TONIGHT:

6:15 PM Children's Choirs & Youth Missions Group (painting at Keystone)

6:30 PM Weeknight Worship (Deuteronomy 6:5, "The Great Shema")

7:30 PM Chancel Choir Rehearsal

This Sunday @ VBC

We hope you'll come join us for Sunday School at 9:15 AM. We have classes for all ages and stages. Morning worship begins at 10:30 AM, and Travis will starts a new sermon series this week. His message is "May All Be One," and the scripture is John 17:1-26. If you can't join us in person, livestream is available through our app, at www.vintonbaptistchurch.org, and through our Facebook page.

Following is the remainder of this Sunday's schedule:

• 11:45 AM Youth Choir
• 4:45 PM Youth will depart for Fields of Faith (Please bring money for dinner out, and we'll plan to return around 8 PM.)
• 5 PM Handbells Rehearsal
• 6 PM Weeknight Worship Rehearsal

It's Time for Operation Reach Out!

Operation Reach Out is right around the corner, and we'd love to have some more help! We will be ministering to our community the morning of October 19th from 9 AM until noon. Our projects include 1) cleaning up the grounds at Herman L. Horn; 2) doing various jobs at Agape Ministry, such as sorting clothing or organizing their food pantry; 3) completing lap blankets for dialysis patients and participating in a prayer walk at VBC; 4) or our children's project (for ages 3 - 1st grade): decorating cookies for local first responders. Please click here for the registration form. We will offer both breakfast (8:30 AM) and lunch (12:30 PM). Please print and complete the registration form (copies are also available at the church) and return it to Whitney as soon as possible. Questions? Contact Whitney.

Baptism Sunday

We have two baptisms scheduled for Sunday, October 20th. If you would like to be baptized, please reach out to one of our ministers today.

JOY Seniors Schedule

Are you ready for a fun fall trip? On October 15th the JOY Seniors will take their annual fall trip to Fincastle, to include Heritage Market, Ikenberry Orchards, and a new location - Scripture Truth Book Company. We will conclude with lunch at Cracker Barrel. The only cost for this trip is what you spend. You can sign up to ride the bus or plan to drive. Either way, join the fun and fellowship by signing up at the JOY Senior table as soon as possible!

Gloria Sink Memorial Coat Drive

This year's annual coat drive has begun! Pick up a tag at the JOY Senior table with information regarding the requested coat or hoodie, sign the clipboard at the table indicating which tag you have chosen, purchase the coat or hoodie (gently worn, clean items are acceptable, too), and return it by Thursday, October 31st to the designated coat rack in the Welcome Center. Thanks in advance for keeping Gloria's dream alive: that no child would be without a coat.

Preteens October Event

Preteens (all 3rd - 5th graders) are invited to join us for a trip to Layman Farms Sunday, October 20th. We will depart VBC at 2 PM on the church bus and plan to return at 4:30 PM. The cost is $20/person. Questions? See Jessie Burgess.

Little Pumpkins Jamboree

Fun & the Son invites all newborns - PreK kids and their parents/guardians to our annual fall party on Monday, October 28th, 10 - 11:30 AM! Put on your favorite costume, and come join us for some fun games, festive snacks, and a fabulous craft. All little pumpkins are welcome! See Betty Jo Overstreet with questions.

Trunk-or-Treat

This year Trunk-or-Treat falls on Wednesday, October 30th. We've already begun collecting bags of candy. They can be dropped off in the black tubs at the Missions Tables and in the New Ministries Building lobby.

Please click here to sign up to host a trunk for this event! We need 20+ volunteer trunks to make this event a success.

Blood Drive

We're excited to announce that we are hosting a blood drive in connection with our Trunk-or-Treat event this year! The Blood Connection, which provides blood to regional Carilion facilities, will have their mobile unit open at VBC from 12:00 PM to 7:00 PM on October 30th. Click here to register today! This link is open to VBC members/attenders, as well as the community. Each person who donates blood at this event will receive a $30 e-gift card and will generate a $10 donation from The Blood Connection to Vinton Baptist Church. ALL are encouraged to "give the gift of life." Please sign up today!

Youth Choir Mission Tour Lunch Fundraiser

On Sunday, November 3rd we will have our final luncheon fundraiser for this year's Youth Choir Mission Tour. Lunch will consist of chili or potato soup. $10/person. Please sign up by October 30th in the Welcome Center or the church office.

Save the Date

This year's Christmas Craft & Vendor Show is scheduled for Sunday, December 1st. Click here for more info, including a vendor registration form.

Barbara Karnes

c/o Springtree Health & Rehab.

3433 Springtree Dr. NE #502

Roanoke VA 24012

Wednesday, October 2, 2024

Worship: 56

Sunday, October 6, 2024

Sunday School: 191

10:30 AM Worship

• in person: 330
• online: 245

Thank you to the Dorcas Sunday School class for their donation to the Blessing Box.

Alma Hunt Offering for State Missions

The WMU invites you to contribute to the Alma Hunt State Missions Offering; our church goal is $2,200. For more info, go to almahunt.org. Special envelopes for this fund are in your box of church envelopes (they specify "state missions") and also in the church pews. Thanks in advance for helping us meet our goal.

Christian sympathy is extended to Sherry Anderson and David & Lynda Scott and families in the death of mother and sister Susan Scott Anderson on October 7th.

