Welcome! We hope you'll join us for a Sunday service to see for yourself what we're about. Through practical messages, contemporary music, and creative media, we present the ageless truths of the Bible in a format that is easy to understand and apply, even if you have never been to a church before.
Oh, and by the way, relax. Whether you have been in "church" all your life, or this will be the very first time, you will find that you are among friends. What you will find is this:
a casual atmosphere
friendly people who'll help you find your way around
We know that your first time at a church, any church, brings up some questions. To help make your visit easy, we want to offer answers to some typical questions.
When is your service? We meet at 10 a.m. every Sunday morning. Our services usually last until 11:15 a.m., at which time we offer a time of fun and fellowship together.
Where do you meet? We meet at Eastern View High School, located on Cyclone Way off of Greens Corner Road (VA-666). For directions and a map from your address, visit our Contacts page.
What is a typical Sunday morning service like? Our services begin at 10 a.m. with a few praise and worship songs. Our music is contemporary and upbeat. The messages last about 45 minutes, and are relevant and applicable to your life and the struggles we all face. Then, after another song or two, the service ends. Simple. Most people hang around afterward in the cafeteria for a time of fun and fellowship. That is a great time to meet some new people and share a donut.
How should I dress? You can dress casual -- jeans, khakis, shorts, dresses ... however you are comfortable. Just come as you as and relax at Mountain View. We are real people, and value authenticity instead of appearance.
What is your music like? Our music is live, contemporary, and exciting. The songs are easy to sing along with (we put the words on the screen - no need to already know them). For a sample, please visit our View Song Café page.
What do I do with my kids? Your child is a special gift from the Lord. We value the heritage God has given you. It is our mission to help each child understand that God created them, god loves them, and Jesus is God's special gift to them. To that end, we have a great Children's Ministry at MV! Our programs are divided into two areas - Wee View and Kidz View. Wee View is for birth to age 5 (not enrolled in Kindergarten). Kidz View is for grades K-5. Both programs are fun and impactful. Our curriculum is designed to help children learn about God through a variety of hands-on activities. The most common remark by children that visit is "Wow! I want to go back to that church!"
As you enter the front doors of the high school, a Greeter will guide you step-by-step through the registration process for your child and be available to answer any questions you may have. After filling out a brief registration card, we will give your child a name tag and a numbered bracelet for identification. Then, the Greeter will walk with you to your child's class, introduce you to the teacher, and explain our security and paging procedures. If your child has any special needs, please let us know so that we can make your child's time with us enjoyable. For more information, click here.
What is "The View"? The View is what we call our adult worship service. It's one thing to view life from another person's perspective; it's another thing altogether to view life, with its crises and opportunities, from God's perspective. You'll find biblical teaching that will help you apply God's Word to your life. We use a variety of multi-media presentations, drama, and music, as well as real testimonies from people sharing how God is working in their lives to communicate the truth of God's Word. No matter where you are in your spiritual journey, you can grow in your understanding of Christianity at these services.
After the "View", we invite yo to join us in the cafeteria for refreshments and a chance to catch up with old friends -- or meet some new ones. Church on Sunday will never be the same!
I want to get involved. How do I keep up with what is happening at MVCC? There are many opportunities for you to get involved at Mountain View. Please visit our Ministries at MV page for more information. If you see an area that interests you, please contact that ministry leader and they will be happy to share with you how you can get more involved.
How is Life Group different from a Sunday School class or regular Bible Study? Life Groups are the heart of Mountain View! The book of Acts is very clear about how God intends His people to grow and have their needs met in the church. It is in a small group “family” setting that individual needs are best met and personal Christian growth is encouraged. Life Groups are small groups of 6-8 persons who gather weekly for worship, Bible study, and fellowship. Life Groups are where you too can experience authentic Biblical community and know that you are connected to a family of believers. We encourage you to visit one today!
What is a cell churchmodel?Why don't you have adult Sunday school?In order to understand the cell church model of small group ministry you have to understand how we view small groups within the greater picture of the church’s ministry. Many churches see small groups as a part of their ministry; however, those who embrace the cell church model see the small groups themselves as the churches out of which ministry happens. We don’t have Sunday school classes that are just a part of our churches ministry focus, but we have growing and multiplying groups of people who see themselves as a church tied together to other "churches" by a common vision. Our small groups are disciple-making communities led by lay pastors/shepherds who are committed to leading REPRODUCING cell groups that gather regularly for worship, discipleship, and ministry.
Unlike a Sunday school, our small group ministry is unique in that community, pastoral and spiritual nurture, evangelism, mentoring, leadership development and multiplication are all vital components of a cell, not optional outcomes. Our groups are committed to cultivate authentic Christian community, extend pastoral care to its members, reach out through evangelistic relationships, and intentionally grow and multiply disciples, leaders and groups. This requires more than 30-45 minutes on a Sunday morning to attain. That's why we chose to offer small groups that meet all through the week instead of being squished into a block of time on Sunday morning.
Who is Jesus?Jesus Christ is the Son of God—co-equal with the Father and both Creator and Savior of the world. Jesus, although tempted like all people, lived a sinless life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on the cross. His death, in God’s perfect plan, paid the price for the sins of all humanity. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He returned to Heaven where He awaits His return to earth, where He will reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Is 9:6; Mt 1:22-23; Jn 1:1-5; Jn 14:10-30; Rm 5:8; 2 Co 5:21; Col 1:16; Heb 4:14-15).
What do you mean "saved?" How do I get saved? To have God's forgiveness, heaven and eternal life, and Jesus as personal Savior and Lord, only one thing is required -- trusting in Jesus Christ and asking Him for forgiveness. It can be described by another meaning of F.A.I.T.H: Forsaking All I Trust Him.
