May 15, 2016
"Come and Feast"
Dr. Larry Parsley, Senior Pastor
NEW SERMON SERIES BEGINS THIS SUNDAY
YOU AND A GUEST ARE INVITED TO THE GREATEST INVITATION EVER EXTENDED . . .
LOCAL MISSIONS FAIR
THIS SUNDAY

VRBC's Local Missions Fair is THE place to easily explore ways you can serve in our local community and nation. There will be over a dozen VRBC Serve Teams and local mission partners represented, including Jobs For Life, Loving Community, Cornerstone, and the Rio Grande Valley. Each will be at a booth in the church lobby with stories to tell about what they do and immediate opportunities for you to Explore Serving in their area of local missions. Fair booths will be open before ABF and before and after the worship service. 

SERVE is one of the four important strategies we have at VRBC to accomplish our church mission. Our hope is that everyone at VRBC will serve with at least one Serve Team or mission partner. Take a stroll through the Local Missions Fair and learn how you can get involved!
MEN'S MINISTRY BREAKFAST AND SERVE DAY
SATURDAY, MAY 21

The last Men's Quarterly Breakfast of this ministry year will be our "Serve Day" on May 21. We will eat breakfast burritos here at the church at 8:00 am, then head out to serve with Metrocrest Social Services, one of VRBC's community benevolence partners, to do some home repairs in our local community. Repair work will primarily include fence repair and light painting.  We will finish by 11:30 am.  

This event will be a great chance to serve our community and to share fellowship with other men before our summer break. Please come give us a hand, and invite a friend to join us!  Please RSVP to blupton@vrbc.net if you can attend.

VRBC COMMUNITY GARDEN OPEN HOUSE
SATURDAY, MAY 21

In an effort to support healthy eating in our local community, the VRBC Community Garden grows and provides fresh produce to Metrocrest Services' Food Pantry and to Cornerstone Baptist Church each year. You are invited to an Open House on Saturday, May 21, from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon, to tour the garden and learn how you can help!

The VRBC Community Garden is located at 1701 E. Belt Line Road, Coppell (just east of the church behind the 1701 building). Parking is available at 1701. If you have any questions or want to learn more, please contact Doris Patrick at txpat@msn.com or 214-215-1796.
SACK SUMMER HUNGER
SATURDAYS BEGINNING JUNE 11

Volunteer this summer every Saturday morning, from June 11 through August 13, at VRBC from 9:00 am to 11:00 am to assemble weekly nutritious food sacks and to deliver them to families in Valley Ranch who are in need. This is a great opportunity for everyone, including families with young children and students.
 
On the final Saturday, August 13, we will be delivering backpacks with school supplies and praying for the children as they prepare to return back to school.

Click here to sign-up to volunteer!  To learn more about Sack Summer Hunger, click here to watch a short video.For questions, please contact Jason Thomas at jthomas@vrbc.net or 214-709-6253.
EMILY BELL SCHOLARSHIP GOLF TOURNAMENT
SUNDAY, JUNE 5 | REGISTRATION RE-OPENED!

This year's Emily Bell Scholarship Golf Tournament has been rescheduled for June 5 with a 2:00 pm shotgun start and a grilled burger buffet immediately following. Cost is $90 per player and includes golf, range balls, and dinner.

If you previously registered, there is no need to take any additional action; your registration and your team will be automatically moved to the June 5 date. If you have a conflict with the rescheduled date or have any other questions, please contact Buzz Lupton at blupton@vrbc.net regarding your tournament fee.

If you didn't sign up previously, registration is again open! CLICK HERE to register your team or to register as an individual--we will gladly pair you with some other awesome golfers. New deadline to register is Wednesday, June 1. 

The Emily Bell Scholarship Golf Tournament which raises funds for college scholarships to be awarded to some of VRBC's 2015 graduating high school seniors. 
PARK FRIDAYS
THIS FRIDAY, MAY 13

This Friday, May 13, preschoolers and their parents are invited to join us at the Coppell Farmer's Market Splash Pad in Old Town Coppell located at 768 W. Main Street to play. So bring your swim suits, towels, and sunscreen and get ready to have fun in the water from 9:30-10:30 am! There is also a great little playground there for those that don't want to get wet. Feel free to invite a friend to come along!

The last Park Friday for this school year is May 27. We will resume again in September. If you are interested in coordinating Park Fridays next school year, please email Johanna Hewlett at johanna.hewlett@verizon.net.
ANNOUNCEMENT OF NEW CHURCH MEMBERS

We are delighted to welcome the following new members to the VRBC family: Shane and Melinda McCullough, Ricky and Ashley Moses, Doris Patrick, Jessica Vaupotic, Greg and Luana Vaupotic, Anna Rodriguez, Matthew Orr, Matteo Primo, and Daniel Harris. Please take an opportunity in the near future to meet these members and let them know how happy we are to be passionately following Jesus together with them! 

ABF "GROW" LESSON SERIES
UPCOMING LESSON : TRAIN FOR OUR MISSION - "ME"

If you missed last Sunday's Adult Bible Fellowship (ABF) class, you missed a great time of learning about what true friendships look like. To watch the short video that accompanies Lesson 5, CLICK HERE. 

And be sure to join us this Sunday for Part 1 of Train for Our Mission to learn what it means to passionately follow Jesus together. CLICK HERE to read this upcoming lesson.


