Vision Night Recap

Every year you are invited to a night to be informed about the work accomplished the previous year and a preview for the year to come. This year we called it Vision Night. For those of you who were able to join us then, this is a review. For those who were unable to attend Vision Night, this is important information.

OUR MISSION AND VISION

Our church leadership has been working for several months to identify and articulate our mission and vision. Last October we presented our mission: Mountainview exists to “Affect life change through belonging, growing and serving.” (BELONG ~ GROW ~ SERVE). We have identified the vision fueling our mission for the next three to five years is “Bringing real HOPE to All people All the time”.

At the very beginning of Jesus’ earthly ministry He visited His hometown. He stood before His family and childhood friends and neighbors to read from the prophet Isaiah. Luke records it this way:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.
Luke 4:18-19 NLT

Then Jesus proceeded to tell the crowd the scripture just read had been fulfilled. These words were the reason Jesus had come to earth and would become the vision for His entire earthly ministry.

This is why we believe God is calling Mountainview to “Bring real HOPE to All people All the time”. Hope is the Good News. Hope is the Gospel of Jesus. We want to model Jesus and respond to people by bringing them Hope, specifically and exactly where they are.

Sick people want to be well. Blind people want to see. The hungry want something to eat. People who have lost loved ones want them back. Jesus considered this question throughout His ministry: What is HOPE for him, for her or for them?

As we become people who are aligned with the heart of God and as we begin to understand the reason God sent Jesus to earth, then we will grasp the invitation to join God in bringing REAL HOPE to all people.

OUR STRATEGY

To accomplish the vision fully in the next three to five years, the leadership has outlined five strategic points to fulfill:

1. Articulate simple and clear next steps for new people.
   This means a person new to Mountainview would clearly know what steps they can take to become a Christian or to partner with Mountainview.
2. Research, define and implement a flexible small group emphasis.
   We believe healthy, authentic, vulnerable and Christ-centered community will lead to spiritual growth like nothing else. We believe God will use small groups where people BELONG so they can GROW.
3. Enhance our Children’s Ministry.
   Without a doubt our leadership desires a dynamic Children’s Ministry that is the “secret sauce” to what we do. We want a clean, safe and fun environment for children. We want a Children’s Ministry that makes kids excited to come to Mountainview every week!
4. Develop our worship service to bring Hope to all who need it.
   Attending church for the first time can be an awkward experience. We want to make sure we explain what we do and why we do it so the awkwardness can be diminished. We want to make sure we are welcoming and helpful. We want to be intentional about inviting people to follow Jesus.
5. Serve people who are in need of restoration and practical hope.
   Although we believe Jesus is the ultimate Hope, we need to remember the world is full of brokenness, evil and people with needs and problems. We can make a difference. We want to make sure we work together to help meet the real and felt needs of people.

RADICAL ASK (CAPITAL CAMPAIGN) UPDATE

In March and April our leadership came to you with a need and an opportunity.

The need: to repair the older portion of our roof totaling $80,000
The opportunity: to reduce our mortgage interest rate by raising at least $100,000

In a little over one month through 191 Mountainview families YOU raised $368,821.89!
$168,821.89 in the form of contributions and $200,000 in the form of partnerships.

This money is making it possible for the roof to be repaired this summer using the $80,000 set aside.
The remaining funds were applied to our church mortgage, bringing the principle amount down to $2,972,996 and reducing the total remaining monthly payments by 33, with a total potential savings over time to $928,419!

FINANCIAL UPDATE

We have a dedicated, hardworking and knowledgeable finance team who manages our budget and everything involving our day to day finances. We desire to be forthright regarding church finances. If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please direct them to our church treasurer Tanney Staffenson.

Income for Fiscal Year July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013

Expenses for Fiscal Year July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013

Fiscal Year 2011-2012 and Fiscal Year 2012-2013 Comparison

Current Fiscal Year 2013-2014 Budget

Current Fiscal Year to Date - July 1, 2013 through April 30, 2014 INCOME

Current Fiscal Year to Date - July 1, 2013 through April 30, 2014 EXPENSES

One of the many reasons Vision Night was scheduled in May was because it is the beginning of our fiscal year budget process. Each year we ask our church family to communicate with our treasurer about their intended giving. The reason we do this is because it allows our finance team to prepare an accurate budget for the next fiscal year.

We believe our future is bright, our mission is big and our vision is God-given. We believe our strategy is worth funding. However, we must be responsible managers of money. When our finance team has an idea about the income, then they can project the expenses.

