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Princess Ball Father-Daughter Dance Friday, January 26 This year at the Farmers Branch Campus! 7:00 - 9:00 pm Cost: $10 per person Daughter Ages: Birth - High School Seniors This year’s Princess Ball will be “Under the Sea” at the Farmers Branch Campus! Dads, make plans to ask your daughters on a special date night and make memories they will remember the rest of their lives. We encourage you to dress up and take your daughter to a fancy dinner beforehand. Then come dance the night away at the Princess Ball! We’ll have desserts, photo booths, and a few special take-home items for the girls. Learn more and register at: thebranchchurch.org/events
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Women’s Bible Study ACTS and LETTERS Enter the life and times of the early church, the conversion of Paul, the conviction of Peter, and the hardships that followed. Let the power of the Holy Spirit astound you as you witness the miracles, signs, and wonders that were prevalent throughout the known world. Bring a journal, your Bible, and a pen. Get ready to explore, and discover that we have the same access to God’s profound love expressed through the Holy Spirit! Register in The Branch Church app or at thebranchchurch.org/women Purchase the required $6 study guide when you register. The additional commentary can be purchased for $12.50, but is not required.
Vista Ridge Campus: Mondays, January 15 - April 30 6:30 - 8:00 pm
Farmers Branch Campus: Wednesdays, January 10 - April 25 9:45 - 11:30 am
Estudio Bíblico Para Mujeres Únete a nosotras en un viaje a travéz del libro de Hechos y ¡espera lo inesperado! Recibiremos un mensaje nuevo cada semana. Regístrese en: thebranchchurch.org/women
Children’s Bible Study Children’s Bible Study is offered to the children of those attending the Farmers Branch WBS. Space is limited. You MUST register your children if you want to take advantage of CBS. Registration is first-come, first-served. Register in The Branch Church app or at: thebranchchurch.org/women
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please place your information here. please place your information here.
IF: Gathering
Women’s Event
Fri-Sat, February 9-10 Famers Branch Campus Friday: 6:00 - 9:30 pm Saturday: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm Cost: $25 per person Tens of thousands of women worldwide will participate in the IF: Gathering on February 9-10, 2018, via a livestream from a sold out event in Austin. With a variety of cultures and denominations represented, these women hold one thing in common: They want to live like God is real. The IF: Gathering provides space for women to wrestle with essential questions of faith, to dream, and to connect during a two-day gathering. *Lunch provided on Saturday, snacks the rest of the time. Learn more and register at: thebranchchurch.org/events
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facebook.com/thebranchchurch facebook.com/thebranchvr
facebook.com/thebranchfarmersbranch
Men’s Softball Spring 2018 - Monday Nights The Fields at Carrollton Parkway (1401 Carrollton Pkwy) Cost: $40 per player Join a team of other men from The Branch in a community softball league! •
For men ages 14 and up
•
The league lasts seven weeks with a tournament in the eighth week (knockout style tournament)
•
Games are played Monday nights at 7:00 pm, 8:00 pm, and 9:00 pm on two fields and run 50 minutes. Questions? Contact the team manager, Chase Pope: cpope@digitalrealty.com or 214-205-6441 Register in the app or at: thebranchchurch.org/softball
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 28 (10:45 am Farmers Branch Campus, 12:30 pm Vista Ridge Campus) 5
RSVP at thebranchchurch.org/tbo and let us know you’re coming. We look forward to having you!
Follow Chris on Twitter twitter.com/chrisseidman
This January we are excited to partner with Soles4Souls and help provide winter coats again!
Every 10 check-ins will help provide a coat to someone in need. Soles4Souls collects and ships gently used winter coats to those who need it the most. There are 50 million Americans living in poverty today and many of them will need a warm coat this winter. Over 85% of all clothing in the United States ends up in landfills instead of being recycled. By sharing gently used clothing with people in need, Soles4Souls not only serves others, but also helps protect the environment. If you want to learn more about Soles4Souls, you can check them out at: soles4souls.org/our-impact/ The hashtag this month is #keepwarm. Thanks for checking in this month to spread warmth!
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.
The Branch Church Farmers Branch Campus
The Branch Church Vista Ridge Campus
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Kids Branch Sunday mornings at both services Ages 3 months - 5th Grade
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!
Kristan Renshaw
Brittany Moore
Farmers Branch Kids Minister
Vista Ridge Kids Minister
krenshaw@thebranchchurch.org
bmoore@thebranchchurch.org
Baptisms at the Vista Ridge Campus If you have attended the Vista Ridge Campus recently, you are aware of our current renovations and remodeling. I am extremely excited about all the changes that are coming our way. But with change comes confusion, so I wanted to take a moment to clearly explain how baptisms will take place over the next few months.
