A Loveland Congregation Shaped by Grace, Heritage, and Mission
Mountain View Presbyterian Church sits on the corner of North Garfield Avenue and East 25th Street in Loveland, Colorado, down the road from the Orchard Shopping Center and the Loveland DMV. The building is easy to spot for newcomers, with two outdoor sculptures marking its entrances - a statue of Ruth picking wheat by the U-shaped drive and a reading statue of a teacher with two children near the North Doors. Members describe MVPC as a grace-filled, Christ-centered, and caring community where worship is warm and accessible, where people come attired from casual to suits to work clothes, and where coffee and donuts gather everyone before and after the service.
The congregation belongs to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and falls within the Presbytery of Plains and Peaks. Its vision statement is simple: to glorify God and enjoy Him through a welcoming and growing church fellowship that is biblically worship-driven in obedient gratitude for the grace of God in Jesus Christ. The staff and lay leadership shape that vision through preaching, music, deep discipleship classes, a long-standing mission partnership in Malawi, a popular Scottish celebration each fall, and a steady stream of small groups, mission projects, and fellowship activities that meet throughout the week.
Worship at 10:15am in the Sanctuary
Sunday worship begins at 10:15am in the Sanctuary, with the building's doors opening at 9:45am for coffee, donuts, and conversation. The service runs about sixty minutes and is built around biblically based, disciple-building preaching along with congregational music led by the Music Ministry team. Music is treated as an offering rather than a performance: the aim is to point worshipers to God rather than to the musicians and singers themselves. The Westminster Choir presents hymns and choral classics from August through May, handbells ring out during the service, and an instrumental ensemble of flute, oboe, clarinet, harp, trumpet, and percussion regularly takes part.
On the first Sunday of each month (except during Lent), MVPC practices open communion. All baptized believers are invited to share at the Lord's table, and baptized children are welcome to participate at their parents' discretion. Communicants are invited forward row by row at the direction of an usher, with bread and a gluten-free option offered alongside wine in clear cups and grape juice in purple cups. Servers will bring the elements to anyone who finds walking to the front difficult. For those who cannot be present, a Home Communion guide is available so that online viewers may share the sacrament with the gathered congregation.
The sanctuary is fully accessible. Worshipers enter through the North Doors near the Ruth statue, where a wheelchair-accessible ramp is located. Reserved accessible parking spaces sit close to that entrance. Inside the Sanctuary, hearing-assistance headsets are available from the Sound Booth in the back of the room. The worship service is also streamed live on YouTube at 10:15am each Sunday and remains available on demand for later viewing.
A Place for Children and Families
MVPC celebrates children in worship. The phrase that frames the approach is simple: God put the wiggle in children, and no one needs to suppress it in God's house. Little ones are welcome in the Sanctuary, and a Kids Worship Training Area in the lobby to the right of the Sanctuary doors holds items that help children understand the elements of worship, with comfortable seating for both children and adults.
For families who would prefer a quieter space, a Family Worship Room is available every Sunday. The room is not staffed, but it contains toys, supplies, a changing table, a restroom, and a TV streaming the worship service. The MVPC Children's Library, located in the same hallway, lets families check out books, a Book Buddy, games, puzzles, and DVDs. The Family Ministries program, led by Connections Coordinator and Director of Family Ministries Kimberly Caldwell, partners with parents in teaching children how to worship and helping them grow as beloved children of God.
The annual Yucatan Peninsula Mission trip, also coordinated through the Family Ministries and Mission teams, is open to MVPC members and people from across the Presbytery of Plains and Peaks. Working with master builders from Mexico, the team constructs schools, houses, churches, and other needed facilities in the Zona Maya region, about thirty-five minutes southwest of Cancun.
Discipleship Through the Level Up Program
Discipleship at MVPC runs deeper than classroom content. The congregation has organized its adult Christian education around a curriculum called Level Up, which sorts studies into four levels based on a learner's stage of growth.
Level 1 (Foundational) covers what it means to be a member of the historical Christian faith, who the revealed God is, what the gift of faith is, and how a Christian moves from theory to practice. Level 2 (Everyday Carry On) introduces the Bible, the meaning of discipleship, and the tools needed to witness to the faith. Level 3 (Spiritual Discipline) focuses on developing individual and corporate skills such as reading through Scripture, building a prayer life, and engaging in mission, all within a small-group setting. Level 4 (Intensive Study of Bible and Doctrine) is devoted to theology and historical study of the text.
Level Up classes meet on Sunday mornings from 11:30am to 12:30pm during scheduled sessions. Recent offerings have included Trek through the Bible with Theologian in Residence Tracee Hackel in Room 117, and a study of the Gospel of John led by Pastor Emeritus Bob Dooling in Room 100. Weekday Bible studies continue the formation: a Women's Tuesday Night Bible Study on the book of Hebrews meets in Room 117 at 6:30pm, while a Men's Tuesday Night Bible Study on The Mystery of the Trinity, led by Pastors Larry Shores and Jim Webb, meets in Room 112 at the same hour and offers Zoom participation. A drop-in Spirit Filled Living Bible Study meets Thursdays at 1:00pm in Meeting Room 1, and on the first Thursday of each month Pastor Jim Webb and Lee Green lead Culture, Christ, and Conversations, a discussion that works through current cultural questions from a Christian perspective.
Music as an Offering, Not a Performance
The Music Ministry at MVPC is directed by David McArthur and built around a clear principle: congregational music's purpose is to prepare the heart for the preached Word of God. Excellence and authenticity are held together - excellence that brings every artistic ability to bear for God's glory, and authenticity that keeps the focus on the Creator rather than the musicians.
