Introducing Ourselves

Who we are

We are a church of Christ in the most Biblical way possible. Being Christians individually, together we are a church. We are baptized believers, raised to walk in “newness of life” (Romans 6:3-4) through faith in the God’s work of salvation in Christ (Colossians 2:12). We are not perfect, but rather, forgiven.

We are a diverse group of Christians, from many ages and different backgrounds, including several ethnicities and  levels of education.

We are not ashamed to wear the name of our Lord and that is why the Bible identifies people like us as “the church” or a church of Christ. You may hear us refer to one another as brother or sister. What you will not hear is men being glorified for their power, position or fame. We don’t exalt their money, nor do we call them “Father,” as though they have power over us (Matthew 23:9).

We are not affiliated with any denominations, including those that have “Church of Christ” in their names. Rather, we belong to Him Who called us by His own glory and power. After all, it is all about Him, isn’t it?

When to arrive and how you get here

If it is your first visit then it is probably best to show up around 9:15 am. We have plenty of free parking for those who are driving. We even have room for your motor home, if that’s what you drive. Google Maps can give you great directions.

Riding a Motorcycle?

Our front handrail makes a great bike rack, for securing your bike with a chain. If you are on a motorcycle, just find a spot next to another person’s ride.

To store your gear, we have two small closets on either side of the front doors and another at the rear entrance. Several of us ride together, so you will probably get an invitation to join us. But, if we forget, just ask us when our next ride is scheduled. Some of us bring our wives.

Riding In On A City Bus?

Convenient bus stops are very close to our building (see http://www. omnitrans.org for current bus schedules for routes 3 & 4, both of which have stops within 2 blocks of our building).

When you arrive, you will probably be greeted at the door by one of our members who will give you some information about the church and a bulletin (we call it The Informer), and help answer any questions you may have about us.

What to wear

This one is easy. Wear whatever makes you feel comfortable. We are a pretty informal church and we accept people as they are—just as Christ accepted us. Although several of us may wear traditional dress clothes—suits and ties, or even hats on some of our women--there is no need to dress up to be someone you are not. Whether you come in a suit or tee shirt and blue jeans, we just hope you will be here with us to worship in spirit and in truth.

Got tattoos or body jewelry? Some of us will probably look at you a bit cock-eyed, but then, maybe you will be looking at our ties and polished shoes, wondering what planet we came from, too. Some of us even talk funny and a few are just odd. But, we are forgiven and we are headed for Heaven, together.

One heads-up, though: We hope you appreciate that modesty in apparel is most appropriate and we ask you to wear whatever covers up what your Mama taught you should be covered in public. If she did not teach you, cover it up anyway.

What to expect when you get here

We know it can be a nerve-racking experience to go some place for the first time. To help alleviate any worries, here's a quick summary of what you can expect at Mountain View.

First of all, everyone of us has had a “first day” at church, so we understand not everything will make sense at first. We have all been pinched by the preacher from time to time, so you are welcome to squirm with us a bit, too. Since we hope you will agree we are a friendly bunch, if you do not understand something, please just ask somebody about what is going on.

We start our Sunday AM worship at 9:30. Everyone participates in the worship. Our usual worship time consists of some or all of the following:

• Singing traditional and contemporary spiritual songs a capella (without instrumental accompaniment). We like to say the church IS the choir.

• Prayers, led by the men of the church

• Short readings from the Bible, sometime accompanied by introductory comments

• Biblically-based presentation (sermon) of about 30-40 minutes duration. Our preachers strive to make relevant, meaningful to our modern lives, not only in teaching the principles of the ancient gospel of Jesus Christ, but also in helping to identify areas of modern life that may benefit from those truths

• Communion or Lord’s supper, meaning we share matzoh bread and grape juice to remember Jesus' sacrifice and the gift of life we have received

• An opportunity for members to contribute money to the work of the church

As our worship assembly draws to a close, we usually have a time of sharing matters of interest. For example, announcements may be made, along with prayer requests and mentions of praise-worthy activities. When our worship assembly ends (at about 10:50 am), we adjourn for about 10 minutes of visiting and greeting one another with hugs, hand-shakes and (probably) a bit of laughter and pure joy. Our aim is, whether you are just looking into Christianity for the first time or have been a Christian for many years, we want you to be encouraged and inspired by the morning of worship. We hope that everyone will draw closer to God.

