Bozarth Family Newsletter

Note:  The Mountain View Scholarship Fund has given support over the past 4 years to James Bozarth, a fellow Arizonan now preparing to be a pastor.  He is in his final year at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.  This is his Winter newsletter.  

 

Meet Emmalyn Doyle, Scholarship Recipient

Mountain View Lutheran Church offers scholarship assistance to individuals preparing for full-time church work as pastor, teacher or other position in the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod.  The fund is supported by contributions form members and friends of MVLC.

The latest recipient is Emmalyn Doyle, a junior at Concordia University Irvine (CA).  Emmalyn's home is Scottsdale, Arizona.  She has attended Lutheran schools all of her life, beginning at Christ Lutheran School and continuing at Valley Lutheran High School in Phoenix.  Along the way she earned honors for her academic record and her participation in school activities.  

She submitted the following essay as part of her application for the MVLC scholarship grant:

My family is almost entirely comprised of Lutheran educators. Both sets of grandparents, several aunts and uncles, and my parents are LCMS educators, so one could say that serving in this vocation runs in the family. Besides familial influence, I attended LCMS schools my entire life and always wanted to be a teacher ever since I can remember. The only area where I felt stumped was choosing an age group and subject, but God used people and prayer to lead me to my current vocational path. Throughout my childhood, my grandparents and parents were committed to taking my siblings and me to church and teaching us apologetics. As I grew up, I noticed that many of my friends were falling away from the Church because their foundations were not as solid as my own. Too many teens abandon the faith because they are falsely led to believe that the Christian faith is blind and uncertain. God has put it on my heart to teach young adults that being a Christian does not negate the use of reason and logic, but rather makes sense of the natural world and humanity’s need for a Savior.

I firmly believe that God is calling me to teach high school theology to reach teens who are struggling with life’s hardest questions and seek answers that bolster a faith which incorporates both the head and heart. My conscientiousness, honesty, and work ethic, cultivated by family and teachers, are strengths that will serve me well in my vocation. It will take hard work to teach teens and research answers to their questions, especially in today’s postmodern culture. Therefore, delivering such answers must be done with an honest commitment to the Word of God, with the “gentleness and respect” that 1 Peter 3:15 calls us to in our evangelistic and apologetic work for the Kingdom.

The Scholarship Committee awarded Emmalyn with a grant in the amount of $4000 and encouraged her to apply for additional funding for her senior year at Concordia.  She responded to the committee with this note of appreciation:

I wanted to extend my deepest appreciation for the generosity of you and the scholarship committee in this financial assistance, which is such a blessing to my family and me. MVLC’s support of church worker students is truly amazing, and I am so blessed and encouraged by this scholarship fund I look forward to continuing my studies this year, made possible by MVLC. Students like myself are indebted to churches and generous scholarships like this one, which allow church workers the support needed for ministry. Thank you so very much!

In Support of Farmhouse Daycare

 October 5, 2021

To: Congregation of Mountain View Lutheran

Jesus said, Go and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father,Son and Holy Spirit and teaching them everything I have commanded you."  Jesus also said "Let the little children come to me.  Do not hinder them for to such belongs the kingdom of God."  Saint Paul says that we are to use the blessings that God has given us to make friends with the world.

We at Mountain View have had a vision in place to have a daycare, a preschool, a school, and retirement center here. When I came here, we had a preschool and kindergarten but because of our large debt we were not able to sustain this ministry. Over the years we’ve had different non-church businesses partnering with us by using our facility and allowing us to share Gods love and His Word with them. Among those were the Montessori preschool, a charter school, a Headstart program and now we have been asked by the Farmhouse Daycare to partner with them so that they might utilize our facility to minister to the families in our community. 

Our mission statement is: “As disciples of the Triune God, the mission of Mountain View Lutheran Church is to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ through word, sacraments and our deeds,  bringing Christ to the community and the world.”  I think partnering with the Farmhouse Daycare would be a wonderful opportunity to fulfill our mission and purpose in reaching families for Jesus.   These families would now be brought here by Jesus for us to share His love. 

