become more grounded in our faith, we become more giving in our relationships, and we become more gladdened in our living.  I rejoice with you as together we seek to become more centered in Jesus Christ.

The first quarter of this year has been a time when numbers of our faithful people have been hospitalized, confined to nursing homes or their own homes while undergoing physical therapy, or experiencing increased challenges of aging.  Others have faced critical personal crises.  We also experienced the loss of member Ella Baker who died on March 11 at the age of 83.  As your pastor I have sought to provide spiritual support and pastoral care during these times of need. This included visits to Kent Hospital, Haven Health Center, Riverview Nursing Home, Shady Acres Nursing Home and South Bay Manor as well as home visits.

In February I was blessed to again attend the annual conference of the Nehemiah Leadership Network in Pennsylvania.  This conference included a culminating activity for the group of pastors for whom I have been serving as mentor for the past three years.  We do plan one additional gathering in September. We rejoiced with our ABCORI family as we participated in the Welcome Reception for Elizabeth Lussier, our new Director of Administration at Canonicus in March. 

As a church we completed the second round of survey forms for the Natural Church Development Program.  The results showed significant growth in the area of Loving Relationships.  We also showed growth on four more of the eight quality characteristics of a healthy church.  We have only two areas receiving a score of less than  50 – Holistic Small Groups and Inspiring Worship.  I encourage you to share with the pastor and deacons ways in which we might make our weekly worship experience more meaningful.  Our overall composite score was 53, up from 51 when we completed the survey last year.  Of the twenty plus ABCORI churches who are participating in the Natural Church Development program, we are ranked in the top three.  We rejoice to witness the power of God in our midst as we continue to seek to become more centered in Christ. 

I am overflowing with thankfulness for the privilege of serving as your pastor.  It is my desire that together we will continue to be strengthened in our faith, rooted and built up in Jesus Christ.  Let us pray for one another that we might be faithful to the call of service to our Savior.

Joyously,

Joyce B. Duerr, Pastor

Centered In Christ

Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Colossians 2:6-7

TBC Goal: to allow the love of Jesus the Christ to take shape in the believer and the believing community.