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Ultimately, our new baptistry will be located in the new, spacious lobby. In the meantime, we will be using a portable baptistry that will be filled up and heated on the first weekend of every month, beginning with the Thursday service of that weekend.
Our first weekend to do this will be February 1st and 4th, 2018. Baptism is precious and important. I want to remind you that if anyone desires to be baptized at any time other than the first weekend of the month, we would love to baptize you in the baptistry at the Farmers Branch Campus. We will also be willing and ready to baptize people in hot tubs, swimming pools, bath tubs, lakes, creeks, and any other suitable body of water (You give me a kiddie pool and I will dunk that believer!).
One more thing: If you ever get to witness a baptism of someone who is even barely related to The Branch Church, would you please use your smartphone to make a video of the experience? Videos of baptisms can be powerful testimonies that bolster faith. Please send us that video and we might be able to use it to spread the Good News. If you have any questions about baptism and our plans to accommodate them during our building project, please let me know.
Ryan Rainey Pastor, The Branch Church Vista Ridge Campus rrainey@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!
STUDENT BODY SMALL GROUPS Farmers Branch
Vista Ridge
High School • Wednesdays at 7:00 pm Middle School • Sundays at 9:00 am or Wednesdays at 7:00 pm
High School • Wednesdays at 7:00 pm Middle School • Sundays at 9:15 am
The primary way The Branch Student Body meets is in weekly Small Groups, where students grow closer to God, their peers, and their leaders. This is critical to their development as followers of Christ.
**Weekly schedules and locations are subject to change. Contact Josh or Kyle for the latest updates and details.**
Kyle Poff
Josh Brake
Student Minister Vista Ridge Campus
Student Minister Farmers Branch Campus
kpoff@thebranchchurch.org
jbrake@thebranchchurch.org
Student Body Bowl Saturday, February 3 Vista Ridge Campus 2:00 - 6:00 pm Cost: FREE Participants must be currently in 6th grade or older
If you love to watch or play football, you’re invited to the Student Body Bowl! This annual event, held the weekend of the Superbowl, has become a Branch tradition. Teams comprised of middle school and high school students, NextGen Ministry volunteers, friends, and family will compete across multiple fields at the Vista Ridge Campus for the chance to be crowned champions of the Student Body Bowl. You don’t need any football experience to play, we want everyone on the field! Hut, hut! Learn more and register at: thebranchchurch.org/events
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U P D A T E VISTA RIDGE WORSHIP CENTER UPDATE Our Vista Ridge renovation project has begun. In the front of the auditorium you’ll see a temporary barrier that will allow us to still use the room while the project is ongoing. Behind the barrier, the existing stage structure, the baptistry, the changing rooms, the stairs and the projection rooms are all being removed. These will be replaced with a single level stage and an LED wall which will be used as both the main screen and the side screens. The new stage will take up less of the room which will allow the addition of about 100 seats. We anticipate this project lasting about four months. During the construction, there will be about 75 fewer seats available, so if you normally attend the 9:15 AM service, this would be a great time for you to check out our Thursday night 6:45 service, or the 11:00 AM Sunday service, both of which traditionally aren’t as full. In the Kids Branch wing, a fire control room is being added in the corner of the Kindergarten class room. This will enable us to add a sprinkler system throughout both the existing structure and the new education wing when it is built. We will still be able to use this room during the construction. Thank you for your patience and flexibility as we progress through this project. We’re excited to see how this additional space will further God’s work at The Branch. A rendering of the proposed worship center renovation.
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Phase 1 Renovation
BEYOND ME UPDATE Our commitments to the Beyond Me campaign totaled $6.4M, and will be given over the next three years. This doesn’t include $2.5M of matching contributions, which then brings the total given to $8.9M. By way 1619 of reminder, we also had set aside an additional $1.25 million toward this project before the campaign began. This brings us to a little over $10.1 million overall committed to this project. As of the middle of December, $1.1M (~13%) of the total commitments have already been received. Phase 1 Renovation
Our architect (HH Architects) is currently in the process of developing the drawing package for the new children’s wing and the renovation of the existing Kids Branch space. They are working with general contractor Roger’s O’Brien during this phase of the process in order to ensure an accurate and cost effective drawing package is completed. Class 615 SF
Class
Todd 1
mons
539 SF
Toilet 68 SF
Todd 2 503 SF
Nurs 1 403 SF
Nurs Recp.