Please extend a warm welcome to Doug Pedigo, 405 Cameron Drive, Vinton VA 24179, who is returning to our congregation after a number of years away from Vinton. Welcome back, Doug! We look forward to once again having you in our fellowship.

Operation Christmas Child

This year's Operation Christmas Child campaign is underway. There are several ways you can help:

• VOLUNTEER - Our Operation Christmas Child volunteers are busy wrapping shoeboxes Wednesdays and Fridays, 10:00 AM - noon in room 109 of the New Ministries Building. Anyone is welcome to drop in and help.
• DONATE - If you have empty shoeboxes to donate, please drop them at the Missions Tables at the church or contact Darlene McCaskill (540-890-6748) so that she can arrange to pick them up. We are also collecting items to go in the shoeboxes (small toys, combs, washcloths, toothbrushes, school supplies, socks, sunglasses, etc.) at the Missions Tables.
• PACK YOUR OWN BOX - There are empty, wrapped shoeboxes available at the Missions Tables, along with brochures explaining how to pack a box and what to put in it. The brochure also includes a label for your box, or you can pay for shipping online and print a label that can be tracked. Feel free to pick up a couple of boxes and fill them with your family. Then return them to the Missions Tables (with labels attached) by November 3rd. We will make sure they get to our local drop-off center by the deadline in November.

Vinton Breakfast Lions Club Fundraiser

The Vinton Lions Club invites you to attend their fundraiser breakfast on October 12th between the hours of 7 AM and 11 AM. Tickets are $7/adult, $4 for children ages 6-12, and free for children 5 and under. Come support this group that does so much for our community. Please see Gary Myers or Chris McCarty for tickets!

Bible Reading Plan

Last week we were in Ephesians and have moved on to Philippians. Colossians will be our next stop. Because these letters are relatively short and we are moving through them quickly, I want to refer you to BibleProject for some helpful tips as you make your way through these New Testament letters:

• Click here for a short video about how the letters were written and tips for how they can be better understood.
• Click here for another short video about the historical context of these letters and how that knowledge can help us as we read.

Keep in mind that you can use the BibleProject website to look up any book of the Bible to get a general video overview. There are also extensive articles and podcasts available if you want to dig deeper. If you have questions on any specific passage, let me know and we'll go hunting for some answers. Happy reading!

-- Kim

Hurricane Response

We know that you want to help with hurricane relief. Thank you for continuing to pray for those affected by Hurricane Helene, as well as those who are in the path of Hurricane Milton. Following are recommended opportunities to give either money or your time/efforts. Also see below for VBC's plan of action for getting involved.

1) CBF Global’s Disaster Response focuses on long-term impact. “In keeping with CBF’s focus on long-term impact, CBF Disaster Response participates in networks seeking to help communities after a devastating event, but employs most of its resources on the long-term recovery, rehabilitation, and resiliency of a community after first responders have finished their work.” You can give financially at https://www.classy.org/give/524668/#!/donation/checkout

2) You can also give directly to CBF North Carolina's disaster response fund: https://cbfnc.org/give/ Please select "Disaster Response" in the dropdown menu when asked where to direct your support.

3) Another site that has been recommended by CBF is Together for Hope (TFH), which is raising funds to give directly to local partners in affected regions: https://givebutter.com/TFHRELIEF

4) We've had several questions about Samaritan's Purse, which is a legitimate Christian organization that is on-site in North Carolina and Tennessee. Their international headquarters is actually located in Boone. Samaritan's Purse is the same organization that sponsors our Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes. You can find more info and/or give at https://www.samaritanspurse.org/disaster/hurricane-helene/.

5) If you have the availability and capability to physically travel to help in the disaster response effort, you can sign up through BGAV (Baptist General Association of Virginia), which is coordinating volunteers to serve in areas such as feeding, assessment, cleanup, chainsaw, and crisis care. On-site training is provided. Sign up at https://impactmissionsmovement.org/on-alert-disaster.../

6) Finally, Vinton Baptist is partnering with Melrose Baptist and Radiance Community Church to gather items specified by CBF and to pack disaster relief buckets. Melrose Baptist has been able to secure a donation of 1,000 5-gallon buckets. Following are the items for which Vinton Baptist is responsible (the specifications on each item are important so that they will fit in the buckets and the lids will close):

• 32-64 oz. bottles liquid laundry detergent
• 4-9 oz. cans of spray air freshener
• scouring pads (5 per bucket - they will NOT accept stainless steel pads with soap in them)
• N95 particulate respirator dust masks (1-3 mm thickness preferred; 5 per bucket)

We have set up an Amazon wish list for these items, so you can click here to order these products and have them shipped directly to us. Or you are welcome to shop on your own and drop these items off at VBC. We will collect these items through the end of October. On November 1, we will have a "Loading Party" from 10 AM until 12 PM to load all of our collected items for transport to Melrose Baptist. On November 3, we will join the congregations of Melrose and Radiance at Melrose Baptist for a "Pail Packing Party" from 3 PM until 5 PM. THANK YOU for using this opportunity to show the love of Christ to hurting people!

Community Assistance Fund Discontinued

Please be aware that our staff has opted to discontinue our Community Assistance Fund, which has been in place to help folks in our community primarily with utility bills, rent, medical bills, transportation costs, etc. Because this fund is dependent solely on donations (we go for long stretches of time without being able to help anyone because we have no funds) and requires extensive staff time and energy to administer, we are choosing to focus instead on our Food Pantry, Blessing Box, Boys & Girls Club, and other ministries that allow us to help our community in more structured and consistent ways.