Pastor Search Team Prayer Guide Resource

July, 2022

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City View Family,

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Below is a link to the prayer guide for the church to use this week.  The elders and the search team are calling the church to unite together this week with the purpose of lifting up the pastor search process, and asking the Lord to guide the search team to the candidate that the Lord desires to call to pastor City View.  This task is too big and too important to be entrusted to men and women apart from the guiding wisdom of the Holy Spirit, and so we must pray!

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Download the guide and set an alarm at 7am and 7pm each day for the next 8 days and at those time City View will come together to pray in unison for God to move to bring this task to completion.  The prayer guide will encourage and guide your prayers each day and list the names of specific members of the search team to pray for.  Thanks to Ron Tyndale and Margaret Collins for organizing the prayer guide.

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Click to Download Pastor Search Prayer Guide

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Pastor Scott's Resignation

May 17th, 2021

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City View Family,

Yesterday morning following our worship service Pastor Scott announced his intention to resign as Lead Pastor of City View Church.   Please read below his statement in its entirety followed by some next steps for our church.
 
I would like to share with you briefly how the Lord is leading in my life and the life of our family and our desire to joyfully submit to his leading.
 
In 2019 we entered into a new and unique season of ministry as I accepted the opportunity to serve our convention, and in particular the North American Mission Board, by discovering, developing, and deploying church planters around our state.  I was afforded the freedom to remain as the pastor here at City View Church for which I am exceedingly thankful.
 
When we accepted the opportunity our elders along with our family agreed that we would periodically evaluate the ongoing relationship of those two roles.  In God’s kindness to our church and to my family this relationship has worked very well … perhaps too well.
 
Several months ago Jessie and I entered into a season of assessment, seeking to evaluate these two roles and the Lord’s leading and direction.  We came back together after a season of prayer, seeking wise counsel, and personal evaluation with the same conclusion … I can no longer continue to serve both roles effectively and this is largely due, in God’s kindness, to the growth and success of both.
 
I believe City View is poised to thrive and for her to do so I believe I must step out of the way and allow another who has been prepared by the Lord to take the church into this next season of effective ministry in our community.
 
I came to City View as a 29 year old with no experience as a lead pastor and yet you welcomed me and my family.  You are our family. You have celebrated with us at various milestones, including last week at Josie’s baptism.  You have loved and served us through difficult days and circumstances. We cannot thank you enough and we love you dearly.
 
In the years since our arrival I have also seen my passion for planting churches and the gifts the Lord has granted me in that area continue to grow and develop and so I look forward to serving our Lord, perhaps as a Barnabas, used by the Lord to encourage and support the advance of the gospel and the planting of churches.
 
My family and I will continue to love and serve this church through the 13th of June at which time I will be taking a bit of a sabbatical throughout the remainder of the summer.  We will then find a local church where we will plug in and serve just as you have each done so faithfully here.
 
I thank God for the elders, deacons, and ministry leaders He has provided for us at City View and I can confidently hand the reins to biblically qualified and capable men and women.  In the days to come I ask that you pray for and encourage your elders in particular, but all of your ministry leaders.
 
We have been praying for clarity, and the clarity the Lord has given now requires courage. So we step out in obedience, trusting the Lord and believing that if this is his plan for us in this season, it is also his plan for this church we love so much.

Pastor Scott
 
City View has been tremendously blessed by Scott's leadership and preaching over these last eight years, and we are deeply saddened to see him and his beautiful family moving on. 

However we can't help but celebrate and encourage the calling and obedient following of Pastor Scott into broader and wider ministry service.  In a way he will continue to serve our church as he seeks to strengthen and encourage churches across our state, and to water the seeds of brand new church plants.  Our Gospel witness in our community can only be strengthened by the addition of more churches faithfully heralding that same witness.  For that reason, we are excited to send him out in this way.

Over the next four weeks the focus of your elders will be two-fold: honoring Pastor Scott and the McDowell family as they exit, and finding and implementing an interim pastor to take over preaching responsibilities.