Support
Class
379 SF
489 SF
Class 489 SF
Boys 223 SF
Secure Cir.
Class
471 SF
510 SF
Girls
Secure. Cir.
284 SF
1879 SF
Support 438 SF
Our current schedule has construction on the new wing beginning in the third quarter of 2018 and lasting approximately nine months for the entire construction and renovation. That leads to a planned completion in the second quarter of 2019. 451 SF
539 SF
Pres. 1 451 SF
Circulation
Redundant Room
Pres. Recp.
Toilet
Men
235 SF
70 SF
199 SF
Circulation 682 SF
Pres. 4 403 SF
Women 241 SF
Jan. 34 SF
2790 SF
Elect. 77 SF
Stair 168 SF
263 SF
Admin 457 SF
Elev. 48 SF
Storage 26 SF
Vestibule
Changing
112 SF
21 SF
Changing 101 SF
Changing
Lobby
Baptistry
21 SF
4799 SF
412 SF
Changing 49 SF
68 SF
Todd 2
26 SF
Changing
Toilet
The Branch Church - Vista Ridge
Circulation
Redundant Room
539 SF
503 SF
Pres. 2
403 SF
235 SF
AV Sound
506 SF
Nurs 2
Pres. 1
Platform
451 SF
108 SF
70 SF
122 SF
403 SF
Corridor
151 SF
41 SF
145 SF
Fire Rm. 24 SF
Admin
Admin
115 SF
263 SF
Admin
168 SF
457 SF
26 SF
Changing
Changing
21 SF
Storage
101 SF
21 SF
Lobby
Baptistry
Changing
4799 SF
412 SF
21 SF
Changing Support 26 SF
Changing 49 SF
F
Worship Youth / Multipurpose
Coffee 140 SF
Back of House
Platform
519 SF
1257 SF
Storage 37 SF
F
AV Sound
Men
Vestibule 51 SF
BackAV of House Booth 519 SF
Serving
46 SF
277 SF
Multipurpose Venue Nurs 1 SF 4031 Nurs Recp. 235 SF
Toilet
Jan.
337 SF
Class
Circulation
1023 SF
682 SF
Class
Class
Elect. 65 SF
Stair
Class
217 SF
211 SF
287 SF
221 SF
Women
1443 SF
Circulation
Class
2790 SF
48 SF
Class
Elev.
390 SF
Nursery Recp.
Nursery Recp. 168 SF
Storage
186 SF
186 SF
Support
Elev.
Worship
48 SF
Storage 26 SF
Youth / Multipurpose
Vestibule 112 SF
Elev. Changing
21 SF
48 SF101 SF
Changing
Lobby
Baptistry
21 SF
4799 SF
412 SF
Changing 26 SF
Changing Vestibule
Vestibule 146 SF
49 SF
112 SF
Changing 101 SF
Baptistry Coffee
Men
37 SF
Kitchen
Storage
51 SF
45140 SF
296 SF
109 SF
Storage
23 SF
122 SF
78 SF
222 SF
51 SF
41 SF
145 SF
28 SF
Women
Admin
Admin
110 SF
296 SF
632 SF
108 SF
45 SF
Class
Commons 2576 SF
53 SF
Class 217 SF
Vestibule
Admin 151 SF
Admin
N
145 SF
Phase 2
222 SF
Restroom Stage
78 SF
Toilet Main Entry
Elec. Rm
Corridor
65 SF
41 SF
28 SF
Admin
Admin Admin 115 SF
Admin 110 SF
Admin
522 SF
Vestibule
Admin
Admin 151 SF
Admin 145 SF
289 SF
222 SF
Toilet Storage 41 SF
Toilet 40 SF
Admin
96 SF
115 SF
Fire Rm. 24 SF
Admin 110 SF
Admin
Class 211 SF
28 SF
Storage 152 SF
Toilet Corridor
Class 217 SF
632 SF
Class
Class
1023 SF
221 SF
Storage
Storage
53 SF
53 SF
195 SF
96 SF
Class 211 SF
157 SF
Class 217 SF
Storage 152 SF
Admin Worship Youth / Multipurpose
Children / Multipurpose Circulation
Class 221 SF
Circulation - Secure
09/19/17
Kitchen / Hospitality
*Proposed plans as of 9/20/17.Nursery / Preschool
Admin 154 SF
LEVEL 1
65 SF
337 SF
Admin
Admin
195 SF
Class
1023 SF
Support
64 SF
Youth Lobby
613 SF
Storage
Toilet
78 SF
Toilet
386 SF
Vestibule
621 SF
Toilet Storage
SF Toilet Scale: 1/16" =1571'-0" 40 SF
Nursery / Preschool
Family RR
64 SF
Youth Lobby Corridor 632 SF
613 SF
186 SF
Kitchen / Hospitality
277 SF
337 SF
Vestibule
Storage
Circulation - Secure
325 SF
4031 SF
122 SF
621 SF
48 SF
Circulation Corridor
325 SF
Platform
51 SF
Cry Room
Elev.