F is for FORGIVENESS -- We cannot have eternal life and heaven without God's forgiveness (read Ephesians 1:7)
A is for AVAILABLE -- Forgiveness is available. It is --
Available for all. (read John 3:16)
But not automatic. (read Matthew 7:21)
I is for IMPOSSIBLE -- It is impossible for God to allow sin into heaven.
Because of who He is: God is loving and just. His judgment is against sin. (read James 2:13)
Because of who we are: Every person is a sinner. (read Romans 3:23)
But how can a sinful person enter heaven, when God allow no sin?
T is for TURN -- Turn means to repent.
Turn from something -- sin and self. (read Luke 13:3)
Turn to Someone; trust Christ only. (read Romans 10:9)
H is for HEAVEN -- Heaven is eternal life.
Here. (read John 10:10)
Hereafter. (read John 14:3)
What does it mean to be a church member? How can I become a member? We first recognize that God’s church is a family. We are all a part of God’s household. Mountain View is a small part of God’s universal household called the Church. And to be a part of a household is to be a part of a family. Because God calls us to be members of His family, we believe that every Christian needs to actively participate in a church family. In a healthy family, each member plays together, works together, guards each other, rejoices together during happy times and encourages one another during trials. We know from God’s Word that believers automatically become part of God’s worldwide church when they surrender their hearts to Jesus, but they don't become a part of a local church until they make that choice. God does not bring people into this Mountain View family by accident. No one stumbles into authentic community; we believe each person works together to build it.
The local church consists of believers who unite in faith and fellowship in specific locales to love God (the Great Commandment —Mt 22:37-40) and to love others (the Great Commission—Mt 28: 19-20). A church reaches its full potential when its members commit to applying the truth of Scripture in their lives and continually grow in Christ for the purpose of reaching their world with the love of Christ. The church experiences growth when believers share God’s heart for humanity and commit to sharing God’s love with others. For a commitment to be meaningful and effective, everyone must know what that commitment is. Otherwise, it is a secret, and won’t aid unity and fellowship. For that reason, we believe membership in a local church body is instrumental to an effective Christian walk.
Membership is a privilege and responsibility. It is a commitment to lay down one’s agenda to pick up God’s agenda. It is a pledge to grow in one’s knowledge and adoration for the Lord Jesus Christ and seek avenues to serve Him, in and through the local church. If you would like to learn more about membership at Mountain View Community Church, or what the requirements for membership are, I encourage you to sign up for one of our Mountain View 101 classes. You can call the church office to register for a class, or visit the Life Group table in the cafeteria after the next service.
What is baptism? How can I be baptized? Baptism has important symbolism to the Christian faith. First, it is symbolic of the washing of our sins that takes place when we ask Jesus Christ into our lives to be our Savior. Second, it is a symbol of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Romans 6:3-5 says,
“Or don’t you know that ll of us who were baptized in to Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism in to death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.”
Both parts of baptism can be compared to Chris’s death and resurrection:
Going under the water = Christ’s death
Coming out of the water = Christ’s resurrection
So why should I be baptized? There are two reasons. First, Jesus Christ gave us the example Himself. Mark 1:9-11 reads,
“At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn opened and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.’”
Jesus being baptized pleased God, His Heavenly Father. God is our Heavenly Father too, and we should want to please Him. The other reason why we should be baptized is that it is a public statement of faith. It identifies us as Christians. When we get baptized, we are stating to the world and everyone witnessing that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior. Why should we do that? Because Matthew 10:32 tells us.
“Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.”
Many people were baptized as infants, or have been baptized by sprinkling. We believe that Scripture is clear that this is not the baptism that God desires for us to be obedient in. For that reason, we maintain that baptism by immersion is necessary for membership at Mountain View Community Church. If you would like to learn more, I would encourage you to sign up for a Baptism Class. We will explore this facet of the Christian walk more fully, and can answer your questions directly.
How can I get more information about MVCC and what you believe and teach? If you would like more information about Mountain View, our beliefs, and what we teach, please continue to search our website. We have included a tremendous quantity of information for reading. If even then you would like to learn more, please visit us on a Sunday morning. We have informational tables setup that cover almost every aspect of our church body. Or, if you have a specific question, please feel free to contact our church office, or visit our Staff Directory page.
What is the relationship between Mountain View Community Church and The Summit Church? As a part of God's family, Mountain View desires the good news of the saving grace of Jesus Christ to be heard by every person. That is the Great Commission. In Mark 16:15, Jesus said, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation." This is not just foreign mission fields, but the fields across from our homes and the homes down the street. As such, we desire for God's family to grow, and that includes churches wherever there is a need, churches focused on the needs of its local members. The Summit is a new church in Madison County, VA that began holding services in September 2008. We are very excited about this new church, as it is birthed" out of Mountain View! Mark DeCourcey is the Pastor for The Summit. Mark was a principle force in the beginning of Mountain View, and was the Associate Pastor at Mountain View before planting The Summit.
Welcome! We hope you'll join us for a Sunday service to see for yourself what we're about. Through practical messages, contemporary music, and creative media, we present the ageless truths of the Bible in a format that is easy to understand and apply, even if you have never been to a church before.
ou. It is our mission to help each child understand that God created them, god loves them, and Jesus is God's special gift to them. To that end, we have a great Children's Ministry at MV! Our programs are divided into two areas - Wee View and Kidz View. Wee View is for birth to age 5 (not enrolled in Kindergarten). Kidz View is for grades K-5. Both programs are fun and impactful. Our curriculum is designed to help children learn about God through a variety of hands-on activities. The most common remark by children that visit is "Wow! I want to go back to that church!"
