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TheBranchChurch
Night of Worship (Church-Wide) Tuesday, February 9 7:00 - 8:30 pm Vista Ridge Campus Cost: FREE
Come spend an evening with The Branch Worship Team in a time of praise, worship, and prayer. God will move in power; come with expectation! Childcare will be available for children under 2 years of age. Older children are invited to come worship with us! Learn more: thebranchchurch.org/night-of-worship
Branch Cares is a ministry designed to look after, and take care of, people within our church body. The vision for this ministry is to reach out, help, and connect with: Widows • Widowers • Single parents • Shut-ins • Caregivers • Those who are grieving If you are interested in becoming a Branch Cares ministry volunteer, or if you know of someone who is connected to The Branch Church and may be interested in having one of our ministry members contact them, you can fill out the Volunteer Application or Referral Form online.
Learn more: thebranchchurch.org/cares
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SMALL GROUPS Have you found your Small Group? Whether you are checking out Christianity for the first time, or you have been a believer for years, a small group is a place to find friendship, engage in Bible study, and discover the power of prayer. We provide an online list of small groups you can visit, but we also want to encourage you to form new groups with friends and people you meet here at The Branch. For tips on starting a group, or to get help finding a group, contact one of our Campus Ministers.
thebranchchurch.org/groups
Tim Ketchersid
Ryan Rainey
FB Campus Minister
VR Campus Minister
tketchersid@thebranchchurch.org
rrainey@thebranchchurch.org
Young at Heart Valentine Luncheon Sunday, February 14 12:00 pm Farmers Branch Campus Cost: $10 per person
You’re invited to the Young at Heart Valentine Luncheon in the Family Life Center. The cost of $10 per person will be collected at your table. Bring a guest! Make a reservation by putting your name and the number attending on your Communication Card, or by contacting Eddy Ketchersid at 972-345-1645. More details at: thebranchchurch.org/yah-valentine
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Men’s Life Prayer Breakfast
Men’s Bible Study: Mighty Men
Farmers Branch Campus Saturdays at 7:30 am
Vista Ridge Campus Saturdays from 7:30 am - 8:45 am
Spend your Saturday morning with other men from The Branch! All men are welcome for breakfast and Bible Mighty Men is a Bible study group for men at the Vista study in the Branch Café at the Farmers Branch Campus. Ridge Campus. Learn to grow in the fundamentals of the faith alongside other men. This is a great opportunity for This ministry has been meeting together for years, and you to strengthen your walk with the Lord and become serves to encourage men in their faith and strengthen a mighty man of God. them in Christ. The current study is the video series “Forgotten God” The current study is a deeper look at the MORPH series by Francis Chan. led by Bro. Eddy Ketchersid. No need to register, just come join us! If you would like to know more about Men’s Life, contact: Questions? Email Terry Grimm: terry.grimm@thebranchchurch.org Bro. Eddy Ketchersid: 972-345-1645 eketchersid@thebranchchurch.org
Upcoming LBS Schedule Feb 22/24 - Feb 29/Mar 2:
March 7/9:
“Hymns”
Spring Break (No LBS)
from SheReadsTruth.com
Cost: Free! “Hymns” is a study of 10 favorite hymns and the scriptures that inspired them. Come hear how they reorient our hearts to the truth of the Gospel.
March 14/16 - April 25/27:
“Living So That” by Wendy Blight
Cost: $15 This study takes a look at how to apply biblical truths to modern day decision making. Wendy is a national speaker with the Proverbs 31 Ministry.
