Looking for a good book for your summer reading? Perhaps you are looking for a challenge or a book that will grow your mind and increase your awareness of the world? Why not join others from HRBC in inaugurating the HRBC Summer Reading Group? This summer, join others in our church and community in reading Richmond’s Unhealed History. Written by Rev. Ben Campbell, head of Richmond Hill, the book examines the contradictions and crises that have formed the city over more than four centuries. Campbell “argues that the community of metropolitan Richmond is engaged in a decisive spiritual battle and that the city, more than any other in the nation, has the potential for an unprecedented and historic achievement.”

We will read the book together throughout the summer. The group will culminate with a book discussion on Wednesday, August 8. You can order the book through the church through June 14. The book is $16.00.

Please consider donating any of the following items that will help our VBS be a success:

• washed plastic gallon milk cartons with lids (labels removed, if possible)
• shoe boxes with lids
• clear 16.9 oz. water bottles with lids
• used CDs
• small to medium seashells

Donation bins will be located outside the gym, in the Wallis Building foyer, and the Narthex.
If you want to know more about donating time, talent, or “stuff”, please contact Amanda Lott  We’d love to have you jump overboard with us this summer!

Join us July 9 - 13 as we help children learn and understand the depth of God’s love and care for them. We’ll learn about depending on God, claiming Jesus, choosing to follow Jesus and how we can change our world. Areas that need your support through prayer and volunteering: preschool classroom leaders, grade school line leaders, grade school missions leader; prayers for the parents and families as they register for VBS; prayers for our leaders as they prepare materials and get ready to teach; prayers for the children as they get ready to hear how much God loves them!

If you want to know more about donating time, talent, or “stuff”, please contact Amanda Lott (Amanda@hrbcrichmond.org)! We’d love to have you dive in with us this summer!

As our mentors wrap up another year of wonderful relationships at Reams Road Elementary School, we have an opportunity to share the gift of books with students there. The school is sponsoring a book drive and is in need of new and gently used children’s books. If you have books to donate, please bring them Wednesday to our covered dish dinner and celebration program or drop them off this Sunday.

Today, May 19 marks the 4th anniversary of Jon Greenhill’s service as Associate Pastor for Youth and College Age Ministries. His ministry focuses on those who are in middle school, high school and college or early career. Please take this opportunity to express your appreciation to Jon.

HRBC Baby Boomers (1946-1964) will attend the Flying Squirrels game on Thursday, June 14 at 6:30 pm. Some HRBC young adults will be singing the national anthem that night and fireworks will follow the game. Tickets are $10 each and available through Melissa Fallen until we sell out of our block!

It’s Time Shows Steady, Remarkable Progress

Gifts to the It’s Time campaign now have topped the $700,000 mark. What a remarkable accomplishment this is in a sluggish economy! These funds have been raised just since last fall, and represent financial gifts over and above regular tithes and offerings that support our ongoing budget requirements.

Do you realize that at this rate, the church could well exceed $1 million in It’s Time contributions by the end of 2012? This would match our approximately $1 million annual budget offering goal. Thank you for your generosity and for your faithfulness!

Wednesday, May 23 is the last day of mid-week discipleship activities for the spring. Therefore, we are celebrating with food and reflection time. Join us in the gym at 5:15 pm for a covered dish dinner. At 6:00 pm, when our age groups normally break for their ministries, we will have a sharing time in the gym. We will learn about what happens in other parts of the building while we are engaged in study in our own particular areas. This will include a musical presentation from our King’s Kids Choirs, Jonah’s Druthers. Join us for this time of learning more about God’s work among our church family! Childcare is provided for those who are 2 and younger.

Huguenot Road Baptist Church was founded in 1964 as a mission of Bon Air Baptist Church. Every June, we celebrate our birthday as a church family. This year we turn 48! Our celebration will include:

·A combined worship service at 11 am, preceded by Sunday School at 9:45 am (note the time changes for this Sunday only)
·Covered dish dinner on the grounds, following the service
·Special Heritage Day Offering, which will go to the It’s Time capital improvements fund, moving us closer to our $800,000 goal for construction to begin
·Recommitment to our mission and vision as a congregation

Our schedules are full, so I hope you will intentionally make the time commitment to be here to celebrate this milestone. Sometimes Heritage Day gets a bit lost between Graduate Recognition Day on the first Sunday of June and the beginning of summer vacations.

It would be wonderful to get a boost in the It’s Time contributions that day, so that we can authorize detailed building drawings and get on with the much-anticipated improvements to our facilities. We will soon see the beginning of upgrades to our sanctuary sound and video systems which will greatly expand our flexibility in worship. Changes will soon become obvious, as anticipation turns to excitement.

See you on June 10 for Heritage Day!

Bert Browning

The youth of HRBC will be holding a silent auction to raise money for various youth activities during the coming year. Please help support this wonderful group of young people by coming out on Sunday, May 20, 2012 in the MPR to bid on various baked goods- cookies, cakes, pies, casseroles, etc- all prepared by members of HRBC. Auction tables will open at 9:45 am Sunday morning and will remain open until 12:30 pm, when the first auction tables will close. Winners of these items will be able to purchase their items at this time. The remaining tables will reopen at 4:00 pm until the auction closes at 6:00pm. Winners of remaining items will be announced and items will be available for pick-up from 6:00 pm until 7:00 pm. Alternate pick-up tmes may be available.

We are still in need of baked goods to be auctioned. If you are interested in donating, please contact Jennie Raugh. Please come and support our youth group...and pick up dessert while you're there!

Join us Sunday evening, May 20 at 6:00 pm for an evening of instrumental classics, patriotic tunes and toe tapping fun. The HRBC Festival Orchestra is our intergenerational mentoring orchestra which provides music for worship, seasonal programs and concert events. Invite your friends to join you and your family as we worship, remember and enjoy the music these fine instrumentalists provide for us.

During the month of May, the Alwilda Reber Circle is sponsoring a PB&J drive. Donation boxes, decorated by our children, are located in the children's building and outside the Sunday School office. Please help us surpass the 85 jars collected last year! All donations will be given to those in need at our area Baptist centers.

The Week of Prayer for Associational Missions is May 20-27. Throughout the week, we ask you to pray specifically for the ministries and employees of the Richmond Baptist Association as well as the cooperative efforts of the Central Virginia Baptist Ministries.

As part of our associational missions emphasis, we will collect a love offering to support the work of Camp Alkulana. Camp Alkulana is a summer camping experience for inner city children that takes place in Millboro Springs, Virginia, deep in the Allegheny Mountains. In fact, HRBC recently sent a group of twenty-nine to help prepare the camp for summer use. This camp has been in operation since 1915. Please consider how you will give generously so we can reach our goal of $5,000 for Camp!

Are you a senior in high school who is planning to attend college in the fall? Are you in a nursing program and need a little help financially? Then now is the time to fill out applications for the Jennifer Anderson Scholarship and the Donalda Dunn Nursing Scholarship. These scholarships have been given to the church in memory of Donalda Dunn and Jennifer Anderson. It is our pleasure to pass them on to one recipient of each every year. If you are interested in applying for either of these scholarships, please email Jon Greenhill for more information!

Today, May 1, marks Bert Browning’s anniversary at HRBC. We are grateful for Bert’s 17 years among us as senior pastor, offering his gifts and challenging us to be faithful to God’s calling as a community of faith. Use this opportunity to express your appreciation to Bert.