1
Come Help Us Wrap!
Saturday,
December 10
9:00 am - 2:00 pm Farmers Branch Campus Thank you to those who provided gifts for our Angel Tree Gift Drive! Everyone is encouraged to come help wrap the gifts! We’ll also be sacking Christmas hunger that morning and you can help deliver the gifts! See below for more details on that. Please bring wrapping supplies!
• 9:00 - 11:30 am Wrap gifts and sack food
• 11:30 am - 12:00 pm Lunch is provided
• 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm Deliver gifts/food and clean up
Gift Drive
Learn more at:
thebranchchurch.org/angel-tree
Sack Christmas Hunger Saturday, December 10 Farmers Branch Campus 9:00 am - 2:00 pm With no school for Christmas break, students in our community who usually receive free/reduced breakfast and lunch can use some help. We partner with Metrocrest Social Services to deliver food to these families during the Christmas holiday. Show up or donate if you want to help. A family can eat for a week for $10. Checks can be made out to The Branch Church with “Sack Christmas Hunger” in the memo line. Learn more at: thebranchchurch.org/sack-hunger
How it works • Come to the Farmers Branch Campus (3035 Valley View Ln) on Saturday morning, December 10. • Assembly Line: Volunteers will first organize the food. You grab a sack with a unique label and go through the line. You fill your sack with the allotted food items and take it to the designated spot with the corresponding label.
1
• Deliver: After the Angel Tree gifts are wrapped and the Sack Hunger bags are filled, teams will be formed and will travel to area homes for delivery. Team leaders will be given a map and a route with the family names and corresponding labeled sacks.
thebranchchurch.org/watch-listen
W A T C H + L I S T E N You can find audio and video of previous sermons on our website or through The Branch Church app. 2
“I Wish You Knew...The Power of Words” Mother/Daughter Event Fri-Sat, January 13-14 Vista Ridge Campus Cost: $12 per person Mothers of girls (5th grade through college age) are invited (along with their daughters) to attend this special event hosted by both the Women’s Ministry and the NextGen Ministry at The Branch. The event will explore the Power of Words in mother/daughter relationships, with special guest speaker Annie Downs. Annie is a flawed but funny Christian writer and speaker. She uses her writing to highlight the everyday goodness of a real and present God. Register today at: thebranchchurch.org/mother-daughter
3
Kids Branch is what we do to teach kids about Jesus every weekend at The Branch Church. Our committed volunteers reinforce the values and teachings you work so hard to instill in your kids. We worship, play, and dive directly into the Bible each and every week. Your kids will grow to love engaging with God, while making great friends!
Tim Scott NextGen Minister
Kristan Renshaw Brittany Moore Farmers Branch Kids Minister
Vista Ridge Kids Minister
tscott@thebranchchurch.org krenshaw@thebranchchurch.org bmoore@thebranchchurch.org
The Branch Student Body is our ministry to 6th - 12th grade students. This is an important time of transition into maturity in Christ, and we encourage all of our students to attend and serve in our weekend services with their families. We have several ways for students to connect including weekly gatherings, occasional activities, and special events like Branch Camp, retreats, and overnighters!
D/GROUPS DISCIPLESHIP GROUPS *See back page for Christmas break details
D/GROUPS THE BRANCH STUDENT BODY
Farmers Branch
Vista Ridge
High School • Wednesdays at 6:30 pm Middle School • Sundays at 9:00 am or Wednesdays at 6:30 pm
High School • Wednesdays at 6:30 pm Middle School • Sundays at 9:30 am
The primary way The Branch Student Body meets is in weekly Discipleship Groups (D/Groups), where students grow closer to God, their peers, and their leaders. This is critical to their development as followers of Christ.
BREAKFAST & BIBLE 7:45 am on Tuesdays at the Farmers Branch Campus *See back page for Christmas break details BREAKFAST & BIBLE THE BRANCH STUDENT BODY
Come with your friends to Breakfast & Bible! Enjoy breakfast and an encouraging word from Josh Brake. Plus everyone will ride together to Vivian Field just in time for class! Breakfast & Bible is open to students from both campuses!
