TONIGHT: Youth Missions Group (6:00 PM), Children's Choirs (6:15 PM), Praise Team (6:30 PM), and Chancel Choir (7:30 PM) will meet.

With Gratitude

During this season of joy, I wanted to share some exciting news that fills me with an overwhelming sense of gratitude. On November 27, I was officially notified that my doctoral thesis has been approved. This milestone marks the culmination of almost three years of work that has challenged and inspired me in countless ways. The title of my thesis is “A Rule of Life for Home: Equipping Churches to Develop and Maintain a Ministry of Faith Formation at Home.” My aim through this research is to help churches develop a stronger partnership with the homes of their congregants for the ongoing work of faith formation. I have shared some of these practices with you already, and look forward to discovering together better ways for ensuring our lives, homes, families, church, and community are being shaped more fully into the image of Christ.

As I reflect on my journey through Duke Divinity School and the unwavering support I have received from you, I am filled with joy and appreciation. Your kindness, grace, interest, and investment in this process have been a source of strength and motivation. I cannot thank you enough for all of your prayers and encouragement. I want to say a special thanks to Melinda Mayo, who was an official editor and reader for my thesis, as well as all of my writing throughout my time at Duke.

Though Duke’s graduation ceremony will not be held until next May, in the next 2-4 weeks my thesis will be officially published to Duke University's library. I look forward to making it available to all who would be interested. I want to close by sharing with you a portion of the Acknowledgments in my thesis that seek to express my incredible appreciation for you.



To my church family at Vinton Baptist Church: Your words of affirmation, sincere interest, and unfailing support throughout this program have been a gift. I am beyond thankful to be a part of this amazing community of faith that continues to teach and guide me in ways that I could only hope to provide for you. Thank you for your friendship and for being a group of people through whom I am able to experience Christ’s love and see glimpses of God’s kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.

-- Travis

This Sunday @ VBC:

We will celebrate the second Sunday of Advent with this year's Christmas Musical, "God With Us!" We will also have our poinsettias in place in the sanctuary, providing a joyous setting for the proclamation of God's word through music and song. We hope you'll join us for worship at 10:30 AM. Invite your friends and family! Please note that there will be no Children's Worship this Sunday; children will remain in the worship service throughout the Christmas Musical. Nursery will be available for newborns - 3-year-olds. If you can't make it to church in person, you can livestream at www.vintonbaptistchurch.org and on our Facebook group page. Reminder: Sunday School is at 9:15 AM.

We had a wonderful crowd of folks filling our sanctuary this past Sunday, and we are expecting another great crowd this Sunday for the Christmas Musical. We ask that those who arrive early to find their seats in the sanctuary would please consider moving toward the center of each pew so that others who arrive later will find room to sit toward the ends of the pews (without having to climb over folks). If you happen to arrive late and have trouble finding a seat, our ushers will be happy to help you. Thanks in advance!

Sunday evening activities this week include two Progressive Dinners (one for Youth and one for Preteens), both beginning at 5:00 PM at the church. Adult Steel Drums rehearsal is at 6:05 PM. There will be NO Handbells, Youth Choir, Snack Supper, or Extreme.

Christmas Giving Tree

Reminder: all Giving Tree presents (with tags) are due this Sunday, December 10th! Thank you to everyone who has made this ministry possible this year. Whitney will begin bagging and delivering these gifts Monday morning, December 11th around 10:00 AM. If you would like to help, please reach out to her at whitney@vintonbaptistchurch.org or by calling the church office at 540-343-7685.

Family Christmas Tree

As of Monday, December 11th, our Giving Tree will become our Family Christmas Tree! This tree has an ornament representing each family at Vinton Baptist Church. If you are new to VBC over the past year, or if you have simply never donated an ornament representing your family, please bring your ornament and place it on our tree this season. Please notate your name/family's name and the year "2023" on your ornament. (You can do that now; you don't have to wait until Monday.) When Christmas is over, we will store all ornaments here at the church to be used on next year's Family Christmas Tree.

Ministry Matters

Please make plans now to attend our Ministry Matters business meeting on Wednesday, December 13th at 6:15 PM. One item on our agenda is the official presentation of - and vote on - our new Deacon nominees, who have been approved by the Deacons. They are Erin Berry, Jeff Carr, Ann Cranwell, Helen Foster, Devan Harman, Rudy Jones, Wally Mayo, Tim Pinion, and Justin Rodgers. These individuals are scheduled to serve 2024 - 2026. Please plan to be at our Ministry Matters meeting for this vote and other important business.

