So a couple of weeks ago, during Sunday night youth group, we had our students fill out a brief questionnaire. The questions were generally very basic and included questions like “Have you asked Jesus to forgive you for your sins by dying on the cross? If yes, when and how? If not what doubts or questions do you still have?” I was very surprised to see the responses of the students, and to learn about some of the questions that remain for many of our students. It also made me realize that often times I make huge assumptions about people based on superficial external factors. For example, if a student is relatively well behaved in youth group and comes from a good home, then historically I have made the assumption that they are probably a professing believer. As a result, I often times don’t spend time asking that student about whether or not they understand the gospel and instead move on to questions about how they are doing in terms of living out their faith. After spending time reading the questionnaires by our students I realized that with a handful of students I had made the assumption they were, indeed, a Christian. However, what I discovered is that some of them are still searching, still seeking, and still lost.

I don’t want to be guilty of making those assumptions anymore, and so I, along with our student leaders, are going to be more intentional in our conversations with students about the gospel, and making sure that they understand the simple and profound truth that Jesus died on the cross for our sins so that we could be restored to a right relationship with our father in heaven.

Do you have anyone in your life whom you have assumed is a believer? Whom you have assumed understands the gospel message?  More importantly, do you love them enough to have that potentially awkward conversation so that you can know for sure?

This is why I’ve created the self-control dance. It’s a dance that’s played out every moment of the day, with every single interaction I have. In some places, the dance comes naturally. In many other places, I am muttering the steps underneath my breath, reminding myself of God’s Word and the need to do what He says. One of those places for me is in the car, driving in traffic: quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger. In the car I have trouble remembering the last two steps especially. Some of my friends laugh at the constant diatribe I keep with other drivers when clearly, those drivers cannot hear me. I tell Mr. Buick to hurry up and turn already, Ms. SUV to slow down and let me over into the next lane, and Mr. F150 to get off my tailgate, would ya, buddy? This is not slow to speak. I’m speaking before I’m even thinking about what’s coming out my mouth.

This is not slow to anger. The whole reason I’m speaking is because I’m angry; people are in my way (which is not at all a good reason to be angry). In fact this is not even quick to listen. The Bible tells us to “take every thought captive,” (2 Corinthians 10:5) and also that “out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Matthew 12:34). So, if I am to be quick to listen (to God’s Word), which tells me to take every thought captive, and that out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks, then I am not being a very good listener when I let insults stream out of my mouth while driving my car, am I? Hmm, maybe I should tape the words “quick, slow, slow” to the dashboard of my car as a constant reminder.

I have many other areas in my life where the self-control dance of James 1:19 needs to take over as well. What are some of yours? Where in your life are you not being quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger?

There are moments in time when it dawns on a pastor, just how blessed he is to be serving the Lord along side of like-hearted, like-minded disciples. In recent days, I have been spending a good deal of time in worship, in meetings, and just walking the halls and observing who it is God has assembled here at Mountview.

A few days later, I arrived at the church for an early morning meeting with someone. I purposefully left the door to my office open and while I was waiting for them, the first 2 people to walk by… Matt Little and Jenny Hoffman. Two people, whose children are in our preschool and began attending Mountview with their families within the last year. What a blessing!

On Sunday afternoon following worship, 25 adults packed themselves into our library to hear and learn more about the possibility of traveling to New Orleans the week following Easter to serve the least of these devastated by Hurricane Katrina. I tried to peek in the door but there were two people standing in front of it on the inside of the room because there were no more places to sit. This service experience is being led by our volunteer staff of Justin Gardner, Matt Miller, and Lance Scotney who agreed to help lead this almost immediately after I initially asked them. Just awesome!

