Merry Christmas 2011

Good day on this your Thursday Blast for December 22, 2011.

Mountain View Christian Center “You Rock”, was a comment that I heard over and over this week.  Another comment was, “What would we do without Mountain View Christian Center”.

The Mountain View Christian Center team did it again as we hosted a Food giveaway of Mammoth Proportion.  We were expecting a great turnout for the event being our Christmas box event but what we saw was nothing less than Miraculous.  Let me explain.  We were planning on 500 Christmas Boxes.  We had 475 preregistered and left room for a few extra.  By the Time the doors opened and people started filing in the church into the Sanctuary the flood of people was overwhelming.  We had a registration line set up for those not registered and at last count I received was 105 families extra.  Well of course our minds start calculating to see if we have enough food & turkeys.  With all this going on the Mini-Cassia  Community Health Care Clinic that was donated 1200 doses of Flu vaccine was offering free immunizations, at last count the team did over 200. The team of medical professionals that came was amazing.   With this going on the University of Idaho extension office was offering a Nutrition Class that had well over 300 people in attendance.  Add to the dynamic of giving food away, in which each family received approx. 75+- pounds of food, the clinic,  off loading the food, (Thanks Ron Lynch) the traffic, the transporting of groceries,  organizing the Volunteers of which 4 Churches were represented, the delivery of our new freezer for the Kitchen, ( oh I forgot to mention that), the arrival of College of Southern Idaho (Santa) who sponsored a family in the church, giving away free Christmas trees, and oh Yes, a delivery of a pickup loaded with canned good  donated by Mr. Gas, and did I mention the extra people we had.  Wow what a day.  As we approached the end of the giveaway we realized that we had extra turkeys.  We gave away as many as possible and God kept multiplying them.  I had a plan to bless Mr. Gas who had just blessed us.  I called and talked to Debbie Judd who works in the main office and told her of the plan, she said Nick Lynch is here talk to him.  I told him Mountain View Christian Center had 76 extra Turkeys and a few potato products and would like to bless him with them to.  So they immediately sent out a text/face book contact to all the customers to come by and receive a Free Turkey. We loaded up the product and headed to the Mr. Gas on Overland in Burley. The Youth piled in the Van and came to help off load the turkeys.  I just spoke to the office of Mr. Gas and they had so much fun giving away ALL the turkeys and Potatoes away.  What a Day!

Each time we do these events I come away with so much appreciation for the Staff and volunteers of Mountain View Christian Center and the Community.  The comments that I started this message off with was continual over and over again from the people receiving goods, “What would we do without you”, my immediate reaction was, No, What would we do without you? Or mission statement is “Love God, Serve People”, this is what we do, not just talk about.  I was asked recently by a church group of How to get involved in such a venture, my answer was, “Get off your blessed assurance and just do it”.  The bible says: James 2:17-19 ¹⁷ Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

We do understand we are not Christians by our works. But because we are Christians and have Jesus in Our Hearts we do things for God. 

On Thursday yes this blast day, I am headed to Boise to Pick up Pallet Racks that have been donated to our Warehouse that is not even built yet. I will update you on this gift soon.

This weekend is Christmas Day; we have great services planned for you.  On Christmas Eve we will be having a Communion Service at 6:00 -7:00 p.m. where we will have music, a message and communion.  Then on Christmas Day (Sunday) we will be having only one morning service at 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.  We will broadcast this service live at mountainviewchristiancenter.info.

Don’t forget to invite a friend church this Christmas Day!

Pastor Joy and I want to wish each of you a Very Merry Christmas; you are the most amazing people on the face of the earth. Thank you for all the cards, candy, and goodies you have so graciously blessed us with. 

 

We Love you all,

 

Pastors Jim & Joy Powell