I strongly support this effort and I hope and pray that you as a congregation would do the same.  I hope and pray that we here at Mountain View will take advantage of this opportunity that God is giving us. It won’t be easy, but we are called by Jesus to use what we have, to bring glory and honor to His name. 

Pastor Mark Friedrich

 

Fall 2021 News from the Bozarth Family

 James Bozarth is currently serving his vicarage in Columbus, Indiana at St. Peter's Lutheran Church, a large congregation which also operates an elementary school and preschool. (http://stpeterscolumbus.org)  MVLC continues to help the Bozarth family with scholarship support and they in turn keep us informed with quarterly newsletters.  

Mountain View Welcomes New Music Director

 For several months, MVLC searched for a person to fill the position of Music Director.  The search involved connections in the local community as well as contacts with universities and church offices throughout the country.  The search led the committee to Arizona State University and Dr. Kimberly Marshall, a professor in the School of Music.  She is known worldwide for compelling programs and presentations of organ music.  She also has connections with graduate students studying organ at ASU.

Kimberly led the committee to contact Tigran Buniatyan, a new ASU student who was coming to Arizona from Oberlin, Ohio.  The connection was timely.  MVLC was the first church to reach out to him and he was eager to learn more about the music position and Mountain View was impressed with his credentials and experiences as music director of several churches in Ohio.  He began his service as Music Director at MVLC on August 1st.  

Tigran is a native of Armenia, a small land-locked country that was at one time part of the Soviet Union before its breakup in 1992.  He grew up in Yerevan, the capital city, the son of a scientist.  As a young man he took up piano and became an accomplished pianist.  He earned awards and prizes in Armenia and in Russia before deciding to study organ.  

In 2008 Tigran enrolled in the Yerevan State Conservatory where he earned both a Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degree.  During that time he taught music history.  In 2014 he served as Vice-Principal of a Music School for high school students in Yerevan.  From that experience he became an Organ Curator who traveled to many European cities to provide technical support for organists and organs.  

In 2016 he enrolled in the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Oberlin, Ohio.  He earned a Bachelor's Degree in organ performance and continued in the program to earn a Master's Degree in 2021.  During his tenure in Oberlin he served several Lutheran churches in the area as organist and music director.  He also played the Brombaugh organ and harpsichord in the Fairfield Chapel at Oberlin.  

Over the years, Tigran performed over 100 Organ, Harpsichord and Piano recitals in Armenia, the U.S., Russia, Belarus, The Netherlands, Germany, Norway, and Lituania.  His organ performances were on 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th century historical organs.  He participated in over 10 professional conferences for musicians and authored several articles in professional publications.  He maintains a YouTube channel where viewers can hear and see several of his organ performances.  

Outside of music, Tigran is an avid bicyclist and athlete.  He has competed in triathlons, an endurance multisport race consisting of swimming, cycling, and running over various distances.  Here in Arizona he continues to ride his bicycle to and from his apartment in Tempe.  

Tigran is an example of God's answer to prayer and Mountain View is blessed to enjoy his services.  He invites others to participate in the congregation's music program.  Vocalists and instrumentalists are welcome to join him in celebrating God's presence and gifts to his people.  He can be reached via email at musicdirector@mvlcaj.org.

Summer News from the Bozarth Family

For the past two years, James Bozarth has been the recipient of scholarship funds from Mountain View Lutheran Church as he prepared for the pastoral ministry at  Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.  He is now serving his vicarage year in Colombus, Indiana.  His recent newsletter updates the family's summer travels.

Back to the New Normal

Worship today, July 24, 2021 was "back to normal" in the words of an Elder who greeted us at the door.  It has been a long while since we experienced normal but here are some of the items I noted that were practiced in worship last year at this time.

