GLOBAL MISSIONS FAIR
SEPTEMBER 20

Come and learn what God is doing around the world through VRBC and its supported missionaries at the Global Missions Fair on Sunday morning, September 20, both before and after the worship service.

At the Fair, you'll hear stories from those who have gone on recent mission trips, engage your senses with food samples and items from around the globe, and learn about how you can be involved in spreading God's love throughout the world! ABFs will dismiss early that day so that you can spend some time at the Fair, and elementary children will learn about missions through hands-on activities during their CBF hour.

The Global Missions Fair will focus on our missions efforts outside of the US.  We will have another missions fair in the spring to engage in what God is doing in our community and nation. Come and see the world!
WOMEN'S BIBLE STUDY: A SEASON OF JOY
BEGINS OCTOBER 7 | REGISTRATION NOW AVAILABLE

Are the burdens of life weighing you down?
Has it been awhile since you enjoyed a good laugh? 
Has your glass become half-empty rather than half-full? 
 
Then come and invite a friend to join other VRBC women as we learn to relax, enjoy life, and laugh again in this seven-week study of Philippians, Paul's letter about the joy of Jesus!  Based on Dr. Charles R. Swindoll's best-selling book, LAUGH AGAIN: Experience Outrageous Joy, we will discover ways to live in the present and realize that, while no one's life is perfect, joy and humor can be inspirational.

This study, led by Phyllis Jones, will meet Wednesday evenings from 7:00-8:30 pm beginning October 7 and will conclude November 18. Workbooks will be available for purchase the week prior to the start of the study, but are not required to attend.  Click here to register for what promises to be a life-changing study!
JASON THOMAS ANNIVERSARY RECEPTION
THIS SUNDAY!

We are pleased to announce the ten-year staff anniversary of Jason Thomas, VRBC's Associate Minister of Worship.  Please join us for a celebratory reception on Sunday, September 13, immediately following the worship service in the lobby. 

Jason has served on the VRBC staff since 2005 and has brought an added dimension of talent and expertise to our Sunday morning worship services, as well as our missions and singles ministries, during his decade of service. Come and express your gratitude to Jason, along with wife Sara, for his tireless contributions to our church and God's Kingdom.

A basket will be available at the Welcome Center in the lobby to accept your notes of appreciation and gift cards, if desired.
"CARING AND COPING" EXPLORATORY MEETING
SEPTEMBER 9

Please join us on Wednesday, September 9, at 7:00 pm in Room 241 for "Caring & Coping" as we examine the needs within the church for those dealing with the care of friends or family members with long term illness, special needs, or extenuating circumstances who might benefit from a support system. Discussion will focus on the desire for educational programs, volunteer options, activities, social support, and more. This is an exploratory meeting that will aid in determining next steps at VRBC. 

For more information, please contact Sandy Williamson at 214-558-9311 or [email protected].

HANDBELL CHOIR ICE CREAM SOCIAL
THIS SUNDAY

If you have an interest in ringing handbells or have rung handbells in the past, you are invited to a Handbell Choir Ice Cream Social on Sunday, September 13, from 4:30 to 6:30 pm at the church (exact location will be posted on church doors as you enter).

This informal get together will be an opportunity to socialize with one another and learn more about participating in the VRBC Handbell Choir in the upcoming year.




"LITTLE LIGHT" NOTE-WRITING MINISTRY
THIS SUNDAY

Join the Little Light Ministry this Sunday, September 13, to help write notes of encouragement and affirmation to people in the church body who need special care and love. Little Light meets from 5:00-6:00 pm in the VRBC conference room. Come and help spread the light of God's love!

For more information, contact Dawn Massey at [email protected] (214-693-5813) or Martha Allen at [email protected] (214-549-0482).
GRACE GROUP
BEGINS SEPTEMBER 17

A new Grace Group will be forming this fall at VRBC!  Grace Group will meet Thursday evenings from 7:00-8:15 pm beginning September 17. This is a fourteen-week, curriculum-based, family and friends support group with each meeting focusing on one, stand-alone topic related to mental health. We invite you to join us as we travel this road together.  
 
To register to participate in Grace Group or to learn more, please contact Paula Thompson at [email protected].

ABOUT GRACE GROUP
Grace Groups were developed to relieve suffering, reveal Christ, and restore lives by providing help and ongoing support for anyone who has a person in his or her life living with mental health difficulties and disorders. The group strives to hold one another up and to provide practical skills and tools necessary to regain their lives and rebuild their relationships while navigating the journey of mental health recovery. Confidentiality is observed, and the person you love need not be revealed.
PARK FRIDAYS ARE BACK!
THIS FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11

Now that school is back in session, it is time to again have play dates with our sweet VRBC toddlers and preschoolers and their GREAT parents!

