TONIGHT: Children's Choirs & Youth Missions Group at 6:15 PM.

Chancel Choir at 7:30 PM.

Human Resources Update

One of our Ministry Matters discussions this past Sunday involved the resignation of Carrie Tolley from the Finance Administrator position due to the health needs of her family. Please see the following letter dated December 4th:

Dear Travis and HR Committee,

It is with great emotion that I write this letter. As we all know, life often throws us curve balls, and our paths may take us in directions we had not planned. I find myself on one of those paths right now. I had planned to work at VBC until the age at which I decided to completely retire from work. Unexpectedly and sadly, that is not to be. I have been blessed beyond measure with two grandbabies this year, and the ability to care for one of them while keeping my job at VBC part-time and partially remote. That is no longer going to be possible due to time constraints that will be involved with other family needs. I do not feel that I can do my best job for VBC under the circumstances.

I ask that my employment at VBC end no later than the week ending January 26, 2025. I am certainly willing to explain the Financial Administrator’s job responsibilities as I have managed them, and the location of all things related to whomever will be taking over the position. Also, I will be available in the weeks to come to answer any questions that may arise. As I have mentioned to you previously, leaving this position, and the professional workforce in general, is going to be difficult for me.

Again, I cannot express enough gratitude and appreciation for you allowing me to be part of VBC for the past 7 years. I will continue to pray for your church family and hope that our paths will cross again in the future.

Sincerely,

Carrie Tolley

We all wish Carrie and her family well and pray for them as Carrie helps her family navigate ongoing medical conditions. Jennifer Williamson has agreed to serve as interim Finance Administrator (on a part-time, contract basis) until Human Resources is able to fill this position permanently. If you have questions, please see a member of the HR Committee.

This Sunday @ VBC:

The Third Sunday of Advent & Christmas Musical

We hope to see you in Sunday School at 9:15 AM and in Morning Worship at 10:30 AM. The third Sunday of Advent celebrates JOY. Our morning worship service includes this year's Christmas Musical: "The Heart of Christmas"! There will be no Children's Sermon or Children's Worship; your children are welcome in the sanctuary during worship. Nursery will be available for newborns - 3-year-olds. If you can't join us in person, livestream is available through the Vinton Baptist Church app, at www.vintonbaptistchurch.org, and through our Facebook page.

Giving Tree gifts are due this Sunday. Please be sure to attach your tag(s) to your wrapped gift(s) and place them under the Christmas tree in the Welcome Center. Questions? Contact Whitney Russell.

Both our Preteens and our Youth are invited to attend their respective Progressive Dinners on Sunday, December 15th from 5 PM until 7:30 PM. Please meet at the church and plan to bring a small gift for our white elephant gift exchanges.

Family Christmas Tree

Our Family Christmas Tree includes an ornament representing each family in our church. If you are new to our church this year or have never donated an ornament representing your family, please bring one and place it on our tree between now and December 24th.

Rescue Mission Children's Christmas Party

The Youth will hold a Christmas party for the children at the Rescue Mission on Wednesday, December 18th. Thank you to everyone who has volunteered to donate food, paper goods, gifts, etc.! We want to make this a memorable time for these folks!

Pancakes & Pajamas Party

Fun & the Son will host a Pancakes & Pajamas Party on Thursday, December 19th from 10 AM until 11:30 AM for all newborn - PreK children and their adults. Join us to celebrate the most important birthday of the year with pancakes, games, a craft, a jingle bell hunt, and a happy birthday wish to Jesus! Wear your Christmas jammies for some festive fun! See Betty Jo Overstreet with questions.

Called Business Meeting Sunday, December 22nd

On Sunday, December 22nd we will have a brief Special Called Business Meeting at the conclusion of morning worship to vote on the proposed members of our Children's Minister Search Committee, as discussed at our Ministry Matters meeting: Holly Graham (Human Resources representative), Ann Cranwell, Heather Jones, Christina Epperly, and Ken Williamson (Deacon representative).

Christmas Eve Worship

Please plan to join us at 5 PM on December 24th for our annual Christmas Eve Worship service. Let us celebrate the birth of Christ together! Please note that there will no nursery; your children are welcome in worship. There will be a "fussy baby room" available if needed.

December 29th

On Sunday, December 29th we will NOT have Sunday School. We will have only the 10:30 AM Morning Worship service, and there will be NO nursery available. Our Sunday School teachers and officers, as well as our nursery workers, are offered a Sabbath rest the last Sunday of the year. Your children are welcome in worship.

Thursday Morning Small Group

There is no Thursday Morning Small Group this week. We will meet again January 9th.

Betty English

Friendship North Health & Rehab.

327 Hershberger Road NW, #426

Roanoke VA 24012

Sunday, December 8, 2024

Sunday School: 209

10:30 AM Worship

• in person: 362
• online: 240

Please join us in officially welcoming Owen Marshall to our VBC family. Owen has been worshiping and serving with us for quite awhile, and this past Sunday he joined Vinton Baptist by letter from Salem Baptist Church. His address is 631 Campbell Avenue SW, Apt. 103, Roanoke VA 24016.