As you can see, we have a BIG MISSION, A GOD-GIVEN VISION, A COHESIVE STRATEGY, and A FINANCIAL PROCESS that cannot be accomplished without us working together. It is my hope and prayer that you are encouraged and will continue to partner together to make an IMPACT in our church, our community and around the world.

Respectfully,

Tom Santillanes
Lead Pastor

BELONG - GROW - SERVE

December 23, 2013

We say often that Jesus is the reason for the season. Tomorrow night is Christmas Eve and we have a great opportunity as a church to gather and worship God for His incredible gift. This is actually the main reason for our Christmas Eve service this year. The only gift that we can give that Jesus wants from us is our worship. We have plenty of reason to give Jesus our worship and we will be sharing about three of those reasons.

At 6:00pm our Christmas Eve service will begin. We will worship together through songs, communion, scripture readings, offering and prayer. We are including an offering because we have some families who have been preparing this year to give a Christmas Eve offering. Many of them will be in this service with their families and desire to do it together.

Finally, Christmas Eve is one of the easiest services to invite someone to. If you have a family member, co-worker, neighbor or friend who needs Christmas Hope, make sure you invite them. Why? Because, Luke 19:10 says, "For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost." Once the lost are found, the found find the lost. Finally, Christmas is a good reminder that nothing is impossible, Jesus is with us and He is worthy of our worship.

Check out this video!

Merry Christmas!

Blessings!
Pastor Tom
BELONG - GROW - SERVE

December 13, 2013

I’ve come to believe that Christmas is special to so many because of traditions. There seems to be a normalcy for me around Christmas time. It is one of the few times in the year that I can anticipate a routine, reconnect with the familiar and enjoy traditions.

What are your Christmastime traditions and routines?

For me it is eggnog, Charlie Brown’s Christmas Movie, Christmas Vacation, Christmas music and carols, hot chocolate and apple cider. It is the home baked goods, the smells of trees, wreaths and poinsettias. It is the lights dimmed so the tree lights radiate in our home. It is the candles that are lit in our home. My wife always puts out Christmas scented hand soaps, I like this. It is the attitude of generosity that people seem to have around Christmastime. It is the peppermint everything and everywhere time of year.

As a countdown for Christmas, my wife wraps all the Christmas books we have and our son is allowed to open on every day. I don’t know if this is more exciting for him or for me. Some of the books haven’t changed and I remember having many of them read to me as a kid. In high school choir I actually learned the baritone parts to six different Christmas carols, so when I hear them sung I actually think I can help make them sound good too.

Christmas is familiar, there are routines and a sense of normalcy…until something doesn’t go as planned.

As I’m reflecting on Luke 2 this week in preparation for the weekend message, I’m almost shocked at what seems to be such an unplanned event Jesus’ birth seemed to be. If God ever had an opportunity to “show off” it was at the birth of Jesus. In the birth of John the Baptist in Luke 1, John’s birth is proclaimed and announced in the capital city of Jerusalem, at the temple and in the center of the city hubbub. Jesus, His birth is humblest as He is born in a rural country town. John’s father is a priest and his mother is from the line of Aaron. Jesus’ earthly parents are average, middle class and have an average social status.

What was God doing? Why does the birth seem so unplanned and so chaotic? The first Christmas was not the picture we see in an amazing depiction of a nativity scene. Join us this Sunday as we look at the birth of Jesus, our Savior. Invite someone because I believe they’ll walk out with more HOPE than they walked in with.

Blessings!
Pastor Tom
BELONG - GROW - SERVE

December 6, 2013

I recently read about a man named Father Damien. Father Damien became a Catholic Priest in Hawaii where he served at several parishes on the island of Oahu. Father Damien became aware of the public health crisis in Hawaii and decided he could help. Hawaiians were afflicted with diseases that settlers had brought to the islands such as influenza, syphilis and leprosy.

King Kamehameha IV separated the lepers and moved them to a settlement on the island of Molokai. They were given food and some supplies but nothing to help them with proper healthcare. Father Damien thought they should at least have a priest to assist with the spiritual needs.

In May 1873, Damien went to the settlement where 600 lepers lived. He built a church and established a Parish for lepers. Damien was more than their priest; he was a doctor and dressed their ulcers. He was a builder and helped the lepers build homes, beds and a school. Damien built over 200 coffins and dug their graves so they could be buried with dignity and respect.

Damien made a difference in the colony of lepers. He went to a place where people were deprived, forced to fight to survive and left with little resources and medical supplies. The colony of lepers became a place of civilization with painted houses, farms, construction, renewed faith and value. Damien showed the lepers that they were worth more than the world told them.