While we are a church of Christ, we hope you will keep in mind that individual churches of Christ are not strictly affiliated with each other. In other words, we are undenominational and our members have all come to the Lord from many different religious backgrounds.

Some churches of Christ may have their own traditions and practices that may be somewhat familiar, but also just a bit different. So, if you have been to one church of Christ, you have not been to them all and we would like to believe that we are unique, in spite of all that may seem familiar—or different—to you.

When we meet

Only on Sunday? Absolutely not! We're not perfect and we do make mistakes, but we desire to make a positive difference in everything we do. To further encourage us we have a midweek meeting on Wednesday evening at 7:00 pm.

Other smaller groups may meet in someone's house or at the building, and you are always welcome to join us in prayer or study. God is with us all week long and we aim to live lives pleasing to Him throughout the week

What we believe

About the Bible

We believe that every word on its pages is from the mind of God Himself.

“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

We seek to do all that God commands and nothing He has not authorized. That means we look to the Bible as our source of authority.

If the Bible teaches us to do something—by direct command of Jesus or His inspired apostles, an example approved in the early church by the apostles, or by an inescapable conclusion drawn from either of these—we do it. If not, we don’t.

That is what we preach from our pulpit.  It is what we teach in our Bible classes. We believe the Bible as the Word of God. All of it.  Every word.  All the time.

About Worship

The Bible instructs us about Whom and how to worship. God is the center of our assembly and we exalt the Name of Jesus Christ.  Our service is not just about feeling, but rather following His will for worship and we embrace the words of the His apostle, Paul:

“All things must be done properly and in an orderly manner” (1 Corinthians 14:40).

About the Church

If you are uncomfortable with the loud, raucous “show and tell” of some modern churches, you will enjoy our worship time. If you do not appreciate politics in the pulpit, but long for the pure Word of God, you have just found the place.

We are a church of Christ, striving to be nothing more or less. Quite simply, that means we belong to no denomination and have no earthly headquarters, because Jesus alone is the head of the church (Ephesians 5:23; Colossians 1:18).

We have no creed, but Christ. We believe He is the Christ, the Son of God, and we have a significant body of testimony in the Bible to prove it. We wear no name other than the one disciples of Jesus wore in the first century: Christian (Acts 11:26).

Since the Bible does not authorize us—as a church—to provide entertainment, engage in social or political programs, beg for money or raise funds other than the free-will offerings of our members, spend our collective treasury on secular activities, or surrender our local autonomy to another church or organization, we don’t do any of these things. Nowadays, folks really appreciate that kind of integrity in a church, knowing all the “fluff” of modern churches—complete with their endless appeals for money, money, money—just doesn’t fit here.

About Serving Others

We don’t offer help because we feel like we have to. Rather, we see service as our privilege. It is why we’re here. It is how we serve the Lord.  To us, it is a joy!

Our purpose is to not to impress people, but to praise God and to be absolutely awed at the manifestation of His glory and divinity in everything He has made and for all He has done for us, through Christ. God has been very good to us. What better way to express gratitude than to share the goodness of His gospel with someone else? It would be our pleasure to do good to you, too. We very much like Paul’s words:

“So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith” (Galatians 6:10).

In short

When you visit us, you will find a small, but dedicated group of people—folks like you—trying to live as disciples of Jesus Christ by reading, understanding, and obeying His word. If you are serious about being a Christian, you will find a warm welcome with us and a wholesome spirit of worship. We are here to help one another get to Heaven.

We’d be delighted to have you join us for worship and Bible study. If you have any questions about what we do—or don’t do—we’ll be pleased to answer them from the Scriptures (1 Peter 3:15).

Now, what was that you were saying about looking for a good church home?