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The Branch University June 21 - July 12 (on Wednesdays) 6:30 - 8:30 pm Farmers Branch Campus Join us for four special Wednesday nights this summer at the Farmers Branch Campus. Dinner will be served, and will be followed by educational classes. Read more about your choices below.
The branch
university
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June 28
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Four-Week Course Options : Branch Equip Jesus showed his disciples that service to others is the distinguishing characteristic of leadership in the Kingdom of God. Branch Equip is designed to help you develop and grow in your capacity to serve others through: • Nurturing the DNA of a Disciple – Understanding and embracing the four core values of discipleship – Connect, Grow, Serve, and Go. • Helping Things Go Well – Becoming a person of peace and influence by identifying and breaking free from attitudes and behaviors that stem from self-deception. • Leading Like Jesus – An inspirational look at how Jesus modeled for us: equipping and empowering others in the four basic stages of leadership development. • Encountering God’s Love – Everything in the Kingdom of God, especially servant-hearted leadership, begins and ends with encountering God’s love and responding to it.
Laugh Your Way To A Better Marriage Improve your marriage and reduce marital problems with Mark Gungor, one of the most sought-out speakers on love and marriage. This series explores the underlying dynamics of male/female relationships, combining striking clarity and practical solutions to common relationship woes. Mark’s humor makes his teaching enjoyable, effective, and memorable, which helps husbands and wives remember these insights and immediately put them to work. This video class will be hosted by Bryan and Theresa Cook.
Money 101: The Bottom Line Simple, no-nonsense guidance on: getting out of debt and staying out of debt; protecting against expected and unexpected risk; making your money work for you; and teaching your children about money. • June 21 - “Leverage” • June 28 - “Shields Up!” • July 5 - “The Future” • July 12 - “Pass It On”
Age-appropriate Bible classes for children are also available. 1
Register at: thebranchchurch.org/tbu
Rosemeade Rainforest Party Sunday, July 9 6:30 - 10:30 pm Rosemeade Rainforest Aquatic Complex
Cost: FREE! The whole church is invited to our annual Rosemeade Rainforest summer bash! Invite someone to come with you. We’ve reserved the whole park, including the lazy river, water tubes, and diving boards. We’ll have cannonball contests, volleyball games, and more! Hot dogs, chips, and drinks will be provided; please bring desserts! Learn more at: thebranchchurch.org/rosemeade
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GO juneWEEKEND 16-17 step up. step out. Ok folks. It’s time to get some work done! Friday and Saturday, June 16-17, we’re all pooling our time and efforts to serve our community. Our Go Team Coordinators are hard at work finding opportunities to serve the elderly, disabled, and impoverished in our community.
There are 2 steps to sign up. STEP 1: Register today using The Branch Church app or at: thebranchchurch.org/go STEP 2: After you’ve registered, login to Branch Connect and click “Serve” in the black menu on the far left side. Click the NEEDS tab to see a list of jobs. Select “I’ll take it “ for the jobs you want. Every Go Weekend volunteer will get a free t-shirt! Get yours in the lobby after you’ve signed up. If you need any help signing up, please email Jaron Pitts at:
jpitts@thebranchchurch.org 4
Twenty Steps to Being a Better Father Happy Father’s Day! Being a dad is a privilege, and a great responsibility. And the best way to be the father your kids deserve, and the kind of father your wife wants to partner with, is for you to be the best man you can be. Stephen Mansfield is a writer and speaker who encourages men to be their best selves, and become the man God made them to be. Here’s twenty suggestions Stephen has for men who want to love and lead their families, and grow closer to God. 1. Stop talking so much about being a man. Turn to a man you trust and say, “I want to be a better man. Help me.” Create a “free fire zone” with five other men. Anything they need to say to make you better, they must say. You too. Cultivate a few good friends. Do life together. Get better together. Have fun. 5
2. Get on your knees and ask God to make you the man He wants you to be. 3. Write down what you are responsible for. Then, make it all as good as you can. 4. Say something soul-igniting to each of your children as often as possible. Don’t be dramatic about this.
9. Take your son on a long trip, just the two of you. Talk about everything. Everything! Be rowdy. Achieve something. Laugh. Stay up all night. Eat crap food. Swim naked. Beat on each other. What happens on man trip stays on man trip. No talking about it.
6. Heal up with your father – whether he is dead or alive.
10. Have dates with your little girl. When she has dates of her own, be aware. Meet the boy. Be awake when she comes home. Involve both of them in fun—not boring— family events. Pay for some fun dates. Trust, but not too much. Be on top of this. Make your daughter feel like a princess who ought not give herself cheaply. Be such a man in her life that you make it hard for her to find a husband as good as you are. Tell her that’s what you’re doing. Laugh a lot.
