Impact Report

With every Timberlake baptism, we say these words:

Brothers and sisters in Christ;
Through the sacrament of Baptism
And through the commitment of church membership
We are initiated into Christ’s holy church.
We are incorporated into God’s mighty acts of salvation
And given new birth through water and the Spirit.
All this is God’s gift, offered to us without price.

This is our sacramental theology of baptism in a few short sentences.

First, baptism makes us brothers and sisters. We are the family of God, and in this way, water is thicker than blood.

Baptism is one of our two sacraments, the other being Holy Communion. A sacrament is an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace. That is, the water is a sign of the grace of God, and much as a shower washes us on the outside, baptism washes us on the inside to take away our sin and grant us new life in Christ.

Baptism is initiation into the church. It is the means of membership and the ritual by which we receive new people into the community of faith. Baptism is incorporation into God’s work of salvation, a sign that we are being saved by the gracious acts of Jesus Christ. In baptism we participate in his death and resurrection.

Baptism is God’s delivery method of new birth – we are born again – not only by water but also by the Spirit.

Finally, all of this is a gift. We cannot and need not pay for it. It has been paid for by the death of Jesus, our Savior and Lord.

Every time a child or adult is baptized, I hope you take a moment to remember your own baptism, and give thanks for what God has already done in your life by the power of the Holy Spirit.

On May 21st at 1:00 PM, we will meet at Timberlake Tavern (439 Timberlake Drive, Lynchburg, VA 24502) – the site of the founding of our church. Then, we will walk down to the lake and baptize new believers. I sincerely hope you’ll join us.

Glory to God!
Pastor Brad

Hello Timberlake!

Disaffiliation is complete. One year and two months ago, we started a committee to look at Timberlake’s relationship with the United Methodist denomination. Last summer and Fall, most members discerned that it was best for Timberlake to disaffiliate. The Virginia Conference ratified the agreement on February 18, and the disaffiliation was completed on Monday, May 1, when the Virginia Conference signed the Deed of Release on Timberlake’s real estate. As a result, everything that Timberlake members have purchased and paid for is now wholly owned by Timberlake.

The next step is for the members to approve a preliminary set of bylaws which are being emailed to all members, and a limited number of print copies to be available outside the sanctuary. A church meeting is scheduled for Sunday, May 28, immediately following the 11:15 service.

Council is forming two committees – a bylaws committee which will spend the next several months finalizing our bylaws. A Renovations and Expansion Planning Committee is also being formed to begin the work of determining the future facility needs of Timberlake and to develop the needed plans for renovations and expansions.

Another item that the business meeting will cover is the purchase of the Eagle property, which is the house to the left of Avonlea’s. The purchase of this property is critical to our future facility needs and would be the southwest anchor to our property line on Greenwell Court.

Lastly, Rev. Jesse Caro has accepted the position of Pastor of Discipleship and will be starting the first week of June. Moving from Tiffin, Ohio, in June, Jesse and his family are excited to join Timberlake and our ministries. Jesse’s wife, Kelly, has accepted a position at Liberty University (LU). Their son Micah will be a transferring senior to LU, their daughter Chloe will be a freshman at LU, and their daughter Addison will be a sophomore at Jefferson Forest. Jesse received his Master of Divinity from Liberty and is also pursuing his doctorate there.

We have begun to place a limited number of printed Impact Reports outside the sanctuary, which include the prior month’s Church Council minutes and financial summary. I encourage you to be engaged by reading the Council minutes.

Our financial position continues to be very strong with giving above budget and expenses below budget. You will find a link to the financial summary in the financial section of this Impact Report, or you can CLICK HERE to view.

Please let me know if you have any questions. My email address is: mark.coleman@timberlakechurch.org

Mark Coleman, Executive Director

We are humbled to report that the disaffiliation process is complete, and we continue service and worship at Timberlake Church. We must be sound in doctrine and leadership and recognize false teaching and governance that fails that test. It is important to point out that this work and resulting action come with a bittersweet taste as we are instructed by scripture to follow Him. We must be vigilant in prayer for the UMC organization so that they will recognize a right and true path for a return to God’s favor. His faithfulness at Timberlake has led us to financial blessing, attendance growth, and a multiplied service to our community.

As we heard from Stephen Tibbs this recent Sunday, we will soon have a new Pastor of Discipleship joining our staff at Timberlake. Your Church Council has had an opportunity to meet this wonderful family, and we trust that this strategic hire will bring welcome support and experience to Pastor Brad and you, the church.

