Updates
Dear Church Family,
We will not have prayer tonight. Please stay warm and pray from home. We have just witnessed a woman receive Christ here in our home. Please pray for her. Her name is Karla. Please also celebrate with the angels over this lost sheep that has been found.
Your Servant
Randy
Tips to Prevent Frozen Pipes
Take a look at the first photo attached to this message folks. You most likely have one of these stuck on the outside of your house somewhere. It is a shutoff valve and backflow preventer for lawn sprinklers. Even if the valve is currently shutoff to your sprinklers, the part of these pipes BEFORE the valve is still full of water and can freeze tonight. Since you will not be able to go buy anything from the store today to protect it, find an old blanket or a couple of bath towels and wrap the pipes as best you can, in as many layers as you can. Then finish it with a kitchen garbage bag (as seen in the second photo) to keep the whole thing dry, secured with string or wire of some sort. This should protect those exposed pipes just fine for you.
Another trick that I learned as a kid in Colorado was on really cold nights, just before going to bed, we would open EVERY faucet in the house slightly until they are barely dripping water. Open BOTH the hot and cold sides of the faucet as well, because oddly enough hot water pipes typically freeze inside walls long before cold pipes do. By allowing the faucets to slightly drip this keeps the water slowly moving in those pipes inside your walls, and is often enough to prevent any freeze damage. If you do this, don't forget any laundry sinks you may have in your garage. In my opinion, it is well worth wasting a few gallons of water overnight in order to prevent an expensive plumbing repair. During the day they can all be closed again, because normal faucet use in an occupied house will usually suffice to keep the water moving in your pipes.
I hope this information helps someone out. Good luck to all! Stay safe and warm, and enjoy this beautiful treat while it lasts.
Blessings,
Tom Ruth
Church News
Dear Church Family,
- Tuesday Evening Prayer: Dustin will be taking over the leadership of Tuesday Evening Prayer meetings. Please consider attending. These evening prayer meetings are important and effective. Patrick or Gene lead on Monday. Mitch leads on Thursdays. Randy leads on Fridays. They are each held in the Sofa Room at the end of the hall from 6:00 to 7:00 PM. If you are unable to attend one of the evening meetings, please pray God will send someone to man the wall in your place and help keep Vista Hills Church a house of prayer.
- Pro-life Ministry Building: We are beginning the work this week on finishing the break room with cabinets, countertops, and a sink. We are also beginning the acid wash, stain, and sealing of the concrete floor. Keep it all in prayer and stand by for regular updates on the progress.
- Workday: March 6th from 8:30 until noonish
- breakfast and fellowship at 8:30
- installing vents in the four bathrooms of the two-story building
- replacing water-stained ceiling tiles
- installing white-board in the science classroom
- light gardening around the grounds
- New Life Christian Academy: Our school has grown from 24 students to 29 students since you started praying. Please take a moment to give God thanks. Also please remember we can easily have a student population of 45 with our current infrastructure. Please continue to ask the Father to entrust us with more kids.
- From Grae on the subject of the annual retreat: I don't know about you but I think we all might be looking forward to getting away for our annual Retreat. As of right now, the date for this Retreat is June 4-6 at Sacramento Camp in the Sacramento Mountains in New Mexico. I think one of the things we've had to learn through this past year is to be flexible! So, for right now this is the plan and I wanted you to be able to "pencil" into your calendars for this weekend get-away. I'll keep you posted...
Food Boxes
Dear Church Family,
We received 17 food boxes this morning. Seven of those have been spoken for so there are only 10 available at this time. Please call or text Grace If you would like to take one to your neighbor or family member who might be in need of food. Each box comes with a gallon of fresh milk so these will have to be picked up by 7:00 tonight. Please let Grace know before 5 pm how many you want. Whatever has not been claimed by 5:00 will have to be given away so that they don't spoil.
Your Servant
Randy
Prayer Meetings
Dear Church Family,
Our 6 pm evening prayer meetings resume this week as follows:
Mon lead by Gene
Tues by Todd
Thurs by Mitch
Friday by Randy
Your Servant
Randy
Memorizing Scripture
Dear Church Family,
I found an app that helps with memorizing scripture on the play store. It is called Verse Locker. I'm working on the book of Matthew. It is helping.
Your servant
Randy
New Years Eve
Dear Church Family,
After our time fellowship with games and snacks, I would like to invite you to join me in the sanctuary at 11:30 for a time of prayer. I intend to use 30 minutes for us to reflect and respond in prayer to what God has done in 2020 followed by 30 min of prayer devoting 2021 to His purposes and His glory. I hope you will join me.
Holiday Schedule
Dear Church Family,
Instead of prayer meetings this week, the following will be taking place
Mon-Wed 4-7pm: Open House
Grace and Randy's house - 1743 Bara Dr.
Hot Soup will be served.
Thurs 6:30-whenever: Game Night Event
Fellowship Hall
Last Person Lock Up and Turn Out the Lights
Bring all your holiday sweets and snacks to share.
Friday Whenever am - Whenever pm: New Years Day Stay Home, Hold Your Belly and Grow Event
Sunday:
Regular Service Schedule
New Years Eve Plan
Randy, please forward this to the church;
Since we will be having the traditional "game night" on Thursday, December 31, and since Sandy Heath's plans keep getting changed so that we know she will still be in El Paso, we thought we could use that gathering as an opportunity to wish Sandy safe travels as she leaves us to make her new home in Florida. Anyone who would like to can come. There will be cake, other assorted goodies, all kinds of games and I trust, a lot of laughs (and maybe some tears) as we say goodbye to 2020 and Sandy, and usher in 2021.
Love you family of Christ - Merry Christmas!!!
Grae
Thank You from Donna!
Hi Randy,
Grae and Gay brought a beautiful candle and Christmas cards to me the other day. I don't always get to see everyone in church to thank them personally. So, if you can share this so everyone will know how much this meant to me. I feel so blessed to be a part of Vista Hills Church and united with the families of Vista Hills Church, I'd like to thank everyone for the Christmas cards and wishes.
Merry Christmas to you and yours,
Donna
Holiday Schedule
Dear Church Family,
We will not have our evening prayer meetings this week. We will resume them next Monday. We will also not have our Wednesday evening activities this week or next. We will have our annual Candle Light Service Christmas Eve at 6:30 and a Game Night New years Eve at 6:30. Bring your holiday treats so you can spread the calories around. As the scriptures, "Share one another's burdens."
Your Servant
Randy
Help
Hello:
There is a group of teachers at one of our local Christian schools that might not be getting a paycheck this Christmas.
We’d like to ask for your help by praying for the school, as well as—if you find it in your hearts & if your financial situation allows it—to make a donation towards the teachers salary.
Have a blessed and peaceful Christmas season. Please feel free to contact me.
Josefina Munoz
915 433-8953