The season of Advent focuses on a different theme for each week. Last week highlighted the peace of Christ; this week emphasizes the gift of joy. As we seek to experience the joy of this season, the joy of Christ’s birth through the gift of Emmanuel, may we be reminded that joy is a choice. However, we cannot simply choose to feel joy and instantaneously feel joyful. Joy is an output, not an input. Joy is the result of the good we put into our minds and plant into the lives of others. “So let us not grow weary of doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up.” In other words, good in, good out.

Please plan to join us for worship this Sunday at 8:45 or 11:00 AM (Sunday School at 9:50 AM). We have baptisms scheduled at both services, and children's choirs are also scheduled to sing at both services. The Young Musicians Choir will sing at 8:45 AM, and all three children's choirs will sing at 11:00 AM. If you choose to worship virtually, please access our livestream through our website or FB live.

Tonight is our last Wednesday Night Dinner of the year! We will have Adult Bible Study (click here for tonight's study guide), Thrive Youth Group, Children's Choirs, and adult choir rehearsals tonight, as usual. We will NOT meet December 22nd or 29th, but will resume our Wednesday activities as of January 5th.

Read this week:

Meditate: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” John 1:5

Prayer: "Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that." --Martin Luther King Jr., “Strength to Love”, 1963

If you have not yet picked up your Children's Christmas Box, you can do so through this Sunday on the first floor of the children's wing. If you need a box delivered to your house, please contact Sarah to arrange delivery. We want to be sure everyone who needs a box receives one.

Sunday, December 19^th: Progressive Dinner at 5:30pm.

Monday, December 20^th: We will help provide dinner for the children at the Rescue Mission. Meet at the church at 3:45pm. We will keep you updated through text on return time. 

On Sunday, December 26th we will NOT have Sunday School, and we will have one combined worship service at 10:30 AM. There will be no evening activities.

On Sunday, January 2nd we WILL have Sunday School at 9:15 AM, and we will have one combined worship service at 10:30 AM. There will be no evening activities.

As of January 9th, we plan to be back to our regular Sunday morning and evening schedules.

Beginning January 12^th, the Wednesday Women will begin a new study based on The Chosen television series about the life of Jesus. The study will connect readers to the history of Jesus' life and the stories of the Bible in a new way. The study will follow season 1 of the series to discover, “What does it actually mean to be Chosen?”

Join Susan Jones on Wednesday mornings from 10-11:30am starting January 12^th for this new study! Cost of the book is $16. Please sign up in the church office.

Beginning January 5^th on Wednesday nights, Whitney will be leading a small group study following the Parenting with Love and Logic curriculum by Foster Cline and Jim Fay. Cline and Fay teach caregivers how to parent effectively without the power struggles. The goal of the study is to put the fun back into parenting while providing meaningful, tangible ways to provide consistency, love, and healthy skills in ourselves and our kids.

Join Whitney for Parenting with Love and Logic on Wednesday Nights at 6:15pm in the small dining room beginning January 5^th. Cost of the book is $16.

Beginning January 5th on Wednesday nights, Kim Yonce will be leading Bible study in the gym at 6:15pm, and the topic is spiritual disciplines, especially those evident in the narrative of Joseph in Genesis 37-50. We will be drawing on spiritual disciplines presented in Richard Foster's Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth and Jim Wilder's Renovated: God, Dallas Willard, & the Church That Transforms. You are encouraged to read through Genesis 37-50 over the Christmas and New Year's break in preparation for this study.

In person - 199

Online - 142

In person - 186

Online - 153

Sunday School - 241

All envelope and in-person offerings/tithes must be received in the church office before 12:00 PM on Tuesday, December 28th to be counted toward your giving for 2021. Any offerings received after that time will be counted toward your giving in 2022. Online gifts can be made through December 31st and will still be counted for 2021. If you have any questions, please contact the church office.

A special thanks goes out to all who purchased poinsettias to beautify our sanctuary this Christmas season. Please click here for the list of honorariums and memorials represented by each poinsettia. Feel free to take your poinsettia home at the conclusion of the December 26th morning worship service.

Please extend a warm welcome to Hallie Cox, who joined VBC this past Sunday by profession of faith. Hallie's address is 5100 Cloverdale Road, Roanoke VA 24019. A baptismal service is scheduled for this Sunday.

We need volunteers for Children's Worship for each Sunday morning service. Please consider serving in this important ministry to our children. If you're interested, but you're not sure what's required, please see Sarah. Otherwise, please click here to sign up (dates available through January). Thanks for serving!

Could you be a piece of the puzzle that brings a child into a home filled with God’s love? You can purchase a piece of their adoption fundraiser puzzle, available in the church lobby, for a donation of $5 (or more!) per piece. Donations should be made by December 26th via cash or check/online donation to Vinton Baptist Church with the memo line: Puzzle Adoption Fundraiser for Joseph and Kristi Miller. Begin putting the puzzle together as a symbol of our support for the Millers. Once the puzzle is complete, new baby Miller will have a puzzle hanging as a reminder of the love this community shares for their family.