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Volume 25, Issue 11

December 2015 M o u n t a i n V i e w P r e s b y t e r i a n C h u r c h

T

Take Note:

December 6

Joy Express &

Celebration Singers

Christmas Concert

6PM

December 8

Senior Christmas

Luncheon in the

Sanctuary — Noon, $5

December 12

Kulshan Chorus

Concert—Bellingham

High School, 7:30PM

December 13

Eagle Wings

4PM — 6PM

December 17

Praise & Promise

Christmas Program

6:30PM

December 19

Buddy Break

10AM—1PM

December 24

Christmas Eve

Worship Services

5:30PM & 7PM

December 25

Merry Christmas!

December 27

ONLY ONE 10AM

WORSHIP SERVICE!

January 1

Happy New Year!

January 15—18

Tall Timber

Winter Retreat

I was the last one to find out. It’s not surprising because after all, I am the baby of the family! However, I distinctly remember how I found out Santa Claus wasn’t real. It was 1964 and I was eight years old. Our family was in the middle of a typical Christmas morning. At the Mason house, each present was opened one at a time while everyone else watched. Then the person who opened the present would chose another present, for someone else. With eight kids, plus mom and dad… and lots of presents, it took all morning!

I began to notice that when the presents were tagged “From: Santa” my siblings would look at my parents and say “Awww, thanks Mom & Dad!” I remember thinking to myself, “Hey, wait a minute! You mean he’s not real?” I was both shocked and at the same time, glad I wasn’t the only one who was in the dark about the big white-bearded guy in the red suit!

The amazing thing is that Christmas was still incredibly special to me. Even though the Santa myth had been busted, I was still very excited about the whole month from Thanksgiving till Christmas. And it wasn’t just because of the presents. It was because you were never sure what was going to happen at Christmas. Special people came to visit, there were amazing performance opportunities for young musicians like me, and the candy and cookies were plentiful.

Then came Christmas Eve 1968. I had been given a copy of the Phillips translation of the New Testament, and I decided to read the be-ginning of the Gospel of Matthew. For the first time, I sensed that this story was deeper and more meaningful than any I had ever heard. I understood why Christmas was special. God gave his Son to this world as the greatest gift of all. That night I went to sleep feeling as though God had shown me something new. And this time it wasn’t about a busted myth. It was the opposite. The story of Jesus was real, and I un-derstood that God gave Jesus for me!

I must admit that my sense of wonder has waned over the years. It all gets crowded out by responsibilities and financial concerns. There have even been years when I felt kind of blue during the Advent season, perhaps because it feels like something has been lost.

These days our house is often visited by grandchildren… and I’m beginning to see the season once again from a child’s perspective.

A Magical Christmas

(Continued on page 2)

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PAGE 2 THE ENCOURAGER

Pastor John Mason

The sense of wonder and magic dances in their eyes when they see the lights and decorations. This grandfather looks forward to reading them stories, and talking to them about the real meaning of Christmas.

Here’s my prayer this year: “Lord Jesus, help me to recover the wonder and magic of this season. Make yourself more real to me this year than ever before. Do something new in my heart to remind me that so much of life is a good gift from you. Lord, use me to bring joy and peace into the lives of others, and help me to selflessly give of myself, just as you gave yourself for me.”

(Continued from page 1)

Pastor Dan Jones

Making the Most of Waiting By Dan Jones

Sara and I are counting down the days to when our baby girl will arrive (our due date

is December 14th). With eager anticipation we have been working on preparing our home for

our new family member: the nursery is set up; the car seat is properly placed in the backseat

of my wife’s Volvo; we have a closet filled with cute outfits and some precious hand-knit blankets

(thank you Church family for all the baby gifts!). Now Sara and I wait. We have tried our best to

prepare ourselves for her arrival.

