CORNERSTONE FAMILY REUNION SUNDAY
THIS SUNDAY!
DEADLINE TO REGISTER FOR LUNCH: THURSDAY

We will celebrate our annual Family Reunion Sunday with our Cornerstone brothers and sisters this Sunday, November 22. We will enjoy a joint worship service and combined choir at 10:30 am, with Pastor Chris Simmons giving the message. After church, we will eat lunch together in the lobby catered by Babe's Chicken.  If possible, please come at 10:15 on Sunday morning to to give a warm welcome our Cornerstone guests when they arrive!

COMBINED ADULT CHOIR

If you'd like to have a blast being part of a combined gospel choir, please join us in the sanctuary at 9:00 Sunday morning for rehearsal. More information, including recordings of our songs, is available at vrbc.net/choir.


CHILDREN'S MINISTRY
If you are participating in the choir, Children's Ministry will be available during the rehearsal prior to the service.  For all others, Children's Ministry will be available for ages 5 and younger during the worship service.
 
REGISTER FOR LUNCH
There is no cost for lunch for all attendees, but please let us know you are coming so we are sure to order enough meals. Click here to register. Registration deadline is this Thursday, November 19.

SPONSOR A FAMILY MEAL
Please consider making a financial donation or sponsoring a family meal ($25) to help us offset the cost of lunch.  Click here to give.

VOLUNTEER TO SERVE
Volunteers are needed to serve food (11:30 am-12:30 pm) and clean up after lunch (12:30-1:30 pm). Click here to sign up.

CORNERSTONE SUNDAY OFFERING 
During the offering time, you may give to either church (or both)--just designate on your check or offering envelope which church(es) your offering should be given. All loose change will go to Cornerstone.

HOLIDAY SCHEDULE
There will be no CBF, SBF, or ABF on Family Reunion Sunday.

THANKSGIVING WEEK HOLIDAY SCHEDULE

There will no CBF, SBF, or ABF on Sunday, November 22 (Family Reunion Sunday). Bible Fellowship classes will resume on November 29.

Church offices will be closed on Thanksgiving Thursday and Friday, November 26 and 27.

Please check with your specific ministry leaders about other Thanksgiving week schedule changes and cancellations.
MEN'S MINISTRY BREAKFAST
THIS SATURDAY AT 8 AM
GUEST SPEAKER: BOB STURM 

All VRBC men (middle school and older) and their guests are invited to the quarterly Men's Ministry Breakfast this Saturday morning, November 21, from 8:00-9:30 am at the church.

Our very own Bob Sturm of SportsRadio 1310 The Ticket will be our guest speaker. Our topic will be "God's Men at Work"--how we can honor God with our work, exhibit Christian traits at work, and most importantly, how we can be the same man Monday through Friday as we are on Sunday morning. Bob is a gifted speaker and will entertain us while giving us his unique perspective on the subject.
 
A full breakfast will be served, so bring your appetite and a friend! There is no cost to attend, but please let us know you are coming by clicking here to register.
THE 2015 CHRISTMAS STORE
DECEMBER 11 AND 12
MANY MORE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED--CLICK HERE!

Did you know that staffing the Christmas Store requires over 1,250 volunteer shifts, plus over 150 donated food items? Thus far, with only three weeks to go until the Christmas Store, only about 25% of the volunteer slots have been filled.

HIGH NEEDS:
One critical need area is GPS volunteers. A GPS guides, prays, and serves guests as they shop at the Christmas Store. This year a total of 288 GPS shifts are needed to serve our guests, but to date, only 41 spots have been filled--that's less than 15%!

Another high need area is adult volunteers to serve at Kids Korner. Kids Korner is a ministry at Cornerstone Baptist Church for children, ages twelve and under, whose parents are shopping at the VRBC Christmas Store. We need over 60 volunteers to help at Cornerstone with snacks, games, crafts, a nursery, and more.

