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Volume 24, Issue 6

June 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:

June 7

Last day of Sunday

School, 2nd service

June 14

Worship service times

change for summer

10AM

June 14

Face to Face

June 21

Father’s Day

June 28 - July 2

Quest Mission Trip

Tall Timber Ranch

June 28

Tidelands

Open House 1-5PM

July 6 Associate

Pastor, Dan Jones

Stars at Mt. View

July 27 - 31

VBS - Everest

August 22

Buddy Break

August 28 - 29

All-church Campout

Bay View State Park

Twenty years ago I happened upon a style of music that changed

my life. I felt as though I had discovered my music: Black Gospel is what

they call it.

Right away I introduced this music to my youth choir and we began

singing the songs of the “Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir.” In the following

months and years we began using Black Gospel with our adult groups

as well. Now granted…the music often lost something in translation.

When a bunch of white people sing this style of music… well… it’s just

not the same. But we gave it our best shot!

I learned that one of the challenges in Gospel music is that which is

required of a vocal soloist. Why? It has to do with the fact that much of

what is sung is made-up as you go. Jazz musicians call it “improv” but

gospel singers usually just refer to it as letting the Spirit lead you.

The words and the music are given as a gift. The singer just shares it

with everyone who’s listening! And when this happens… it’s an amazing

experience of worship and celebration!

I’ve tried to sing this way and I quickly discovered that it’s not as

easy as it sounds. I also learned this: in order to sing in the Spirit you just

need to “jump in” and begin singing. If you approach it timidly, it simply

doesn’t work! When you try to control the music, it comes out weak and

contrived. It’s all about letting go and trusting God for the music!

This process reminds me of the people of Israel as they crossed the

Jordan River. In order for the river to become dry land, their leaders first

had to step into the water. It required a step of faith.

Singing in the Spirit

(Continued on page 2)

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Give them a break… A Buddy Break By Kristin Serniotti

PAGE 2 THE ENCOURAGER

Right now we’re facing a challenge similar to those in recent years when we added

the positions of full-time Youth Director, full-time Creative Arts Director and Children’s Ministry

Director. We also faced a huge challenge when we moved forward to build our new sanctuary.

To be frank, most of the challenges had to do with finances. How would we pay this added

salary? How could we afford to construct and care for a new building? I’m not sure I can answer

exactly how it all came about. Yes, people were faithful, and some gave more as they could.

What I do know is that each time, God was faithful and honored our steps of faith!

I believe the same will be true as we move in this new direction. Mountain View Presbyterian

Church is once again facing a new and exciting challenge. We have voted to call Dan Jones

as our new Associate Pastor!

God has a new song for Mountain View to sing! Right now we’re anticipating stepping out

(some of us for the first time) and letting the Spirit lead us. We don’t know the exact “melodies”

we’ll be singing, and we may not know all the “words” but what we do know is that God has

provided them to us before. What God requires of us is trust and courage.

“When the priests got to the Jordan and their feet touched the water at the edge…

the flow of water stopped.” (Joshua 3:15-16a), The Message)

Pastor John Mason

What is Buddy Break?

Buddy Break is a free kids/respite program where kids with special

needs (VIP kids) make new friends, play fun games, enjoy crafts, stories,

music, activities and more! Siblings have fun too! Meanwhile, their

caregivers get a break from their ongoing care-giving responsibilities

for three hours on one Saturday morning a month.

The weight and stress of finding proper doctors, teachers and financial resources for a

VIP child’s care can be overwhelming. Those responsibilities, along with the never-ending

demands of daily care-giving and life in general, leave little opportunity for caregivers to

take time for themselves, run errands or spend time with a spouse or other children—things

desperately needed to survive. Buddy Break provides a safe place for VIPs and their

siblings to have fun and establish meaningful friendships with other kids and adults while

their caregivers get a break.

(Continued from page 1)

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How do I sign up to be a Buddy?

No previous experience with VIP kids is necessary to be a Buddy just a loving heart, open arms,

and a willingness to learn. Each VIP kid is paired one-on-one with a screened volunteer Buddy,

who is at least 14 years of age and has completed a two-hour Buddy Training 101 class.

Doctors, nurses, therapists and special education teachers are also invited to participate.

Our first event is August 22, 2015 beginning at 10 am.

Volunteer needs include:

TEN Buddies (one-on-one friends to help the VIP kids)

SIX Room Leaders to assist with activities in each station (musicians needed!)