Children’s Bible Study (Farmers Branch Campus) There are a few spaces available in Children’s Bible Study (open to children attending with LBS class member). If you’re interested in enrolling your child, please email Lisa Castello at: lrcastello@hotmail.com
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American Girl Tea Party For Moms & Daughters Saturday, February 20 9:30 am Cost: $18 per person
Moms and daughters, we’re having a party just for you! Girls of all ages are welcome to come and make special memories with their moms. Included in the cost is a full brunch and a craft for the girls, plus a personal shopper for the group. And don’t forget to bring your American Girl dolls! Learn more and register at: thebranchchurch.org/mother-daughter
Dangerous Campout for Guys Thurs - Sat, March 10 - 12 Eisenhower State Park Cost: $40 per person The Dangerous Campout for Guys is where dads and sons of all ages can spend time together in the great outdoors. We’ll stomp around the woods, fish, make things out of sticks, and sit around a camp fire under the stars. We have reserved space at the Eisenhower State Park outside of Denison from Thursday, March 10 through Saturday, March 12. You can come set up any time, beginning at 1:00 pm that Thursday. We have several screenedin shelters reserved, but you are welcome to bring your own tent. Everyone needs to bring their own sleeping bag. We’ll provide dinner Thursday and Friday night, and breakfast Friday and Saturday morning. You must register to attend! Register today! More details and registration at: thebranchchurch.org/father-son
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Follow Chris on Twitter twitter.com/chrisseidman
TheBranch
ORIENTATION Are you ready to take the next step and get more involved? Do you have questions about what we do and what we believe at The Branch Church? 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:
• April 3 (10:45 am at the Farmers Branch Campus, 12:30 pm at the Vista Ridge Campus) RSVP at thebranchchurch.org/tbo and let us know you’re coming. We look forward to having you!
thebranchchurch.org/watch-listen
W A T C H + L I S T E N Did you miss a message or just want to hear it again? Visit our website or download The Branch Church App to your device. There you can find audio and video content of our previous messages. 6
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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!
Interested in serving in Kids Branch? Go to thebranchchurch.org/serve or simply send us an email.
Tim Scott Family Minister tscott@thebranchchurch.org
Kristan Renshaw Brittany Moore Kids Minister Farmers Branch Campus
Kids Minister Vista Ridge Campus
krenshaw@thebranchchurch.org
bmoore@thebranchchurch.org
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. February Event: Saturday, February 20: Our movie night was canceled last month, so join us for dinner and a movie this month! Please RSVP via e-mail to Paulette Travis: ptravis0822@yahoo.com
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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
D/GROUPS THE BRANCH STUDENT BODY
MB MONDAY BLEND
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 to their leaders. This is critical to their development as followers of Christ.
MONDAY BLEND 7:00 pm on Mondays at the Farmers Branch Campus
Come hang out with your friends and our Student Outreach Minister, Ketch Smith, in the NextGen Coffee shop at the Farmers Branch Campus. Monday Blend is a great time to do your homework, play games, and spend time with your friends. Monday Blend is open to students from both campuses!
BREAKFAST & BIBLE 7:45 am on Tuesdays at the Farmers Branch Campus
BREAKFAST & BIBLE THE BRANCH STUDENT BODY
Come with your friends to Breakfast & Bible! Enjoy breakfast and an encouraging word from our Student Outreach Minister, Ketch Smith. Plus everyone will ride together to Vivian Field just in time for class! Breakfast & Bible is open to students from both campuses!
Questions? Ask us! Kyle Poff
Josh Brake
kpoff@thebranchchurch.org
jbrake@thebranchchurch.org
Student Minister Vista Ridge Campus
Student Minister Farmers Branch Campus
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Easter Party Raffle Donations We’re looking for prizes to give away at our Easter Parties! If you or your business would like to donate an item or two, please contact Rebekah Pitts (rpitts@thebranchchurch.org) for the Vista Ridge Campus, or Tim Ketchersid (tketchersid@thebranchchurch.org) for the Farmers Branch Campus. Suggested donations include: restaurant and shopping gift cards, electronics (iPad, tablets, Wii, etc.), and other high-ticket items.
Sack Spring Break Hunger Saturday, March 5 Farmers Branch Campus 9:30 am - 12:00 pm Come help us Sack Spring Break Hunger! With no school during Spring Break, students in our community who usually receive free/reduced breakfast and lunch can use some help. Like we do with Sack Summer Hunger, we partner with Metrocrest Services to deliver food to these families the Saturday before Spring Break. 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 Spring Break Hunger” in the memo line.
How it works Come to the Farmers Branch Campus on Saturday morning, March 5. Enter the building through the double doors under the car port, and walk into the Family Life Center. Volunteers will organize the food into an assembly line. You will grab a sack with a unique label and go through the line, filling your sack with the allotted food items such as cereal, bread, peanut butter, and vegetables. When that sack is full, you will take it to the designated spot with the corresponding label. Once all the bags are filled, everyone will help check these bags to make sure they have the appropriate items in them. Once the bags are filled and checked, teams will be formed and will travel to homes in the area for distribution. Team leaders will be given a map and a route with the family names and corresponding labeled sacks. Learn more at: thebranchchurch.org/sack-hunger
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Celebrate Recovery is a Christ-centered recovery program that meets this, and EVERY, Thursday night. Freedom is here for all your hurts, habits, and hang-ups. Hear testimonies and find encouragement this week! If someone you know could benefit from this program, please invite them to attend.