• There were no elders standing near the from door gathering offerings.
• The elements of Holy Communion (wafer, wine) were available in the entry for anyone who did not wish to come forward to the communion rail.
• Ushers gathered the offering after the sermon and brought it forward to the pastor.
• Worship attendance cards were in racks in the pews and collected by an usher.
• Hymns were sung by the congregation during the distribution of Holy Communion.
• People sat near each other in the pews and visited with other worshippers before and after the service.
• Hymn books, Bibles and attendance cards were back in the pew racks.  
• Very few if any in attandance wore face masks.  (I didn't look around to check everyone.)
• Reggie was his usual self, looking forward to ice cream for lunch.
• The organist, Pastor Bob Stockman, was given a round of applause for serving as volunteer organist for the month of July while the congregation awaits the arrival of the new music director.
• Pastor Mark acknowledged and thanked the "18 of so" volunteers who helped clean and organize the church on Saurday, July 23rd.

I admit that some of these items are not necessarily new, but it was good to be back to familiar territory for those of us who have endured changes over the past several months.  It was a far cry from those previous Sundays when we sat in our cars in the parking lot.  Glory to God!

Dan Seim

Church Council Highlights • May 17, 2021

 MVLC COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS

I

MOUNTAIN VIEW LUTHERAN CHURCH

COUNCIL MEETING HIGHLIGHTS from MAY 17, 2021

• President Tom Kaib requested that the council and those from the congregation present at the meeting make the effort to work together for the good of Christ and MVLC.

 

• Pastor Tim issued a statement on the decision to postpone this years VBS, “We have a shortage of volunteers to put this program on”. We request that the congregation prayerfully consider being involved in this effort.  The mission of MVLC is to bring Christ to the community, this includes the children in our neighborhood.

 

• The Elders are continuing the request for masks in the Narthex but leaving the wearing of masks in the sanctuary to the individual. MVLC will continue serving communion elements with individual cups that are picked up prior to entering the sanctuary.

 

• Evangelism Committee reported that gift bags will be arriving to be given out to visitors attending our services and also given to those moving into the communities now being built across the street. Bags will include snacks, water, and a welcome pack about MVLC and activities we provide.

 

• The Campus Coordinator and Head Trustee requested the Council to approve the purchase of an electric truck to be used on campus for work use on maintaining church property.

 

• With the resignation of Council President Dan Baker, Vice President Tom Kaib will complete the current term of President. The Vice President position has been filled with the President appointing Mike Mclane to complete Tom Kaib’s term. This appointment was approved by council, Mike will complete the balance of the current two year Vice President’s term.  

James Bozarth Assigned to Vicarage

 

Church Council Highlights • April 19, 2021

MVLC COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS

I

MOUNTAIN VIEW LUTHERAN CHURCH

COUNCIL MEETING HIGHLIGHTS from APRIL 19, 2021

• We are still working with the Apache Junction City Council on the approval of the roof on our gazebo.

• Pastor Tim Anderson will be officiating the Saturday services during Pastor Mark’s recovery.

• Pastor Anderson will be performing the Institution of the Elements for the Sunday services until Pastor Mark returns.

• Sunday services will be covered by a Vicar and a Deacon from Christ Greenfield until Pastor Mark is able to physically handle the services.

• Starting May 2, 2021, we will be going to a single Sunday morning service at 9:30 AM.

• Karen Morrison will be heading a 2021 Bylaw review committee.  Pastor Mark will be a member of this review committee. Final makeup of is still being worked on.

• President Dan Baker resigned his position at the close of the council meeting.

• Vice President Tom Kaib will fill the remaining months of Dan Bakers term. The office of the president is up for election at the November 2021 Congregational Meeting.

• Council approved moving funds from Growing Christs Kingdom to the music fund.  Current approved budget does not contain sufficient funds to fill needed positions for our services.  The MVLC 2022 budget will be increased to allow paying musicians the current fee for musicians in our area.  

