Pastor Daniel speaks this week in part four of the "Making it Through Difficult Times" series. He shares from I Peter 2:4-12. *All sermons can be downloaded for free on our church website (click here).
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Reflections on Latvia
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| Porfirio with his drum students |
I received an email about the Latvia Mission trip a few months before my summer began. At first I disregarded it thinking “ I can not afford this” and quickly decided I was not going to go. I found out God had a different plan for me. Before I knew it, everything had come together in a matter weeks and I was part of the Latvia team. I did not know what to expect, I have been a youth leader for multiple junior high summer camps before,
but this was going to be something completely new.
The camp experience was one I had never experienced before. Using music as a tool we were all building relationships with the Latvian youth and connecting in ways I had never imagined. I saw one of the campers was so touched by us that everyday he would make sure to tell us that he was our best friend. He felt especially close to one of the MVFC team leaders that even during the most unexpected times he would make sure to tell him in his broken english “Hey man, you my best friend.”
One thing that really amazed me was the hunger the campers had for Christ. They were like sponges, soaking up every message, always wanting to know more. It was amazing to know that us as a team were all making a difference in the daily lives of these kids. It was a feeling that only through God’s work could be felt and nothing else in the world could compare. Through this trip I felt myself grow in areas that needed work. For example I found myself trusting in god with things I had trouble letting go of before. I realized that if I put not 75% in him but 100% of my trust in him, even in the smallest of things, I was well taken care of and everything would turn out for the best.
There is something different we each took from the mission trip but I think that as a whole team we learned how much of an impact we could all really make. We all realized how important it is to do mission trips. The Latvia Mission Trip 2011 wasn’t just about helping out at youth camp. It was about changing lives, future generations and a whole nation, one youth at a time.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Are You Ready for August?
August is just about here...are you ready? School is starting up, and here at Mountain View, we hit the ground running. You don't want to miss out! Here's a look at what's coming up around the church:
If you're new to MVFC here are two events for you:
Meet the Staff Luncheon
August 14 @ 12:45pm. Get to know the staff and Story of MVFC. FREE. Click HERE to register.
August 14 @ 12:45pm. Get to know the staff and Story of MVFC. FREE. Click HERE to register.
Four Pillars of MVFC [church orientation class]
August 24 @ 6:30pm. Get to know the mission, vision, and doctrine of MVFC. Click HERE to register.
August 24 @ 6:30pm. Get to know the mission, vision, and doctrine of MVFC. Click HERE to register.
Bible Studies, Elective Classes and More:
12 Ordinary Men: The Lives and Stories of the Apostles
Sundays during 10am Service. Beginning August 7. This is a 10-week class. Click HERE to register.
Sundays during 10am Service. Beginning August 7. This is a 10-week class. Click HERE to register.
Wednesday Family Nights
Family Night resumes beginning August 10. 6:30p - 7:30p. Classes available: nursery, Kidz Alive!, Hot Shots, Jr. High, and adults.
Family Night resumes beginning August 10. 6:30p - 7:30p. Classes available: nursery, Kidz Alive!, Hot Shots, Jr. High, and adults.
Parenting 101
Sundays during 10am Service. Beginning August 14. This is a 6-week class. Click HERE to register.
Lies Women Believe & the Truth That Sets Them Free
Women's Bible Study. Sundays at 6:30pm. Beginning August 14. Click HERE to register.
Man 2 Man
Men's Bible Study. Wednesdays at 6:30pm. Beginning August 10. Click HERE to register.
Student Ministry Events
Kidz Alive! Back 2 School Blast
preschool - 5th grade. Sunday August 21. 1pm - 3pm. $2. Food, games, and water fun!!! Sign up in the Kidz Alive Center.
Jr. High Back 2 School All-Nighter
August 5-6 8:30pm - 7:00am. $15. Games, pizza, movies, raffles, guest speaker, and more! Sign up in the youth room.
Sr. High Party in the Pit [Back 2 School Bash]
Friday, August 26. 6:30pm - 10pm. $5 (friends FREE) A night of messy, spontaneous fun, food & friends. Sign up in the youth room.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
Latvia Camp Completed!