Waiting for our own baby during the season of Advent brings a whole new meaning to

this time of year. Advent is about hopeful expectation. As we prepare our hearts and minds for

Christmas, the celebration of the birth of Christ, we dare to hope in a world that seems to be

hopeless so much of time. What I mean by this is that we not only celebrate what has happened

in the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus but we also look to the final redemption of all

things manifested in the second coming of Christ (the Parousia). We dare to hope even when

our world seems dark—which it most certainly does these days—we audaciously declare that

God will put the world to rights.

Interestingly, our belief in a renewed world is not a mere doctrinal statement we hold that

has little implication on our daily living. Rather, our Christian Hope is a call to expectation and

preparation. Throughout the New Testament we are told to live in eager anticipation for the

second coming of Christ. Jesus told parables about being watchful, ready, and alert (Luke 12;

Matthew 24, 25) and Paul encouraged churches to live in eager anticipation for the return of

Christ (Phil 3:20; 1 Thess 1:9-10; 4:15-5:4; Titus 2:12-14).

We are called to be alert and prepared because we truly do not know when our time

is up. Like Sara and I preparing our home and mental state for our new baby, we need to be

ready for the reality that our time of waiting will come to an end. What does it mean to live in

hopeful expectation? It means recognizing that time is precious and living like faithful workers

who await the return of their master. We want as many people as possible to know the love and

joy and hope of having faith in Christ and living purposefully for God’s mission. If we do not live

in hopeful anticipation, we run the risk of falling asleep on the job and we neglect to live out

the hope within us that our wounded world desperately needs to see.

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Christmas “Wish” List By Kristin Serniotti

VOLUME 25 , I SSUE 11 PAGE 3

I would love to tell you that this is a heartfelt article about all the things I wish for this season. It wouldn’t really be a “wish” but more of what I pray for. Interesting how “Christmas Prayer List” takes us on a different journey. Maybe we should have both…a wish list and a prayer list??? For me they would be two very different lists.

Being in Children’s Ministry and a preschool teacher (not to mention a mother of two girls), I often get asked about good gifts for children. Keep in mind that any toy can be used to teach Bible lessons. Even board games help us learn compassion, grace and FORGIVENESS!

Here are some ideas I’d like to share (Christian gifts and developmental play gifts):

Christ-Centered Gifts Developmental and Family Gifts

Jesus Storybook Bible Legos (age appropriate)

by Sally Lloyd-Jones Boys and girls enjoy them

(toddler – elementary ages)

Wooden Blocks

jellytelly.com membership Jenga

Christ-centered “screen time” Simple yet engaging

Nativity set Family Time

Age appropriate look for ones from Bright & Beyond Activity Cards

Melissa and Doug, Fisher Price or Uno (decks for beginners – teens)

start a collection for older children NADA (easy, fun matching game)

Board Games Experiences

BibleBanz Imagine Children’s Museum

Apples to Apples Bible Edition Great Wolf Lodge

Bible Taboo Jungle Playland (ministry by a church in Mount Vernon)

I pray for the blessings and joy of Christmas to shine down on you and your family, not only now but as you grow in Christ’s love.

Blessings and Joy,

Kristin

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PAGE 4 THE ENCOURAGER

A Creative Moment By Dustin Willetts

Thank you for celebrating our 5th annual “Walking in Warmth” coat drive with us! The room

was full of people and music! For me, this event encompasses what it means to be a church in

community. Also, a tremendous thank you to Seattle Children’s Chorus, Cascade Elementary

Choir and Joy Express. You brought joy, love and warmth to the evening! Over 150 coats

came in this year and dozens of pairs of shoes. As I write this to you, the first wave of students

is leaving with their new coats and shoes. They are all smiling and laughing. The best comment

was, “I can’t believe this is free! My mom will really love the purple polka dots!” As John said at

the concert, the warmth that is being to provided them through coats and appropriately-sized

shoes has benefits that will go on further and far longer than we can quantify or will know about.

Today, I am so thankful for such a selfless congregation.