SENIOR JOURNALS NOW AVAILABLE TO SIGN
NOW THROUGH MAY 22 

Senior Journals are now on display in the church lobby and available for signing through Senior Sunday, May 22. Please take a moment to write a prayer or well wishes to any or all of our high school seniors. Some of our seniors are fairly new to VRBC, so you may not know them well, but please express your congratulatory sentiments to them!  
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL: "CAVE QUEST"
JUNE 13-17

You don't want to miss this summer's much-anticipated VBS--Cave Quest!  It's a place where kids will learn how to follow Jesus, the Light of the World, by exploring the rock-solid foundation of His love. Join us June 13-17 from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon for a dynamic week!  VBS is for kids ages 4 (by September 1, 2015) through currently in fifth grade. 

CLICK HERE to register for Cave Quest. If you would like to volunteer at VBS or need additional information, please contact Karen Simmang at ksimmang@vrbc.net.
PRESCHOOL DAY CAMP: "FUN IN THE SUN" 
JUNE 27-29
 
Kids ages 3 (by January 1, 2016) through 5 years old (not currently in kindergarten) are sure to have lots of fun in the sun while learning how to TRUST and OBEY God by applying the lessons Noah learned while building the ark. We will have LOTS of fun in the water, eat yummy snacks, and make cool stuff. We will even have a giant water slide one of the days!

Fun in the Sun will take place Monday through Wednesday, June 27-29, from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon. Cost  to attend is $35. All campers must be potty trained.
 
CLICK HERE to register for Fun in the Sun.  Deadline to register is June 12.  If you need more information, please contact Karen Simmang at ksimmang@vrbc.net.
WACKY WORLD OF WATER DAY CAMP
JUNE 30-JULY 1

Kids currently in kindergarten through second grade are going to have tons of fun at Wacky World of Water Day Camp while learning how to TRUST and OBEY God by applying the lessons that Noah learned while building the ark! We will have lots of water games, eat yummy snacks, and make some cool stuff. On the second day, we are going to Hawaiian Falls Water Park! 

Wacky World of Water will take place Thursday and Friday, June 30 and July 1, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Cost to attend is $45 which includes lunch both days and entrance fee to Hawaiian Falls.

CLICK HERE to register for Wacky World. Deadline to register is June 15. If you have any additional questions, please contact Karen Simmang at ksimmang@vrbc.net.
KIDS CAMP 2016: "MESSY"
JULY 11-14  |  SHERMAN, TEXAS

Hey third through fifth graders--we are going to a NEW camp this summer! In July, we head to Student Life for Kids at Austin College in Sherman, Texas, for a four-day/three-night "Messy" adventure where we will learn that our messy sin separates us from God, but the grace of Jesus washes us clean, giving us saving faith in Jesus Christ.  We will experience engaging worship, hilarious drama, silly games, teamwork, community building, and most importantly, God's Word on center stage!

Parents, this could be a life-changer for your child. Click here for more information about this year's Kids Camp. Cost is $230 (includes bus transportation, t-shirt, and bag).  To register for Kids Camp: GIRLS -  Click here. BOYS -  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: THE HINZES
A RECENT UPDATE

Chris and Bailey Hinze are sector missionaries with Overland Missions. Their vision is to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the most remote and forgotten places on Earth. They are currently working to create a self-sustaining multi-generational area in Zanzibar, an island off the east coast of Tanzania. They will be there for six months helping to establish another missionary sector. After six months of studying how to do ministry in a Muslim country, they will then be coming home to prepare to head to North Africa where they will implement their vision to create a viral move of God. There they will also be teaching Advanced Mission Training to students on mission in the Arab world.

Chris has attended VRBC his entire life and is honored to have the church partner with him and his wife in furthering God's Kingdom. At VRBC, the Hinzes are partnered with the Sims/Struffolino ABF. CLICK HERE to watch a short video from the Hinzes. 
JESSEN BOOK RELEASE: "THE LUCKY ONE"
A CHILLING TRUE STORY OF CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING

Jenni Jessen and husband Kelly are VRBC-supported missionaries in Thailand. Jenni is also a survivor of human trafficking after enduring thirteen years of sexual exploitation. Together they founded Compass 31, a non-profit established to fight human trafficking and provide restoration for survivors of the sex trade. "The Lucky One" is her deeply personal story of Christ's love, grace, and mercy.

It is the Jessens prayer to encourage book sales this week in order to push the book to the top of the sales rankings in a way that glorifies Christ and reaches a wider audience. This week only, Jenni's book is half-price on Amazon, Kindle, and iBooks. All proceeds from book sales go to Compass 31. Click here to purchase "The Lucky One" through Amazon.
MISSION TRIP OPPORTUNITIES

INDONESIA: OCTOBER 17-29
Join Senior Pastor Larry Parsley to serve alongside our friends in Indonesia. This trip is ideal for college students, adults, and even young families! You will have the opportunity to do lots of different types of ministries based on your skills, including work with graduate students, local churches and pastors, English conversation practice, women's ministry, and more. Visit vrbc.net/mission-trips or contact Amy Wilkins at awilkins@vrbc.net to find out more about this exciting trip!

PERU: NOVEMBER 29-DECEMBER 6
Did you know VRBC has been serving in Lima, Peru for over a decade? A group of VRBCers will be returning late this fall to do ministry with our VRBC-supported missionaries, as well as to help with the Peru Christmas Store in partnership with our sister church, El Buen Pastor. Isn't it time you went to Peru?

CLICK HERE to see a short video from the 2015 trip!  If you'd like to go on this trip or learn more, contact Amy Wilkins at awilkins@vrbc.net or 972-304-8722.