Daily I am watching you, church, deny self, pick up your cross, and follow Him. I see you greeting new guests, inviting them to your D-group, seeking baptism, encouraging one another, teaching and studying God’s Word, caring for the lost and the least, inviting your friends and family to church, helping the hurt and broken-hearted, visiting the sick, putting others first, loving the Lord your God with all your heart, loving little ones, serving out of your giftedness, honoring God in worship, seeking Him in prayer, being patient to His timing, submitting to His will, and turning over the broken and secret places of your lives to Him so that He will take something ugly and make it beautiful just like He promised.

Thank you for the incredible joy of being your pastor.

It really is the honor or a lifetime.

In His Love,

Kevin

Lance Scotney

It could be a pecan pie for a new neighbor; an encouraging note to a friend who is down; helping someone move with late notice. It isn’t difficult to see the need all around us. Family. Friends. Those who aren’t so lovable. You get the picture. Mountview is sending a group to New Orleans on Monday, April 9, and they will return on Saturday, April 14. You are invited to serve. A week of labor and caring. You won’t forget the experience or the people. Please join us on Sunday, January 15, after the 11am service for some additional information and an opportunity to ask questions. For more information contact Lance Scotney (lscotney@columbus.rr.com).

Paul Lambert

What made it feel like Christmas for me has had to change. Formerly, I would have told you that the first time I had to shovel the driveway was when it finally started to feel like Christmas, or when my family and I would head to a nearby Christmas tree farm and cut down a blue spruce that took my dad hours to pick out. But now that Columbus is my home all of that has changed, and not in a bad way.

Now I have new traditions and markers in my calendar that make it feel like Christmas. Here are a few of my favorites:

1. Eating way too much food at our High School and Middle School Advent dinners.
2. Trying to find that perfect White Elephant gift for our Sunday Night Christmas party.
3. Preparing to teach our discipleship groups from Luke’s Gospel.
4. Singing Christmas Carols with our college-age students.
5. Getting my annual tin of chocolate covered peanuts from Larry and Deetta Schrumpf. (Which my wife usually eats in less than two days)

I hope you have wonderful markers in your life this time of year, and I trust that many of them remind you of what Christmas is truly all about, the coming of our Lord and Savior and the hope we have of His return!

Kurt

We thank everyone who helped in any way with these projects and events! We especially thank Adrielle Van Bibber for directing the best Christmas program ever! We congratulate Amy Richards, the teacher of our Little Lions, on her marriage to Colby Richards on December 11. We sadly say “good-bye” to Jenna Mann who has resigned from her assistant teaching position here at the preschool in order to pursue her academic career and we happily say “welcome” to Debbie Spurlock who is the newest member of our teaching staff, taking Jenna’s place on January 3, when school is back in session after the Christmas holiday.

Beginning in January there will be 70 students enrolled at the preschool! We are very near full capacity! Thank you for your recommendations to friends and family. Enrollment for summer and the next school year will begin February 1.

We have had a proposal for new equipment for the indoor playroom. It is very costly, running close to $12,000! We currently have a Preschool special gifts fund of approximately $1200 that we can put toward this expense. Please let me know if you are interested in contributing to this project in any way.

The preschool is looking for persons interested in becoming part of the teaching team at Mountview Christian Preschool. We are always in need of substitute teachers, and part-time and full-time teaching positions become available at times. If you are qualified and interested in present or future part-time or full-time work here at the preschool, please contact me for more information.

Blessings,
Pam Larson, Director

This past Sunday we held our annual Route 356 Christmas Caroling luncheon. We had over 25 of our Mountview family join us this year, heading from house to house spreading good cheer through song. Sometimes, as I plan this event, I wonder if it really is worth it to take everyone out in the cold to sing a few Christmas carols at peoples’ doors. This year God reminded me just how much this event does mean in the life of our church.

Following lunch together in the fellowship hall, we split into two groups so we could visit more people. One of our groups’ first stop was at my house, to sing for my mother, Candy Platine. My neighbor Nancy happened to be out in her yard as we were singing, so she stopped to listen. She told me it was such a blessing to hear and loved that our church goes around to sing for people who are not able to get out too much. At our next stop, one of our little carolers asked if we could stop at her grandmother’s house, because she happened to live on the street where we were. We all agreed, and headed down the street. What a blessing it was to watch her grandmother’s face light up as we sang for her.