390 SF
Children / Multipurpose 221 SF
Multipurpose Venue
Vestibule
386 SF
Class
Admin
Class
277 SF
Multipurpose Venue 4031 SF Storage
Main Entry
Up
46 SF
Platform
LEVEL 1
122 SF
409 SF
526 SF
4848 SF
Elec. Rm
Class
LEVEL 2
Jan.
Corridor
44 SF
78 SF
65 SF
Class
513 SF
152 SF
214 SF Corridor
Class
Storage
Storage
23 SF
Youth Lobby
613 SF
157 SF
AV Booth
Fire Rm
Storage
337 SF
Vestibule
211 SF
96 SF
41 SF
Table Storage
75 SF
Toilet Serving 65 SF
1023 SF
195 SF
1443 SF
Elect.
64 SF
Jan.
Admin
Toilet
34 SF
62 SF
Laundry
Kitchen
601 SF Toilet
Toilet Storage
Admin
Jan.
Pantry
4031 SF
526 SF
46 SF
Vestibule
621 SF
Storage
15 SF
277 SF
Class
37 SF
Main Entry
Vestibule
Corridor
438 SF
Platform
297 SF
Table Storage Storage 513 SF
Family RR
386 SF
Class
1879 SF
526 SF
Fire Rm
41 SF
Elec. Rm
214 SF
438 SF
325 SF
75 SF
Serving
Cry Room
1879
Support
Jan.
78 SF
AV Sound
Secure
284 SF
Corridor
Laundry KitchenVestibule 51 SF
Girls
46 SF
Multipurpose Men Venue
4848 SF
601 SF
223 SF
471 SF
146 SF
2576 SF
Storage62 SF 44 SF
Worship
Boys Secure Cir.
Class
Commons
SF
Pantry
108 SF
23 SF
513 SF
Vestibule
214 SF
Storage
15 SF
Coffee Storage
75 SF
Serving
296 SF
AV Booth
LEVEL09/19/17 2
Fire Rm
Table Storage
Laundry
601 SF
Women Vestibule
379 S
489 SF
62 SF
Storage
109 SF
Men
41 SF
Supp
Class
Pantry
297 SF
Changing Vestibule 26 SF 146 SF Changing AV Sound 49 SF
Storage
15 SF
4799 SF
140 SF
412 SF
Storage
Lobby
78 SF
Corridor
Open to Open to Lobby Lobby Below Below
Storage
Storage
Circulation
Redundant Room
Changing
48 SF
Stage
642 SF
168 SF
1156 SF
Nursery / Preschool Restroom
Play
Play
642 SF
Upper Commons
Elev.
390 SF
2790 SF
Circulation 457 SF
1156 SF
Kitchen / Hospitality
241 SF
Admin
Upper Commons
409 SF
53 SF
Restroom
LEVEL 1
1619
489 SF
287 SF
Children / Multipurpose
ClassCirculation - Secure
Storage
Redundant Room
51 SF
Cry Room
34 SF
Class 409 SF
199 SF
615 SF
Stair
Admin
152 SF
65 SF
Corridor
Circulation
1879 SF
Men
632 SF
438 SF
438 SF
Secure. Cir.
287 SF
Storage
Redundant Room
Youth Lobby
Support
Class
364 SF
Stair
64 SF
1879 SF
1443 SF Support
65 SF
Toilet
Secure. Cir.
284 SF
Elect.
199 SF
45178 SFSF
Girls
34 SF
403 SF Circulation
Redundant Room
Men
Elec.2Rm Nurs
Worship
Vestibule
Jan.
Platform
71 SF
471 SF
510 SF
Class
Class
Secure. Cir.
223 SF
Secure Cir.
Class
325 SF
503 SF
40 SF
Family RR
364 SF
Boys
Corridor
68 SF
Todd 2
154 SF
4848 SF
Support
489 SF
1879 SF
Toilet
Admin
24 SF
44 SF
379 SF
489 SF
438 SF Class
Secure. Cir.
263 SF
Admin
Support
Class
364 SF
Pres. 1
297 SF
489 SF
Class
Support
Jan.
214 SF
Class
438 SF
539 SF
Admin
Fire Rm.