On the first matter, we intend to hold a fellowship meal and reception for the McDowells the evening of June 13th, Scott's last Sunday.  More details are forthcoming, but mark your calendars and please plan to attend an event showering Scott and family with gratitude, prayers, and lots of love! 

Second, the elders have already been working to secure an interim pastor to serve our church for three to six months while we search for a full-time replacement for Lead Pastor.  We are near to making a decision and could be presenting this person to you as soon as this coming Sunday.  We will share details with you as we have them.

As a believer in Christ and as a member or attender of City View Church, your role in this time of transition must not be overlooked.  We need you to pray!  Pray for Pastor Scott and his family.  Pray for the elders and leadership of City View Church.  Pray for the man that the Lord is already preparing to call to City View.  And pray for your fellow church members, all of whom are being impacted in different ways by this announcement.

Transitions like these are never fun or easy, but we must fix our eyes on Jesus, remind ourselves of our purpose as a church, and press on together into the mission to which God has called us - reaching the lost in Avon, Indy, and beyond!  The harvest is plentiful, and there is work yet to do!

Your elders love you and are available for any questions you may have and any needs or concerns you want to discuss.  Please feel free to reach out to us anytime.

Jon Hearing
City View Church Elder

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A Message from the Elders & Deacons of City View

June 13, 2020

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One of the core values of City View Church is to “Impact the City and the Nations.”  As a church we desire to reach our city by proclaiming the good news of Jesus.  One of the many ways we do this is by faithfully reflecting the love of Christ in our interactions with each other and the community in which we live.  Due to the way recent events have unfolded, our community needs the good news of the love of Christ now more than ever.  And we know that good news to be this: “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us,” (Romans 5:8).

 

In response to all that has taken place over the last few weeks we feel it important to highlight and recommit ourselves as members of City View Church to the following truths:

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1. All people are made in God’s image and have inherent value.

   1. Genesis 1:27 says “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”

   2. God’s people are pro-life.  From the beginning of life to the end of life, all human beings, male and female, of all ethnicities, colors, and ages, are sacred to God.  All people therefore have inherent value and should be respected as such.

2. The Bible condemns murder, injustice, and the misuse of authority and force.

   1. Jeremiah 22:3 says “Thus says the Lord, ‘Do justice and righteousness, and deliver the one who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor. Also do not mistreat or do violence to the stranger, the orphan, or the widow; and do not shed innocent blood in this place.”

   2. God’s people grieve to see examples of racism, prejudice, and of the misuse of force.  We grieve with our minority brothers and sisters in the wake of George Floyd’s death, pray for his family and friends and greatly desire to see the misuse of force and any inequitable distributions of justice come to an end.  We grieve that for our fellow citizens of color this incident connects to a long history of unequal justice in our society. 

3. God’s people are called to protect the vulnerable. 

   1. Isaiah 1:17 says “Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.”  

   2. As a church we are called to love all people, including those who are societally vulnerable.  We are to care for their needs, grieve with them in brokenness, and to labor for their well-being.  We are grateful for the police officers and public servants who commit their lives to doing this very thing – protecting the people of our community – and we recognize that the evil actions of one officer do not represent them all.  However, when the vulnerable in our community are mistreated, abused, or killed needlessly, we have a duty to speak on their behalf, to “seek justice,” and “correct oppression.” 

4. The Gospel is the hope of the world.

   1. Romans 10:9-10 says “the message concerning faith that we proclaim: 9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” 

   2. Racism, abuse of authority, hatred, murder…all these are examples of the sin that condemns all mankind before a holy and perfect God, and that condemnation can only be paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ. His death on the cross is the payment for those sins, and it is a free gift to all who would believe.  There are no requirements of a Christian beyond receiving that payment and confessing him as Lord.  For the person who receives this free gift, they are given a new heart, and their affections are changed to love God and love others.  The follower of Christ does not serve the Lord in order to earn their salvation, but out of gratitude for the gift of salvation freely given.

 

** Parts of these statements were taken from the SBC’s “Statement on the Death of George Floyd” and the

SBC’s 2019 statement “On Biblical Justice.”  Read these statements in their entirety here and here, respectively.