WE NEED YOU! The Christmas Store provides the opportunity for us to share the joy and hope of Jesus Christ, as well as hospitality, prayer, and tangible Christmas gifts, to approximately 1,300 children and their families each year. To do that, we need everyone's help! Serving at the Christmas Store is a great way to put our values of Hilariously Generous and Happily Third into action.  Click here to volunteer!
CHRISTMAS STORE SHIRT SALES
THIS SUNDAY!

Christmas Store shirts will be for sale this Sunday, November 22, before and after the worship service in the lobby. Costs are $10 for a short-sleeve shirt and $15 for long-sleeve. Proceeds from shirt sales will support the Christmas Store ministry.

LORD'S SUPPER GLUTEN-FREE WAFERS AVAILABLE
THIS SUNDAY

This Sunday, November 22, we will partake of the Lord's Supper together in the worship service. If desired, gluten-free communion wafers are available before the worship service upon request at the sound booth located near the center back exit of the sanctuary.
"HANGING OF THE GREENS" SERVICE
NOVEMBER 29 AT 6:30 PM

We invite you and your family to join us Sunday, November 29, at 6:30 pm as we prepare the sanctuary and our hearts for the season of Advent. 

During this service, we will prepare for our celebration of Christ's coming by hanging greenery and by lighting candles and Christmas trees throughout the sanctuary.  Evergreen boughs are traditionally hung during the Advent season to symbolize the eternal life that Christ brings, and candlelight represents the coming of Jesus, the light of the world.  

This participatory, family-friendly service will also include Scripture, prayer, and the singing of Christmas carols.  Childcare will be provided for children ages three and under. Please make plans to attend!
LISTENING SESSIONS UPDATE
ONLINE SURVEY OPEN THROUGH NOVEMBER 22

Thanks so much to those of you who attended one of our Listening Sessions last week. We had well over a hundred Valley Ranchers praying together and engaging in great conversations about how we can continue to follow Jesus together as a church. Your input has deepened our understanding of the church and given us lots of great ideas about which to think, talk, and pray.

Thanks also to those of you who have taken the time to fill out our online survey. It has been a great learning tool for us as well.  We appreciate you taking the time to serve us by sharing your perspective! If you haven't had a chance to fill out the survey yet, it will stay open through this Sunday, November 22. To take the survey,  CLICK HERE.

If you have additional thoughts or ideas that you weren't able to share in the survey or during a Listening Session, please feel free to email Associate Pastor John Hewlett at [email protected] or give him a call at 972-304-8722.

Once we've had an opportunity to gather and process all the feedback we've received, we'll put together a summary to be distributed next month.  Thanks for your continued investment in all the great things God is doing in and through VRBC!
VR KIDS CHRISTMAS WORKSHOP
DECEMBER 4 AT 6:30 PM
 
Start the Christmas season off right by making and giving gifts to others! At Christmas Workshop, your child will have the opportunity to make six gifts to give to friends and family.  Christmas Workshop will be held on Friday, December 4, from 6:30-8:30 pm and is for kids in kindergarten through fifth grade.  

They will also make a Care Kit to give to people in our community that are having a really hard time AND make additional Care Kits for the church to have on hand when people come to the church asking for help. We will round out the evening with a little pizza fun with friends.

Cost to attend is $30. Spaces are limited, so please don't delay in signing up. Deadline to register is November 29. 

Click here to register!  If you have any questions, contact Karen Simmang at [email protected].
WINTER WEEKEND 2016
JANUARY 15-17
STUDENT REGISTRATION OPENS NOVEMBER 22

Hey middle and high schoolers, student registration for Winter Weekend 2016 goes live Sunday, November 22!

FAQs
Hey, what exactly is WW?
Perhaps the most talked about event of Refuge Student Ministries each year, Winter Weekend is a growth experience with disciple-making as our focus. Whether you have been a Christian for two months or twelve years or are perhaps just beginning to check out what following Christ is all about, Winter Weekend is guaranteed to be a spiritual pillar that God can use to help you meet Him and be changed. Invite a friend to join you!