Storage
75 SF
Resource
115 SF
1257 SF
Worship
Support
77 SF
151 SF
2576 SF
45 SF
1879 SF
526 SF
Todd 1
68 SF
Admin
Admin
Class Secure. Cir. 615 SF
Class
513 SF
451 SF
Commons
Platform
108 SF
235 SF
510 SF
LEVEL 2
Girls
23 SF
Table Storage
Laundry
601 SF
296 SF
Nurs 2
289 SF
Storage
Fire Rm
41 SF
62 SF
403 SF
Kitchen
Nurs Recp.
09/19/17 522 SF
Storage
Class
Pantry
Nurs 1
297 SF
Women
109 SF
Storage
284 SF
Women
489 SF
223 SF
471 SF
510 SF
15 SF
Elect.
LEVEL 1
26 SF
112 SF
21 SF
Changing
Toilet 68 SF
34 SF
Storage
Vestibule Stage
Changing
Class Boys Secure Cir.
Class
Stair
457 SF
48 SF
379 SF
489 SF
539 SF
287 SF
Admin
Elev.
Restroom
Todd 1
146 SF
Jan.
263 SF
Nursery / Preschool
Support
Class
Vestibule
241 SF
Resource
Redundant Room
489 SF
489 SF
451 SF
77 SF
Nursery Recp.
Class
Class
78 SF
682 SF
615 SF
Open to Lobby Below
186 SF
Women
Play Stair
287642 SF SF
Kitchen / Hospitality
Admin
Class
48 SF
Storage
235 SF
Elect.
Circulation
Circulation
Storage
613 SF
70 SF
34 SF
195 SF
96 SF
Circulation - Secure
Resource
1156 SF
Elev.
390 SF
Vestibule Pres. Recp.
Toilet
Jan.
154 SF
Stair
287 SF
Upper Commons
Class
Circulation
403 SF
157 SF
Admin
Admin
110 SF
386 SF
Pres. 4
Admin
40 SF
2790 SF
77 SF
28 SF
Toilet
Children / Multipurpose
Elect.
222 SF
Toilet Storage
Admin
Admin
289 SF
34 SF
Vestibule
621 SF
Admin
Main Entry
539 SF
Pres. 4
522 SF
409 SF
Family RR
506 SF
Pres. 3
Cry Room
Admin
Pres. 2
235 SF
682 SF
241 SF
451 SF
44 SF
Pres.Vestibule Recp. 51 SF
Toilet
Circulation
Jan.
Pres. 1
Storage
Circulation Worship
4848 SF Redundant Room
Men
199 SF
Women
2576 SF
45 SF
AV Booth
1257 SF
235 SF
Commons
Storage
539 SF
Pres. Recp.
Class
37 SF
51 SF
Pres. 3
519 SF
65 SF
Storage
68 SF
Vestibule
451 SF
Back of House
1443 SF
Elect.
Stair
287 SF
71 SF
Pres. 2
109 SF
68 SF
34 SF
503 SF
140 SF
Nurs 1 F
71 SF
Jan.
Todd 2
Coffee
Nurs Recp.
1879 SF
642 SF
Nursery Recp.
Resource
Todd 1
438 SF
Secure. Cir.
Play
287 SF
LEVEL 2
Class
364 SF
Phase 1 Renovation
Nurs 2
Pres. 3
Support
The Branch Church - Vista Ridge
68 SF
The Branch Church - Vista Ridge
506 SF
THIS DRAWING IS RELEASED UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF BRUCE E WOODY, REGISTRATION NUMBER 14419, WHO MAINTAINS THE ORIGINAL DRAWING. THIS DRAWING IS INCOMPLETE AND MAY NOT BE USED FOR REGULATORY APPROVAL, PERMIT, OR CONSTRUCTION.
235 SF
71 SF
Pres. 2
Open to Lobby Below
506 SF
THIS DRAWING IS RELEASED UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF BRUCE E WOODY, REGISTRATION NUMBER 14419, WHO MAINTAINS THE ORIGINAL DRAWING. THIS DRAWING IS INCOMPLETE AND MAY NOT BE USED FOR REGULATORY APPROVAL, PERMIT, OR CONSTRUCTION.
489 SF
Stage Storage
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our online form, this is not the same as setting up a recurring online gift.
COMMITMENT NEXT STEPS Below is information that addresses the mechanics of how we will manage this program for the next three years: •
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The “official” commitment period started in December 2017 and runs through November 2020, but how you choose to give is completely up to you. If you are writing a check or putting cash into the offering baskets or boxes, please make sure to indicate it is for the Beyond Me program by using a giving envelope or writing it in the memo line of the check.
