Have you joined a Serve Team yet? We have lots of opportunities for you!

April 18, 2021

S2:E2 "God's Not Far Away"

Exodus 33:1-11

VRBC SERVE INITIATIVE 2021

JOIN A VRBC SERVE TEAM | NOW THROUGH MAY 2

Are you ready to bless others and invest your resources to further God's work in our church, community, and world? You can live out VRBC's mission of inviting diverse and disconnected people to passionately follow Jesus together by building a relational bridge through serving others.

We want every person at VRBC to join a Serve Team, where you will have the opportunity to volunteer and bless others at least once per month! Learn more about our Serve Team opportunities and sign up to serve here. You can also let us know which Serve Team you are interested on your Connection Card this Sunday during worship. To view the catalog online, click here.

VRBC SERVE DAY | SATURDAY | MAY 1

In order to celebrate our Serve Initiative 2021, we're excited to hold our first VRBC Serve Day on May 1. VRBC Serve Day is a churchwide opportunity for us to be together and make a difference by serving at VRBC and through our local partners. In just one day, volunteers will get to experience the joy of serving together inside and outside the walls of VRBC. Serving is truly a privilege, and as a church, we count it an absolute honor to be able to serve our community.

To look at all the opportunities available and to get signed up, click here.

This event is perfect for Grow Groups, families, or individuals who are looking to make a difference. Have questions? Email Arthur Mendes at amendes@vrbc.net.

MEN'S RETREAT

THIS SATURDAY | APRIL 17 | 8:00 AM TO 12:00 NOON

Men were not intended to be "Lone Rangers" in life--they need other men in their life for guidance, support, and encouragement on their journey. With that in mind, we are making plans for a men's mini-retreat this Saturday, April 17. We hope you'll join us from 8:00 am to 12:00 noon at VRBC as we step away from the busyness of life to connect, have fun, and be challenged to grow together with other VRBC guys of all ages!

We'll kick off the morning with a great breakfast, and enjoy hearing from our very own Don Harton, Jeff Lamb, Mike McCord, and Woody Conradt. We'll then have an opportunity to serve together before closing out the event with lunch.

You are welcome to invite a friend (teenage sons are welcome as well!). COVID safety measures will include masks and social distancing.

To get registered and help us plan for this event, please click here. For more information, contact Arthur Mendes at amendes@vrbc.net.

VRBC WOMEN'S EVENT | THURSDAY | APRIL 22

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: EXTENDED TO APRIL 18

The VRBC Women's Ministry is back and would love for you to join with other women on Thursday, April 22, starting at 6:00 pm, as our special guest Jenna Grubbs teaches us the art of planting succulents! Take advantage of this fun opportunity to build relationships and share laughter with women in our church and community--as an added bonus, you'll also have a beautiful succulent to take home!

Invite your friends and neighbors to join us! This will be an outdoor event (weather permitting) and masks will be optional. We'll have snacks while we fellowship together, and you'll leave with a planted succulent pot for yourself! The deadline to register for this event has been extended to Sunday, April 18; the cost is $20 per person. Supplies will be provided. Click here to get signed up.

Questions? Contact Arthur Mendes at amendes@vrbc.net.

ONLINE SENIOR JOURNALS READY FOR SIGNING

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: APRIL 18

As our high school seniors graduate to the next stages of life, we want to send them off with a prayer, a few words of wisdom, or just well wishes. This year, we're collecting all of your kind words through a user-friendly online form. All you need to do is just click on the link, fill out the form, and we'll it take from there. After we've gathered all of the submissions, we'll be able to produce a printed version for the students to keep. It'll only take a few minutes and they'd all love to hear from you! The last day to make a submission is April 18.

Ready to get started? Click here.

DINNER FOR EIGHT

SATURDAY | APRIL 24 | 6:00 TO 8:30 PM

Back by popular demand, it's "Dinner for Eight, the Quarantine Edition!" On April 24, from 6:00 to 8:30 pm, we will have socially distanced dinners in the VRBC parking lot. The food will be great--the fellowship even better! We hope you'll join us. Life is definitely better with friends and food!

