Announcements & Connection Links 12/13/25
Merry Christmas season, TBC family and friends!
Have you given out candy canes to anyone? Was there any reaction? Carol and I have given out 2 this week to servers at a restaurant. They just smiled big. You never know what kind of day they have had and how God can use a simple candy cane. We will have another batch available for this Sunday for you. Thanks for being the hands and feet of Jesus while shopping or eating out this Christmas season. I hope they will open the door for you to tell your story. I heard a cool story last night of someone who told her story at a company Christmas party this past week. You just never know...be ready!!
Christmas Food Drive for Kids in Need
You can go to the church FaceBook page or stop by the desk in the foyer for a list of what is needed. If you have friends and co-workers who would love to help please take an info sheet to them. We will collect thru Sunday the 21st. THANKS!!
UPDATES:
1. Well after 3 Summits, a leadership retreat to consider what all was said, and two LT meetings I am excited to tell you that we plan to roll out our PVV (Purpose, Values, Vision) that prayerfully came out of the re-focusing process. We will roll this out on Sunday, January 11th at 10:30 am, and it will also be the first Sunday in our new neighboring sermon series "Loving Thy Neighbor." That Sunday night at 6pm we will continue looking at this special roll out in more depth. This not only helps direct our church to where God is working but also helps us prepare for the search process so we can share with pastor candidates just who we are and what we believe our mission is, and how we believe God is calling us to accomplish it. Exciting huh!?
Please be praying for Jan 11th as we come together as one Body to set out on the adventure God has been designing for us!
2. The second update is we plan to begin the search process in January, as well. The Leadership Team has begun the process of putting together a search team to lead this process and finding our next pastor of Truth Baptist Church. Exciting news huh! We will keep you in the loop as we begin this process and journey together! Would you like to be on the Prayer Team for this search and intercede on our behalf as a church in search of the next pastor? Your prayers are so needed at this time. Please answer this email if you would like to be on this special prayer team. Stay tuned for more info!
Exciting days for Jesus!
Pastor Pat
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
1. NEW MEMBER: We welcome Kirsten Muirhead as our newest TBC member!
2. CHILDREN'S CHRISTMAS PROGRAM REHEARSALS: We are asking all children to attend the rehearsal for the Children's Christmas program this Sunday at 9:15am. All 2 year olds through high schoolers should also come in the evening around 5:15pm to be fully in costume and seated in their spot with their class by 5:30pm. The Christmas Program will begin at 6pm. We will have a cookie fellowship after the program, so we are asking each family to bring 2 dozen cookies or a platter of fruit to go along with our theme, "Sweets for our little sweeties."
3. LADIES HOMEMADE COOKIE SWAP: All ladies are invited to attend our annual Homemade Cookie Swap on Monday, December 15th at 6:30pm at Linda Ploszaj's home in Windsor, CT. Please reply to this email if you need the address. All cookies should be homemade and packaged in packs of 6 cookies. Please also bring some light snack/hors d'oeuvre to share. If you would also like to swap an ornament, you can bring an ornament to swap. We will swap and fellowship, and you will go home with an assortment of our favorite homemade cookies to freeze or use for the holidays! If you want any more information, please see Linda Ploszaj or Kateri Tower.
4. NEW YOUNG ADULT LIFE GROUP: All young adults in the 18-28ish range are welcome to attend our new life group hosted on Wednesday evenings at 7pm by Dave and Amy Pepe. They will meet upstairs in the gymnasium. Please note that they will be meeting on 12/17 but not on 12/24 or 12/31. They will resume meeting on Wednesday evenings regularly in January. This is a great opportunity to bring a friend!
5. FOOD FOR BACKPACKS: We are reaching out to needy kids at Maple Street School in Ellington by bringing in food to send home with boys and girls in food scarcity situations. We have to December 21st to bring in the food so it can go in backpacks. All food can be placed in the church office labeled for the Food Drive.
6. CHRISTMAS EVE WHITE ELEPHANT GIFT EXCHANGE: The Rowleys invite everyone to their home on Christmas Eve at 6pm for pizza, fellowship, and an annual tradition of a white elephant gift exchange. Please bring one wrapped gift valued $10 or less per person (you can find it from around your house!) to exchange. If you can, please also bring some snacks or a side dish or appetizers or dessert to share. Please RSVP to Deanna Rowley if you plan to come.
7. CHRISTMAS MISSIONARY OFFERING: If you would like to donate an extra gift to our regular missionaries, you can make an offering in the box at church or on our website with the designation Christmas Missions.
8. NEW YEAR'S EVE PARTY: Everyone is invited to attend our New Year's Eve party in the gymnasium at 6:30pm on Wednesday evening, December 31st in the gymnasium. We will have some pizza, some group games for all ages, an open basketball court for kids, lots of individual board games happening, and praying in the New Year together with whoever is still around. Winners of games throughout the night will receive free raffle tickets that can be used to enter the raffle for some fun prizes at the end of the night. If you can come, please RSVP to Melanie by replying to this email or via text. We are asking everyone to bring a salad, appetizer, or dessert to share with everyone. Pizza will be provided.
9. TBC BASKETBALL VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Our TBC Outreach Basketball League is starting up on January 17th. We need many volunteers on Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings to make this ministry run smoothly and be a blessing to our community! We need coaches and assistant coaches, scorekeepers, cafe assistants, experienced referees, setup and takedown volunteers, and lots of teens to assist in team drills, gameday substitutions, court set up, basketball distribution (younger vs older), basketball clean up, lowering and raising hoops for the changeovers, and more! If you have wanted to assist in the past, but are a bit uncertain of what to do as a coach, we are happy to provide guidance. Though basic knowledge of the game is suggested, we do have basketball 101 info, drill suggestions, and devotion guidance. Volunteering for this ministry should not be intimidating, and we want to make it as much of a great experience for you as for the players.