 

Practical Applications for City View Members

 

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends,” John 15:12-13.

 

1. Love for one another means respecting one another

   1. There are many complex and sensitive debates that have arisen as we attempt to sort through just what is going on in our city and country.  You are encouraged to involve yourself in these discussions as much as you want, however the church ought to show the world what it looks like to lovingly disagree on some of these things.  The bond formed between believers by the shed blood of Christ requires that we love and respect one another in both our words and our actions, regardless of the depth of our disagreement on a social or cultural topic.

2. Love for one another means listening to one another

   1. If we love and respect one another, then we will listen to one another.  Listening to one another doesn’t simply mean hearing but seeking to understand one another.  If a brother or sister speaks on a topic that raises questions in your mind, love that brother or sister by reaching out, by listening intently, and striving to understand their perspective.

   2. Recognize that Social Media is not where this kind of understanding best takes place.  Social media are great platforms for sharing and expressing one's views in short, but are not conducive to conversation and understanding.  Social Media gives just a glimpse into a person; we are called to love one another deeply, like family! 

3. Love for one another means unity around the Gospel at all costs

   1. We must recognize that the Gospel that unites us is a bond that cannot be broken.  This is part of the glory of the Gospel that makes it so beautiful!  That people who are completely different – in appearance, in background, in talent, in ability, in perspective, in passion, and in calling – can be united in Christ in such a way that they can be used to take the mission of Jesus forward! 

 

The unity of a body of believers in the midst of a constantly changing world is evidence that the power of the Gospel has transformed a bunch of fallen individuals into the body of Christ!  We praise God for the way he has uniquely formed City View Church in Avon, Indiana, and we pray that our unity and love for one another would be a great testimony to the Gospel! 

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Duston Resignation

June 8th, 2020

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City View Church,

We are sad to announce to you that as of Sunday, June 7th, 2020, Duston Moore, an elder of City View and our Worship and Arts Pastor, has resigned his position as a staff member, stepped down as an elder, and is removing his family’s membership from our church.  This decision was made prayerfully by Duston and Nancy for personal reasons.  It was not due to moral failure or theological incongruences.  The Moore’s decided that at this time it was in the best interest of their family and in the best interest of City View Church that they part ways.

This is a significant loss to the church body.  Like a physical body losing an arm, we are losing a gifted and active family in our church.  We should grieve the loss.  We should pray for healing.  And we should pray for the Lord to raise up and call out other members of our church to step into new rolls of leadership necessitated by this change.  We must pray that the Lord would unify us, strengthen us, and equip us to move forward together to fulfill our mission of taking the Gospel to our neighbors and our city.

Please pray for the Moore family, while also respecting their decision and their privacy in this matter.  City View Church has no ill will towards the Moore family, and wish them nothing short of God’s absolute best for them.  Pray with us that the Lord would lead their family to another local body, where they can commit their lives to the Gospel going forward with as much passion as they did at City View.

Your elders are available to serve you should you feel the need to reach out to us.  We are praying for each one of you and for our church with increased fervor, and look forward to seeing how the Lord will work through this situation to advance his Kingdom in Avon and beyond.  We will attempt to provide more information regarding our next steps on Sunday in our services and on our video stream.
 

In Christ,

The Elders of City View:
Jon Hearing
Scott McDowell
Gary Mullenix
Ron Tyndale

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CITY VIEW CHURCH

RE-ENTRY PLAN

The date for enacting this plan is TBD

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There is a longing within each of us to meet together in person.  We are seeking to do our very best to comply with the direction of those placed in authority over us, to safeguard as best we can the health and safety of our church family, and to prayerfully lead us forward.

 

The procedures outlined below, while creating some minor inconveniences, will not last forever.  Consider them an opportunity to proactively love and serve your church family and those in our community who may join us for worship.

 

Sunday Worship Services
9:00 am (A-L)
11:00 am (M-Z)

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Before your Arrival:
In an attempt to keep our worship services somewhat even in terms of attendance we are asking those whose last names start A through L to attend the 9 am service and those with last names starting with M through Z attend the 11 am service.  
If this service assignment is a hardship on your family you may attend the other service but please bear in mind that the reason we are making this assignment is to help us to adhere to social distancing and balance our our service size.

