Overview
The saying at Tabor Presbyterian Church came from a seven-year-old. "All is welcome," the late Maggie Kaufman used to say, and the congregation has taken the phrasing to heart, greeting-card grammar and all. It runs on their banners now, an earnest inheritance from a child, and the church works to mean it plainly: come as you are, sit where you like, join the table.
Tabor sits in downtown Crozet, close enough to the county library that the two share a parking arrangement. If you pull into the library lot on a Sunday, a back door and a breezeway will walk you straight to the sanctuary; there's also a front door through a small narthex, and a side door off the gravel lot. A few handicap spaces sit around back. Worship is at 10:30 a.m., and for anyone who can't be there in person, the service streams on the church's YouTube page.
Who they are
Tabor describes itself as "traditional in service, progressive in outreach," and it doesn't hedge on what that means. This is a congregation of the Presbyterian Church (USA), rooted in the Reformed tradition and, as they put it, accountable to a larger body rather than going it alone. They ordain women. They say plainly they aren't biblical literalists, and that they aren't trying to be a church for everyone. "Small but not tiny," is how they put their own size; "active but not showy," and then, without much ceremony, "quirky" and "fun."
There's a self-awareness to their writing that's rare in church copy. They borrow the phrase "good enough" from Kate Bowler's book of that name, and give themselves permission to be exactly that. Another borrowed image guides them too: the "Sailboat Church," which takes its direction from the wind of the Spirit, sometimes gusting hard and sometimes going still. They aren't the wind, they say. Their job is the sails.
Sundays and the youngest members
Children are treated here as part of the service rather than a distraction from it. A nursery is available for the very young, and kids are welcome in worship at all times; the church says outright that its services are enhanced by the joyful sounds of its smaller members. There's a "Time with Youth" built into the service, and about halfway through, children have the option to head off with two Tabor teachers for Joyful Path, the congregation's Sunday school program, which aims to help young people apply Jesus' teachings to their actual lives now.
Communion is open. Everyone, the church says, regardless of age or background, is welcome to join, and the sacrament is celebrated on the first Sunday of each calendar quarter and again on Maundy Thursday. As for what to wear: whatever makes you comfortable. Some members dress up, some don't.
What Tabor gives Crozet
Two of Tabor's offerings reach well past its own membership. The first is the Crozet Community Handbell Choir, which has been ringing for close to a decade and draws players not just from around Crozet but from Charlottesville, Nelson County, and the Shenandoah Valley. The choir is housed at Tabor and puts on at least two concerts a year, both free and open to the public, one in early December and one in spring. If you've never heard a full handbell ensemble in a small sanctuary, the December concert is a good place to start.
The second is Harmony Place, which the church calls a gift to Crozet from Tabor and which it is working to preserve. Details on how to help are on the church's Harmony Place page.
Underneath all of it is Tabor's identity as a Matthew 25 congregation, named for the passage that calls the church to feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, and tend to the sick and imprisoned. It's a commitment the PC(USA) formalizes and that Tabor has taken on deliberately: to look at neighbors, as they write, through Jesus' eyes, and to act on what they see.
Visiting
The sanctuary is at the church in downtown Crozet, Crozet, VA 22932. The office keeps modest hours, Tuesday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and is closed the rest of the week; Sundays, of course, belong to worship. You can reach the church at (434) 823-4255 or find service times, the livestream, and program details at taborpc.org. Whether you arrive dressed up or straight from a hike, the welcome is meant to be the same one Maggie offered: all is welcome to sail along.
More faith in Crozet
Frequently asked questions
Where is Tabor Presbyterian Church?
Tabor Presbyterian Church is located at Crozet, VA 22932, USA, in Crozet, Virginia.
What are Tabor Presbyterian Church's hours?
Monday: Closed Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM Thursday: 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM Friday: Closed Saturday: Closed Sunday: Closed
How do I contact Tabor Presbyterian Church?
You can call (434) 823-4255 or visit http://www.taborpc.org/. Hours and current information are most reliable directly from the business.
What kind of business is Tabor Presbyterian Church?
Tabor Presbyterian Church is categorized as faith in our Crozet directory. See the description and quick facts above for what makes this listing distinctive.
Sources: taborpc.org