Kyle Poff
Josh Brake
Student Minister Vista Ridge Campus
Student Minister Farmers Branch Campus
kpoff@thebranchchurch.org
jbrake@thebranchchurch.org
4
Find out more at thebranchchurch.org
Young at Heart Christmas Luncheon Sunday, December 4 Farmers Branch Campus (Family Life Center) 12:00 pm (following the Sunday services) Cost: $10 per person (pay at your table) This “social event of the year� includes a sit-down, full course Christmas lunch with all the holiday trimmings. There will be entertainment, recognitions, and door prizes. Please bring a door prize if possible. Bring guests! Learn more at: thebranchchurch.org/yah-christmas
5
Single Branches Single Branches is our ministry for active widowed, divorced, and single adults who are 50+ years of age. The aim of the ministry is to provide a variety of monthly social events so that Branch singles may meet each other and build friendships. Join our group in Branch Connect for the latest news and updates! Questions? Contact Paulette Travis: ptravis0822@yahoo.com
VR SERVICE TIMES
TheBranch
ORIENTATION Interested in learning more about The Branch Church? Do you have questions about what we do and what we believe at The Branch Church? Are you ready to take the next step, become a member, and get more involved? We want everyone who attends The Branch Church to engage in the activities we do together, and also to commit and submit to this body of believers. This is how we CONNECT, GROW, SERVE, and GO together! Whether you have attended for a short time, or have been here for years, make it official! Join us for The Branch Orientation. Upcoming dates:
• January 29 (10:45 am Farmers Branch Campus, 12:30 pm Vista Ridge Campus) RSVP at thebranchchurch.org/tbo and let us know you’re coming. We look forward to having you!
6
Christmas Morning Devo Sunday morning, December 25, our buildings will be closed, but Chris is developing a Christmas morning Bible study devotional you can use with your family to worship and celebrate the birth of Jesus. You can find the Christmas morning devotional at:
thebranchchurch.org/devo
7
New Series and Bible Study Coming January 2017 The first Sunday of the new year, January 1st, we’ll begin a journey through the gospel of John. I can’t think of a better way to begin 2017! For the first several weeks of the year, we’ll be walking through this gospel in our weekend services, small groups, and individual Bible studies. In other words, we’ll all be in the gospel of John together! Please invite a friend to join us on the journey at The Branch in January of 2017! Starting at our Christmas services, we’ll be giving away free copies of a book we’ve produced that contains the entire gospel of John. We will give one to every person in attendance. This is an opportunity for us to gradually read through this gospel – a little bit each day. But this is about more than reading Scripture for a couple of minutes each day. It’s about reflecting on what it is we’re reading. For each daily reading, I’ve included a few questions to help you reflect on what you’ve read. The things within the gospel of John have been written “that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:31) Note the word “believing.” It’s a continual thing. Don’t stop. There’s more life than we can possibly imagine in the Son.
To get the most out of this journey, you need to be on it with other people. We are encouraging all of our existing Small Groups to process the gospel of John together using the book. This will provide a place for you to share with your group what you are experiencing and hear how God is speaking to others. Jump in with us and make 2017 your year to grow in your capacity to listen and obey!
Don’t have a Small Group yet? We can help you get one started or get you connected with an existing group!
Tim Ketchersid
Ryan Rainey
FB Campus Minister
VR Campus Minister
tketchersid@thebranchchurch.org
rrainey@thebranchchurch.org
8
Do you remember learning Bible stories as a kid? Unless you were a child prodigy, you probably learned by reading picture books. Sadly, there are thousands of children that don’t have access to Gospel picture books. That’s why this December, we’re providing faith-based books for children in developing nations.
3 check-ins provides a book to a child. We are partnering with OneHope to make this happen. OneHope presents the living Word of God in engaging ways to children and youth. They plan to reach every young person, in every nation, with a relevant Gospel message by the year 2030. Learn more: facebook.com/onehopeministry or onehope.net Thanks for always supporting our monthly cause! Together, we can spread the Gospel to hundreds of children in need.
How it works: We make a donation to a Kingdom-building cause every time our community checks in on Facebook. It’s a great way to tell your friends about The Branch Church, and do some good in the process. If you need some help checking in on Facebook, just ask any of our staff members and we’ll show you how.