Thrive Youth

THANK YOU to everyone who made this year's Christmas Craft & Vendor Fair a success!

Thrive Youth will continue their Wednesday Missions Nights at 6:00 PM through December 13th.

The Youth Progressive Dinner & PJ Party will be this Sunday, December 10th. Drop off is at 5:00 PM at the church, and pickup will be at 7:30 PM.

Youth will serve at the Rescue Mission's Christmas Dinner Wednesday, December 20th. Please meet at 5:00 PM at the church.

Preteen Progressive Dinner

All students in grades 3 - 5 are invited to join us for our Christmas Progressive Dinner Sunday, December 10th. We will meet at the church at 5:00 PM; pickup will be at 7:30 PM.

Holiday Worship Schedule

Both Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve fall on Sunday this year. On Christmas Eve, we will have our 9:15 AM Sunday School, 10:30 AM Worship service, and 5:00 PM Christmas Eve service. On New Year's Eve, we will only have 10:30 AM Worship (no Sunday School). Please mark your calendars accordingly.

Lillie Johnston

Clearview Manor #402

1150 Vinyard Road

Vinton VA 24179

Sunday, December 3, 2023

9:15 AM Sunday School - 205

10:30 AM Worship

• 420 in person
• 163 online

Christian sympathy is extended to Mary Ann Thomas and her family in the death of her sister, Frances Davis Dingledine, on Monday, December 4th.

Blessing Box Needs

Following is a list of the most pressing needs for our Blessing Box. Donations can be dropped in the marked bin at the Missions Tables. Thank you!

• Fruit (any kind/size)
• Spaghetti pasta & sauce
• Peanut butter
• Hamburger Helper meals
• Pinto beans
• Cans of sloppy joe

WMU Requests Your Donations for Sponsored Offerings

The Offering for World Hunger continues; please help us reach our church goal of $1,700 toward global hunger relief this week. Please mark your gift accordingly.

Our church goal for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions is $5,200. According to the International Mission Board (IMB), an estimated "4.6 billion people are considered unreached" with the gospel of Christ, and "over 90% of IMB teams actively engage at least one unreached people or place." You can support the Lottie Moon Offering by using the Lottie Moon Post Office (see below) AND by contributing to Vinton Baptist and notating your donation for "Lottie Moon." December 3-10 is designated as a Week of Prayer for International Missions. For more info, please go to imb.org/weekofprayer.

Lottie Moon Post Office

The Lottie Moon Post Office is now available at the Missions Tables. You may use it to distribute Christmas cards to our regular attenders who are able to pick up cards here at church. A donation of 25 cents/card is appreciated; an envelope is available for your contribution. Please check the Lottie Moon Post Office often throughout the Christmas season to see if you have cards waiting. Thank you for supporting the Lottie Moon offering through this initiative!

Bible Reading Plan

I hope that you've been able to get started on Isaiah this week. I think it's fitting that we've landed here during the Christmas season because it is in the prophecies of Isaiah that we find multiple references to the coming Christ child and the kingdom that he will usher in. I also find it interesting how Isaiah's themes of judgment for walking away from God and blessing for remaining faithful to God dovetail with the theme of wisdom in Proverbs. Both books are clear that we make our own choices and either suffer the consequences of our disobedience or reap the benefits of God's goodness.

Following is Fee & Stuart's (How to Read the Bible Book by Book) basic summary of Isaiah:

"The book of Isaiah in many ways is the centerpiece of the story of Israel in the biblical story. Standing at the beginning of the Latter Prophets, even though not first chronologically, it serves to guide your reading of the rest of this tradition. But beyond that, its theological scope is all-embracing, constantly reminding Israel that Yahweh is the living God, the Creator and majestic Sovereign - and Judge - of all that is, as well as the compassionate Redeemer of Israel. Thus Isaiah looks forward to Israel's judgment, to her redemption from exile through a second exodus, and, through her coming Servant King, to the fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant that includes the nations in Yahweh's salvation. And in the end it pictures the final redemption of Israel and the nations in a new heaven and new earth, when Zion, the place where Yahweh and people meet, is restored to its ultimate glory. Isaiah, therefore, had enormous influence on the New Testament writers, being cited or alluded to more often than any other Old Testament book except the Psalter."

Happy reading!

Thank you to everyone who purchased poinsettias to beautify our sanctuary this Christmas. The list of honorariums and memorials will appear in next week's Witness. Flowers may be taken home after the 5:00 PM worship service Christmas Eve.