 

Help for San Carlos Reservation Mothers and Babies

LWML President, Liz Cassidy, knew of the needs of the San Carlos Apache community near Globe, AZ, and had a contact there.  After talking to Sister Ruth, who works with a Social mission there, and in conjunction with Life Month, we decided to collect baby and early childhood items for the month of January.  Our members brought in baby clothes, afghans, onesies, etc. The church supported us with contributions of diapers, and gift cards, which we used to buy baby food and other needed baby items. The Quilters donated over 20 quilts to send along, and the Sunday School collected early childhood books and enclosed messages to the children of San Carlos.

God blessed us with a beautiful day in February, when my husband Adolf and I, with Liz, loaded our full size van FULL of boxes and bags of donations, even one bassinet!  We made the drive to Globe, where we met Sister Ruth in her van, and transferred all the items. She was so appreciative. She said one woman was due to have a baby in a week or two, and would put the bassinet to good use.  This was a good way to have the whole church involved in our Mission Project.

Thank you Mountain View Lutheran Church for your support!

Lynnda Haupert, LWML

Lenten Themes 2021

 

Wednesday, February 17

Wednesday, February 24

Wednesday, March 3

Wednesday, March 10

Wednesday, March 17

Wednesday, March 24

Wednesday, March 31

February 2021 Church Council Highlights

MVLC COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS

In order to have better communication between the Council and the Congregation, we plan to provide these Highlights after each monthly Council meeting. The following are the Highlights for February 2021.

  

• Looking forward to trying to return to some type of normalcy the Council is considering having an Easter Pancake Breakfast in April.

 

• In order to be able to utilize the Kitchen again, Charles Crafts is in the process of taking the Serve Safe License class to become the Kitchen Manager. Charles will hold the license but he will be looking for volunteers with Food Handlers License to help out in the kitchen.

 

• Charles Crafts has been enlisted as an Independent Contractor in the part-time position of Campus Coordinator (formerly known as Events/Facilities Coordinator).

 

• We are sure you have seen the work being done because the Fire Water Line had to be replaced. 17 feet of pipe was replaced. Insurance covers the cost of this expense after our deductible.

 

• Landscaping work will be completed on the property before Easter. For the outdoor Sunrise Worship Service we will bring in two loads of gravel to level out and refresh the area plus to cover the area from the water break.

 

• The MVLC Council Planning Session is set for Saturday, April 10th from 8:30 – 2. Location to be determined. A committee to prepare the agenda of Steve Kolling, Bonnie Gregrow-Weinlaeder, and Pastor Mark Friedrich was formed.

 

Holiday Worship Services

 

Wanted: A Few Good Musicians

Mountain View has a strong tradition of music to enhance worship and a commitment to see it continue.  Unfortunately, several music leaders are no longer available to serve.  Here are some of the pluses of the music program as it operated in recent years:

• varied worship styles including traditional, blended, country gospel and polka with worship services reflecting these styles
• worship schedules including Saturday evening, Sunday morning and seasonal Wednesday services
• choral groups - formal choir, men's choir, praise team
• excellent audio visual support including live streaming capabilities
• modern electronic organ
• handbells and hand chimes

Some of these pluses are in need of leadership.  All are open to more participants.  If you are a regular member, consider joining a group.  If you are a seasonal member, your participation is welcome even though you may be here for only part of the year.  Talk to one of the pastors and indicate your interest.  He will put you in touch with the group.  

A quote from Martin Luther:

"I, Doctor Martin Luther, wish all lovers of the unshackled art of music grace and peace from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ! I truly desire that all Christians would love and regard as worthy the lovely gift of music, which is a precious, worthy, and costly treasure given to mankind by God."

Youth Sunday School Restart

 

YOUTH SUNDAY SCHOOL

Youth Sunday School Returns  Sunday November 15th  We have some exciting news to share for our Youth, our Families, and for everyone here at Mountain View Lutheran Church. After weeks of discussing and planning, we are ready to re-launch our Sunday School this fall and are excited to announce that we feel led by the spirit of God to try new things in order to reach our kids where they are. To that end, we are going to now be offering more appropriate age-based programs for our Elementary kids as well as for our Jr. and Sr. High Youth.