Learn more: thebranchchurch.org/cr
The Branch en Español es una iglesia para toda la familia, guiada por el Espíritu Santo para alcanzar la comunidad latina para Cristo. Si te sientes más cómodo adorando a Dios y fortaleciendo tu fe en el idioma español, acompáñanos en nuestras actividades:
The Branch Church En Español Farmers Branch Campus • Domingos de Adoración – 9:00 am (clases bíblicas para niños de 3 meses hasta quinto grado) • Martes de Oración – 7:00 pm • Miércoles de Estudio Bíblico – 7:00 pm (clases bíblicas para niños) Esperamos verte pronto. ¡Nos encantará saludarte en persona!
thebranchchurch.org/espanol
Luis y Schalee Sánchez lsanchez@thebranchchurch.org
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Third Campus Update David Teutsch
David Teutsch
I’m hesitant to write an update about our third campus activity for a monthly publication, because it seems like things change too frequently; it quickly becomes inaccurate. For the past couple months, we have updated you about the sale of 3.5 acres of land on the Vista Ridge Campus to Carrollton Christian Academy (CCA). The closing of the sale was expected in early February, but we have recently learned that CCA’s funding for buying the land and building their school has fallen through. The full ramifications for how this will affect CCA are still not known, but they are now trying to figure out their plans for the future. For us, it means the land sale won’t occur anytime soon, if at all. We aren’t completely backing away from the deal with CCA, and will remain open to selling them the land if they can secure funding and have a viable path that leads to them building their campus, but for now we are no longer working on this activity.
Executive Minister
We ask that you continue your prayers regarding the financial aspect of launching a third campus. We have been blessed to be debt-free as a church for the past couple of years, and it was our hope that the proceeds from the CCA deal would help reduce any potential debt we might incur to open a third campus. However, since it appears the CCA deal won’t be part of the solution, we look forward to seeing what God has in store. Another one of our prayer items has been for God to provide the right place for our third campus in the Frisco/ Prosper/McKinney area. We have been working with a church real estate agent to try and identify an existing church building to buy, or a commercial property which could be converted to a church facility. However, due to the growing nature of this area, there are very few buildings on the market, and the ones we have looked at are either too small, too big, or don’t have sufficient parking. We have also looked at purchasing land in order to build, but we haven’t pursued this route because it is significantly more expensive. Let us stay prayerful, thankful, and watchful for the ways God is working and the opportunities He puts before us in our daily lives. For more details about the third campus activities, please feel free to contact me: dteutsch@thebranchchurch.org
THE BRANCH FAMILY NEWS Weekend Stats - January 2016: Attendance Average: 2008 Contribution Total: $339,409
Baptisms: 12/12/15 12/13/15 1/3/16 1/3/16 1/3/16 1/3/16 1/17/16 1/17/16 1/24/16 1/31/16 1/31/16
Wendy Jones Heaven Labrada
Erika Fuentes Edras Joya Luis Sanchez Mollie ter Kuile Becca Hill Alisa Towsley Trey Taylor Dean Sullivan Jennifer Velásquez
12/3/15
Penelope “Penny” Jane Rivas (F) Parents: Jaime and Sara Rivas
1/22/16
Emma Jean Gudgel (F) Parents: Jeremy and Katie Gudgel
We Mourn With:
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• Mark Korb and his family in the loss of his father on
January 22.
Vista Ridge Campus
Michael Ayandibu Lyn DeShazo Heath Farr Carl J. Golab Jeremy and Betsy Hailey Bill and Salena Hubble (Children: Connor and Landri) Wendy K. Jones Djamel Oukhlif (Children: Joshua, Ali, and Karim) Joel and Sally Partin Karen Steinmann Cindy Vann Paul Wharton and Silvia Tapia-Wharton Nicole Wight (Children: Kenzie and Michael) Farmers Branch Campus
Births:
New Members:
Sean Callahan Jo Ann Foster Forrest and Linda Francis Ashley Gilmer Amber Hickerson (Child: Eden) Robert Lopez and Rachel Barrientez-Lopez Patricia Siska
Third Campus
Prayer Specifics When it comes to the mission of God in the world, we often make our greatest advances on our knees. When the early church was waiting for the next move of the Spirit of God, they devoted themselves to a season of continual prayer (Acts 1:12-14). We are in such a season right now as we move toward the launch of our third campus. Please join us in several different prayers listed below. There is much to be done and, therefore, much to lift up in prayer. Thank you!