The deadline to register is Wednesday, April 21. The cost is $10.00 per person. Please contact us if you have any difficulties. Click here for more information and to get registered. Questions? Contact Elaine Carlton at elaine.carlton@gmail.com.

STUDENT MINISTRY MISSION WEEK: JUNE 21-25

Are you ready for the best week of 2021? It's Mission Week! Remember how great last year was? Well, this year it will be even better! For an entire week in June (June 21-25), family groups will be loading up in vans and traveling around the metroplex, visiting all sorts of incredible mission sites! We'll have more time together serving the needs of the community and are excited to be able to reach more people with the love of God! It's about time the Dallas Metroplex experiences what 86:12 is famous for!

REGISTRATION: From April 1 through May 1, the cost is $150.

Covid protocols during this week will be evaluated as we get closer to this timeline. Click here for more information and to get signed up!

VORACIOUS READERS BOOK CLUB (VRBC)

Love to read the Good Book and good books? Sign up for the Voracious Readers Book Club (VRBC)! Each registrant will be placed in a group and will receive a welcome call, guidelines for meetings, and a curated list of suggested books that can broaden your faith, educate, inform, or simply entertain. Meetings are currently held online. For more details and to get signed up, contact Sandy Williamson at mslt07@verizon.net.

EXPLORE MEMBERSHIP

SUNDAY | MAY 2 | 11:00 AM

There are many benefits to becoming a VRBC church member! If you or someone you know would like to explore church membership, make plans now to join us for an Explore Membership lunch on Sunday, May 2, at 11:00 am. It is THE BEST way to find out what VRBC is all about! We'll gather for lunch outdoors on the south lawn and get to know each other a bit better. We can then interact with church leaders about what it means to be a VRBC member.

Click here to sign up for the Explore Membership class. Once you submit your registration, you will also be asked to complete a brief "Getting to Know You" form (one per adult). This allows us to tailor the content more specifically to registered participants.

If you have any questions, please email Amy Wilkins at awilkins@vrbc.net.

PARENT CHILD DEDICATION

SUNDAY | MAY 9 | 9:30 AM

At VRBC, we believe children are a gift from God, and Parent Child Dedication provides an opportunity to express publicly the desire to lead and spiritually nurture our children, in cooperation with the Holy Spirit, so that our children will develop a desire to love God and love others.

Our next Parent Child Dedication will take place during the outdoor worship service on Sunday, May 9 at 9:30 am. The deadline to register to participate in this dedication is April 26. For more information, please contact Priscila Mendes at pmendes@vrbc.net.

Click here to register.

VRBC WEEKDAY PRESCHOOL NOW ENROLLING

FALL 2021 CLASSES: AGES 6 MONTHS TO 4 YEARS

FALL 2021

Preschool registration for Fall 2021 is now open! For class options, fees, and steps to register, visit our new website. If you have additional questions, please contact Sarah Waters or Anna Hazelrigg at 972-304-8444.

SPRING 2021

VRBC Weekday Preschool has been successfully re-opened for in-person preschool since January 25, 2021. We are currently offering 3 options for Spring 2021 as follows and spring enrollment will continue until April 16:

Option 1: In-person
Option 2: Hybrid (virtual + a social opportunity)
Option 3: Curriculum only (online content and packets for use at home)

We want to assure you that the safety of your children is of utmost importance to us. Last 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 this 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.

We would love to have your child come learn with us!

STEWARDSHIP UPDATE

THANK YOU FOR YOUR FAITHFUL GIVING!

We are so blessed by the wonderful generosity of so many "VRBCers"! As you can see below, our giving continues to be ahead of budget, even during the pandemic. Thank you for making this possible!

Fiscal Year Contributions: October 2020 - March 2021

Budgeted Contributions	$1,513,175
Actual Contributions	$1,558,458
Actual Over Budget	$ 45,283

We've recently updated our online giving portal to make it more user-friendly. If you'd like to give online, you can visit the page here or just click the giving link on the website or VRBC App. For instructions on how to make one-time or recurring gifts on the new page, click here. And as always, please feel free to reach out to us with any questions! Just email Donna Blankenship at dblankenship@vrbc.net.