What does it cost to attend WW?
Register early to take advantage of the best pricing:

November 22-28
Early Bird Registration
$100
November 29-December 12Regular Registration$120
December 13-January 3Late Registration$140
So, how do I register for WW?
CLICK HERE on November 22 to register!  Visit vrbcrefuge.net/winterweekend to find out more about WW 2016.



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]. 




GOOD NEWS CLUB VOLUNTEERS URGENTLY NEEDED

We have a tremendous opportunity to share the good news of the gospel with children at Tom Landry Elementary School. Every Monday from 2:45 to 4:00 pm, over sixty children attend Good News Club at the school to learn the Bible, memorize Scripture, sing, eat a snack, and meet in small groups. 

For over eight years the program has been led by teachers with community volunteer assistance. Due to school district policy, however, teachers now are no longer allowed to run Good News Club. Volunteer leaders are urgently needed to step up and seize this opportunity to keep the ministry thriving. 

Please contact Sharon Bartley at [email protected] for more information on how you can help.
HOLIDAY MEAL SERVERS NEEDED
THANKSGIVING AND CHRISTMAS DAY

Cornerstone Baptist Church in South Dallas will be hosting lunch for the homeless on both Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Volunteers are greatly needed to help serve meals from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon each day. Families with children ages five and older (young ones must be accompanied by a parent at all times) are welcome to serve together.

To serve on Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 26: CLICK HERE.

To serve on Christmas, Friday, December 25: CLICK HERE.
CORNERSTONE SERVING OPPORTUNITIES

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

MISSIONARY SPOTLIGHT:CHARLOTTE WOOTTON

As the coordinator for Ministry to Children with e3 Partners, Charlotte develops materials and training to effectively minister to children and helps establish a children's ministry with each new church plant. This often involves being a part of an e3 expedition in a country where children's ministry has not been introduced. She does this by modeling how to implement children's ministry and demonstrating the rich benefits to be reaped when children are led to accept Christ at an early age. 

Charlotte is embarking on a brand-new ministry initiative in the area of special needs orphan care.  She will be leading a team to Tanzania in February 2016 and requests prayers for creativity, sensitivity, and wisdom as she writes curriculum and plans for this trip.  

If you are interested in traveling with Charlotte on this or another mission trip, please contact her at [email protected] or 214-803-0463.

Click here to watch a short video message from Charlotte. You can also learn more about Charlotte and her ministry at vrbc.net/missionaries/.  
PRAYERS FOR PERU MISSION TRIP 

Please be in prayer for the group of VRBCers who will be taking a mission trip to Lima to help our sister church, El Buen Pastor, with the Peru Christmas Store and to serve with our Peru missionariesThe group departs December 1 and returns December 8. The Peru Christmas Store, known locally as "La Tienda de Navidad," will be held on December 5.

The Peru Christmas Store takes place each year on the first weekend of December. If you are interested in going on this mission trip next year, please save the dates of November 29 through December 6, 2016 to join us! Contact Amy Wilkins at [email protected] for more information.

To learn more about our ministry in Peru, visit vrbc.net/peru.
MISSION TRIP OPPORTUNITIES
GERMANY
JULY 22-30, 2016

Share God's story and demonstrate God's love to refugees in Germany. They need the hope that only Christ can give. We will equip you to maximize your ministry to these families. Experience God in extraordinary ways through worship, through God's Word, and by demonstrating God's love.

The trip departs July 22 and returns July 30, 2016. Cost will be approximately $3,000 per person.  This trip is family-friendly. To inquire about children less than ten years old or for more information, contact Claudia Adame at [email protected] or 214-440-1140. CLICK HERE for a detailed flyer about the trip.
RIO GRANDE VALLEY AND INDONESIA
Plans are underway for a mission trip to the Rio Grande Valley in March of 2016, as well as a trip to Indonesia in October 2016. To learn more about these trips, visit vrbc.net/mission-trips.

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 November 15, 2015
Worship Service