Christian sympathy is extended to Carol Smith Meadows and family in the death of her husband, Frankie Meadows, who passed away December 4th; and to Don & Etta Wheeler and family in the death of their daughter Donna.

Lottie Moon Christmas Offering

The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering goal for our church is $5,200. There are special envelopes in your box of envelopes and in the pews. Your assistance in helping our church reach this goal will be appreciated.

Also, the Lottie Moon Post Office is now available at the Missions Tables in the Welcome Center. You may "mail" Christmas cards to VBC members and regular attenders by paying 25 cents/card and placing your cards alphabetically (by last name) in the appropriate post office slots. There is an envelope in the lower right corner of the box for your money. All proceeds go to the Lottie Moon Foreign Missions Offering. Church members should check the Lottie Moon Post Office throughout the Advent season for any mail that you have received.

WMU Mission Projects

May - November, 2024

$ 60.00          Keystone Summer Camp

$ 50.00          Samaritan Inn

$ 75.00          VBC Vacation Bible School plus supplies

$ 25.00          VBC Food Pantry, in memory of Velma Kendrick

$270.00         VBC Maintenance & Improvement Fund

$115.00         VBC Community Assistance Fund

$ 50.00          God’s Pit Crew

$ 25.00          Alma Hunt State Missions, in memory of Joyce Keaton

$150.00 WMU Foundation Disaster Relief Fund

$ 75.00 VBC Hurricane Relief Fund

Keystone Community Center school supplies plus 14 backpacks

Impact Virginia Lunch

Filled Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes plus postage

Keystone Community Center - 2 complete Thanksgiving Food Boxes

City Rescue Mission - 9 pies for Thanksgiving dinner

Visits and cards to shut-ins

Volunteers Needed

We could use some folks to help sort, organize, and pack Giving Tree gifts Monday morning, December 16th beginning at 10:00 AM. If you are also available to help deliver the gifts to our locals schools, we can use your assistance. Please email Whitney Russell if you can help.

Blessing Box Needs

The following items are needed for the Blessing Box: tuna, Hamburger Helper meals, fruit of any kind (cans or fruit cups), and soups/chili of any kind. Containers that do not require a can opener are particularly helpful for our homeless friends. Donations can be dropped off in the marked bin at the Missions Tables. Thank you!

Bible Reading Plan

Today we are reading the short book of Jude, which was written by the brother of Jesus in order to speak against false teachers who have impacted what Fee & Stuart surmise to be "... a single congregation of predominantly Jewish Christians somewhere in Palestine who were well acquainted with both the Old Testament and Jewish apocalyptic literature."

Speaking of apocalyptic literature, we will begin Revelation on Friday, and it will carry us through to the end of the year. A few notes to get you started:

• The apostle John is generally considered to be the author of Revelation, and it is believed to have been written near the end of the first century CE.
• Fee & Stuart note the historical basis of Revelation: "the early Christians' refusal to participate in the cult of the emperor (who was acclaimed 'lord' and 'savior') was putting them on a collision course with the state [Rome]; John saw prophetically that it would get worse before it got better and that the churches were poorly prepared for what was about to take place, so he writes both to warn and encourage them and to announce God's judgments against Rome."
• This historical setting is represented in the text as a cosmic battle between God and the forces of evil.
• The genre of Revelation is apocalyptic. "The imagery of apocalyptic is primarily that of fantasy," which involves multiple symbols associated with unusual visions.

Keep these points in mind as you get started, and we will reflect on Revelation more next week.

We are already planning out the new Bible reading plan for 2025. We will not read the Bible all the way through, but will focus on groupings of books. We plan to read 5 books in the first 5 months of the year: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. We plan to slow down our pace in the summer and camp out in the Psalms. Next fall we hope to focus on the New Testament gospels. So by the time 2025 is over, we will have read the fundamental basis of the entire Old Testament (the Pentateuch), spent some time with the songs of Israel, and studied the four accounts of the life and ministry of Jesus. We hope you'll join us on this journey! Happy reading!

-- Kim

Vinton Baptist Church,

We want to express our gratitude to each of you for the flowers and all the kind cards and expressions of concern at my mother's passing.

Billy & Beth Meador

Vinton Baptist Family,

Your Christian love displayed during Don's illness and death, through your meals, cards, visits, and prayers, is truly appreciated. We are blessed to have a family like you to support us in the loss of such a special man.

Ardella Hough and families

Vinton Baptist,

Thank you so much for the care package! It was so thoughtful, and I appreciate it!

Elizabeth Dixon

Special thanks goes to our Vinton Baptist Hostess Committee for facilitating last Sunday's Cookie Exchange, and we appreciate everyone who brought special treats to share and who came for fun and fellowship!

Please note that The Witness will NOT be published Wednesday, December 25th or Wednesday, January 1st because of the holidays. The next issue after December 18th will be January 8th. If you have announcements to go in the December 18th issue, please submit them to Kim (kim@vintonbaptistchurch.org) no later than noon December 16th. Also, the church office will be closed Wednesday and Thursday, December 25th and 26th and Wednesday, January 1st.