10. CHRISTMAS CARD TABLE: Lists are available in the lobby with the names of the regular attenders. We have a table set up in the lobby where everyone can exchange Christmas cards with each other, an annual TBC tradition. Please check your slot on the table each time you come in December! Cards will be removed by the first Sunday in January.
11. BAPTISM: We will be having a baptism service in mid January. If you are interested in being baptized, please let Pastor Eli know.
12. SAVE THE DATES:
- December 14 - PM - Children's Christmas Program
- December 15 - Ladies Homemade Cookie Swap
- December 19 - Teen Gingerbread Building Activity
- December 21 - PM - Christmas Meditations Night
- December 25 - Christmas Eve White Elephant Gift Exchange
- December 31 - New Year's Eve Party
- January 17 - Ladies International Dinner
- January 17 - Basketball Begins
- January 25 - Men's & Women's Ministry & Fellowship
- July 13-17 - VBS 2026
WEEKLY CONNECTION OPPORTUNITIES & LINKS:
Sunday, 9:15am - 2's - 5's Sunday School Class
Anyone in this age group is invited.
Sunday, 9:15am - 1st - 2nd Grade Sunday School Class
Anyone in this age group is invited.
Sunday, 9:15am - 3rd - 4th Grade Sunday School Class
Anyone in this age group is invited.
Sunday, 9:15am - 5th - 6th Grade Sunday School Class
Anyone in this age group is invited.
Sunday, 9:15am - Junior High Boys Class (7-9th grade)
Any boys in this age group are invited.
Sunday, 9:15am - Junior High Girls Class (7-9th grade)
Any girls in this age group are invited.
Sunday, 9:15am - Teen Class (10-12th grade)
Any guys or girls in this age group are invited. Fresh baked snacks available most weeks. :)
Sunday, 9:15am - Ladies' Bible Study and Prayer
Join us as we take a walk through the Old Testament Minor Prophets. From Hosea to Malachi, twelve in all, we’ll gain insight as we learn the who, what, where, why, and when of each letter, along with how each one applies to us. We meet in a classroom in the gymnasium, all ladies are welcome!
Sunday, 9:15am - Parenting Together
Join Eli and Madeline for a series called Parenting Together. Parenting Together focuses on helping couples strengthen their marriages while also leading their families. Starts at 9:30am. Their class meets in the room across from the teen room.
Sunday, 9:15am - The Book of 1st Peter (In Person & Zoom)
This class is studying the book of 1st Peter. We are seeing that Almighty God has called us out of an idolatrous, demonic world to be His ETERNAL ambassadors of light for Him in time. We are also seeing our ETERNAL position in Christ, contrary to that of a subjective, demonic position of darkness. We will pray from 9:15-9:30 and have some brief fellowship before diving into the Bible and discussions right around 9:30am. Anyone is welcome to join in the Young Adult room in the gym.
Sunday, 9:15am - Membership Class (Zoom By Request)
Pastor Rowley is teaching a rotating class focusing on what we believe and why we believe it. This class has time for Q&A each week and meets in the Junior Church classroom below the auditorium. Anyone is invited to join at any time.
Sunday, 10:30am - SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP SERVICE
The livestream can be accessed on Facebook and YouTube and our website 10-15 minutes before the start of the service.
Sunday, 10:50am - Junior Church
Junior Church is for children ages 2-9 and begins after the morning worship time in the auditorium.
Sunday, 5:00pm - Prayer Time for Church and Community Needs (Adult Classroom in Gym & on Zoom)
Anyone can join and pray with us!
Sunday, 6:00pm - SUNDAY EVENING SERVICE
The livestream can be accessed using the livestream button at the top of our website. Childcare and a Children's program (ages 2-9) are provided.
Tuesday, 7:00pm - Joseph & Rebecca Pondugula Life Group (Zoom Only)
This life group is studying the book of Exodus and is open to anyone via Zoom.
Wednesday, 10:00am - Chuck Jutras Life Group
Everyone is invited to join this life group that meets across from the church office at 10am on Wednesday mornings at the church. They are currently studying the love of God.
Wednesday, 7:00pm - Women's Bible Study
All ladies are invited to join us as we study the book of Revelation.
Wednesday, 7:00pm - Teen Group
Any teens are invited to join in the teen room at church. Pastor Rodriguez leads the teen group.
Wednesday, 7:00pm - Rudy Nelson Life Group
Everyone is invited to meet to discuss the Bible passage and sermon presented in the Sunday morning worship time. We meet downstairs in the Junior Church classroom under the auditorium from 7-8:30pm.
Wednesday, 7:00pm - Ron Radziewicz Life Group
We share snacks, fellowship, encouragement, prayer, and we'll discuss "Answers to Your Questions About Heaven" by David Jeremiah.
Please accept an invitation to our TBC Life Group meeting each Wednesday, at 7:00PM, at the home of one of our members.
Wednesday, 7:00pm - Pastor & Deanna Rowley Life Group (Zoom Only)
We study various Bible topics and books of the Bible. Anyone is invited to join via Zoom.
Wednesday, 7:00pm - Young Adult Life Group
We study various Bible topics and passages. All young adults between the ages of 18-28ish are invited to join in person at church. Dave and Amy Pepe lead this group.
If you would like to join a Life Group or Adult Bible Fellowship group, please text or call Kevin Tower at 860-916-5062.
If you have a prayer request or need help in some way, please contact the any of our staff and/or the Care Team at CareTeam@truthbaptistchurch.org.
Looking Unto Jesus,
TBC Staff
