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December 20, 2020
Souvenirs:
"The Gift of Strength"
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COCOA, CAROLS, AND CANDLES
THURSDAY | DECEMBER 24 | 5:15 PM
Bundle up, bring your blanket or lawn chairs, and join us on in the south parking lot on Christmas Eve for a special time of celebrating Christ's birth! We'll have time for hot chocolate and visiting with friends, followed by a brief service of Christmas carols, Scripture reading, a message, and, of course, the lighting of candles as we sing together! The service is scheduled so that we'll be arriving just before sunset and the candle lighting will take place just after dark. We hope to see you there!
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CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS EVE AT HOME
For those who aren't able to join us in person for Cocoa, Carols, and Candles, we're excited to bring you a "Make Your Own Christmas Eve Service!" Early next week, we'll post all the resources you need to have a Christmas Eve service with your family at home. It will include on-demand video content (Christmas carols, a special presentation by VR Kids, and a short message from Pastor Larry), along with activities you can do together, including Scripture readings, prayers, and candle lighting. Watch the website and eNews for more info soon!
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VRBC historically receives almost a fifth of our annual contributions during the month of December. As we approach the end of the year, we encourage you to prayerfully consider how God may be calling you to support the ministries of VRBC through your generous giving. Here are a few ways you can make a donation:
- Online here or on the VRBC app
- Text to give by simply texting the word "Give" to 972-430-7733 and following the instructions
- Mail to Valley Ranch Baptist Church, 1501 E. Belt Line Road, Coppell, TX 75019 (postmarked by December 31 for 2020 giving)
- Hand deliver to the VRBC Finance Office (open 9 am to noon on December 31)
- Stock transfer per IRS guidelines by December 31. VRBC transfer instructions can be found here.
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VRBC PRESCHOOL REOPENS IN JANUARY
REGISTRATION IS OPEN
After much prayer, research, and consultation with health and safety experts, VRBC Weekday Preschool is excited to announce that we are planning to offer two preschool options starting January 25, 2021. Our options are:
- Option 1: In-person
- Option 2: Hybrid (virtual + a social opportunity)
We want to assure you that the safety of your children is of utmost importance to us. This summer, in coordination with the other preschools in Coppell, we developed a comprehensive COVID-19 Safety and Response Plan as required by the State of Texas. Details on in-person and hybrid preschool options as well as the Safety and Response Plan are available on our website. We feel that this plan addresses the majority of concerns that parents may have regarding our response to COVID-19.
Registration for preschool is currently in progress. To register, visit the preschool website. If you have additional questions, please call Sarah Waters or Anna Hazelrigg at 972-304-8444.
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GROWTH INTENSIVE:
NAVIGATING THE PANDEMIC
SUNDAY | JANUARY 10 & 17 | 5:00 PM | ONLINE
It's been 10 months and counting! Who would have ever thought at Easter that we would still be living among the harsh realities of the COVID-19 pandemic? We have experienced isolation, illness, and grief, and have been forced to learn new skills for working, connecting, and just doing life.
In January, we are offering a Growth Intensive designed to help you with the ongoing emotional and spiritual challenges that this strange season has brought. This intensive, offered in two parts, will include conversation with a panel of experts as well as discussion about how the Church has historically responded in such crises.
PART 1: THE EMOTIONAL & PHYSICAL IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC
SUNDAY | JANUARY 10| 5:00 PM
In Part 1, we will explore challenges to our emotional health caused by this season and what we can do to care for ourselves and others. We will hear about initial information on the vaccines and how they work. Click here to register for Part 1.
PART 2: THE SPIRITUAL IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC
SUNDAY | JANUARY 17 | 5:00 PM In this session, we will talk about the challenges such a season poses for our spiritual life--our connection to God and our connection to others, including our church family. We will also do a bit of historical and theological digging on how we as the Church are called to respond in such times of crisis. Click here to register for Part 2. Registrants will be sent additional reading resources and a Zoom link for each event.
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LEADERSHIP AFFIRMATION VOTE
SUNDAY | DECEMBER 20
One of the blessings of being a part of a congregationally led church is the opportunity to select the individuals who will serve as leaders of the church. Each year, the Ministry Placement Team prayerfully selects a slate of leaders to serve on a variety of teams and committees based on nominations from church staff, current leaders, and the congregation. Then, the members of the congregation have the opportunity to affirm the work of the Ministry Placement team through a church vote.
The vote to approve or not approve the proposed leaders for 2021 will be held this Sunday, December 20, from 8:00 am to 12:30 pm. Beginning Sunday morning at 8:00 am, you can find a listing of the nominated leaders and a ballot online at vrbc.net/vote, or on a hard copy in the church lobby following the worship service.
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DID YOU KNOW? As we all seem to be doing a lot more online shopping these days, did you know that you can support VRBC while you're doing it? AmazonSmile is a simple way for you to support VRBC every time you shop at Amazon, at no cost to you. AmazonSmile is available at smile.amazon.com on your web browser and can be activated in the Amazon Shopping app for iOS and Android phones. You can just continue to do your normal Amazon shopping, with the added benefit that AmazonSmile will donate 0.5% of your eligible purchases to VRBC.
On your first visit to smile.amazon.com, you will be prompted to select a charitable organization (in this case, VRBC) to receive donations from eligible purchases before you begin shopping. After that, every eligible purchase you make on AmazonSmile will result in a donation directly to VRBC. It's that simple!
Happy shopping!
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IN-PERSON WORSHIP SERVICE
SUNDAY | DECEMBER 20 | 9:30 AM
We have added weekly in-person worship services to our Sunday morning schedule and we'd love to have you join us! Here's how it works:
- We will hold an in-person service each week at 9:30 am.
- No reservations are required.
- Seating will be socially-distanced and masks will be required.
- No in-person children's ministry will be provided, but kids are welcome to join us in the services!
- If you've been exposed to COVID or experienced any symptoms in the past 14 days, we invite you to join us online.
Also, please plan to join us after the service for an outdoor coffee reception immediately following the service on the south lawn.
If you're not ready to return, that's ok! We'll continue to stream our services each week at 9:30 am and on demand throughout the week. Just visit vrbc.net and click the "Worship Online" button!
Questions? Email Amy at awilkins@vrbc.net for more information. We look forward to seeing you soon!
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