March 22 , 2020
The Climb:
"Sovereignty"
COVID-19: VRBC  UPDATE
UPDATED WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 2020

Church family,

In recent days, our staff and Church Council have been closely monitoring the Coronavirus pandemic and prayerfully considering the best way for our church to respond. We want you to know that we are asking God's guidance on how we can combine faithfulness to God in our ministries while also protecting our people, community, and world. Click the image to the right for the most up-to-date information on our response to this quickly developing situation.
 
Click here to see a video from Pastor Larry.
WORSHIP SERVICES AND ALL OTHER EVENTS:
CANCELLED (OR MOVED ONLINE) FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE

With the State of Emergency declared by Dallas County and its ban on large gatherings of people, we are canceling all in-person church activities, including the VRBC Weekday Preschool, for the foreseeable future.

While we are sad we will not be gathering together in person, we do have lots of great opportunities for you to continue to Worship, Grow, Serve, and Invite, and to stay connected to the church family! See below for details.

We know this is an anxious time. As someone has said, we want to PRAY and PREPARE but not PANIC. Remember the words of 2 Timothy 1:7 -- For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. Let's pray for one another as God encourages and strengthens us in the coming days.
WORSHIP: SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICES 
LIVE STREAMING INFORMATION

Even though we can't be together, we will still have the opportunity to worship on Sunday mornings! At 9:30 am every Sunday, we will stream a worship experience that you can share online at home. You can access the live stream by clicking the image to the right.

Note: if you can't watch right at 9:30, that's ok. You can start watching any time after the service begins.

GROW: ONLINE GROW GROUPS 

During this season, all adult Grow Groups will host their gatherings online using a platform called Zoom, beginning Sunday, March 22. This is a great way for us to continue to Dig, Build, and Train together, even when we can't be physically together! Your leader will provide the details for your group, which will include a link to join your group's Zoom meeting, and a 9-digit Meeting ID.

To prepare for your group, you'll be to access the sermon notes and Grow Group questions online  here, or as always on the VRBC app, beginning each Friday.

SERVE: HOW CAN I CAN HELP?

FOOD FOR STRUGGLING FAMILIES

Metrocrest Services, one of VRBC's local mission partners, is seeing a significant increase in families seeking assistance through their food pantry and needs additional volunteer support. If you would like to assist in their pantry, and are  not in an at-risk category , please go online to set up your profile and sign up for a shift. You can do so by clicking here.
 
Pantry hours are currently Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. and Saturday 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. (subject to change). In an effort to keep volunteers safe, please know that additional precautionary hygiene measures have been added.

FOOD FOR THE HOMELESS

Volunteers are needed to assemble and distribute "to go" meals for the homeless in South Dallas, where our sister church Cornerstone is seeing a 50% increase in demand. They ask individuals who are healthy and not in the "high risk" category to consider providing some time to assist. As soon as it becomes available, we will provide a link to the Cornerstone Kitchen where you may sign up to volunteer. It is important that all volunteers sign up to make sure we do not go over the maximum number of individuals allowed by the City of Dallas to gather in one place.

PLEASE NOTE: Effective immediately, the Cornerstone Clothes Closet and Showers will be closed until the ban is lifted.
INVITE: INVITE OTHERS TO WORSHIP WITH US
SHARE THE GOOD NEWS!

Livestreaming our worship services now provides us with new opportunities to reach people who may never have walked through our doors before. We encourage you to invite others through word of mouth, email or social media!

With the prevalence of so much bad news and ongoing uncertainty these days, many are more aware of their need for the peace and hope that comes from following Jesus. Be on the lookout for opportunities where the Holy Spirit might be leading you to share with someone about the difference following Jesus has made in your life!
VRBC ONLINE GIVING AND BENEVOLENCE

Even though we won't be physically together, we encourage you to continue your generous giving that allows us to make an impact in our community. You can give online at vrbc.net/give or on the VRBC app. If you need assistance with online giving, please contact the finance office at  dblankenship@vrbc.net. You can also mail your contribution to Valley Ranch Baptist Church, 1501 East Belt Line Road, Coppell, Texas 75019.

We know that in this time of uncertainty, some may be struggling financially. If that's the case for you or someone you know in the church, please let us know. We can connect you with our community ministry partners that provide great assistance, and with our deacons, who administer a benevolence program that serves regular attenders of VRBC. For more information, please email Amy Wilkins at  awilkins@vrbc.net. 
THE CLIMB: ROMANS 8
A BONUS SUNDAY!

Last weekend, we adjusted our worship services to focus on the Coronavirus situation. It was a wonderful time of celebrating the hope and peace we can have through Christ! To help us stay on track in our climb through the book of Romans, we're excited to share with you a bunch of great bonus content today!  Here's what you can find in this section: 
  • A video that includes a short summary of Romans 7 from Pastor Larry, a powerful recitation of Romans 8 by Greg English, and an impactful sermon on Romans 8 from our Pastor of Student Ministries, Corey Gummelt. Click here to get started.
  • A reflection/discussion guide that you can use along with the sermon content to take your study of Romans 8 farther. You can use this guide on your own, or to  have a spiritual conversation with your family! Click here for the discussion guide.
  • A prayer guide developed by members of our Church Council and Deacons that will help you and your family pray (using guidance from God's Word) during this season. Click here for the prayer guide.
VALLEY MISSION TRIP UPDATE

Our team just came back from the Valley and we would love to share a little bit of what they've done. VRBC took a team of 19 VRBCers to the Rio Grande Valley this past week and, in partnership with UBC, Buckner, and our church planter Felipe DeLĂ©on and his church Ciudadanos del Reino, they participated in several different activities. Thanks so much for your generous giving that enables us to support such wonderful ministries in the Valley!  Click the image to find out more!