7. Spend time and money on your mother regularly.
11. Clean up your language. Do you sound like an idiot?
8. Knock down the walls between you and your children. Win them. Teach them. Discipline them.
12. Honor older men.
5. Turn off the TV. Chase your wife. Pursue your wife. Win her heart. Find out what makes her happy. Make her happy. Surprise her. Spend on her. Take her to someplace romantic. Send her away with friends. You pay and stay home. Make peace with her family. Teach the kids to honor her. Defend her against enemies visible and invisible. Be crazy about her.
14. Travel. See more of the world than you live in. Reflect on what you see. 15. Serve the needy regularly. Do it quietly. Do it anonymously if you can. Do it with your trusted friends if possible. Do more as you have more. 16. Don’t be bitter. Bitterness feeds entitlement. Entitlement leads to misbehavior. Misbehavior leads to destruction. Don’t be bitter. 17. Ask God to make you equal to your destiny. 18. There are many different kinds of men. Be your kind. Be your kind of a great man. 19. Do good work. Be thankful for a job. Get better. Change jobs when it’s right. Be grateful. Have goals. Make lists. Pursue goals. Don’t be driven. Trust God. 20. Live big. Live happy. Live passionate. Live generous. Live loving. Live manly.
13. Be part of a church that encourages noble manhood.
Dr. Stephen Mansfield will be speaking at a special event for men at The Branch Church this October. Men, you want to read “Mansfield’s Book of Manly Men.” You can find more encouragement from Stephen at stephenmansfield.tv 6
join the Kids Branch Summer Team! To show our appreciation, we are giving our regular Kids Branch volunteers the summer off! Help us honor them, and keep Kids Branch going this summer, by signing up to be on the Kids Branch Summer Team!
Email Kristan or Brittany to ask how you can help! 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
Kids Branch All-Star Week June 12 - 16 (Mon-Fri) 9:00 - 1:00 pm Vista Ridge Campus Cost: FREE For kids entering 1st-5th grade Our second annual sports camp and VBS for kids is taking over the Vista Ridge Campus, parking lots, and fields this June. Kids will spend the week learning basketball, soccer, and volleyball while participating in daily Bible lessons and worship. Register at:
thebranchchurch.org/all-star
Spotlight Music Camp July 16-21 (Sun - Fri) Farmers Branch Campus Cost: $85/student $160/2 siblings $225/3 siblings For kids entering 1st - 6th grade (+ high school counselors) • Sun: 3:00 - 5:30 pm Kick-Off • Mon - Thurs: 9:00 am - 2:00 pm • Fri: 9:00 am - 7:00 pm (Performance) • Daytime camp experience • Learn and produce the musical “Star Quest” Register at:
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thebranchchurch.org/spotlight
Now at BOTH CAMPUSES! • June 10 - August 5 (Every Saturday) • 9:30 am - 12:00 pm • Provide food for kids in our community Learn more at:
thebranchchurch.org/sack-hunger
Back-to-School Supply Drive July 2nd - July 30 Donate school supplies for kids in our community! We’ve partnered with Metrocrest Services to fill their “Back to School Backpacks” that will be given to low-income families here in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch area. If you would like to donate school supplies. Please only donate items from this list: • Crayola Crayons • Washable Crayola Markers (thick and thin tips) • Glue sticks • Scissors (kids) • #2 pencils with erasers • Folders with pockets and brass • 70-ct spiral notebooks, wide-ruled • White 3-ring 1-inch binder w/ clear sleeves • 12x18 asst. construction paper • Composition notebook (wide-ruled) • Notebook paper (wide-ruled) • Colored pencils • Backpacks We’re also asking for financial donations that will be used to purchase specific school uniforms. If you would like to donate money towards the purchase of school uniforms, you can give online or through The Branch App (select the “Back-to-School” fund) Learn more:
thebranchchurch.org/school
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MEET
OUR
SUMMER INTERNS Blake Anderson
Addy Arnold
Branch Student Body Farmers Branch Campus Abilene Christian University Junior
Kids Branch Farmers Branch Campus Abilene Christian University Sophomore
Hannah Arnold
Morgan Harrison
Branch Student Body Farmers Branch Campus Baylor University Sophomore
Kids Branch Both Campuses University of South Florida Sophomore
Madi Johnson
Cody Poinsett
Creative/Communications Both Campuses Baylor University Junior
Branch Student Body Vista Ridge Campus Harding University Graduate
Avory Rosenquist
Stacy Spink
Branch Student Body Vista Ridge Campus Abilene Christian University Sophomore
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Kids Branch Vista Ridge Campus Abilene Christian University Senior
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
Farmers Branch
Vista Ridge
Middle School • Sundays at 9:00 am
Middle School • Sundays at 9:15 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.
**Weekly schedules and locations are subject to change. Contact Josh or Kyle for the latest updates and details.**
register for camp thebranchchurch.org/camp Student Body Branch Camp KING of KINGS June 23 - 27 (Fri - Tues) Riverbend Retreat Center (Glen Rose, TX) Cost: $395 (First-time guests are FREE) For students entering 6th grade - high school grads Camp is the highlight of our student ministry every year! Don’t miss camp activities, powerful teaching, sports, games, worship, small group activities, friendships, and memories that will last!