You’re Invited... Did you know we have 2 worship services on Christmas Eve? If you are hosting the celebrations this year, I would really encourage you to take an hour out of your schedule and bring your whole family to Mountain View. We will sing, pray, and thank God for everything by candlelight! Pastor John will even have a special story time. Join us on Thursday, December 24th at 5:30PM or 7PM. God bless you all this holiday season. Keep warm, inside and out.

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Joy—Hope—Love—Peace By Hannah Kreutz

VOLUME 25 , I SSUE 10 PAGE 5

The Holidays are my favorite time of year. Every year my mom takes the week after Thanks-giving off from work to completely transform our house into a Christmas wonderland. Our special Christmas dishes fill the cabinets, snowman everything fills every nook and cranny and our tree sits perfectly in the corner of the living room. The holiday is filled with so many precious memories for me and so I greatly anticipate this season. And while I love the holidays for the decorations, the family time, the cookies and treats, and the celebrations that occur, I truly appreciate this season of the year for a greater reason, for the sacrifices and love gifted upon us by Jesus Christ.

I did some research and learned that the four Sundays of Advent are representative of the four virtues of Joy, Hope, Love, and Peace. Advent is a season of preparation, anticipation and celebration of the baby born to a virgin, but I also believe that it is a season of reflection. These four virtues give us the perfect platform to reflect on the gifts we received from Jesus Christ through his sacrifice.

Joy – the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation: “The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in His love He will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing” Zephaniah 3:17

Jesus lives joyfully in each of us. He delights greatly in each of us and knew what He was doing when He made the sacrifice on the cross. He was ready to carry our burdens and shame so that His light, His joy, His delight for us would live within us so that we could use that to glorify the Lord.

Hope – the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best; to believe,

desire, or trust: “May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

Jesus had hope for us and hope for a better world. We were saved by His mercy and grace and that gift allows us to live in eternal encouragement and good hope if we trust in His word and pursue His call for our lives fully. We were entrusted with such a precious gift and He had faith and hope in us, before He even knew us.

Love – a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person; a feeling of warm personal at-tachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child or friend: “May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” Ephesians 3:19

The first sentence of this verse sums things up perfectly, the love of Christ is too great for us to fully com-prehend but we can be certain that every action taken by Jesus Christ was taken out of a profound love for us His people.

Peace – the normal, nonwarring condition of a nation, group of nations or the world; a state of mutual harmony between people or groups, especially in personal relations:“Finally, brothers and sisters, re-joice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.”2 Corinthians 13:11

Rejoice! For His love and peace is with us, given freely to us without expectation. God gave us love and peace, greater than the world could give to live in joy and harmony with one another.

(Continued on page 6)

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PAGE 6 THE ENCOURAGER

A Peek into Praise & Promise

My hope this Christmas season is that as you spend time with family and rejoice in that gift that family is, that you also spend time being reflective on the gifts of Jesus Christ. The gifts of Joy, Hope, Love and Peace; these virtues that are so deliberately mentioned time and time again in the bible. We are precious in the eyes of the Lord and as we anticipate and cele-brate His birth, may we also spread the gifts of Joy, Hope, Love and Peace to others so that we may continue to glorify Him.

May the Lord bless you and keep you this Holiday season, my friends! Joy, Hope, Love and Peace be with you always.

Merry Christmas!

Hannah

(Continued from page 5)

Please come to our Christmas Program!

December 17 at 6:30PM

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VOLUME 25 , I SSUE 10 PAGE 7

By Diane Young

Christmas is the sufferer’s holiday according to Paul D. Tripp, one of several speakers

featured via DVD at Mountain View’s recent Surviving the Holidays seminar. Anyone grieving

the loss of a loved one would likely agree with his description. This time of year can indeed

trigger deep emotions.

However, Dr. Tripp, a pastor, author and international presenter, broadens the scope of

sufferers to include all of us. If there weren’t pain, suffering, sin and destruction, there would be

no need for Christmas, he says. God came down as that babe in a manger to be among us, to

die for us—and to eventually cause the death of death.

We’ve made Christmas a celebration, as we should. But if we’re grieving because our

loved one is no longer here, we have the option to run toward the promise Christmas represents.