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If you are setting up an online gift, please make sure you use the Beyond Me (VR Expand/ Develop) fund. If you are setting up a recurring online gift, you can set it up for a specified number of periods (36 months, 156 weeks, etc.) so it will stop at the end of three years.
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If you completed your commitment card via
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Your commitment has been loaded into Branch Connect (our online church management system) which allows us to generate a pledge statement report. The first report was mailed in late November 2017 so you could review it for accuracy.
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If anything looks incorrect with your report, please contact our Executive Minister David Teutsch at dteutsch@thebranchchurch.org so he can get it corrected.
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If you need information for transferring stock into the church’s brokerage account, let David know and he can give you the necessary information.
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Each July, we will send an updated report which shows progress against the commitment. In addition, everything given will be reflected on your annual giving statement for income tax purposes.
ONLINE GIVING SETUP We believe the most straightforward way to handle fulfilling your commitment to Beyond Me is by setting up a recurring gift in Branch Connect as shown below. If you setup a recurring gift, you can specify the number of periods it will last (156 weeks, 36 months, etc.) and it will automatically stop at the end of the number you’ve specified. NOTE: The Branch app also has a giving option, but it is not the same system as Branch Connect. We prefer that you set up your Beyond Me recurring gifts using Branch Connect instead of the app.
1. Log in to Branch Connect Using a web browser on a computer, visit: thebranchchurch.org/connect If you haven’t created a login for Branch Connect, it’s easy! Just select “Sign Up Here” and follow the instructions.
2. Select “Give” on the left bar
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Once you’ve logged in, select Give. You may choose either the “One time gift” or “Repeating gift” option. We recommend setting the repeating gift so you can schedule when your giving will occur throughout your three-year commitment.
Small Groups thebranchchurch.org/small-groups
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” ~ Hebrews 10:24-25 We all need friends - people we meet with on a regular basis to hang out, talk about our lives in a biblical context, and pray. That’s a small group! Interested in joining or starting a small group in the coming year? We can help. Contact Derek or Tim and they will help connect you with an existing group or walk with you through the simple process for starting a new group.
Need Group Content? Sermon-Based Bible Studies
Tim Ketchersid
What is it? Get your group talking with these weekly guides that are meant to coincide with the sermon.
tketchersid@thebranchchurch.org
Where can I find it? You can quickly find it in The Branch Church App under the “Resources” option. OR visit thebranchchurch.org/resources
Farmers Branch Campus Minister
Derek Robinson Connections Pastor Vista Ridge Campus drobinson@thebranchchurch.org
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Young Adults Group Sundays 6:30 - 8:30 pm Vista Ridge Campus This weekly gathering is made up of young adults ages 21 - 35, single or married, and without kids. They are a community of believers who meet to grow in their faith, serve others, and bring people to Christ. If you’d like to find out more about this group, please contact one of the leaders to the right.
Nikki Teutsch
Matt Atchley
Jaxon Williams
nrteutsch@gmail.com
matchley@pfsweb.com
williamsjaxon142@gmail.com
Baby Dedication On select weekends throughout the year, we set aside a portion of our services for parents to bring their new babies before the congregation and engage in a time of prayer, dedication, and mutual commitment. Dedicating a child acknowledges God’s sovereignty not only over the child, but also over Mom and Dad. Parents present their child before God and His people, asking for grace and wisdom in carrying out their responsibilities. Parents also come praying that their child might one day trust Jesus Christ as Savior. The Branch wants to partner with parents in raising their children to seek God, know His Word, and live a full life in Jesus Christ. Our Baby Dedication weekends are a way for us to pledge that commitment as well as celebrate the arrival of our newborns. If you would like to dedicate your child on one of these weekends, follow these steps:
1. Register Registration will allow you to select the date and service time you would prefer, along with a few other details. Register in The Branch Church app or at: thebranchchurch.org/events
2. Upload a Photo Use the link provided at registration to upload a picture of your baby. We will use this picture in the following month’s BranchOut to recognize the birth and dedication of your child.
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The Branch
Family
Up dates
We Mourn With: • Randy Ingram and his family in the loss of his
father, James Murray Ingram, on December 4.
• Karen Yarbrough and her family in the loss of her
father, William Glen Morrow, on December 9.
• Martha Hargrove and her family in the loss of her
brother-in-law, Don Conrad, on December 9.
• Trent Morton and his family in the loss of his
grandfather, Jack Morton, on December 18.