FIVE people for set up/clean up crew

ONE Doctor, nurse, paramedic or school nurse/medical assistant

To volunteer contact Kristin Serniotti at kristin@mtvpc.org or 360-659-7777

Brandon Bailey June 1

Sue Deisher June 1

Isaiah Bell June 5

Madyson Whitemarsh June 5

Tom Rowley June 7

Joyce Cooper June 9

Brett Peterson June 9

Kinder Smoots June 9

Alicia Bodmer June 10

Jenna Jordan June 10

Jean Uhrich June 11

Mike Doupe’ June 12

Aneliese Jones June 12

Sarah Murru June 12

Dennis Carver June 13

Grace Mooring June 16

Chris Cunningham June 17

Bob Hitz June 17

Cookie Kitzman June 17

Alissa Belan June 19

Chris Grey June 19

Todd Leighton June 19

Olivia Harsh June 21

Andrea Killion June 22

John Cavcey June 24

Zachary Luton June 24

Luke Fletcher June 25

Ella Nondorf June 25

John Honeyman June 26

Glenn Owen June 27

Michelle Rowley June 28

Anthony Murru June 30

Natalie Senff June 30

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PAGE 4 THE ENCOURAGER

(Continued from page 3)

Collaboration

When you read the word “collaboration” what thoughts or emotions are running through your

brain? I seriously want to know. What are the first few words that you associate with collabora-

tion? If you have a device open next to you send me an email right now. Go ahead…I’ll wait.

Ok now that you’ve done that, I wanted to share a little about my experience and what I

learned through a season of collaborating musically and in leadership with others. First of all,

as a director there are some very real trepidations about relinquishing control of your ensemble

to someone else. I asked myself “What if they teach my choir bad habits? What if I don’t agree

with the way they do a song?”. The list of excuses towards reluctance can go on and on.

Thankfully I knew my collaborator very well and trusted her with my life - that is - my choir.

Jennifer Hanson is a tender, kind and brilliant director and I would collaborate with her and her

ensembles any day! Once we get past the fears of reaching out, we can begin to reap the

overflowing benefits of working together. Still, I am hearing wonderful stories of how our choir

members enjoyed working with Jennifer.

For me the highlight was watching the Celebration Singers talk, laugh and sing with other

brothers and sisters who were striving towards the same goal. They met people dealing with the

same struggles and victories; first in music, then in other areas of life! Some of our choristers insist

they have met soul mates with this exchange. Stack on top of all this the energy and power of

singing with 75 other voices and you’ve got mountain top experiences that will forever shape

your life. This, my friends, is the core of what church is. People coming together because of their

mutual love of Christ, sharing in laughter

and struggles together with the desire to

grow and share God’s love with the world. I

am so proud of everyone involved in our

two gospel concerts. I hope you

were able to enjoy some of the hard work

that they put into it.

In Peace,

A Creative Moment By Dustin Willetts

Dustin Willetts

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Quest - Changes for Summer By Hannah Kreutz

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The end of the school year is upon us! How did that happen

so quick? We are going to make some changes to Quest for the

summer and I want to provide you with the details.

We will NOT be meeting regularly on Wednesday evenings. As I was preparing and consider-

ing options for the summer, I didn’t feel it would be an advantageous use of our time. Rather, I am

going to fill the summer with events and activities and invite the kids and their friends to come

and hang out. My goal for the summer is to be really intentional in growing together as a youth

group and building relationships.

Hungry will continue to happen throughout the summer under the direction and planning of

Becca Kreutz. We have not yet settled on any dates but that will be happening soon. Despite

the focus of our summer being on fellowship and relationship building, we wanted to continue to

foster the importance of worship and giving the kids a space to come and refresh their spirits.

I am really looking forward to this summer and there are already a lot of ideas on the brain!

Be on the lookout for more details and information throughout the summer! Blessings!

Mission Trip Team: Hannah Kreutz Scott King Tim Chin Miles Chin Greer King David Lockwood Kevin Lockwood Jordan Lockwood Tristan Runyon Nathan Senff

Tall Timber Mission Trip Itinerary

From June 28 - July 2 Quest will be spending five days at Tall

Timber Ranch in Leavenworth, Wa. For two of the days we will be

spending time with the children of the migrant workers who come to

Monitor Washington to pick the orchards. The children stay behind at

the camp. We will be there to hang out and play games & soccer,

provide arts & crafts and share our heart for Jesus with them.

The other two days we will be at TTR helping with service projects

and continuing to prepare the ranch for their upcoming camps.

Our last day we will wrap up our time together spending the day

with a Christian organization going

rafting as a team, to debrief our week

and experiences and grow together

before returning home. We appreciate the

prayers as we prepare for our trip and

while we are gone. There will be a more

detailed prayer list coming soon. Stay tuned!

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PAGE 6 THE ENCOURAGER

Watch for sign-ups for a Prayer Vigil to cover the entire Youth

Mission Trip to Tall Timber and a migrant camp in Monitor from

June 28 – July 2. There will be prayer suggestions to use during

your time of prayer. You may sign up for just one hour if you wish.

Many folks sign up for the same time each day of a mission trip.

Prayer Ministry By Jeannine King

(My time is 11 PM each evening). Several people may sign up for the same hour, just more

prayer! You may email Jeannine King at kingtvjr@comcast.net to sign up to pray if you wish.

Join us at Face to Face Worship and Prayer service on June 14! Come enjoy a wonderful

time of music and prayer led by John and Jackie Fuller! (Note: this month, 2nd Sunday)

Let us continue to pray long-term for those affected by the Marysville-Pilchuck HS shooting

and other major disasters in our area and the world!

