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"Following the Fighter"
Dr. Larry Parsley, Senior Pastor
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DEACON AND CHURCH COUNCIL NOMINATIONS
CONTINUING THROUGH OCTOBER 18
Deacon and Church Council nominations continue through Sunday, October 18. Ballots and instructions for both will be distributed in all ABFs (in the ABF folders) this Sunday and next, along with Deacon and Church Council "fact sheets." In addition, Church Council ballots will be handed out both weeks in the worship service and are also available at the Welcome Center.
Please return your completed ballots to your ABF in the marked envelope (in the ABF folder) or as you exit the worship service.
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MISSION STATEMENT VIDEO CONTEST
In addition to the Mission Statement Challenge, we invite you to participate in the Mission Statement Video Contest! Here's how it works:
- Film a short video of yourself saying the mission statement
- Post it to Facebook or Twitter, using the hashtag #vrbcmission
- Your video will be entered in a drawing for a gift card to a local restaurant!
- We'll have a new winner each week! Extra points if your video is creative or funny... :)
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FAMILY FALL FEST
SAVE-THE-DATE: OCTOBER 25
Back by popular demand! Family Fall Fest will be held Sunday, October 25, from 5:00-7:00 pm and promises to be another great evening for the entire family! There will be live music and lots of fun activities including inflatables for the kids, a chili cook-off for the adults, and more for all ages!
Mark your calendar now, and watch for more details coming soon!
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RE|ENGAGE INFORMATIONAL MEETING
OCTOBER 26 AND NOVEMBER 1
re|engage is a marriage enrichment program that examines God's design for marriage and applies principles from the Bible to guide couples towards growth in their relationship with each other. So, whether you are struggling to get along, your marriage is broken, or you simply want to grow closer as a couple, re|engage is for you.
Want to learn more by getting a glimpse into what this ministry is all about? Join us for an informational session on either Monday, October 26 or Monday, November 9 from 7:00-8:30 pm.
Childcare is available, but limited and by reservation only. Contact Karen McCord at marriage@vrbc.net by October 18 for the October 26 meeting or by November 1, for the November 9 meeting.
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PARENT CHILD DEDICATION
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15
At VRBC, we believe children are a gift from God, and Parent Child Dedication provides an opportunity to express publicly the desire to lead and spiritually nurture our children, in cooperation with the Holy Spirit, so that our children will develop a desire to love God and love others.
Our next Parent Child Dedication will take place during the worship service on Sunday, November 15. To participate, please click here to register your child.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Karen Simmang at ksimmang@vrbc.net.
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VRBC DATE NIGHT
SAVE-THE-DATE: NOVEMBER 7
Another Date Night is coming to VRBC on Saturday, November 7 from 6:30 - 9:00 pm!
In our continuing commitment to build and maintain strong, healthy marriages within our congregation, Date Night is geared towards you and your spouse focusing on just each other for the evening. We will provide you with conversation starters along with tools used in making marriages healthy. Additionally, two lucky couples will each win a $50 Visa gift card.
Childcare will be available for this event, but is limited and requires a reservation. Please contact Karen Simmang at ksimmang@vrbc.net to make sure we have a spot saved for your little ones.
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| | Tom Stickney, Director of ACO, with the ACO Coast Director and his wife, and the ACO Campus Staff person. |
PRAY FOR OUR VRBC MISSIONARIES
STICKNEY & WOOTTON MISSION TRIPS
TOM STICKNEY of African Christian Outreach
- Pray for Tom as he travels north of Kenya on Thursday, October 8, to more of a "heavy" country to check in on a few graduates living intentionally.
- Pray that God will prepare the way as Tom spends this coming weekend looking at Uganda (Kampala & Gulu) as ACO's new country start-up.
- Tom will be meeting ACO's new Rwanda staff later next week as they settle and begin ministry. Pray for open doors, open hearts.
- Pray for Tom's wife Kerry, and his kids Sydney & Raegan while their dad is gone for 3 weeks.
CHARLOTTE WOOTTON of e3 Partners
Charlotte is currently on a mission trip to Jordan. Please click here to view a calendar of daily events and prayers requests while she is ministering there.
Daily Prayer requests: - God to be glorified, clear guidance from the Holy Spirit, spiritual warfare against the Enemy, and boldness and clarity.
- Successful planning with nationals, open doors of opportunity for God's purpose, churches and believers in Jordan to be encouraged, and communications, especially across cultures.
- Protection and care for families at home.
- Good health, safety and protection.
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WOMEN'S BIBLE STUDY: A SEASON OF JOY
BEGINS OCTOBER 7 | CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
Are the burdens of life weighing you down?
Has it been a while 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 in Room 241, 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!
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MEN'S MINISTRY BREAKFAST
OCTOBER 17
VRBC men (middle school-age and older) and their guests are invited to join us Saturday, October 17, at 8:00 am at the church as we continue the video series and discussion of "How to Be God's Man" by Todd Wagner of Watermark Church. Coffee and doughnuts will be provided.
Be sure to mark your calendar for our next Men's Breakfast on Saturday, November 21, to hear special guest speaker Bob Sturm talk about "God's Men at Work."
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VRBC BLOOD AND BONE MARROW DRIVE
OCTOBER 18
On Sunday, October 18, VRBC is jointly hosting a blood drive through Carter Blood Care and a bone marrow/stem cell drive through Gift of Life from 4:00-8:00 pm. There is NO COST to donate through either organization.
DONATING BLOOD
- Donating blood is done on-site and takes about 20 minutes.
- Click here to sign up for a blood donation appointment time.
DONATING BONE MARROW OR STEM CELLS
- To register as a bone marrow/stem cell donor, all it takes is a quick mouth swab to be entered into the donor registry.
