Welcome to Mountain View Church of the Brethren
Have you ever wondered whatever happened to the safe and secure place we all grew up to know and love? Well,
if you are like all of us you have realized "we aren't in Kansas anymore Toto," (Dorothy, Wizard
of Oz.) We are searching for the place where our lives felt secure and in control.
Today, with schedules overbooked, relationships starving and a world that feels out of control, what do you do
if you just want to go home?
There is an option within your very community. At Mountain View Church of the Brethren, God is creating a home
for people who may feel spiritually isolated because of the out of control lives they live everyday. It's a
place where people with little or no church background come as they are, bringing their honest questions and search
for God.
It's a place where you will be accepted for who you are since it's a home where relationships are real and people
are known by name rather than numbers. If this sounds like something you have been looking for, we hope that
you will visit the community at Mountain View Church of the Brethren. There will be a place for you and it
may even feel like Kansas.
Why is there a Mountain View Church of the Brethren? Simply answered, because you matter to God and He is
reaching out to everyone in the Berkeley County area. We have been in existence for over 60 years and currently
we have over 115 people actively attending and searching for God in the worship services. We continue to grow as
more people connect to a loving relationship with Jesus Christ, a community of friends in small groups and finding
their life purpose.
Who is the Church of the Brethren? In the New Testament, the word "brethren" describes a community
of men and women who chose another way of living: the way of Jesus. The Church of the Brethren, begun nearly three
centuries ago in Germany, still draws people who want to continue Jesus' work of faithfulness and loving service.
For guidance, Brethren look to the scriptures rather than to doctrine. Our faith emphasizes compassion, peacemaking,
and simplicity. We baptize those who seek to follow Jesus; we anoint for healing; and in our love feast we re-enact
the Last Supper, at which Jesus washed his disciples' feet and offered the bread and cup of communion.
What is the mission of Mountain View Church of the Brethren? We worship God openly and tell people within
our community about Jesus Christ. We do this through music, teaching of the Bible and social activities within
the community of the Church. This allows God to change the lives of people in the Berkeley County community one
life at a time and find that life changing relationship they are searching for every day.
What are the values of Mountain View Church of the Brethren? We are a community of believers who realize
that our relationship with God is what makes us complete as individuals. We believe what personal prayer is the
key to spiritual renewal and can change the Berkeley County society we live in. We believe the Bible is socially
and culturally relevant to our modern society and teaching it transforms the lives of those around us.
What is the vision of the Mountain View Church of the Brethren? The Bible teaches us "Where there is
no vision, the people perish." Vision is about picturing a preferable future which inspires and gives direction
to our lives with hope. Without that picture, all the scheduling and managing of our lives degenerate and fade
away because we become confused about what and who is important.
We believe God is raising up a new part of the body of Christ that will touch people's lives and give them hope
in the following ways.
We will be a:
- Teaching Church - With a clear focus on Jesus as the object of our faith, we will provide a Biblical
core of beliefs to live by which produces Christian character and conduct. Good teaching produces the love of God
and love for our neighbor; Mark 12:30 says, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy
God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first
commandment."
- Caring Church - Small groups provide the kind of caring community people want today. It will produce
a healing ministry of support and recovery to bring God's wholeness into our lives. (John 13:34,35)
- Contemporary Church - In music, speaking style and ministry approach we will help people apply the truth
of Jesus Christ in terms they can relate to. I John 1:3 says, "That which
we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship
is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ."
- Mission Church - Our Brethren roots help us combine a personal encounter with Jesus Christ with a deep
commitment to social activism, breaking down the walls of race, economic and educational background. Spiritual
gifts will be discovered and employed for ministry in the Church and mission to the world. (Matthew 25:31-46.)
- Praying Church - The power of God is released through prayer. We will be devoted to daily personal prayer,
family prayer and community prayer. We will never be afraid to expect too much from God. (Luke 11:9-10).
If you have no vision of having a relationship with God, hope for a secure future or you life feels out of control,
then come home and be where the power of God is seen, felt and heard. There is always a place for you at Mountain
View Church of the Brethren. If you wish to get more information, directions to the church or want a visit
from the Pastor, please call us at (304) 229-3505.
Sincerely,
Pastor Mike Staubs and the Mountain View Church of the Brethren.
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