Park Fridays is a ministry at VRBC for preschoolers and their parents. We meet at different parks in and around the Coppell area on the second and fourth Fridays of each month from 9:30-10:30 am, following the school district calendar.

This Friday we will meet at the playground located at the Coppell Farmer's Market in Old Town Coppell (768 W. Main Street, Coppell). There is also a small splash pad at the playground, so you might consider bringing a swim suit and towel. Please feel free to invite friends to join us!

For more information or to suggest places to play, please email Johanna Hewlett at [email protected].
MIDDLE SCHOOL LOCK IN-LOCK OUT
SEPTEMBER 18-19
REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS THIS SATURDAY!

Middle school students (6th, 7th, and 8th grade) and friends--it's time for some FUN!

Where: Group Dynamix
1215 Trend Drive
Carrollton, Texas 75006

When: Friday-Saturday, September 18-19
Parent Drop Off: Group Dynamix at 8 pm on Friday evening
Parent Pick Up: Group Dynamix at 8 am on Saturday morning

ActivitiesHigh-energy games including group challenges, survivor games, low and high ropes, laser tag, and more

Cost: $20.00 per student (includes Group Dynamix fee, food, and a t-shirt)
 
Register: Click here.  Deadline to register is September 12. See you there . . . and invite some friends to come with you!

VR KIDS CHOIRS
BEGINS SEPTEMBER 16

VR Kids Choirs kicks off Wednesday, September 16!  The choirs--Cool Choir Club for the older kids and Joyful Noise Club for the younger--meet on Wednesday evenings from 6:00-7:00 pm during the school year. Registration is free and is available for all children ages four through fifth grade.

If you would like your children to learn to be in wholehearted worship of Jesus, have them come check out VR Kids Choir!  To register, click here or visit vrbc.net/events/kids-choir/.


BOOK COLLECTION FOR CORNERSTONE LIBRARY
NOW THROUGH OCTOBER 30

Cornerstone would like to add more books to its mini-library!  Books on a variety of topics are needed to lend in the cafeteria serving its homeless ministry--Bibles (English and Spanish), art, photography, biographies, history, computer technology, literature, medicine, sports, and travel, as well as how-to, inspirational, sudoku, puzzle, and sketch books with pencils.
 
If you would like to donate gently used or new books, please drop off books on the front porch of the home of Amy and Jeff Suttle at 517 Meadowood Lane, Coppell, where a container will be provided. Collection will continue through October 30
 
If you have any questions, please contact Teresa Brundige at [email protected] or 972-304-8722.
WEEKLY PRAYER GROUPS
  • Sunday Morning Prayer Partners - Every Sunday at 8:00 am in the Prayer Chapel (Room 241).
  • Wednesday Evening Prayer Warriors - Every Wednesday at 7:00 pm in the Prayer Chapel. Contact Ron Eberhardt at [email protected].



VRBC CARE NETWORK

 

Do you have a prayer request or care ministry need (e.g., illness, death in the family, marital struggle, etc.) you'd like the staff to know about?  Email the pastor on call confidentially at [email protected]. 




A CALL FOR ESL STUDENTS AND TEACHERS
NEW FALL SCHEDULE -  MONDAY CLASS ONLY
REGISTER THIS THURSDAY!

Do you have friends or neighbors who would like to learn English? Would you enjoy the opportunity to build relationships with internationals in our community? 

VRBC offers English for Speakers of other Languages (ESL) on Mondays at 9:30 am during the school year. We are looking for new students, teachers, and substitute teachers. Classes follow the Coppell ISD school schedule, and childcare is available for preschool children and younger. 

Student registration is this Thursday, September 10, at 9:30 am, and classes begin Monday, September 14, at 9:30 am. More information is available at vrbc.net/esl or by contacting VRBC ESL Coordinator, Jay Bischoff, at [email protected] or 859-489-1082.
CHILDREN'S MINISTRY VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Won't you volunteer to be a life-changer for a child? It's easy to do--lessons and supplies are prepared for you!  We still need loving volunteers to serve every other month (only six months per year) in the following VR Kids classes:
 
9:00 am 
2-year-olds
4/5-year-olds
4th/5th grade boys

10:30 am
2-year-olds

10:20 am - Kids Worship!
Kindergarten-3rd grade:  Come once a month to help with crowd control or help lead music.

God will richly bless you as you invest in the lives of VR Kids. Come join us for tons of fun!  To volunteer or learn more, contact Karen Simmang, Minister to Children, at [email protected] or 972-304-8722. 