- You must be between the ages of 18 and 45 and in good health.
- For more information about bone marrow donation, please click here.
- You do not need an appointment to register as a bone marrow donor. Simply show up for the donor drive on October 18!
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GRACE GROUPS
THURSDAYS AT 7 PM
Two new Grace Groups are meeting at VRBC Thursday evenings from 7:00-8:15 pm to provide support for those who are affected directly or indirectly by mental health challenges. Although Grace Groups are Christian support groups, people of all faiths are welcome.
Family Grace Group (FGG) is a curriculum-based support group for the families and friends of those living with a person struggling with a mental health difficulty or disorder. FGG provides psycho-education and practical tools within a supportive community. Topics will rotate in a fourteen-week cycle and include: Building Your Faith, Communication, Medication, Crisis & Problem Solving, Enabling vs. Empowering, and more. Confidentiality is observed, and the person you love need not be revealed.
Living Grace Group (LGG) is structured like FGG but is intended for persons living with the mental health difficulty or disorder. Topics are similar but focused on the individual and will rotate every twelve weeks.
Grace Groups were developed by the Mental Health Grace Alliance. Visit mentalhealthgracealliance.org to learn more.
For additional information or questions about attending Grace Group at VRBC, contact Paula Thompson at paulapthompson@gmail.com ( Family Grace Group) or Scott Ward at iccrgb@gmail.com (Living Grace Group).
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VRBC T-SHIRTS NOW AVAILABLE!
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Adult-size t-shirts with the new VRBC logo are now available! Shirts may be purchased from the church receptionist during normal business hours or in the lobby after the worship service. Cost is $10. You may pay by cash or check payable to "VRBC." Proceeds benefit the Benevolence Fund.
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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 care@vrbc.net.
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VR KIDS CHILDREN'S MINISTRY VOLUNTEERS
PRESCHOOL HELPERS STILL NEEDED
We are almost fully staffed, but we still need loving volunteers to help in the following VR Kids preschool classes:
9:00 am: 2-year-olds and 4/5-year-olds
10:30 am: 2-year-olds
Please come join us for tons of fun! To volunteer or learn more, contact Karen Simmang, Minister to Children, at ksimmang@vrbc.net or 972-304-8722.
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JOBS FOR LIFE - SUNDAY MEALS NEEDED
Jobs for Life is off to a great start, but we could still use your help! Each Sunday evening, dinner is provided for all students, instructors, and mentors in the program. Could you help feed these dedicated participants?
Please click here to sign up to provide a portion of a meal (salad, entrée, side, bread, or dessert) on our last remaining day, November 1. Thank you for your support!
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VRBC GARDEN: FALL IS HARVEST TIME!
For the past five years, the VRBC Community Garden, located at 1701 E. Belt Line Road (just east of the church behind the 1701 building), has provided fresh produce to Metrocrest Services' Food Pantry and Cornerstone Baptist Church in an effort to support healthy eating in our local community. There are also usually several small plots available each spring for planting by church families to grow food for personal use.
This fall we are harvesting onions, potatoes, peppers, and other produce from the garden and would love your help! Please contact Doris Patrick at txpat@msn.com or 214-215-1796 to learn more or to reserve a plot.
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A CALL FOR ESL STUDENTS AND TEACHERS
NOW ON MONDAY AND THURSDAY MORNINGS!
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 Monday and Thursday mornings 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. Classes began Monday, September 14, but it's not too late to join! More information is available at vrbc.net/esl or by contacting VRBC ESL Coordinator, Jay Bischoff, at esl@vrbc.net or 859-489-1082.
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RESPONSE TO THE GLOBAL MIGRANT CRISIS
VRBC's missions partners are on the front lines of ministry with refugees from Syria and other nations and are equipped to respond to this global crisis. However, many of them are in need of additional funding due to the overwhelming number of migrants they are now serving. Here are how VRBC's partners are responding and how you can support their work:
- Claudia Adame and her e3 team are working with refugees in Germany for spiritual and emotional support, and transformation.
1. Pray - Click here to find prayer requests and updates on our ministry partner website, The Syrian Circle.
3. Give - Click here to contribute directly to the e3 Germany Fund. 4. Run/Walk - Participate in the "Relay for Refugees" I Am Second Run on November 7 in Plano. Or do a virtual run in your own neighborhood. Click here to register.
- The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is continuing long-term efforts to serve Syrian refugees through its field personnel and ministry partners in the Middle East and now Southeast Europe. Click here to learn more about the ministry to these refugees, and click here to download a prayer guide.
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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.
THANK YOU to all who have donated books to date. Pastor Chris reports that the books are already being used, returned, and exchanged! Your donations are greatly appreciated!
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 tbrundige@vrbc.net or 972-304-8722.
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CORNERSTONE SERVING OPPORTUNITIES
We have several opportunities each month to serve alongside Cornerstone Baptist Church, our sister church in South Dallas:
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 MISSIONARY SPOTLIGHT: THE HUGHEYS
Clay Hughey directs Zambian Operations for Family Legacy, a ministry that reaches out to Zambian children and families through Camp Life, child sponsorship and development, and a Tree of Life Children's Village that provides a safe haven and hope for children rescued from the most severe cases of poverty and abuse. Called out of the promotional products industry, Clay and his family are living in Zambia and coordinating all of the ministry on a daily basis. You can learn more about the Hugheys on their website at www.clayanderinhughey.com.
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UPCOMING MISSION TRIPS
LAST CALL FOR PERU MISSION TRIP SIGN-UPS!
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 Amy Wilkins at awilkins@vrbc.net or 972-304-8722 (ext 142).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.
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Stay up-to-date on all things Refuge:
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Through October 4, 2015
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Worship Service
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Budget
Difference | $36,003
$62,500
($26,497) | |
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