Ministry Spotlight:

Community Assistance Fund

The Community Assistance Fund is generally set aside to assist local folks (non-members) with rent/mortgage, utilities, heating fuel, medical bills, and similar expenses that they are having trouble paying. This fund is sustained entirely by donations; it is not a budgeted item. When we have funds in the account, we are able to fulfill requests. When the account is depleted, we simply turn individuals/families away.

Following are some of the most recent requests that we have been able to help with:

• A $25 gas card for an individual who is working, but who needed gas to hold them over until they got paid
• Electric bills
• Rent
• A one-month bus pass for an individual who also utilizes our Food Pantry
• A bus pass for a working individual who relies on the bus to get to their job
• A night (or two) in a motel; we often get these requests from homeless people who are unable to stay at the Rescue Mission for one reason or another and who simply need a safe, temporary place to stay and shower

We have also recently had to turned away requests for assistance with utilities and rent, as our Community Assistance Fund is currently depleted.

Please know that when we receive requests for Community Assistance, we always ask for a picture ID to verify identity, and we are also careful to confirm the actual amount due on any given bill. We do not make payment directly to the individual requesting help; we send payment to the organization or individual to whom it is owed (like AEP or a landlord). A $300/year maximum assistance cap is also in place for each individual. Carrie keeps detailed records of each transaction to ensure consistent oversight of this ministry.

We want to thank you for giving to the Community Assistance Fund and make you aware of how these funds are being used. In providing for our neighbors, you are acting as the hands and feet of Christ in a hurting world. If you choose to give to the Community Assistance Fund, please include your donation in an envelope with that notation or select "Community Assistance Fund" when making an online donation. Thank you!

This Sunday @ VBC

Please join us Sunday for our regular schedule, with Early Worship at 8:45 AM, Sunday School at 9:50 AM, and Traditional Worship at 11:00 AM. Travis' sermon is "A Listener" and is based in 1 Samuel 3:1-9. We hope you'll come worship with us this week. If you can't make it, you can always find our livestream at www.vintonbaptistchurch.org or on our Facebook group page.

Passport Kids' Camp

Our 3rd - 5th graders and chaperones left this morning for Passport Kids' Camp, which will run through Saturday at Eagle Eyrie. Please pray them all as they spend time with God and with each other.

Youth Mission Trip & Summer Schedule

All who signed up for tonight's Red Sox game should meet at VBC at 5:30 PM. Click here for a list of our other summer activities.

Our Youth will leave this Sunday morning at 8:00 AM for their mission trip to Nashville, TN. Please be in prayer for them as they travel and as they serve in some of the following ministries throughout next week:

• Christian Kids Program - lead small groups through art, entrepreneurship, social emotional learning, and Bible study curriculum
• Adult Care Center - spend time with residents at a senior living center, doing one-on-one visits, crafts, games, and other activities
• Local Christian Youth Center - engage in a variety of enrichment activities
• Community Reading Program - help teach in a local literacy program, setting up fun activities and preparing snacks

There will be about 100 total participants at the youth mission camp, and our group comprises about 1/4 of that total.

JOY Seniors

Our June luncheon is one you do not want to miss! On Tuesday, June 27th our entertainment is an all-female quartet called Joyful Praise. The meal is pizza, salad, cookie, and drink from Bellacino's. The cost for lunch is $10. Sign up and pay at the JOY Senior table.

Are you ready for another Mystery Trip? Join us Saturday, July 22nd as we depart VBC at 7:30 AM for a full day of fun, surprises, and fellowship. The cost is $90/person and includes 3 meals. Please bring a light jacket, and be aware that a little walking is required. Sign up and pay at the JOY Senior table for this day of adventure!

Vacation Bible School

Stellar: Shine Jesus' Light

VBS will take place July 23rd - 27th, 5:30 - 8:00 PM daily. Here's how you can help:

• Volunteers are still needed, especially Crew Leaders and Assistants. Please click here to register as a volunteer. If you have a youth who would like to volunteer, please register them as a helper in any area where they would like to serve.
• There is a donation table set up in the Welcome Center. Even if you can't volunteer the week of VBS, it would be a HUGE help if you could supply some of the items requested at the donation table.
• We could use some help with a few items beyond the tags at our VBS donation table. We would love to borrow (and return!) the following items: men's button down shirts (40), small - medium sized stuffed animals (24), medium-sized flashlights with batteries (12). If you are willing to share any of these items with us, please put your name on the items, and we will return them to you after VBS. Thank you!
• You can register your kids or grandkids for VBS now! Just use the link above, which is active for both volunteers and participants.
• Questions? See Jessie Burgess, Christina Epperly, or Whitney Russell.