This is a bittersweet time here in Latvia. Our camp is officially over! We put on a concert for the families and friends of the campers sharing all of the songs that we learned over our week at camp. There was so much that happened it will be sort of hard to share everything. We made so many friendships formed over the week. We were impacted by this camp just as much as the campers were!
As we stated earlier, we put on a music/arts camp. Through teaching instruments, drama, and dance we were able to use that time to get to know the campers and form good relationships with them. Although that was the "purpose" of the camp, our real goal was to build relationships in order to share Christ with them. We had 30 students at the camp and 13 of them came to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior! This camp was so worth it!
Another great part of working with Josiah Venture (the missions organization that set this up) is that they partnered with a local church (for this camp it was St. Matthew's Church). So, we have confidence that the students who came to know Christ are not going to be left to figure things out on their own. They are encouraged and invited to attend St. Matthew's Church where they can be discipled by other Christians. Most of the students do not know anyone who is a Christian, so we are very thankful for Miks, the youth pastor at Matthew's Church who attended camp with us. He will help disciple the kids who came to know Jesus.
Continue to pray for Latvia along with us: for the students who attended camp, for the missionaries who are at it 24/7, and for the local church there!
Here are some pictures from the end of camp:
As we stated earlier, we put on a music/arts camp. Through teaching instruments, drama, and dance we were able to use that time to get to know the campers and form good relationships with them. Although that was the "purpose" of the camp, our real goal was to build relationships in order to share Christ with them. We had 30 students at the camp and 13 of them came to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior! This camp was so worth it!
Another great part of working with Josiah Venture (the missions organization that set this up) is that they partnered with a local church (for this camp it was St. Matthew's Church). So, we have confidence that the students who came to know Christ are not going to be left to figure things out on their own. They are encouraged and invited to attend St. Matthew's Church where they can be discipled by other Christians. Most of the students do not know anyone who is a Christian, so we are very thankful for Miks, the youth pastor at Matthew's Church who attended camp with us. He will help disciple the kids who came to know Jesus.
Continue to pray for Latvia along with us: for the students who attended camp, for the missionaries who are at it 24/7, and for the local church there!
Here are some pictures from the end of camp:
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Sermon: Making it Through Difficult Times - Temptation
Part 2 of the new sermon series. Pastor Rick discusses temptation. I Peter 1:9-21.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Latvia Camp Underway!
Hello everyone! The Latvia mission team are into their third day of camp and everything is going great! Please continue to keep everyone in your prayers as they minister to the campers and share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Here is what a typical day looks like at camp:
- Leader Meeting & Prayer 8:30a
- Breakfast 9:30a
- Morning Session 10a
- Workshops (music & arts) 11a
- Choir Practice 12:30p
- Lunch 1:30p
- Free Time 2p
- Group Games 3:30p
- Choir Practice 4:30p
- Dinner 6p
- Evening Session (Ray shares a lesson, students share testimonies) 7p
- Activity 8:30p
- Lights Out 11p
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Sermon: Making it Through Difficult Times - Pain
Pastor Rick kicked off a new sermon series today: Making it Through Difficult Times. This series will be a study through the book of I Peter.
* You can download the audio from the sermons on our church website.
* You can download the audio from the sermons on our church website.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Sveicieni no Latvija! (Greetings from Latvia!)
The Latvia Mission team is in Latvia! They departed from Phoenix at 7am on July 4th and arrived in Riga, Latvia at 2:30pm on July 5th. Everybody is doing well, but a little tired. The first few days in Riga were to get over the jet lag, do some sight seeing, meet the missionaries they are working with, and have some orientation meetings in preparation for the camp.
The Fusion Camp begins July 10 and runs through July 17. Continue to pray for the team as they prepare to share the Gospel with the students at the camp and that everyone has a great time! Here are some pictures from the first few days of the trip:
The Fusion Camp begins July 10 and runs through July 17. Continue to pray for the team as they prepare to share the Gospel with the students at the camp and that everyone has a great time! Here are some pictures from the first few days of the trip:
Sunday, July 3, 2011
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