The End? No, the Beginning!
Mountainview Family,
It was great celebrating Easter with you last weekend. I’ve been praying for all of us this week. My prayer has been that we would be able to grasp the depth of Jesus’ powerful victory over death AND realize that it was not the final chapter of His incredible story, but the beginning of something huge.
The empty tomb was the beginning of a tremendous movement. It has been influencing virtually every culture and society across the span of time. The resurrection of Jesus, Paul told the Christians in Corinth, was the beginning of God’s work to renew all things (1 Cor. 15). Since Adam and Eve’s failure in the garden, death had reigned, but through God’s marvelous plan, renewal and life became available to anyone… In Jesus’ resurrection…
Let’s keep Easter alive in our hearts and minds. Let’s make the empty tomb an ongoing reminder of our amazing risen Lord and Savior, motivating and inspiring us to know Him more fully. There’s power for us in His resurrection, power to help us press on and look forward to the day when everything will be renewed completely.
…that I may know him and the power of his resurrection,
and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
Philippians 3:10-11 ESV
2022-2023 Budget Planning
Most of you are familiar with what we call our annual budget planning commitment cards. For more than ten years we have been using these cards for, you guessed it, planning our annual budgets. The information our church family provides by the use of these cards helps our finance team determine a fairly specific idea of what the church’s income might look like for the upcoming fiscal year. This projection of income allows our leadership to faithfully “live within our means” as we prepare an expense budget for local and global missions, staffing, ministries, capital improvements, and mortgage debt reduction.
We believe practicing generosity in life is one of the important rhythms for every Christian who is part of the Mountainview family. We have found that our commitment cards provide all of us an opportunity to consider our own finances and generosity. It’s possible that some may decide to begin giving to Mountainview for the first time - even if it might be challenging to do so. For others, it may be time to consider adjusting what you give.
Please be assured that we are not using commitment cards because the church is in financial trouble. As a matter of fact, Mountainview is a very generous church. Our history shows that sacrifice and generosity are part of our DNA. Our budget is primarily for local and global outreach, but we have been able to go even further with additional individual gifts, group mission trips, and local projects. Mountainview is making a difference.
Starting this Sunday, we are asking everyone who considers Mountainview their church home to communicate your giving intentions for the next year by using the link below. This confidential form and the information you provide will only be used for planning purposes. If you prefer, cards will be available Sunday on your way out of the Worship Center, or in the church office.
I’m excited about the way Jesus is changing lives around us. Join me and pray for the work Jesus is doing, and look for opportunities to partner with Him.
As one of my favorite authors, NT Wright said, "Every advertisement, every other television program, many movies, and most political manifestos are designed, by subtle and not-so-subtle ways, to make us say, ‘If only I had just a bit more money, then I would be content.'"
Let’s be people who are not driven by things of this world, instead, let’s be known as people of generosity.
The rhythm of faith and gratitude simply is what being a Christian, in the first or the twenty-first century, is all about. - NT Wright