FOR OUR  ELEMENTARY KIDS We are excited to announce our new elementary curriculum from Group Publishing, "Simply Loved." If you have ever been part of our VBS programs here at Mountain View, Simply Loved has a very similar feel. Kids will engage in songs of praise to Jesus, they will learn the bible story each week, and then they will work on different crafts and projects that drive home the point of the lesson. With this approach, we hope to engage all different styles of learners.

JR and SR HIGH YOUTH We are also so excited to tell you that we are starting a Sunday school class aimed specifically at our Jr. and Sr. high youth who have already finished confirmation. Working with some amazing volunteers and our Pastors, they are going to dive into "Life's Big Questions, God's Big Answers." Youth will even have opportunity to submit questions that they have about their faith and how it intersects life in the world around us. Our volunteers, parents, and our pastors will then have opportunity to teach them faithful responses to their tough questions.  We ask for prayers as we are boldly trying this new and exciting thing.

KEEPING EVERYONE SAFE We are committed to doing our best to keeping everyone safe, even amidst the pandemic. all kids, youth, and volunteers will be required to wear masks in Sunday School, socially distance, and any craft supplies will be separated out per person. We are also asking parents, kids and youth alike to keep us informed about any COVID outbreaks in their schools, so that we can postpone Sunday School if needed and keep one another safe. All surfaces and areas will be properly disinfected each week after Sunday School classes.   VOLUNTEERS We need your help. We already have some committed volunteers who are excited and anxiously awaiting the launch of Sunday School, but we still need more volunteers of making our dream of age appropriate Sunday School classes a reality. If you have any desire to work with or assist with our Elementary Sunday School or with our Jr. and Sr. High group, please reach out to Pastor Tim at PastorTim@Mountainviewlutheran.org

News from our Scholarship Student

 Bozarth October 2020 Newsletter

8 Founders Way Unit B cell: 478-919-7300 catcherjb8@yahoo.com

St. Louis, MO 63105

The Fall Semester is under way! I have entered my second year at Concordia Seminary St. Louis, also known as my “pre-vicarage year.” Second year studies expand on the instruction from first year and also prepare us for our third year, our vicarage year. The curriculum dives into the theological caverns but never loses sight of the surface – where theology is applied. A thorough understanding of theology is nothing without proper application. For instance, Jesus is the Son of God who takes away the sins of the world, this is theology. This message becomes Gospel when your sins are taken away through faith in Jesus who is the Son of God. You see, the Seminary grounds us in theology so that we may be faithful stewards of the Gospel in practice.

We are not alone in our studies. Many, including you, support myself and my family through your words, prayers, and treasures. God has placed each one of you to tend to our needs as we explore those theological caverns.

Our little explorers, Avin (6, 10/16/2013) and Adalyn (4, 2/29/2016) continue their education at St. Paul des Peres. Avin is a tall boy in first grade with a compassionate heart. He is always creating through an energetic imagination. Adalyn is a clever girl in a petite package who loves learning in her pre-kindergarten class. She’ll soon usurp her daddy in wisdom and rhetoric (and she knows it).

Heather has adapted to the shifting schedules and is a valued asset at St. Paul des Peres Lutheran Church as their Worship Secretary. She does all this while managing the household logistics and child transportation while I’m off “spelunking.” She is vital to this expedition.

Thank you again, for your support!

The Bozarth Family – James, Heather, Avin, Adalyn

Set Free

If the Son sets you free you are free indeed. What do you need to be set free from? Fear, Worry, Anger, Addiction, Greed, Pride, Loneliness, Sin? All of these can bind us in the lies of Satan. We cannot escape from this unless we are delivered from these chains through the precious blood of Jesus which cleanses us from all unrighteousness. He alone is our peace. He alone is victor over death and the grave. We are now more than conquerors through him who loves us.

