VBC Book Club

April Date Change and May Book 

Join us for the next gathering of the VBC Book Club on Saturday, April 30, from 3-4:30 pm at the home of Debbie Dorcus to discuss My Name Is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout.. “Impressionistic and haunting . . . [Strout] reminds us of the power of our stories—and our ability to transcend our troubled narratives.”—Miami Herald

Since the May 14th meeting is around the corner, check out our next book selection, Whistling Past the Graveyard by Susan Crandall where “the struggles of the Civil Rights Movement are vividly portrayed.” – Library Journal 

Join the conversation! Contact Nancy Curtis or Carla Toenniessen for more information.

Celebrating Graduates

We would like to recognize the graduates in our congregation as part of graduation season. If you are graduating (or have graduated) from a program this academic year, please let us know by filling out the connections card with your name and the school or program from which you are graduating. You can also send your information to Ginny Richardson. We will recongize our graduates in a special bulletin insert. We are happy to celebrate your achievements with you!

Our Daily Bread

Supporting Our Community 

For over 25 years, Vienna Baptist Church has participated in the Our Daily Bread ministry (ODB).  Many people in VBC have generously given of their time and resources to the ministry, which provides food to families in need throughout the year. VBC participates by sorting the food delivered by the National Association of Letter Carriers from their annual food drive, delivering several bags of food to our neighbors, and donating food directly to other non-profit organizations. We had much to celebrate in 2015!

Church volunteers, former member Cory Epperson, and the outstanding Oakton High School Lacrosse team sorted thousands of pounds of food on May 9, 2015. VBC then delivered over 3,000 pounds of food directly to Fairfax County families identified by the ODB program. We also gave several thousand pounds of food to Food for Others, a non-profit which distributes directly to the unemployed and low income families.  

We have the joy of continuing this ministry in 2016. VBC members can contribute by sorting the food delivered by the Letter Carriers on May 14, 2016. Many volunteers are needed to help sort the large quantity of food (vegetables, meats, soup, etc.) when it comes in from the letter carriers. We meet in the foyer at VBC around 4:00 p.m. and work until the last delivery from the Post Office. The only skills necessary are a willing heart and hands.    

We can also help by packing food bags and delivering the food to the ODB families on July 10 and October 16, 2016. If you have any questions, please contact Debbie Dorcus, Emily Miller or Susan Hall. May you be blessed as you bless your neighbors.

Food Fight 2016

Helping the Hungry Worldwide

NorthStar Church Network, in partnership with Feed My Starving Children (FMSC), is excited to lead the battle against world hunger through a three-day packing event on May 13, 14 & 15, 2016, at the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly, Virginia. The tangible goal of this community-wide event is packing and providing 5 million meals to feed nearly 14,000 hungry children around the world for a year. 
    The ask is simple- volunteer for a packing session during the three-day packing event on May 13, 14 & 15. More information on how VBC will participate will be shared soon, or you can visit 2016foodfight.com for more information on the event.

Thrive! Youth (6th-12th Grades) Event at Food Fight 2016

Join us as we partner with other youth groups in the NorthStar Church Network to pack meals for hungry children with Feed My Starving Children (FMSC)! We will meet at Vienna Baptist on Saturday, May 14, at 2pm to travel to Ox Hill Baptist Church for worship, prayer, and to hear from a FMSC representative. Afterwards, we will go to the Dulles Expo Center and pack meals as part of the five million meal goal for that weekendís Food Fight. We will return to Vienna Baptist at 7pm. Snacks will be provided as we travel to Dulles Expo Center. Contact Pastor Ginny by May 1st to sign-up or to be an adult leader. For more information about the weekend event, check out 2016foodfight.com. 

There will also be a collection for the Capital Area Food Bank at the 2016 Food Fight, which will help those that are hungry in our own area. Consider bringing some items to donate. Suggested items are listed on their website.

Silent Retreat

The Writings of John O'donahue

May 20-22 at Lost River Retreat Center

John O'Donohue, Irish teacher and poet, has been widely praised for his gift of drawing on Celtic spiritual traditions to create words of inspiration and wisdom for today. In To Bless the Space Between Us, his compelling blend of elegant, poetic language and spiritual insight offers readers comfort and encouragement on their journeys through life, O'Donohue looks at life's thresholds—getting married, having children, starting a new job, growing old, dying—and offers invaluable guidelines for making the transition from a known, familiar world into a new, unmapped territory. Most profoundly, however, he explains "blessing" as a way of life, as a lens through which the whole world is transformed.

For more information or to register for this retreat, visit the Lost River page on our website. 

Lecture Recital

The Music of Hugo Distler

Please join Music Minister CJ Redden-Liotta for a special lecture entitled Der Jahrkreis: A pedagogical journey through the church year. Learn about German composer Hugo Distler and the impact he had on church choirs and church music. The presentation will take place on Tuesday, May 3, at 7:30 in the Worship Room, with a demonstration choir made up of members of the VBC Chancel Choir and George Mason University students.  For more information, contact CJ Redden-Liotta. 

Staff News

Celebrating Staff Anniversaries

We celebrate Cindy Falcone’s first anniversary as our Church Office Assistant. We appreciate the many skills Cindy brings to the position with a sense of welcome, efficiency, initiative and grace.
-Personnel Committee

Meeting Minutes

Regular Business Meeting Minutes
The minutes of the February 7 regular business meeting can be found here. Please send corrections to Linda Gooding, Clerk. 

Church Council Meeting Minutes
The minutes from the February 22 Church Council Meeting can be found here.