9
The Branch Church Farmers Branch Campus
The Branch Church Vista Ridge Campus
Follow Chris on Twitter twitter.com/chrisseidman
10
Branch Cares is a ministry designed to look after, and take care of, people within our church body. It is rooted in James 1:27: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress….” The vision for this ministry is to reach out, help, and connect with:
Widows • Widowers • Single parents • Homebound • Caregivers • Those who are grieving Ministry volunteers will also deliver communion to the homebound and any others who are unable to attend services.
How Do We Reach Out? One or more of our volunteer ministry members will call and/or visit the person. The ministry member will attempt to find out how the person is doing, if they have any needs (house repairs, help with transportation to the store, doctor visits, etc.), and also offer to pray for/with them if they so desire. If you are interested in becoming a Branch Cares ministry volunteer, or if you know of someone connected to The Branch Church who may be interested in having one of our ministry members contact them, you can fill out the Volunteer Application or Referral Form on our website listed below.
Questions? Farmers Branch Email: fbcares@thebranchchurch.org Vista Ridge Email: vrcares@thebranchchurch.org Church Office: (972) 247-2109
thebranchchurch.org/espanol The Branch Church en Español - Farmers Branch Campus The Branch en Español. Somos tu Familia en Cristo. 2016: Año de Crecimiento Espiritual Permite que el Espíritu Santo te guíe a alcanzar tus imposibles. Acompáñanos y adoremos a Dios y fortalezcamos nuestra fe en Cristo en el idioma español. Actividades durante la semana: • Dos Servicios de Adoración DOMINGOS 9:00 AM y 10:45 AM (clases bíblicas para niños de 3 meses hasta quinto grado en inglés)
• Martes de Oración – 7:00 pm (niños y jóvenes también participan)
• Miércoles de Estudio Bíblico – 7:00 pm (clases bíblicas para niños en español y reunión de jóvenes en inglés)
11
Esperamos verte pronto. ¡Nos encantará saludarte en persona!
Luis y Schalee Sánchez lsanchez@thebranchchurch.org
Current Serving Opportunities
Interested in serving at The Branch? Below are some areas of need.
Kitchen Host Where: Vista Ridge Campus When: Sundays 10:25 - 11:15 am Frequency: 1 month on, 1 month off, repeat Responsibilities: • Keep coffee service running. • Clean up coffee and donuts after service begins. Contact Rebekah Pitts: rpitts@thebranchchurch.org
Greeter Where: Vista Ridge Campus or Farmers Branch Campus When: Any service time Frequency: 1 month on, 1 month off, repeat Responsibilities: • Arrive 15 minutes before service to greet people entering the building, or hand them a bulletin as they enter the Worship Center. You will finish at your post 15 minutes after service begins. For VR, contact Rebekah Pitts: rpitts@thebranchchurch.org For FB, contact Tim Ketchersid: tketchersid@thebranchchurch.org
Parking Lot Greeter Where: Vista Ridge Campus When: Any service time Frequency: 1 month on, 1 month off, repeat Responsibilities: • Wave to people as they enter the parking lot and assist with any parking lot needs. (Example: Umbrella assistance on rainy days.) For VR, contact Rebekah Pitts: rpitts@thebranchchurch.org For FB, contact Tim Ketchersid: tketchersid@thebranchchurch.org
Electric Guitar Player Where: Vista Ridge Campus or Farmers Branch Campus When: Tuesday (Celebrate Recovery), Thursday and Sunday (services) Frequency: 2-4 times per month Responsibilities: • Practice music for the week at home and come prepared. • Be on time and ready to enthusiastically help lead the congregation in worship! Contact James Asplund: jasplund@thebranchchurch.org
Keyboard/Piano Player Where: Vista Ridge Campus or Farmers Branch Campus When: Tuesday (Celebrate Recovery), Thursday and Sunday (services) Frequency: 2-4 times per month Responsibilities: • Practice music for the week at home and come prepared. • Be on time and ready to enthusiastically help lead the congregation in worship! Contact James Asplund: jasplund@thebranchchurch.org
