A Note from Pastor Tom

It's the weekend!

By now kids are back in school and the new routines are in place. Although our oldest has only started kindergarten, I've still found myself looking forward to the weekend.


Speaking of weekends, I have a few pieces of info to share:


1) What a great way to celebrate our church last weekend! I LOVE MY CHURCH weekend is an encouragement to me. I heard so many of you share the same sentiments. Thanks for being here, thanks for bringing food to share, thanks for eating the food, and thanks for celebrating our church family together.

2) Starting this weekend, we will be looking at how small adjustments can make a big difference in your life. Have you ever heard of the Trinidad Scorpion Moruga pepper? This small pepper has been tested to have over 2 million scoville units of heat! It is true that small things can make a big difference. What if we made some small adjustments in our thoughts, our words and our habits? Do you think it would make a difference? I hope you'll worship with us either at 9:00am or 10:40am on Sunday morning.

3) Save the Date:
October 4th from 9am-1pm: Highland Elementary Community Work Day
October 5th from 2pm-5pm: Let's Go Bowling (Family Fun)
October 12th: Missions Sunday
October 18th: "A Stitch in Time" at 9am (Women's Conference)

I’m excited about all I see God doing in the life of Mountainview. I was especially excited as I watched nearly 250 men, women, students, and kids find a place to GROW on Wednesday. Our halls and rooms were full between Wednesday morning’s studies and the evening studies. Let's watch and see what God does through us individually and as a church!

See you Sunday! Have a great weekend!


Pastor Tom

A Note from Pastor Tom

Good Morning Mountainview Family,

Listen to what Paul said about the church when he wrote to the Church of Ephesus about husbands and wives:

"...Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish." (Ephesians 5:25-27 ESV)

In a book entitled, The New Testament Church: Then and Now, Leroy Lawson makes the argument that every Christ follower ought to see their church as the most important church in the world. Here are a few of his reasons why:

• You meet God in your church.
• You become excited about life in your church.
• You learn to care about others in your church.
• You grow into Christlikeness in your church.
• You prepare for the future in your church.

I LOVE MY CHURCH and I think I'm on the staff at the most important church in the world.

Tomorrow, we are celebrating Mountainview Christian Church . I LOVE MY CHURCH Sunday is set aside for us to celebrate YOU, our church family and to celebrate the work God is doing in us and through us. I want to celebrate with you the amazing things God has done.

We are trying something different...a "potluck" continental breakfast during synergy time between worship services. Bring your favorite pastry or fruit dish to share and help us celebrate our church.

This is how the morning looks:

9:00-10:00 Worship
10:00-11:00 Food, Fun and Sharing
11:00-12:00 Worship

So, we need 9:00 worshipers to plan on staying later than usual and the 10:40 worshipers to come early. We hope you will take this opportunity to meet someone new or reconnect with old friends as we snack together and celebrate what God is doing at Mountainview.


See you Sunday!

Blessings!
Pastor Tom 

The Mountainview Top 5

Here are the top five things you need to know:
1. Wallace and Mary Kamau from Nairobi, Kenya, Africa are with us this weekend. They will be meeting with our church leaders, hosting a dinner on Saturday night, and sharing from the stage during both worship services on Sunday morning.

You are invited to “A Taste of Africa” dinner tomorrow evening, the 6th at 6 PM in the Family Life Center. If you haven’t already signed up, please click here to email Liz Gardner. 
I know you'll be blessed by the Kamau's on Sunday morning. Mountainview has affected more life change than I ever realized. I know you'll be encouraged and hope you'll be here.

2. We have an overwhelming list of opportunities for you to experience GROWTH this fall. Starting this Sunday we will be promoting these opportunities in the foyer. I would like to see 80% of our church family BELONG to a GROW group this fall.

Will you consider what you might commit to? 

• The Women are studying the books of Philippians and Colossians.
• The Young Moms and Dads will be doing a six-week parenting class.
• The Men are taking a look at David and the book of James.
• Financial Learning Experience will show you practical tools to manage your finances.
• The Marriage Ministry will be offering a six-week class called "The Art of Marriage".
• Another parenting class about how to talk so kids will listen and how to listen so they will talk will be offered on Sunday evenings.
• "Divorce Care" and "Grief Share" are great support groups for people who have experienced either divorce or grief, especially from the loss of a loved one.
• "Boundaries" helps you develop healthy boundaries, addresses codependency and teaches when and how to say "no".
• The Restoration Ministry is providing several shorter "Life Change" groups throughout the week such as, "Avoiding Mr. Wrong", "Men's Issues Group" and Men's & Women's "Genesis Process Groups. 

3. I LOVE MY CHURCH on September 14th. Simply said, we want to celebrate YOU, our church family. I continue to be amazed at the way you let God use you to change lives. 

We are trying something different...a "potluck" continental breakfast during synergy time between worship services. Bring your favorite pastry or fruit dish to share and help us celebrate our church.

We hope you will take this opportunity to meet someone new or reconnect with old friends as we snack together and celebrate what God is doing at MVCC.

4. It is with sadness and excitement we inform you that our Children's Intern, Jonathan Veliquette  has accepted an Elementary Director position at a church in Southern California.

Jonathan and Sierra have both grown up at MVCC, where they have been active leaders in our youth group and consistent volunteers in our children's ministry. They have been very faithful in their internship while they finished at Multnomah University.

We have an opportunity to send this young couple on to their first full time ministry position. Will you join me in praying for the impact God is preparing for them to make? Would you also be praying as we search for a Children's Pastor to join our team?

We will celebrate their work at MVCC on Sunday, September 14th.

5. Finally, I am excited for everything we have lined up the next several months. Maybe you've been "barely" connected through the summer. We are intentionally providing multiple opportunities for you to "reconnect" with your church family. I hope you'll start this Sunday. As always, if we can assist you in BELONGING, GROWING or SERVING please let us know.

Blessings!

Pastor Tom