What God Will Do

Dear Tabernacle Family,

Welcome to 2021! The new year of the Olympics. The year the Bills go to the playoffs with new strength. The possibilities are endless for what 2021 will bring. After the uncertainty of this past year, the future seems to be opening again and I sense a great expectation of WHAT GOD WILL DO.

As I reflect on 2020, this past year has brought time together with my children that would have never occurred without a pandemic.

The daycare reached low attendances of one on some days and yet God provided a way to stay open and ready to serve essential workers. In staying open, we received blessings that would never have come our way otherwise and made us better.

Our ministry at the daycare has involved families in crisis and we were able to minister and pray for so many.

My family faced health crises that were non-COVID related but were difficult to navigate due to the COVID pause. We have weathered these crises and are so much better for it.

All around me, friends and loved ones from around the world have faced the uncertainty of COVID. Some have survived and, sadly, some have not. I am grateful for God’s miracles and protection as my husband and I have served alongside so many others at the front line of this pandemic.

For all this, WE ARE GRATEFUL.

God is our provider.

God is our defender.

God is our help.

God is our strength.

God is our rock.

As we wait out the storm and follow the lead of the Holy Spirit, we will know when to move and when to stay; when to speak and when to stay silent. We will be in sync with the Holy Spirit and He will direct our paths.

I am believing for a greater sense of God’s leading in 2021!

Please join me in expectation of WHAT GOD WILL DO!!

Pastor Sharon Baldwin

The Tabernacle Preschool Ministries

Director, Southwestern Daycare

Together in Unity

Dear Tabernacle Family,

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is

For brethren to dwell together in unity! - Psalm 133:1 NKJV

This is a thank you letter to every one of you that make The Tabernacle so special and highly favored. A letter that has been written in my heart over the last 12 months and is now simply being documented. We are a church that has wrestled with what it means to live and love in unity across ethnic, cultural, political, and socioeconomic divides that are plaguing our nation and world. Thank you for pursuing Unity!

The year 2020 may not have been what we expected or hoped, but I believe with all of my heart, it has brought unity to The Tabernacle in an extraordinary way. God has brought us closer, deeper, and richer into love, hope, and zeal for Jesus of Nazareth. Our food pantry ministry has fed thousands of our brothers and sisters in Western New York through tens of thousands of meals throughout this year, highlighted by our Boxes of Love for Thanksgiving and Christmas. We have donated hundreds of bags of clothing to Hearts for the Homeless. Dozens and dozens of gifts and toys were given away during our Fall Bash and Community Toy Drive, while our Virtual Bible School reached hundreds of children across our region. We have covered our region in worship, prayer, and intercession and have a bold vision for years to come to truly make The Tabernacle, His House, a house of prayer. For those that had ears to hear, Bishop Robert poured out his heart before us this year, preaching with a zeal that I’ve never seen before in my 20+ years of being with him. 2020 may have felt and looked different, but we were united to be Salt and Light.

Bishop Robert, The Tabernacle staff, and I want to thank you for your grace and discernment this year. I know it has not been easy to continually stay aware of regularly changing guidelines, executive orders, and COVID-19 updates. I’m the first to admit we haven’t been perfect in executing and communicating. Even so, you have had grace and understanding. I have heard so much feedback from so many of you and I’ve taken it to heart. We endeavor to honor each member of our congregation to the best of our ability and look forward to the Holy Spirit’s leadership in 2021 as we go forward.

All in all, you rock! I hope you read this and hear my sincere and profound appreciation for your continued support of The Tabernacle. Your faithfulness in tithing, volunteering, and prayer has sustained us. I have so much hunger and expectation for 2021. I know we are going to bring Heaven to Earth in Orchard Park.

With faith, hope, and most importantly love,

Pastor Joshua Ogle

Core Values

Dear Tabernacle Family,

Several years ago I wrote on paper personal values that I wanted to live by. I remember the exercise being very powerful. It was an excellent litmus test for me to see where my values and my actions aligned or misfired.

Over the years, Gabi and I have developed that list of values. Together, we have revised and polished the language of our values and now use it regularly as guidance in our lives. We filter decisions about our time, relationships, finances, even vacations through our core set of values.

It’s a wonderfully empowering aspect of our life that adds security. One of our influences in this principle has been Stephen Covey. You may have heard about his book, "7 Habits of Highly Successful People." A whole section of the book is about values.

Here’s one thing he says about values: "I believe that a life of integrity is the most fundamental source of personal worth. I do not agree with the popular success literature that says that self-esteem is primarily a matter of mindset, of attitude- that you can psych yourself into peace of mind. Peace of mind comes when your life is in harmony with true principles and values and in no other way."

A great truth we see here is that when our life is aligned with our values, it gives us great confidence and peace. We can’t psych ourselves into that kind of peace. It comes from integrity. When our values and our actions align, we are walking in integrity. When we walk in integrity, a great confidence comes to us from the peace that we experience being whole and aligned with our own values.

If there’s one thing God is doing, it’s shaking what we put our trust in and what we value. There is no better time than the holidays and the new year to work on creating family values or returning to our values. Time unplugged allows us to meditate on where we need to align stronger within our own core values so we can walk out greater PEACE, HOPE, and HARMONY in our lives.

Let’s be men and women of strong values! Let’s be people secured in the PEACE of Jesus that comes when we walk in integrity and wholeness.

Merry Christmas and Holiday Blessings,

Pastor Mark