As the body of Christ we are united together with each other under the headship of Jesus. We are to pray for each other and to work together in love and unity. The devil wants to divide us and bring in hatred and bitterness into our hearts. Right now as we are separated from each other may God's forgiving love hold us together. May we seek peace and unity rather than fear and separation. We are set free to serve God with a willing heart soul and mind. Now may the peace of God which surpasses all human understanding guard you hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. Amen!


Psalm 129:4   But the LORD is righteous; he has cut me free from the cords of the wicked.

Pastor Mark Friedrich

Holy Communion for Such a Time as This

In this time of a National Emergency due to a very contagious virus, churches have been forced to think of alternatives to corporate worship.  Thanks to the wonders of technology unheard of during the last pandemic in 1917, worship services have been streamed via the Internet to home computers and other devices.  Bible classes have continued and some offer interactive dialogue among the participants.

But what about the Sacraments of Holy Baptism and Holy Communion?  Many look forward to celebrating the Lord's Supper at the same time they celebrate Jesus' victory over sin, death and Satan. How can that happen while also practicing "social distancing"?

Leaders at Mountain View Lutheran Church came up with a plan for "drive through Communion."  Elders and pastors set up two stations and recruited others to handle traffic and provide musical background.  As worshipers drove up to one of the tents, a pastor provided a brief message, a blessing over the elements and directions for partaking.  The wine and bread were packaged in a sealed individual container.  The presentation was consummated with a prayer and participants were on their way home where they also view and participate in an Easter worship service prerecorded to the church website (www.mountainviewlutheran.org) or on the church Facebook page.

All are hopeful that this temporary approach to worship will soon be over but in the meantime MVLC members and friends continue to be in touch with God's Word.

How Are We Responding to Coronavirus Threat

The pastors of Mountain View Lutheran Church have posted the following statement:

After much prayer and discussion, Pastor Mark Friedrich and Pastor Tim Anderson have decided that for the sake of our congregation, and the sake of Pastoral Care, we are going to commit to the following actions in response to the Coronavirus pandemic.

   

1.     We will refrain from hugs and handshakes for the time being. Human contact is an important part of our life together, as we believe it reflects the love of Christ. Yet in this time and for now, an elbow or fist bump will need to suffice. And this always remains true: If you’re sick, stay home. 

2.     We will have careful procedures in place for our celebration of the Lord’s Supper. Pastors, communion preparers and communion distributors will wash their hands just prior to preparing or serving communion. We will continue to provide both the individual and common cups and encourage you to commune in the way you are most comfortable.  We will do what we can to provide a healthy and safe communing experience. 

3.     We will continue to offer our time, talents and treasures to the Lord. We will however be changing how we take the offering during our worship services for the time being. Instead of passing the offering plates, members will be encouraged to drop their offering and attendance cards with ushers during communion at the front of the church. This again will limit skin to skin contact. 

4.     We will maintain an exceptionally clean building. We have professional cleaning services for our church buildings and will keep our buildings as clean as we can.  

5.     We will continue to go to people in need. Your pastors and elders will continue to visit the sick and homebound. Christ went toward lepers and the sick, not away from them. However, we will also take all necessary precautions to do so in a safe way even as we refuse to abandon our neighbors in need. 

6.     We will pray AND sanitize. It is not either/or. It’s both/and. We do not practice a careless piety that says “pray,” but then acts recklessly. At the same time, we do not overestimate our precautionary health measures. Calamity is beyond our ability to control. The chaos of epidemic drives us to prayer and obedient trust. 

7.     We will not fear.  There’s a time for concern, but we refuse fear. The stock market may crash, but we remain generous. Sickness may spread, but we remain faithful. Our trust in God is not dependent on circumstances. We don’t claim faith only in times of blessing. God gets glory in all circumstances.  

8.     We covet your prayers. Continue to pray for us as a church during this time and for all our brothers and sisters in the faith. We will continue to serve you and need all of your support to do so. 

As more information comes out, we will update you. 

Pastor Mark Friedrich

Pastor Tim Anderson