Kyle Poff
Josh Brake
Student Minister Vista Ridge Campus
Student Minister Farmers Branch Campus
kpoff@thebranchchurch.org
jbrake@thebranchchurch.org
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At Great Cities Missions, we make disciples who make disciples who make disciples. For forty years, Great Cities Missions has had a vision of spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Latin world. By equipping mission teams to plant churches in the large urban areas of Latin America, we train missionaries to work themselves out of a job by making disciples who make disciples. The result is a church that is completely selfsufficient, thriving, and making a difference in the community. Bill Hybels is quoted as saying, “The local church is the hope of the world, and its future rests primarily in the hands of its leaders.” We are thankful for the support The Branch has given to help us train those leaders and put the hope of the world in good hands, for helping us make disciples who make disciples.
Over the last four decades, over 40 missionary teams have been sent to plant churches in many of the great cities of Latin America. More than 250 congregations have been established during that time. We are currently preparing a mission team from San Antonio to plant a church in Sao Luis, Brazil. Three families from the same church listened to God’s call and will start being Jesus to that community in January. Our most
recent team is in Cúcuta, Colombia, which is located on the border of Venezuela and Colombia. The crisis in Venezuela is growing worse, and aid organizations are not able to provide assistance because normal methods of delivery have been shut down. Because of the missionary team in Cúcuta, we are in a unique position to help the people of Venezuela. To find out more about these works, just ask Branch members Ron and Georgia Freitas, Stephanie Scott, or Blake Crowell. For more information, follow us on Facebook or please visit our website: greatcities.org
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EDUCATION FUND the Branch
The Branch Church Education Fund Scholarship The Branch Church Education Fund was established to support active members of The Branch Church who are enrolled in college and have at least completed their freshman year (24 credit hours) with a minimum GPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale. Financial need, academic performance and a history of involvement at The Branch are considered when making scholarship awards. If you are interested in applying for this scholarship, please complete the form at the link below no later than July 1st, 2017. Regards, The Branch Church Education Fund Committee
A weekend of stories, laughter, music, inspiration, and insights for living a more vibrant, meaningful life.
Apply at thebranchchurch.org/educationfund
SEPTEMBER 8-9 DALLAS, TX
featuring
Fall Women’s Event BELONG Tour 2017 Fri-Sat, September 8-9 American Airlines Center Cost: $49/person
SHAUNA JEN JEN MELINDAMELINDANICHOLENICHOLEDEIDRA DEIDRASave the date! NIEQUIST HATMAKER HATMAKER DOOLITTLE DOOLITTLE NORDEMAN NORDEMAN RIGGS RIGGS
Spend a couple of days with women from The Branch. Hear inspiring music while enjoying your downtime. Be inspired by dynamic messages! The Women of The Branch Church have reserved a block of tickets for the 2017 BELONG Tour for only $49 each! Sponsor another woman who needs refreshing words of encouragement and inspiring messages to equip her for life’s challenges. Bring her with you! Purchase tickets in The Branch Church app or visit:
thebranchchurch.org/belong
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 nnected: variety of monthly *Talent, dates events and locations subject social so thatto change. Branch singlesbelongtour.com may meet each other and build friendships. Join our group in Branch Connect for the latest news and updates!
Contact Paulette Travis: ptravis0822@yahoo.com
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Featured Events Calendar Days
Dates
Event
Times
Sun
6/4
Foundations Begins (Farmers Branch Campus) (pg. 3)
5:00 - 7:00 pm
Sat
6/10
Sack Summer Hunger Begins (Both Campuses) (pg. 8)
9:30 am
Sun
6/11
Foundations Begins (Vista Ridge Campus) (pg. 3)
5:00 - 7:00 pm
Mon-Fri
6/12-16
Kids Branch All-Star Week (Vista Ridge Campus) (pg. 7)
5 days
Fri-Sun
6/16-17
Go Weekend (pg. 4)
2 days
Sun
6/18
Father’s Day
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Wed
6/21
The Branch University Begins (Farmers Branch Campus) (pg. 1)
6:30 - 8:30 pm
Fri
6/23-27
Student Body Branch Camp (pg. 10)
5 days
Sun
7/9
Rosemeade Rainforest Party (pg. 2)
6:30 - 10:30 pm
Spotlight Music Camp (Farmers Branch Campus) (pg. 7)
6 days
Sun-Fri
7/16-21
Wed
8/30
Small Group Leader Summit
TBD
Fri-Sat
9/8-9
Fall Women’s Event: Belong Tour (pg. 14)
2 days
Sun
10/15
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 (Both Campuses)
Tues
7:00 pm
Celebrate Recovery (Vista Ridge Campus)
Wed
6:30 pm
Student Body: D/Groups (Both Campuses)
Thurs
6:45 pm
Thursday Night Church (Vista Ridge Campus)
Office: 972-247-2109
thebranchchurch.org
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