Tab Ministries is a blog that highlights the experiences, stories, and needs of the different ministries connected to Tabernacle Presbyterian Church, which is located in the Mapleton-Fall Creek neighborhood in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Throughout its history as a church and as a member of its community, Tab and its members have been involved in a wide variety of ministries and relationships that work to bring the love of Christ to the city of Indianapolis.
While it is good to simply tell the stories of how God uses the different activities connected to the church, the blog’s purpose is not simply to provide people information on upcoming events and recent developments within particular ministries. It instead equips the church with the knowledge necessary to support those ministries wherever and whenever possible.
Engaging in ministry can be very difficult. Investing one’s life in service to others can be emotionally, financially, and spiritually draining, and often those in ministry can feel overburdened, isolated, and powerless.
“Many very generous Christians find themselves increasingly tired and dispirited not so much because the work is hard or the success slight, but because they feel isolated, unsupported, and left alone. People who say, ‘I wonder if anyone cares what I am doing. I wonder if my superior, my friends at home, or the people who sent me ever think about me, ever pray for me, ever consider me part of their lives,’ are in real spiritual danger… Without a sense of being sent by a caring community, a compassionate life cannot last long and quickly degenerates into a life marked by numbness and anger. This is not simply a psychological observation, but a theological truth, because apart from a vital relationship with a caring community a vital relationship with Christ is not possible.” (Nouwen, McNeill & Morrison, Compassion)
To ensure that those involved in ministry remain active and engaged, the entire Tab community shares the responsibility to care for and encourage those in ministry. The entire church participates in God’s work of redemption in the world by supporting those various ministries in a variety of ways.
When the Apostle Paul described the Church like a physical body, he noted that “if one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it” (1 Corinthians 12:26). So, as individuals from Tabernacle Presbyterian Church work in ministries across the city of Indianapolis (and the world beyond), the church also participates: it provides encouragement to those who are suffering, but it also joins in celebration when God creates remarkable transformations in communities.
So, as you read the blog (and receive weekly email updates about the blog’s newest posts), please think about how you can use this information to help and encourage those in ministry. This could occur in a variety of (often surprising) ways. The opportunities could be very particular, like an acute need for donations or an hour or two of volunteering.
But quite often, the most helpful action you might take could be a word or two said in passing on a Sunday Morning. A brief word of encouragement could provide someone the comfort and support they need.
You can sign up to receive blog updates by sending an email to tabministries@gmail.com.