Kids Branch Check-In Greeter Sub Where: Farmers Branch Campus When: Before either Sunday service How Many Needed: 5 Frequency: Filling in as needed (< once a month) Responsibilities: • Greet families and assist them with the check-in process. • Enter new families into the system (no technical skills required). Contact Kristan Renshaw: krenshaw@thebranchchurch.org
Serving is a great way to get plugged in at The Branch. Contact us today! Kids Branch Classroom/Group Leader Frequency: Every Sunday during the 2016-2017 school year (through June 4, 2017) Responsibilities: • Arrive at least 15 minutes before service begins. • Build relationships with the kids in your group. • Lead your small group in reading the Bible story, games, crafts, and activities. • Know and care about your small group, pray for them during the week, and send them notes of encouragement. Vista Ridge Campus Contact Brittany Moore: bmoore@thebranchchurch.org When & How Many Needed: • Sundays 9:15 am - 2 x Preschool Classroom Leader - 1 x Kindergarten Small Group Leader - 4 x Substitutes •
Sundays 11:00 am - 1 x Preschool Classroom Leader - 1 x Elementary Small Group Leader - 1 x Elementary Small Group Co-Leader
Farmers Branch Campus Contact Kristan Renshaw: krenshaw@thebranchchurch.org When & How Many Needed: • Sundays 9:00 am - 1 x Nursery Leader •
Sundays 10:45 am - 2 x Nursery Leader - 2 x Toddler Teacher - 2 x 2-Year-Old Teacher - 4 x Elementary MALE Small Group Leaders
12
Remembering Nanci Inman Our staff and church family are deeply saddened by the sudden loss of Nanci Inman on November 25. As many of you know, Nanci has faithfully served on our church staff as Tim Ketchersid’s assistant at the Farmers Branch Campus, and she will be greatly missed. We are so thankful for the time we had with her and are at peace knowing she is with God. Our condolences to her loving husband, Johnny, and their family. Please join with us in praying for them, and celebrating her life!
THE BRANCH FAMILY NEWS We Mourn With:
Welcome These New Members:
• Cheryl Henson and her family in the loss of her
Farmers Branch Campus
father, Jiles Burnham, on November 11.
• Joyce Condit and her family in the loss of her sister,
Linda Carranza, on November 11. • Seth Bell and his family in the loss of his father, Keith Bell, on November 19. • Johnny Inman and his family in the loss of his wife, Nanci Inman, on November 25. • Floyd and Sheran Prather and their family in the loss of their daughter-in-law, Soveida Ortiz Prather, on November 27.
We Celebrate These Baptisms: 11/3/16 11/3/16 11/8/16 11/27/16
Julia Gunn Jayla Gunn Nicholas Faris Kayla Blair
Gregory and Heather Fein (Children: Daniel and Leanna) Rusty and Kayme McIntosh (Children: Kyler and Ryland) Russell and Linda Moon (Children: Chris, Michael, and Scarlett) Jon and Susan Orozco (Children: Jack and Leo) Monique Rios Matthew and Jessica Thornton (Children: Preston, Victor, and Ruby)
Vista Ridge Campus
Phillip and Andrea Bordelon (Children: Emma and Weston) Mike and Peggy Milliken (Children: Levi and Dalton) Eddy and Cheryl Sanders (Children: Janna, Luke, and Emery)
Weekend Stats - November 2016: Attendance Average: 1,782 Giving Average: $67,520
Keep us in the loop! Send news and updates to: kfox@thebranchchurch.org
13
NOW ON TUESDAYS Every week – even on holidays! Celebrate Recovery is a Christ-centered recovery program that meets EVERY week — rain or shine! We all have hurts, habits, and hang-ups, and CR is a program designed to help you find freedom. Come hear testimonies, find encouragement, and step forward in faith THIS WEEK! More about Celebrate Recovery: Celebrate Recovery (or CR) is based on God’s Word, the Bible. When Jesus taught the Sermon on the Mount, he began by stating “Eight Ways to Be Happy.” Today we call them the Beatitudes. From a conventional viewpoint, most of these statements didn’t make sense. They sounded like contradictions. But when we fully understand what Jesus is saying, we’ll realize that these eight principles are God’s road to recovery, wholeness, growth, and spiritual maturity. CR is forward-looking. Rather than wallowing in the past, or dredging up and rehearsing painful memories over and over, Celebrate Recovery focuses on the future. Regardless of what has already happened, the solution is to start making wise choices now and depend on Christ’s power to help us make those changes.