Your Prayer Ministry Team: Barb Meyer, Mark & Heidi Fuller, JoAnn Parker,

John & Jackie Fuller, Doris McGregor, Jan Barnes, Tim & Jeannine King

and Pastor John Mason

When planting your garden this season, think about planting a row or two for MCL. We are

always looking for fresh fruits and veggies to serve to our guests. We are also looking for sum-

mer-time help cooking & serving on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays. With vacations and family

commitments our volunteer staff dwindles from June through September. If you have ever felt the

nudge to help out but didn't have time for a long commitment, summer time vacation help might

be just for you! If you'd like more info on how this ministry works and what our needs are please

contact Teri at branx4@msn.com.

Marysville Community Lunch By Teri Branan

The monthly book club will be gathering on June 5 for a lively discussion

of The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe. This will be our last

meeting until September 25 when we will discuss The Sparrow by Mary

Doria Russel. We will be meeting at Paula Fortin’s home. For more informa-

tion or directions to Paula’s home, contact the office. Everyone is welcome!

Friday Night Book Club By Paula Fortin

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VOLUME 24 , I SSUE 6 PAGE 7

Decisions in the Midst of Grief

“. . . But those who use God’s wisdom are safe.” –Proverbs 28:26

When my father, age 53, suffered a fatal cardiac arrest, our whole family was blindsided. It

was sudden, unexpected, and many decisions had to be made. My mother was understandably

overwhelmed. Fortunately, there were loving friends, a church family and trusted professionals

who guided us through the maze of arrangements that followed Daddy’s death and affected

our lives for years to come. My sister was 16, I was three weeks away from college graduation.

Even when you have time to prepare for a loss, grief puts you at high risk of making sketchy

choices. At a time when your thinking and perspective may be the most muddled, you’ll likely

face decisions that require clarity. No, it’s not fair. But it’s typical, and there is hope.

When it’s feasible (which is not always the case), walk don’t run. That’s the basic guidance we

get from the GriefShare professionals in our DVD series. In other words and if possible, take your

time with the big stuff: getting rid of your loved one’s belongings, changing residence and/or

employment, and making major purchases or investments. And if it’s your spouse or fiancé who

died, be especially cautious about entering too quickly into a new relationship.

Rick Warren, author and senior pastor of Saddleback Church, recently shared some decision

-making tips in his online Daily Hope devotion (www.rickwarren.org/devotional). Whether or not

you’re grieving, these suggestions will help you move forward with faith, confident in God’s

wisdom. Here’s a summary:

Pray for guidance. Ask God for His perspective on the issue.

Get the facts. Faith and fact do not contradict one another, according to Warren

(Proverbs 13:16).

Ask others. Someone who has made a similar decision or a trusted friend who knows your

situation could be a big help (Proverbs 24:6b GNT).

Calculate the cost. Figure how much of your time, money, energy, reputation, talents and

resources it will take (Proverbs 20:25).

Prepare for problems. You can prepare to meet problems and still have faith in God to

work in your life. Every decision has obstacles (Proverbs 22:3).

Face your fears. Warren notes that “God has always used imperfect people in imperfect

situations to get His will done.” Trust God to start working in spite of your fears and

doubts (Ecclesiastes 11:4).

Evening sessions begin June 4

Find encouragement and more practical tools for moving through your grief by joining Mountain

View’s weekly GriefShare support group. Our 2015 Summer Series runs June 4 – September 3,

6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. You can also visit www.griefshare.org/healing/study for a self-guided online

study.

For more information and to register for our upcoming series, please contact Rachel Ellinger at

360-659-7777 or rachel@mtvpc.org.

By Diane Young

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PAGE 8 THE ENCOURAGER

Senior Ministry By JoAnn Myers

Senior Lunch this month is on Monday, June

15th at 11:30 AM at the Golden Corral.

Please put the date on your calendars. Hope to

see more of you at the lunch. Those that do

attend have a great time of fellowship and

good food. Guests are welcome. See you there!

Call JoAnn Myers at 360.691.9778 if you have

any questions.

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Summer Worship Schedule:

All highlighted Sundays

below have a single

service time of 10AM.

Enjoy your summer!

The next time you place your order on Amazon, pay attention to their option to donate! Amazon.com is currently offering to donate .5% of your purchase cost to a charity of your choice. Here’s the really exciting part… Bibles & Literature in French (BLF) is on their list of charity options! Every little bit helps!

BLF NEEDS YOUR HELP Do you shop on Amazon?!

Prep your parka for VBS 2015,

Everest July 27-31

Register participants

and volunteers at mtvpc.org

Contact Kristin Serniotti with

any questions!

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

Mountain View Presbyterian Church

John Mason 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

Hal Clark

Jim Fletcher

Todd Leighton

Lynn Lockwood

Clerk: Jeannine King

Deacons

Judy Aiton

Bill Armstrong

Sarah Cunning-ham

Diana Franz

Denise Gritton

Luana Jackson

Steve Jahn

Mandy Jordan

Deborah Pattie

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!

Firewood for Sale office@mtvpc.org

Proceeds to benefit Quest

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