Archive for Mountain View

Mountain View Winter Shelter Update

In this time when there’s so much hardship we can’t do anything about, it seems particularly imperative for us to do the things we can do. 

As you know, a nighttime winter shelter for women and children operated by Home First uses LAUMC’s Mountain View Sanctuary every night between Thanksgiving and March 31. In the spirit of doing what we can, and as we walk on the path Jesus paved for us, LAUMC invited the shelter to offer its residents our space during daytime hours also and to continue its operations through April 15. We’ll keep looking at this plan as the outlook changes.  

It’s your generosity that allows the church to be this kind of neighbor in our community. Thank you.  

Front Porch Update

On December 30, Rev. Sam Blewis submitted a major funding proposal for Front Porch to the annual conference’s Committee on New and Vital Congregations. The hope is that this funding will allow Front Porch to get to the next level. As the leadership team learns systems and gets other pieces in place, it is also getting funding systems in place. In fact, you may have noticed two advertisements in the Mountain View Voice recently. Those were placed through a grant from United Methodist Communications, and seven new people have come because of them!

If you want to get regular updates on Front Porch, check out Rev. Sam’s weekly posts on the Front Porch website. Rev. Sam and the whole team are incredibly excited about all that is to come for LAUMC’s witness in downtown Mountain View, including the work being done through Front Porch!

Front Porch Update

Front Porch, the new church start in downtown Mountain View, has been meeting in the driveway of the Paul Avenue parsonage. This has been a wonderful way to meet neighbors and be visible in the community. As the weather turns, however, it is clear that the dinner church gatherings will need to move to an indoor space at the Mountain View campus beginning Sunday, November 3.

Each week the community gathers, and each person shares what they are grateful for and what lays heavy on their hearts, shares the stories of their lives, and finds where those stories intersect with the story of Jesus. If you know someone who isn’t comfortable in a traditional church setting but may be looking for the kind of connection, compassion, and courage we find in Christian community, send them to Front Porch.