Supper Club Continues this Summer

Supper Club is a small group that was recently formed for individuals and families, especially those with children. However, EVERYONE is welcome to participate in our events! We are planning several dates this summer to enjoy food, fellowship, and fun. Mark your calendars:

This Saturday, June 17th - Bring your own dinner to Herman L. Horn, 6:00 - 8:00 PM. Kids can play on the playground and/or we can play kickball/wiffle ball on the field.

July 15th - Bring your own drink and your favorite snack to share for an outdoor movie at the Berry home at 8:30 PM. Bring a comfy chair or blanket. Popcorn will be provided.

August 12th - Back to School PJ Party at the church, 6:00 - 8:00 PM. Please bring your favorite breakfast item to share. Milk and juice will be provided. Please bring your own cup with a lid.

See Erin Berry with questions.

Four on the Fourth

This 4th of July, the Boys & Girls Club host their biggest fundraiser, a 5K race through Vinton! As the host site for the Vinton Boys & Girls Club, we would love for you to sign up and be part of our VBC Four on the Fourth team! Click here to sign up for the race. If you're not interested in running/walking the course, we would still love for you to volunteer by clicking here. Thank you for supporting Boys & Girls Club in so many ways!

Lois Smith

3927 Blandfield Drive

Vinton VA 24179

Thank you to the Pairs & Spares Sunday School Class for their donation to VBS.

Thank you to the Open Door Sunday School Class for their donation to VBS.

Can You Volunteer for Children's Worship?

With summertime schedules and upcoming vacations, we need to fill in some gaps in our Children's Worship schedule for the next few months. Every Sunday, we need one teacher and one helper at 8:45 and at 11:00 AM. We don't want the duties of leading Children's Worship to fall on just a handful of volunteers week after week; we want to spread the responsibility (and love) around!

Please click here to see the dates we need help and to sign up. This sign-up is NOT for the children's sermon during worship service. This sign-up is only for teaching/helping in Children's Worship on the second floor of the children's wing. Children range in age from PreK - 1st grade. Lesson plans are provided for you, and if you have any questions or need any special supplies, you can reach out to Whitney or someone else in the church office.

THANK YOU for being willing to serve in this capacity and to teach our children about God and his word!

Updated Blessing Box Needs

Pancake mix, any type/size of canned fruit (packaging that does not require a can opener is particularly helpful), spaghetti pasta, Spam, and dish soap are our current needs for the Blessing Box. Also, just a reminder for those traveling this summer, we can use any type of small lotions, shampoos, etc. that you might receive from hotels. Donations can be dropped in the appropriate bin at the Missions Tables. Thank you so much for helping meet the needs of our community!

Attention: Walkers

For many years, we have hosted folks who need a large area to walk indoors. We have individuals and groups who walk nearly every day, and we have others who come when they can. There is a temporary modification to our walking area. You may walk on any floor of the children’s wing, through the sanctuary, and around the outside of the church office and library while the educational building (New Ministries Building) is reserved all day for Boys & Girls Club’s summer program from now through July 28th. The New Ministries Building will reopen for morning walkers July 31st.

Open Position: Minister of Children and Families

Vinton Baptist Church is seeking a part-time (approx. 25 hours/week) Minister of Children and Families who will lead our children’s ministry, overseeing the spiritual formation of children between the ages of PreK and 5th grade. This position is responsible for coordinating the activities and programs for this ministry, organizing annual events, and providing children and families with opportunities to grow in their faith, engage with the church, and participate in Christ’s mission in the world. We are looking for a team player who is organized, professional, enjoys working with people, and is committed to helping children and families develop a deep love for God, others, themselves, the church, and the world. Please send resumes to kim@vintonbaptistchurch.org.

Bible Reading Plan

We're about halfway through both 1 Samuel and Proverbs on our Bible Reading Plan. I confess that I find 1 Samuel fairly easy to follow because it is narrative, but I'm having trouble keeping up with Proverbs. Even though each Proverb is often related in theme to those before and those behind, I feel like I really need to think about each one in order to get the gist of it. The good news is that we'll come back to Proverbs several more times in the course of our 2-year reading plan. A few notes about Proverbs from Fee & Stuart's How to Read the Bible Book by Book:

1. Proverbs is divided into a prologue (1:8-9:18), Proverbs of Solomon I (10:1-22:16), Sayings of the Wise I (22:17-24:22), Sayings of the Wise II (24:23-34), Proverbs of Solomon II (25:1-29:27), Sayings of Agur (30:1-33), Sayings of Lemuel (31:1-31), and an epilogue (31:10-31).

2. The entire book reiterates the message of following wisdom and living uprightly, as opposed to making unrighteous choices. "It is important to observe that the contrast between wisdom and folly is also a contrast (primarily) between righteousness and wickedness."

3. Fee & Stuart distinguish between Proverbs' "form" (poetry), "function" (teaching young people how to live appropriately as Israelites), and "method" (providing simple ways of expressing truths to live by).

Happy reading!