The Witness
Volume 42, Issue 8
February 21, 2024
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We will have all usual Wednesday evening activities today: Youth Missions Group and Children's Choirs at 6:15 PM, Weeknight Worship and Adult Small Group at 6:30 PM, and Chancel Choir rehearsal at 7:30 PM. Our Adult Small Group will discuss the outward disciplines of submission and service. Our Youth Missions Group will host a 99th birthday party for Ms. Audrey Ferguson tonight :)
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A Message from Carrie Tolley
Dear Friends,
It is with a huge leap of faith that I have decided to resign as Finance Administrator of Vinton Baptist Church. I honestly do not have complete clarity that I am making the right choice, but I am certain that this life is truly short, and priorities should be in place. When my daughter, Brooke, returns to her career after childbirth leave, she has asked that I keep our newborn grandson during the day for a year. I have gone over every scenario in my head trying to see if this could be doable for my husband and me. It will not be easy, nor was this part of my retirement plan, but this is now something that I really want to do, and I am trusting God to help us work this out.
I am very thankful for the last 6-½ years at VBC. Meeting so many wonderful people and collaborating with a great staff has certainly been a huge blessing in my life. Leaving my job will be difficult for several reasons, but mostly because of leaving a group of such loving, resolute people. I will always appreciate all the kindness shown to me since the very first day of my employment at Vinton Baptist Church.
There is no firm “last day” for me here, but it will be in early spring. Being able to help train my replacement is especially important to me, so please know that I plan to work out anything necessary to help. I certainly want to repay the benefit of the training I received when I started at VBC.
Again, thank you for everything and best wishes to Vinton Baptist Church and its families.
~Carrie
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This Sunday @ VBC: Youth Sunday!
We're so excited to have our youth lead worship this Sunday at 10:30 AM! We'll hear from both the Youth Praise Band and Youth Choir. Our youth will serve as ushers, and we're looking forward to several brief speakers, who are all seniors this year: Kallie Niday, Claire Glover, Ben Sink, and Liz Dixon. If you cannot join us in person, you can livestream at www.vintonbaptistchurch.org and on our Facebook group page.
The youth will also be leading/teaching in many of our Sunday School classes this Sunday. Come on out to Sunday School for a real treat! (There will be no Snack Supper/Extreme this Sunday evening.)
Our youth will be leading worship next Wednesday, February 28th, as well. Please join us either Sunday or Wednesday to encourage them and to witness the work that God is doing in their lives!
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Preteens Event this Sunday
Preteens (3rd - 5th graders) will meet Sunday, February 25th at the church for an outing to Defy Roanoke. The bus will leave the church at 2:00 PM, and we'll return at 4:00 PM. The cost is $20/person. Please bring a water bottle and wear gripper socks if you have them. (Gripper socks can be purchased at the event for $3/pair.)
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JOY Seniors News
Our first Senior Break Out is scheduled for next Tuesday, February 27th. Instead of having our luncheon at the church, we will go on a tour of PBS and then have lunch at Jersey Lily's in Salem. We will depart VBC at 9:30 AM. Please sign up at the JOY Senior table no later than this Sunday, February 25th. The only cost is the price of your lunch.
We are planning a trip to Charleston, SC with Bonsack Baptist for the week of March 18-22. This 5-day/4-night trip will include visits to Fort Sumter and tours of several plantations. Details and a sign-up sheet are available at the JOY Senior table. Please act fast, as the deadline to sign up for this trip is March 4th.
Bonsack Baptist is hosting a lunch event that our seniors have been invited to:
Lunch & Seminar on Identity Theft & Fraud Tuesday, April 16th, 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM. Shannon Abell will present on the topic of identity theft and fraud. Lunch is chicken parmesan. $15/person. Click here to sign up and pay.
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Thrive Youth
DNOW weekend is March 8th-10th, and the deadline to sign up and pay is this Sunday, February 25th. Click here for the agenda/details. Click here for the registration form. The cost is $90/person. We will be staying at the Peaks Retreat Center in Thaxton for the weekend and traveling to and from the church for various services and activities (transportation is provided). Sign up now!
