Staunton's VBS travels on a "Paradise Cruise" Saturday through Thursday, August 19-24, 5:00-8:30 p.m. Matt Stafford and his puppets will kickoff the adventure-filled trip toward the final destination—a relationship with Jesus Christ. Join the VBS cruise.

Suck Spring invites you to join them at the "Arctic Edge" VBS, July 9-14, 6:30-8:30 p.m. All ages welcome.

Suck Spring WMU and Mission Kids are sponsoring "Operation Christmas Child" shoebox ministry churchwide this year.

Thaxton will host KIDSFEST '06 on Saturday, August 5. There will be face painting, puppets, a giant inflatable climb/slide/bounce, story telling, carnival games, and much more! There will also be an opportunity to register for Vacation Bible School which will be August 6-10, 6-8 p.m.

Karen McGuire, Lisa Rice, Tyler Rice, and Teresa Grant of Thaxton left June 25 to serve with a disaster relief team in Louisiana. They will return on July 1.

Trinity's pastor, Vernon DeLong, was airlifted to Roanoke Memorial Hospital after he fell from a barn roof on May 26. He suffered 3 fractures to the skull, some broken ribs, and a punctured lung. UPDATE from Wanda (June 27): "PRAISE GOD!! Vernon will be coming home tomorrow, June 28. I am to pick him up around 9:30 a.m. He is still in a great deal of pain, so continue to pray for God to take that away. He will be having therapy 2 days a week, we don't have the schedule on that yet. We would like to thank everyone for your prayers, cards, visits, and help during the 33 days he has been in the hospital and rehab. We will continue to keep you updated as Vernon continues to get back to normal.

Walnut Grove Baptist ordained Ernest (Ernie) Dooley as a deacon on May 21, 2006. Each deacon of the church lifted Ernie to God in prayer during the laying on of hands. Mike Dooley, deacon chairman, presented Ernie a certificate of ordination. Those taking part in the service were deacons Mike Dooley, Jim Harris, Emmett Lawrence, Jeffrey Goad, Ferrell Higinbotham; trustees Randy Craig and Tommy Divers; Rev. Harold Lewis and Rev Calvin Shepherd; as well as both the Baptist and Methodist congregations. Ernie and Sandra have been a blessing to Walnut Grove. They are the youth leaders, and Ernie has been a lay speaker in the absence of the pastors. The church asks for special prayer on Ernie's behalf as he undergoes treatment for cancer.