JOBS FOR LIFE MENTORS NEEDED

CLASSES BEGIN SEPTEMBER 20

 

We invite you to share your life or work experience by being a mentor in the JOBS for LIFE (JfL) mission to restore dignity, to offer help and support, and to empower and equip people to provide for themselves and their families. The eight-week JfL program will meet on Wednesday and Sunday evenings beginning September 20 at VRBC. 

You can click here to watch a short, informational video about Jobs for Life.  You can also contact Landa Parker or Cherie Walker at [email protected] to learn more or to volunteer. 

SUNDAY EVENING MEALS
On Sunday evenings, dinner is provided for all JfL students, instructors, and mentors.  Food donations are needed for these meals and are greatly appreciated by all JfL participants! Please click here to sign up to bring food on any Sunday, September 13 to November 8.
"DROP YOUR PANTS" . . . AGAIN!
CORNERSTONE CLOTHING DRIVE
SEPTEMBER 15
VRBC LOBBY COLLECTION THROUGH SUNDAY 

Join our very own Bob Sturm from The Ticket's BaD Radio and The Hardline in dropping (and donating!) your pants, jeans, shorts, and other items of men's clothing you no longer need to the Cornerstone Clothes Closet.  "Drop Your Pants" will take place Tuesday, September 15, in front of the the Victory Plaza broadcasting station by American Airlines Center from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. 

VRBC COLLECTION
For your convenience, collection spots are located in the VRBC lobby through Sunday, September 13.

VOLUNTEER AT THE EVENT
On the day of the event, volunteers are needed downtown to intake, sort, and box clothing donations from 8:30 am to 7:30 pm as listeners drive up and drop off their items. Click here for more information and to register to volunteer.
CORNERSTONE SERVING OPPORTUNITIES

We have several opportunities each month to serve alongside Cornerstone Baptist Church, our sister church in South Dallas:

MISSIONARY SPOTLIGHT: THE STICKNEYS

Tom Stickney, former VRBC Minister to Students, and his wife Kerry serve as Executive Directors of African Christian Outreach (ACO). ACO is a ministry that was started by Tom's parents in the early 1970s in Kenya. 

ACO focuses on equipping the next generation of students through evangelism and discipleship on campuses across Kenya. Fourteen national staff on eight campuses spend time knocking on doors sharing the Gospel, leading Bible studies, and spending one-on-one time with students. Students involved in the ministry are also plugged into the local community around them through partnerships with orphanages, high schools, slums, and agricultural ministries. Their prayer as a ministry is to equip and empower the next generation of leaders to change their own country and East Africa, particularly as they expand their ministry into Rwanda and Uganda.

Click here to watch a short video from Tom. You can learn more about the Stickneys and their ministry at vrbc.net/missionaries/.
UPCOMING MISSION TRIPS
ARE YOU READY FOR YOUR ADVENTURE TO BEGIN?

GO TO AFRICA THIS FALL OR NEXT SPRING!

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 (TRAVEL TIME TO FIT YOUR SCHEDULE)

FEBRUARY 2016

MARCH 2016 - SPRING BREAK 

 

Join African Christian Outreach (ACO) Director Tom Stickney and other US and Kenyan ACO staff for multi-vocational mission experiences in Kenya and Rwanda including dental and vision clinics, orphan care, and university campus ministry.

 

The March 10-day trip into East Africa is designed for a family mission experience for children and adults and includes a safari!

 

For more information, contact Tom Stickney through Amy Wilkins at [email protected]

 

GO TO PERU FOR LA TIENDA DE NAVIDAD!

DECEMBER 1-8, 2015

Join us this December as we partner with sister church El Buen Pastor to hold the Christmas Store for Peruvian children in the coastal district of Chorrillos in Peru's capital city of Lima.  We will also meet and serve with Peruvian missionaries Katty and Juvenal Bejar and Patricia and Javier Ibanez, as well as participate in the Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls shoe distribution. 

 

No special skills are needed for this trip, just a love for children and an interest in international missions!  Also, you must be at least 14 years old.


Trip departs December 1 and returns December 8. Cost will be approximately $2,250.  For more information, contact Janis Townsend at 
[email protected] or 972-251-0517.

 

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE 

Funding assistance is available for international mission trips. Click here for more information and the application to request financial assistance.  Please note the deadlines to apply. 




 
Check out VR Kids events:  vrbc.net/ministries/vrkids/
Stay up-to-date on all things Refuge: 
Find an Adult Bible Fellowship class:  vrbc.net/ministries/abf/

 

Through September 6, 2015
Worship Service