CR emphasizes personal responsibility. We cannot control all that happens to us. But we can control how we respond to everything. That is a secret of happiness. When we stop wasting time fixing the blame, we have more energy to fix the problem. When we stop hiding our own faults and stop hurling accusations at others, then the healing power of Christ can begin working in our minds, wills, and emotions. CR utilizes the biblical truth that we need each other in order to grow spiritually and emotionally. It is built around small group interaction and the fellowship of a caring community. There are many therapies, growth programs, and counselors today that are built around one-on-one interaction. But Celebrate Recovery is built on the New Testament principle that we don’t get well by ourselves. We need each other.
Fellowship and accountability are two important components of spiritual growth. CR addresses all types of habits, hurts, and hang-ups. Some recovery programs deal only with alcohol or drugs or another single problem. But Celebrate Recovery is a “large umbrella” program under which a limitless number of issues can be dealt with. We are seeing hopeless marriages restored and people set free from all kinds of sinful habits, hang-ups, and hurts as they allow Jesus to be Lord in every area of their lives. To God be the glory! We’ll be praying for you.
Learn more: thebranchchurch.org/cr
Weekly Schedule:
This Month at CR:
6:15 pm – Dinner
Dec 6 - Jay Caldwell: “Saying ‘Yes’ to God” Dec 13 - Lisa Grigg: Testimony
7:00 pm – Worship & Large Group 8:00 pm – Open Share Groups
Dec 20 - Ryan Rainey: “Reasons We Get Stuck” Dec 27 - A post-Christmas, “Bah Humbug” Party
14
Featured Events Calendar Days
Dates
Event (Location)
Times
Sun
12/4
Young at Heart: Christmas Luncheon
12:00 pm
Fri
12/9
Student Body Christmas Party (Farmers Branch Campus)
7:00 - 9:00 pm
Sat
12/10
Angel Tree Wrap Party + Sack Christmas Hunger (Farmers Branch Campus) 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
Thurs
12/22
Christmas Candlelight Service (Vista Ridge Campus)
7:00 pm
Fri
12/23
Christmas Candlelight Services (Farmers Branch Campus)
7:00 pm
Sat
12/24
Christmas Candlelight Service (Vista Ridge Campus)
3:00 pm & 5:00 pm
Sat
12/24
Christmas Candlelight Service (Farmers Branch Campus)
6:00 pm
Sun
12/25
No Christmas Day Services
---
Thurs
12/29
No Thursday Service
---
Sun
1/1
Resume Regular Sunday Services (No Kids Branch)
FB: 9:00 & 10:45 am VR: 9:15 & 11:00 am (New Times!)
Fri
1/6
Small Group Leader Summit
TBD
Fri-Sat
1/13-14
“I Wish You Knew...” Mother/Daughter Event (Vista Ridge Campus) TBD
Fri
1/27
Princess Ball Father/Daughter Event (Vista Ridge Campus)
TBD
Sun
1/29
The Branch Orientation (Both Campuses)
Farmers Branch 10:45 am Vista Ridge 12:30 pm
Weekly Events Calendar Day
Time
Event (Location)
Start/End Date
Sun
Early Service
Student Body: MS D/Groups
Mon
6:30 pm
Women’s Bible Study (Vista Ridge)
Tues
7:00 pm
Celebrate Recovery (Vista Ridge)
Tues
7:45 am
Student Body: Breakfast & Bible (Farmers Branch)
*Will NOT meet 12/20 - 1/3
Wed
9:45 am
Women’s Bible Study (Farmers Branch)
*Begins 1/11
Wed
6:30 pm
Student Body: D/Groups (Both Campuses)
*Will NOT meet 12/14 - 12/28
Thurs
6:45 pm
Thursday Night Church (Vista Ridge Campus)
*Will NOT meet 12/29
Sat
7:30 am
Mighty Men Bible Study (Vista Ridge Campus)
*Begins 1/14
Sat
7:30 am
Men’s Life Bible Study (Farmers Branch Campus)
*Begins 1/7
Office: 972-247-2109
thebranchchurch.org
*Will NOT meet 12/25 - 1/1
(Both Campuses)
*Begins January 9
Email: info@thebranchchurch.org
Farmers Branch Campus
Vista Ridge Campus
3035 Valley View Lane Dallas, TX 75234
3601 Huffines Boulevard Carrollton, TX 75010
Sundays: 9:00 & 10:45 am
Thursdays: 6:45 pm Sundays: 9:15 & 11:00 am