Volleyball signups are open, as well. Our first practice will be March 3rd at 1:30 PM. Please see Whitney or Ken Williamson to sign up. Matches will take place Thursday evenings.
We are also planning our summer mission trip to Dinwiddie, Virginia. Click here for all the details. Deposits of $125 are due by March 15th.
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Shirley Nance
2237 Hardy Road
Vinton VA 24179-2317
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Wednesday, February 14, 2024
Weeknight Worship: 79
Sunday, February 18, 2024
Sunday School: 193
10:30 AM Worship:
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Christian sympathy is extended to Wayne & Helen Foster and family in the death of his mother, Frances Hess, on February 15th.
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Please extend a warm welcome to Jack Cummings, who officially joined Vinton Baptist this past Sunday, February 18th. Jack's address is 1053 Broadhill Drive, Vinton VA 24179. Welcome, Jack!! | |
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Homebound Easter Packages
Thank you to everyone who has already donated items for our homebound Easter packages! If you are able to help, we are accepting donations at the Missions Tables through March 10th:
- small tissue packs
- sugar free candies
- large print word searches
- adult coloring books/colored pencils
- travel size hand sanitizer
- travel size hand lotion
- travel size lint rollers
- Band-aids
- lip balm
Packages will be assembled the following week and will be ready for delivery on March 17th. If you would like to volunteer to deliver a package, please see Joanna Harman.
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Edible Easter Eggs
The Preteens are selling Edible Easter Eggs as a camp fundraiser. They come in 3 flavors - peanut butter, butter cream, & Oreo - and must be pre-ordered. Eggs are $4 each, or two for $7. You can place your order in the church office (to pay by cash or check); an online registration and payment link will be available soon. All orders are due by Sunday, March 17th. Eggs will be available for pick-up in the kitchen on Palm Sunday, March 24th after worship.
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Bible Reading Plan
As of tomorrow, we will begin Ezekiel. If you're interested in joining us, now is a great time to jump into our Bible reading plan. Ezekiel is another long book of prophecy (48 chapters), so we'll be camped out there for awhile. It deals with much of the same time frame and themes found in Jeremiah.
Fee & Stuart (How to Read the Bible Book by Book) explain that Ezekiel lived during the time of Jeremiah, although he was a little younger. He was "... an Israelite priest and prophet who was taken to Babylon among the first wave of captives from Judah in 598 B.C...." They point out a three-fold structure to this book, each part made up of specific oracles. "The structure of the book reflects Ezekiel's theology: Yahweh's holy wrath against his people's idolatries would cause Jerusalem to be destroyed, including her temple (the place of his presence) - despite disbelief and protest to the contrary (chs. 1-24). Yahweh is also the sovereign God over all the nations, so they, too, will experience judgment because of their idolatries and sins (chs. 25-32). But Yahweh is a God of great mercy and compassion, who intends to restore his people and be present with them once more (chs. 33-48)."
-- Kim
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Church Directory
Our new church directory will finally be ready for distribution starting this Sunday, February 25th! If you had your picture taken or submitted a selfie, you will be able to pick up your directory at the conclusion of worship (one directory per family photographed). Printed directories are only for those whose pictures appear in the directory; we only have a few extras for new members who join VBC in the near future.
Here's how to get your new directory on Sunday. Distribution will take place in the library. Please enter the library from the rear of the sanctuary. There will be two lines - one for last names beginning A-L and one for last names beginning M-Z. Once you have your directory, please exit the library through the church office into the Welcome Center. If you cannot pick up your directory this Sunday, feel free to stop by the church office next week, Monday - Friday, 9 AM - 5 PM.
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Boys & Girls Club Snacks
Thank you to everyone who has donated snacks for Boys & Girls Club. Our collection will close soon. If you are able to provide non-perishable, shelf stable snacks (no peanut butter, please), we ask that you drop your donations in the marked bin at the Missions Tables.
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"Check out" these new books in our church library!
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Fragile Designs by Colleen Coble
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A Season of Harvest, Leah's Garden Series #4 by Lauraine Snelling
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Into the Fire by Irene Hannon
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Brave Girls Bible Stories by Jennifer Gerelds
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