We can avoid or embrace. It’s our choice, and we do the best we can.

“Christmas tells me there is hope for people like me,” explains Dr. Tripp. “Christmas

guarantees that God has, will and will continue to address what I am going through . . .

to end suffering for good.”

Dr. Tripp’s message helps me realize that my pain and grief are not a sign that God

has turned His back. Rather, they’re a sign that I live in a broken world. And Christmas is a

reminder that God has turned full-face toward me, toward all of us.

We’re not hardwired to live this life alone. We were created for dependency—primarily

on God—but also on one another. So if you know someone struggling with grief right now,

reach out to them. If you’re the one suffering, know that you will move through this season, and

in your own time, rediscover joy and celebration.

Our weekly GriefShare support group is here for you. For more information, please contact 360-659-7777 or rachel@mtvpc.org.

We meet on Thursdays, 1:30 – 3:30 pm in the Youth Room.

Christmas: The Promise to End Suffering

The next meeting of the

book club will be on

January 22. We will be

discussing The Hiding

Place by Corrie ten Boom.

Read now and join us at

Paula Fortin's house for a

great evening of discussion.

Friday Night Book Club

We are looking for copies of The Hiding Place to borrow, contact Paula Fortin with any info at 360-653-7081.

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PAGE 8 THE ENCOURAGER

Senegal Stories: The Next Generation of Change By Diane Young

Senior Ministry By JoAnn Myers

The Senior Christmas Lunch for December will be at the church on Tues-day, December 8. We are having a catered lunch and the cost is $5.00 per person, collected at the door. Yes, we will still have our White Elephant gift exchange so bring a gift for each person attending and mark it for a man

or woman. Invitations have been sent but if I have missed anyone that would like to come, please do. Santa has already notified me that he will find us at the church. Many of the staff will be there so you will have an opportunity to meet the new ones! Guests are welcome. See you soon!

Questions? Call JoAnn Myers at 360-691-9778.

Nafy is 7 years old, loves the color blue, playing with dolls and riding a bike. She lives with her mother and hopes to one day become a lawyer. Youssouf is a preschooler with a brother and sister, and has never met a toy he didn’t like.

Both children attend Bethesda, a private Christian school in Kaffrine, Senegal. Their families can afford the school thanks to the child sponsorship program through GO on the Mission (www.goonthemission.com), a ministry partner of Mountain View and Adventure of Faith (www.faithadventure.com) churches.

The future for Nafy, Youssouf and others in private Christian schools across Senegal looks promising. The academic caliber, consistency and religious training that students experience are shaping the next generation of parents and leaders.

“When we started focusing on the children in Senegal, doors started opening,” says Debbie Jones, team leader in Port Orchard, Wash., for the Senegal ministry at

Adventure and GO’s sponsorship director. “Kids are more curious, they seek attention and encouragement. So the Christian teachers, our child sponsors, members

of our churches’ Travel Teams all help with this.”

A few miles from Bethesda School are Sorokogne (pop: 2,000) and Diaglé (pop: 600), sister villages to Adventure and Mountain View respectively. These are long-established communities of the Wolof People. Each village has a public elementary school, which is pretty much the only option for kids since no school bus yet travels the short distance to and from Bethesda.

Mountain View and Adventure help each village with books and supplies, making school possible for the kids. “The local leaders and families are so grateful,” says Debbie. “It’s strengthening our bonds with the residents there. And the children know and will remember this.”

“This is how I help from here at home, plus I love children and the joy of learning.” –Vicky Hardt, sponsorship coordinator at Mountain View

For information on child sponsorship opportunities, contact Vicky Hardt at 360-659-7777 or vrhardt@yahoo.com. For more Senegal Stories, see Mountain View’s lobby display or visit

www.mtvpc.org/missions/senegal-connection and click on the Senegal Stories link.