Father Damien got too close. He touched the lepers, he embraced them and he loved them. While serving the lepers and striving to make their life better, he contracted leprosy. As he spoke to the lepers one day, it is recorded that he didn't say, "You lepers." He actually said, "We lepers." Damien had become one of them. Damien was not living among them, he was one of them.

I like this story because it reminds me of the message of Christmas. God isn't positioned far off in another land. He isn't asking us to travel far and long to find Him. Instead, God came to us! He lived in our skin. Jesus walked, talked, ate, slept, cried, got angry, was sad, happy and laughed.

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then, with confidence, draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."  Hebrews 4:15-16

This is what Christmas is all about. God, through His Son, came to earth to rub shoulders with us. God wrapped himself in skin and came near to us. Christmas is about Immanuel, God with us!

Our Christmas series is Surprised by Hope. I want you to be here as we celebrate the Christmas season together as a church. I want you to invite people who need this Hope! I believe people will walk out with more Hope than they walked in with; they just need you to ask them to come.

Blessings!
Pastor Tom
BELONG - GROW - SERVE

November 13, 2013

I was so pleased with you this past Sunday. Thank you for checking out the information on our missionaries in the hallways before, between and after our worship services. Thank you for making Chris, our guest speaker feel so welcome and thank you for receiving his message to you. Chris is someone who God used to create a passion in my heart, mind and life for missions. I hope you were able to see why. Thank you again for being so receptive to our mission's emphasis weekend.

This past summer we walked through The Story of the Bible. We left this series with the reminder that we are all a part of the story still being written. For three months, I have had the honor and privilege to serve you as your Lead Pastor. I have felt led and compelled to take a few weeks before the Christmas season and talk about Our Storyand specifically for this Sunday, The State of Our Church.
In preparation for Our Story: The State of Our Church I would ask, beg and plead with you to prepare yourself for the message this weekend by reading Acts 13-16, yes, four whole chapters. It is nearly impossible to cover this scripture in the message time. It would do you and me a great service to take some time the next few days and read through Acts 13-16, which is Paul’s missionary journey.

I believe we’re in for a surprise in how much Mountainview’s Story looks like Paul’sStory. There are some lessons to learn and a future to look toward as we look at all Paul dealt with.

This weekend will be a great time to hear my heart and see where we are headed.

If you haven’t already, please consider the way you will participate in our 4 Ways of Practicing Generosity this season as a church. Operation Christmas Child boxes are due this week, Thanksgiving Box food is due next week and missionary cards are available one more week. Coming soon will be our Christmas drive through the Giving Tree. Watch for those to be available in a couple weeks.

Blessings!
Pastor Tom

Addiction

I’m so thankful to be a part of a church that cares about the restoration of people. In reality, if you can breathe and you’re human then you probably have issues, struggles, disappointments and let downs. All these things can set us up to addictive behavior. Often our addictions are addictions because we have unresolved underlying issues. Mountainview Christian Church has a restoration ministry because we believe God can change people, save lives and marriages, encourage and support the lonely, broken and lost. I was pleased to hear Pastor Dave share with our church about addictions and give us practical steps to break free from our addictions.

As I thought through the message on Sunday as verse kept coming back to mind:

"No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will alsoprovide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." 1 Corinthians 10:13 (ESV)

God is aware of our addictions. What is your addiction? What are you willing to overcome your addiction? Pastor Dave reminded us to not deceive yourselves, to understand and resolve your underlying issues, to remember your addiction is a life-long battle and to think about what God is calling you to do with the rest of your life. I hope you know that Mountainview is committed to partnering with the Holy Spirit and producing life change.

Our Restoration Ministry is for real people with real issues to find real answers. If you’d like more information about this ministry please contact Pastor Dave at the church. This ministry is making a difference in many lives. Currently we have four counselors and one life coach available seeing between 35-40 clients each week. We have a partnership with 12 Step programs where nearly 150 people come into our church building for support each week. In addition to the 12 Step programs we offer classes such as Divorce Care, The Genesis Process, Grief Share, Hungry for Hope, Changes that Heal and How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk.

We finish our HOSTAGE series this week with LIES. Lies we tell and lies we believe can hold us HOSTAGE. We will provide you with a practical strategy to break free from LIES. I hope you’ll plan on being here as we wrap this series up.

Don’t forget to swing by on October 31st for Trunk or Treat, 6:30-8:30pm. Bring your whole family to our parking lot for a night of decked out vehicles, family fun, foods and treats as we strive to bring light into our community.

Mountainview, I am proud of you, I believe in you and I love you!
Pastor Tom