Our Focus
For Elders
• That we will keep it “front and center.” We are missionaries in a “land of religion” helping people to become, and live as, disciples of Jesus. (Matthew 28:18-20)
• That they would be identified for service at the third campus.
For 250 People For The Hearts In The Vicinity Of The Third Campus • That they will be open to respond to the message of Jesus. (Acts 16:14) • Prayerfully imagine the faces of those you personally know in the area.
For Our Hearts • That we have the vision of Jesus – see people as He sees them – and are filled with compassion for those who are spiritually lost. (Matthew 9:35-38)
• That we will be filled with the Spirit for the purpose of being His witnesses. (Acts 1:8) • That the Lord will stir up the spirit of His people at The Branch to engage in this effort, whether it be through serving in some capacity, praying, giving, being a part of the launch team, etc. (Haggai 1:13-14)
For Key Personnel • That we would discern the right people to fill the roles of Campus Minister, Worship Leader, Kids Branch Coordinator, and Student Minister.
• Adults and children who answer this call and make up the launch team. • That volunteers are identified, equipped, and cared for.
For Our Existing Campuses • That our existing campuses will continue to thrive, and new servants will rise up to fill the holes that are left by those who join the launch team.
For Funding And Wisdom In Regard To Funding • That our trust in God’s provision remains strong, as well as our faithfulness to go “first and ten.”
For The Location Of The Campus • That we would find the right place.
For The Facility • That it would be well-suited for our mission and approach.
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Upcoming Events Calendar Days
Dates
Event (Location)
Times
Sun
2/7
Elder Recommendation Forms Due
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Tues
2/9
Night of Worship (Church-Wide) (Vista Ridge Campus)
7:00 - 8:30 pm
Sun
2/14
Young at Heart Valentines Luncheon
12:00 pm
Sat
2/20
American Girl Tea Party for Moms and Daughters
9:30 am
Sat
2/20
Single Branches Event
TBD
2016 Men’s “MANCARD” Retreat
2 Days
Fri-Sat
2/26-27
Sat
3/5
Sack Spring Break Hunger (Farmers Branch Campus)
9:30 am - 12:00 pm
Sun
3/13
Daylight Saving Time Begins
2:00 am
Dangerous Campout for Guys Father-Son Campout
3 Days
Thurs - Sat
3/10-12
Sat
3/26
Easter Party (Farmers Branch Campus)
11:00 am - 1:00 pm
Sat
3/26
Easter Party (Vista Ridge Campus)
3:00 - 5:00 pm
Sun
3/27
Easter Sunday
See pg. 7
Sun
4/3
The Branch Orientation (Both Campuses)
10:45 FB, 12:30 VR
Fri-Sat
4/8-9
Spring Women’s Event
TBD
Sat-Sun
4/16
KNOWN Service Day and Overnighter (Student Body)
TBD
Fri
4/22
Mother-Son Movie Date Night
6:30 pm
Weekly Events Calendar Sun
Early Service
Student Body: MS D/Groups
Mon
6:30 pm
Ladies Bible Study (Vista Ridge)
Mon
7:00 pm
Student Body: Monday Blend (Farmers Branch)
Tues
7:45 am
Student Body: Breakfast & Bible (Farmers Branch)
Wed
9:30 am
Ladies Bible Study (Farmers Branch)
Wed
6:30 pm
Student Body: D/Groups (Both Campuses)
Thu
7:00 pm
Celebrate Recovery (Vista Ridge Campus)
Sat
7:30 am
Men’s Life Prayer Breakfast (Farmers Branch Campus)
Sat
7:30 am
Mighty Men Bible Study (Vista Ridge Campus)
(Both Campuses)
Office: 972-247-2109
thebranchchurch.org
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 am & 10:45
Saturdays: 5:00 pm Sundays: 9:30 & 11:15 am