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VOLUME 25 , I SSUE 10 PAGE 9

Winter Retreat By Duard King

Join us at Tall Timber Ranch in January over the Martin Luther King Weekend (January 15-18). If you have been to TTR in January before, you need to come back! The beauty and fun times are calling for you! If you are a die-hard football fan, and still think that the Seahawks have a chance in the playoffs, we have been known to have satellite television to watch the game on that Sunday. This weekend will be a great time to hang out with each other. It doesn’t matter if you are single and come by yourself, or married and come with your family of 10, we all have a great time. The snow has already started to fly at the ranch, so if we all pray a little for snow, we might get to build some igloos this year. This is a great Christmas present for family members. It includes 3 nights of lodging and 7 meals. Prices last year were $100 for adults and $50 for children ages 5-10. Under 5 are free!! We are still waiting for official pricing from TTR so stay tuned for updates!

If you have any questions about the weekend please come find me or give me a call. This is a great experience for all! The weekend can range from sitting in the lodge to cross country skiing and snowshoeing for miles to building an igloo to flying down the tubing hill. It’s all up to the experience you are looking for! Please come!

If you have questions contact me at dh2kings@yahoo.com. Join us in January at Tall Timber Ranch. You won't be disappointed!

Eagle Wings December is here,

which means Christmas is just around the corner! The Eagle

Wings Christmas Dinner is on Sunday, Dec.

13th this year. Those who have

served at the dinner before know it is a great way to cele-brate and serve God and his people. We are in need of table hosts and servers for the event. For more information, contact Amanda King, (this year’s

dinner coordinator) at 425-512-5167, or JoAnn Myers at 360-691-9778.

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PAGE 10 THE ENCOURAGER

…and belated birthdays!

Don Severn 1-Dec

Gail Barton 2-Dec

Florence Cavcey 2-Dec

Barbara Ritchie 6-Dec

Darlene Campbell6Dec

Tim King 11-Dec

Malcolm Fuller 13-Dec

Vivian Fuller 13-Dec

Jewell Jennings 14-Dec

Andy Thill 14-Dec

& anyone we may have missed!

Nancy Fletcher 15-Dec

Genevieve Lilly 15-Dec

Bob Bradley 18-Dec

Vicky Hardt 18-Dec

Greer King 20-Dec

Heidi King 21-Dec

Jack Williams 21-Dec

Paula Fortin 22-Dec

Jan Barnes 23-Dec

Jeannine King 30-Dec

A note from our church Treasurer:

Please remember that end-of-year

contributions must be received

in the church office or post-

marked by December 31, 2015 to be

credited to 2015 giving, per IRS regulations.

Checks placed in the 01/03/2016 offering, even if

dated 12/31/15 or before, will be received in 2016.

Thanks!

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5115 100th Street NE Marysville, WA 98270 360.659.7777 office@mtvpc.org

Mountain View Presbyterian Church

John Mason Senior Pastor

Dan Jones Associate Pastor

Kristin Serniotti Children’s Ministries Director

Dustin Willetts Creative Arts Director

Hannah Kreutz Director of Youth Ministry

Brenda Leighton Preschool Director

Jackie Fuller Keyboardist

Karen Senff Custodian

Rachel Ellinger Administrative Assistant

HOURS

Worship Services: 9 & 10:30 AM

Nursery Care: 9 & 10:30 AM

Kids Under Construction: 9 AM

Sunday School: 10:30 AM

OFFICE HOURS:

Monday-Thursday, 9 AM-5 PM

Staff

Mountain View’s rainbow

Find us on the web!

www.mtvpc.org

Elders and Deacons Elders

Lee Brandt-Dillon

Jim Fletcher

Duard King

Todd Leighton

Lynn Lockwood

Clerk: Jeannine King

Deacons

Bill Armstrong

Sarah Cunningham

Tom Dillon

Robin Eastman

Denise Gritton

Luana Jackson

Steve Jahn

Margaret Langan

Dale Pederson

Tracy Raymond

Paul Thompson

These folks are

called by God

and elected by

the members of

this

congregation to

lead this body

of believers.

They are so

happy to serve

you!

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