Church Council and I also want to recognize the outstanding work of Estelle Holt as she makes plans to retire effective May 31. She has been an energizer bunny personality for the membership family, and we encourage you to let her know when you see her passing in the halls or with a card or phone call—our best wishes to you, Estelle and Rudd, for a long healthy retirement.

Our church has just hosted a most wonderful Women in Worship event with testimonies and songs of praise. Great job, ladies! Men. It’s our turn, and you will want to mark the date for the upcoming Men in Worship event on Saturday, June 17, at 5:00 p.m. Dinner will be provided.

Please ask a staff member or volunteer team member how you can join the Timberlake Community. There are many ways to utilize your talents and gifts with feeding ministry, LifeGroups, hospitality, teaching, and more. Get connected to the mission to reach, feed and release people to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

Church Council will take a break from meeting in June but look forward to returning to business in July. We ask that you continue to pray for your leadership teams as we focus on what may be in store for the future.

In His service,
Dean Nuckles, Church Council Chair

The Church Left the Building' was held Sunday, April 30 after worship. The hands and feet of Jesus were busy and blessed. Twenty thousand pounds of sweet potatoes were bagged and distributed to eight different agencies. Approximately 50 visits were made with cards and hand-baked goods from our congregation. Singers sang and worshiped with the residents at Liberty Ridge, and two yards were freshened with weeding and spring cleanups. The Annex was weeded and mulched and the front door was painted. Families brought water, Gatorade, snacks, baked goods, and cards to 11 local fire departments. The girls' room at the Isaiah 117 House was set up and many other jobs were completed. Two hundred ninety-five lunches were assembled and eaten. All glory to God!

SUNDAY, MAY 21, 1 PM

Make plans to join us at Timber Lake at 1 PM when we baptize new disciples by immersion. If you or someone you know has never been baptized and would like to do so, contact Pastor Brad, pastorbrad@timberlakeumc.org. If you’ve already been baptized, please join us in celebrating this big day for others. Come and remember your baptism.

Park at Timberlake Tavern (439 Timberlake Drive, Lynchburg, VA 24502) – the site of the founding of our church and then we will walk down to the lake and baptize new believers.

For directions to the Tavern, click the button:

SUNDAY, JUNE 4, 12:45 - 3 PM

Are you interested in learning more about how things work at Timberlake? Want to know how we live out our faith? Interested in church membership?

Starting Point is a Sunday afternoon gathering in Hughes Hall for guests and friends of Timberlake. You will meet with our Pastors to get to know other new folks, learn about the basics of our faith, and consider what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. This gathering is open to anyone who wants to learn more about our Christian faith. Following this gathering, you will be provided an opportunity to join the church if you choose to do so. Click button to register.

On behalf of our team, we are excited to share that we are entering the summer season, and we'd like to share some upcoming events that we hope you and your family can attend. First, we invite you to join the TreeHouse Kids and us on Wednesday, May 17 for our end-of-the-school-year celebration, Splash Out! This special event will honor our rising 6th graders and present them with Bibles. From 6-8:30 p.m., we will have water slides, icy treats, and maybe even water balloons. Remember to bring your bathing suits, scuba suits, or other appropriate attire.

We are also thrilled to announce that Vacation Bible School (VBS) registration is now open! This year's program, "Monumental," will take place July 24-27, and we can't wait to see what God has in store for our children. Whether your child is a returning participant or new to our TreeHouse Kids Ministry, we invite you to register for this unforgettable experience. But VBS isn't just for children. We also have various volunteer opportunities to serve in different roles, such as herd leaders, arts and crafts, storytime, STEM, and REC helpers. Serving in VBS is a fantastic chance to share God's love with the children of Timberlake and our community. We couldn't make this event a success without the help of our amazing volunteers! At the heart of VBS is our mission to create a safe and nurturing environment for our children to learn about the Bible and grow in their faith. By participating in VBS, children deepen their relationship with Christ and form lasting memories and lifelong relationships with their peers and adult mentors.

In April, we had an average of 95 children on Sundays and 30 on Wednesdays, and we hope to see those numbers grow as we enter into the summer season and VBS. We are reminded of the words in Proverbs 22:6, "Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it." By investing in our children's faith through events like Splash Out and VBS, we are planting seeds for their future and helping them grow into the men and women God has called them to be.

May God bless you and your families, and we hope to see you at Splash Out and VBS!

With gratitude and joy,
The TreeHouse Kids Team

A Church in Lynchburg, VA