One of the other stops along the way was at Lena Kellogg’s house, and Lena wouldn’t let anyone leave before she was able to give them all a hug, a kiss, and a big thank you. Our last stop was at The Forum, where we sang for Dolly Garwood (see picture below) and some other ladies who gathered to listen and even requested an encore! We then headed across the street to visit Connie Appel. Many of you might not know Connie, because she’s been unable to get to worship for a couple of years now. She was so incredibly appreciative of the group that stopped by, and was so happy to know that she was remembered and prayed for at Mountview.

When we headed to Connie’s room, a mother and her daughter saw our group and asked if they could come up and listen. We invited them along, and as we sang, I watched the mother sing along as her eyes filled with tears of joy. A gentleman who lived in a room nearby also came out to listen, and broke into tears as he thanked us for singing our carols there.

God reminded me that while singing Christmas carols might seem like it is not much to give a person, what it does is reminds us of what God has done for us through Christ, and it brings others joy, hope, and the knowledge that there are people that care and love you at a time of year that can be difficult for many. It’s what God asks us to do in James 1:27, “visit orphans and widows in their distress.” Through Christmas caroling, we are teaching our children to not just be hearers of the Word, but doers.

The reason people say that they will not be in worship on Christmas is, in my estimation, preposterously weak. The overwhelming reason for most people not attending is because worship competes with their “family time” of breakfast, opening presents, or watching movies. Honestly, even as I write those shallow words, it saddens me to think that what is trumping the church’s worship of God sending the gift of His son Jesus to a lost and dying world is a Steven Segal movie they have seen a zillion times.

I pass no judgment. I condemn no one. I am not grandstanding. I don’t want to argue this point with people and I am not looking to guilt people into showing up to church. I don’t want my name in the paper or an interview on TV. I make no comment on the message this sends to an unbelieving world made up of people who are highly skeptical of Christians. It just saddens my heart to think that instead of having the faithful come and worship the newborn king, people will be somewhere else, doing something else that in their minds is clearly more important that worshipping their Savior.

In Him,

Pastor Kevin

This Christmas we will be offering two worship experiences:

6pm Family worship service
This service is specifically designed for our children to worship with their families. The music, prayer, drama, and lesson will be for children and parents to share and experience together. Bring your children (fifth grade and under) and bring your parents as well, and enjoy singing, laughing, and learning all about the true meaning of Christmas together with your family.

7:30pm Candlelight worship service
This service is geared for older students and adults. With music, scripture, prayer, and teaching from our pastor, this time of worship draws us to the Christ child and focuses our attention on all that God has done for us through Jesus. The service concludes as we sing Silent Night by candlelight and we are sent out into the night with our hearts and minds focused on all that Christmas really has to offer.

Nursery care for children 3 years old and younger is available at 6 and 7:30pm. We look forward to you coming and celebrating the coming of the Christ child with us this Christmas.

The mission of Operation Christmas Child is to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way to needy children around the world, and together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Shoeboxes travel all over the world to kids in need of hope. These shoeboxes are a way to bring kids together, show them love, and tell them about the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

For our kids, it’s an opportunity to put others first, and to work together in service. For a lot of our kids, this is their first encounter with serving the least of these, seeing that need out in the world, and being able to do something to help. It’s the one service project we do in Route 356 where every child is involved in some way. This year we teamed up with Mountview Christian Preschool, and through our Route 356 and Preschool families, we collected 90 shoeboxes to send out through Operation Christmas Child. Praise the Lord!

Next year, we’re going to raise our goal to over 150 boxes packed. You can help out by dropping off your empty shoeboxes at the church anytime during the year. For more information about Operation Christmas Child, visit www.samaritanspurse.org.