We Celebrate These Baptisms: 12/31/17
Keva David Long
12/31/17
Blake Colton
12/31/17
Jillian Laub
12/31/17
Xochilt Gutierrèz
Weekend Stats - December 2017: Weekly Attendance Average: 1,922 Christmas Candlelight Attendance Total: 2,693 Weekly Giving Average: $107,986
First Service of the Weekend Thursdays Vista Ridge Campus Dinner at 6:00 pm ($5 for adults •$3 for kids) Service at 6:45 pm Gathering together on a weekly basis for worship, encouragement, teaching, and testimony makes a difference for the better in our lives. It’s our hope that offering this service on a weeknight will open new doors for reaching people. Consider making Thursday night your weekend worship service at The Branch.
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Since 1960, Youth With A Mission (YWAM) has trained and equipped well over 3.5 million people to know God personally and to make him known in all nations by taking the gospel to the ends of the earth. YWAM is a global movement that works to see people from every nation going to every nation, no matter how young or old they are. YWAM is involved in every kind of outreach and ministry you could imagine, from holding Bible studies in prisons in South America, to sharing God’s love and truth at New York’s Fashion Week, and even hiking through the Himalayan Mountains just so one isolated family in a hut could hear the gospel and receive an audio-Bible in their own language. All of YWAM’s ministries fall under three categories: •
Evangelism - because everyone has the right to hear the good news of Jesus.
•
Training - to equip people to use their unique calling to share the gospel and be a missionary no matter what their job or location is.
•
Mercy ministries - to give hope to the poor, sick, and exploited from injustices.
collaborate with other organizations to see the advancement of God’s Kingdom. Through partnership with IHOP, Wycliff, The Jesus Film and many others, the gospel is being shared more and more, and the Bible is being translated and given to all people groups. We are living in the greatest time in history when it comes to people giving their lives to Christ! People all over the world are hearing the gospel and responding with faith and a surrendered heart. This global movement of people dedicated to serving the Lord longs to hear God’s voice and respond with faith. There’s no country too dark, or heart too hard, and YWAM is willing to go anywhere God sends them to, in order to fulfill the great commission. Lifelong Branch member Jackson and his wife Savannah have been working with YWAM for the past five years in discipling and training missionaries from a YWAM base
in the US. However, in January 2018 they are moving to New Delhi, India with six other people to work as a YWAM ministry team. In India, they will learn the local language, host a house of prayer for the missionary community of multiple organizations, and work to gather and build simple house churches as people start coming to Christ. Jackson and Savannah are committed to see a move of God in India, and have no plans of coming back to America in any certain amount of time, as they have said that they’ll go until God tells them to leave. If you want to know more about what Jackson and Savannah are doing, or if you want to know how you can be involved, contact David Teutsch at: dtuetsch@thebranchchurch.org Or if you want to know more about YWAM and the opportunities they have for you or someone else, checkout: ywam.org
YWAM loves to partner with the Global Christian Network and
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thebranchchurch.org/espanol
The Branch Church en Español - Farmers Branch Campus Acompáñanos y adoremos a Dios y fortalezcamos nuestra fe en Cristo en el idioma español.
Actividades durante la Semana DOMINGOS MIERCOLES Servicio de Adoración Estudio Bíblico 10:45 AM 7:00 PM Weekly Activities SUNDAYS WEDNESDAYS Worship Service Bible Study 10:45 AM 7:00 PM ¡Nuevo Horario!
¡Nuevo Horario!
Ahora, Nuestro Servicio de Adoración los DOMINGOS es a las 10:45 AM. Gracias a todos por su valioso apoyo con el cambio de hora.
¡New Worship Time!
¡New Worship Time!
Our New Sunday Worship Service time is 10:45 AM. Thank you so much for supporting us with this change.
Luis y Schalee Sánchez lsanchez@thebranchchurch.org
Branch Cares thebranchchurch.org/cares
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress….” ~ James 1:27 Branch Cares is a ministry designed to look after, pray for, 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 • Homebound • Grieving • Caregivers Ministry volunteers provide care in a variety of ways. These can include simple acts of writing cards and praying, hospital visitation, or delivering communion to the homebound or any others who are unable to attend services. 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, or reach out to us via the contact info below:
Farmers Branch Email: fbcares@thebranchchurch.org Vista Ridge Email: vrcares@thebranchchurch.org 17 Church Office: (972) 247-2109
WOW Valentine Luncheon Sunday, February 11 Farmers Branch Campus Family Life Center Cost: $10 per person
Christmas Luncheon Report
·
Lunch
It went so well, praise God and deepest gratitude to all who worked so hard to make it happen.