 

We want to encourage those individuals who are 65 and above or who have an underlying at-risk health condition to stay home and watch services online. 

 

We will continue to offer a live stream of our services each and every week.

 

If you are symptomatic (fever or flu like symptoms) or have tested positive for Covid-19 please remain at home and let us know so that we might serve and encourage you in the midst of this time.

 

Arrival:
Do not arrive earlier than 15 minutes before service

 

Our doors will be open and greeters will welcome you to church while wearing masks.  To serve those around you we want to encourage you to consider wearing a mask until you are seated.

 

Seating:
When you arrive our building will look a little different.  Our coffee tables, couches, and padded chairs will be removed as will our pipe and drape.  In their place you will find mostly tables and chairs spread around the room.  

 

Upon your arrival we want to ask you to make your way to your table and seat.  If you have children please be sure to keep your children at your table with you.  Despite the urge to hug and return to “normal” please maintain social distancing. Please do not engage in hand shaking, hugs, etc.

 

If you bring purses, diaper bags, etc please keep them with you

 

Dismissal
At the conclusion of each service please maintain social distancing as you are dismissed.  Please make your way out of the building as soon as the service concludes to enable our cleaning crew to do their work in a timely fashion and allow for the next service to begin in a timely fashion.

 

Some Additional Guidelines:
We are afforded a tremendous privilege to gather together for worship.  In an effort to comply with our Governor’s requests please adhere to the following additional guidelines:

• City Groups - In accordance with the recommendation that places of worship conduct as many activities as possible remotely we are asking our community groups continue to meet via zoom for the time being.

• City Kids - Our City Kids will not be meeting on Sunday mornings but will maintain their 4 pm zoom call.  Our City Kids area will be kept locked and will be inaccessible during services.

• Giving - Please continue to give online.  If you are unable to do so, we will have an offering box, but whenever possible please give online.

• Restrooms - Please use the restroom before arriving when possible.  If you need to utilize our restrooms they will certainly be open but we are asking only 1 individual or family use them at a time.  Please be sure to wash your hands when exiting.

• Cleaning - The church will be cleaned before and after each service.  To aid in these cleaning efforts please do your best to leave with all of the materials you brought with you and be dismissed in an orderly fashion.

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CITY VIEW COVID 19 RESPONSE

MARCH 13, 2020

 

City View Family,

 

Greetings in the name of Christ our Risen Lord!  At present our school corporation has cancelled classes and our community is advised to practice social distancing when and where possible.  With concerns over the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic growing, your elder team wanted to let you know what we are doing as a church family to address concerns.

 

Our team has given this a great deal of thought, discussion, and prayer and arrived at the difficult decision to cancel our in person worship gathering for this Sunday.  This decision is not rooted in fear but in the desire to do our part. While many of us may not be concerned about personal risk, we want to love those around us who are at greater risk. We want to be a Philippians 2 kind of church where we 'consider the needs of others above our own'. This is one way we can show love to our neighbors. 

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A few items for your immediate consideration:

• We plan to have something online for our church family this Sunday. As these details come together, we will be sure to communicate with you.  If in doubt check our Facebook page for details.

• Lifeway has provided some free children’s materials available on their website simply use the registration code VZMD4SSQ38.  

• Lastly I want to encourage you to continue to give online, through the app, or by simply mailing your check.  We give primarily as an act of worship and this giving enables us to accomplish the ministries the Lord has called us to.  

 

I know this setup is less than ideal, but praise God we have the technology to do something like this during a state of emergency.

 

Please keep in mind that the next few weeks may cause unexpected strain upon others (e.g. financial, childcare, health). Church family, this is not a time to be passive but to seek out ways to serve one another as God has enabled us. This is an opportunity for us to embody what we have studied and to Love Like Jesus!

 

If you should need assistance or want to speak with a pastor you can submit a prayer request or simply send an email to scott@cityview.org

 

Grace and Peace,

 

Your City View Elder Team