·
Dave Tanner
Here are just a few facts:
·
Special Valentine Musical
·
·
Valentine Bingo
The decorations, food, service, door prizes and attendance were great!
·
Door Prizes
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The cooks and their helpers -- Chris and Karla Austin, and Steve and Lisa Mozingo put it on the top shelf.
·
Mark and Debbie Sutherland coordinated about thirteen servers. And, we were served within fifteen minutes! Aren’t we proud of them.
·
Thirteen different certificates and plaques of recognition were given out by several different ministry leaders. Among those were three eagle awards: Tom and Angie Pitts, Mark and Debbie Sutherland, and John and Brenda Green. This year’s Exodus 20:12 Award was given to Martha Hargrove.
·
Jim Pratt and crew collected $1,400 from the attendees for the ticket cost.
·
Numerous fantastic door prizes were donated, coupled with $400 in cash.
·
Richard Brown took pictures to record this event for posterity.
·
Special thanks to Linda and Paul Barner and their committee, Barbara Bonneau and Julie Bonneau, for making the whole church beautiful for our LORD’S BIRTHDAY . . . AND WE WERE ABLE TO ENJOY IT ALL MONTH!
Registration: Call/text Bro. Eddy at 972-345-1645 or eketchersid@thebranchchurch.org
Wednesday Night Potluck and
SMALL GROUP Every Wednesday starting January 10, the START UP GROUP hosts a potluck at 6:30 in the Family Life Center of the Farmers Branch Campus. The potluck is open to all groups who meet on Wednesday nights. Afterwards, all are welcome to join the Start Up Group for Bible study. This semester, January - May, we will have an in-depth study of 1 and 2 Peter. We have plenty of room for you!
Brother Eddy Ketchersid Community Minister eketchersid@thebranchchurch.org
Cell: 972-345-1645
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Featured Events Calendar Days
Dates
Event
Times
Tues
1/2
Worship Center Remodel Begins (Vista RIdge Campus)
---
Sat
1/6
Dynamic Marriage Begins (Vista RIdge Campus)
6:00 - 8:30 pm
Wed
1/10
Women’s Bible Study Begins (Farmers Branch Campus)
9:45 - 11:30 am
Sat
1/13
Men’s Life Bible Study Begins (Farmers Branch Campus)
7:30 am
Mon
1/15
Women’s Bible Study Begins (Vista RIdge Campus)
6:30 - 8:00 pm
Sun
1/21
Vista Ridge Host Team Gathering (Vista RIdge Campus)
12:30 - 2:30 pm
Fri
1/26
Princess Ball (Farmers Branch Campus)
7:00 - 9:00 pm
Sun
1/28
The Branch Orientation (Both Campuses)
Farmers Branch 10:45 am
Portable Baptistry (Vista Ridge Campus)
---
Thurs-Sun
2/1-4
Vista Ridge 12:30 pm
Sat
2/3
Celebrate Recovery Sponsor Training (Vista Ridge Campus)
9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Sat
2/3
Student Body Bowl (Vista Ridge Campus)
2:00 - 6:00 pm
2/9-10
IF Gathering (Farmers Branch Campus)
2 days
2/11
WOW Valentine Luncheon
12:30 pm
Fri-Sat Sun Thurs-Sun
3/1-4
Portable Baptistry (Vista Ridge Campus)
---
Sat
3/10
Sack Spring Break Hunger (Both Campuses)
9:30 - 11:30 am
Sun
3/11
Daylight Saving Time Begins
2:00 am
Weekly Events Calendar Day
Time
Event (Location)
Start/End Date
Sun
Early Service
Student Body MS Small Groups
Mon
6:30 pm
Women’s Bible Study (Vista Ridge)
Tues
7:00 pm
Celebrate Recovery (Vista Ridge)
Wed
9:45 am
Women’s Bible Study (Farmers Branch)
Wed
7:00 pm
Student Body Small Groups (Both Campuses)
Thurs
6:45 pm
Thursday Night Church (Vista Ridge Campus)
Sat
7:30 am
Men’s Life Bible Study (Farmers Branch Campus)
(Both Campuses)
Office: 972-247-2109
thebranchchurch.org
*Begins January 14
*Begins January 10
*Begins January 13
Email: info@thebranchchurch.org
Farmers Branch Campus
Vista Ridge Campus
3035 Valley View Lane Farmers Branch, TX 75234
3601 Huffines Boulevard Carrollton, TX 75010
Sundays: 9:00 & 10:45 am
Thursdays: 6:45 pm Sundays: 9:15 & 11:00 am