The Westminster Choir is the centerpiece of the music program. Open to voices of all ages, backgrounds, and ability levels, the choir sings from August through May in Sunday worship and presents inspirational choral classics throughout the year. New members are paired with experienced readers so they can grow comfortable, and no professional voice is required - the joy of the ensemble, as the church puts it, is in blending voices together into one joyful noise to God.
A separate Handbell Choir, directed by Susan Chapman, adds its distinctive tone to services throughout the year. No musical background is necessary to join - what is needed is a willingness to learn counting and ringing technique. The Handbell Choir also participates in Bell Festivals, Clinics, and Community Events. An instrumental ensemble rounds out the music: current listed members include flute and piccolo, oboe, clarinet, harp, trumpet, and percussion.
Miroslava Mintcheva serves as the church's organist, anchoring a music program that treats every note as a gift offered back to God.
The Pastoral Team
Pastor Jim Webb has served MVPC since 2004 and was officially called to the Pastor Head of Staff role in late 2022. He holds a Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in Virginia and has served churches in Texas, Virginia, and Colorado together with his wife Sharon for thirty years. Pastor Webb is known for hospitality and fellowship ministries centered around meals for the congregation and the wider community, and his work with the Loveland Community Kitchen is part of his broader calling. He is an active fisherman in every season and often folds the hobby into his sermons.
Larry Shores serves as a Commissioned Pastor, commissioned by the Presbytery of Plains and Peaks. After nearly thirty years as an elementary school educator, he earned a Certificate in Congregational Leadership from the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary and was granted the opportunity to serve as a commissioned pastor. He co-leads the Men's Tuesday Night Bible Study alongside Pastor Webb.
Tracee Hackel, Volunteer Theologian in Residence, has served MVPC in this role since 2022. Ordained at MVPC on Reformation Sunday, she holds a Bachelor of Arts in Religion from Whitworth University, a Certificate for Theology Graduates from Oxford University's Wycliffe Hall, a Master of Divinity from the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary, and a Master's in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary. Her previous service includes two rural Kansas congregations, eight years as Associate Pastor of Christian Education and Discipleship at Chapel by the Lake Presbyterian Church in Juneau, Alaska, and a stint as a Youth Ministry Intern at MVPC itself. She leads the Women's Tuesday Bible Study and the Trek through the Bible class.
Two pastors emeriti continue to shape the congregation. Bob Dooling served MVPC for twenty-three years before retiring honorably in 2011, after fifty-plus years in ministry across three Presbyterian congregations. He earned his Master of Divinity from Fuller Seminary and additional graduate work at San Francisco Seminary, and he now teaches the Level 4 Gospel of John study. Gary LeTourneau, a Colorado native who grew up as the child of missionaries in Peru, served MVPC until his 2020 retirement and was elected Pastor Emeritus in May 2024. He previously pastored churches in Durango, Albuquerque, and Minnetonka, Minnesota.
Kimberly Caldwell serves as Connections Coordinator and Director of Family Ministries, supporting newcomers, organizing the quarterly Discover MVPC class, coordinating the GriefShare program, and helping families navigate the church's ministries. Christy Smith serves as Communications and Scheduling Coordinator and Mission Trip Coordinator. Dayna Spence, Herman Porter, Annie Kienholz, and Duane Roosa round out the staff as finance, facilities, administrative, and grounds support.
Seniors Ministries and Pastoral Care
Older adults find a steady network of fellowship, education, and support at MVPC. The Seniors Ministries program is rooted in Deuteronomy 32:7 - asking fathers and elders to teach - and offers three main expressions of care. The Living Community Outreach keeps staff and residents of local Brookdale Mariana Butte, Brookdale North Loveland, and The Wexford communities connected through phone calls, cards, and other activities. A Grief Support Group meets in six-week sessions to walk alongside members navigating the loss of a loved one, supplementing the broader GriefShare program. Pastoral Counseling and Education links MVPC's pastoral team with numerous community agencies for those in transition or need.
Two Presbyterian Women's Circles round out the regular rhythm for women in the congregation. Martha Circle meets at 1:00pm on the second Thursday in the Parlor, and Ruth Circle meets at 2:00pm on the same day in Room 117. Both circles take a break during the summer months.
The Kirkin' of the Tartans
Each fall MVPC hosts one of its most anticipated traditions: the Kirkin' of the Tartans. The word "Kirk" is Scottish for "church," and tartans represent specific Scottish clans, regions, or regiments. The Kirkin' is the formal presentation of a family's tartan at church for blessing, a tradition that traces back to a time after the 1746 Battle of Culloden when wearing tartans and playing bagpipes were forbidden in Scotland, punishable by death. Worshipers who wanted to honor their heritage would hide a small piece of tartan against their skin and, at a particular moment in worship, the minister would offer a blessing over them. The first formal Kirkin' in America was held at New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C., in 1941, when Scottish-born minister Dr. Peter Marshall was serving both the congregation and the United States Senate.
At MVPC the annual Kirkin' includes worship with a Scottish flair: bagpipes and drums join the Westminster Choir and handbells for a service that has become a celebration of Scottish, Reformed heritage, families, and clans - and of MVPC's own ministries. After worship the congregation shares a traditional Scottish meal together: Scottish stew, mashed neeps (rutabaga), mushy peas, shortbread, and sticky toffee pudding. The Kirkin' also invites everyone to reflect with thanksgiving on their own family and ethnic heritage and to celebrate God's grace poured out for all generations.
Twenty Years of Friendship with Engalaweni, Malawi
In 2021 Mountain View Presbyterian Church and the Engalaweni Church of Central Africa Presbyterian celebrated twenty years of formal partnership. The relationship began in 2001 with a pen pal letter and quickly grew into a Partnership Agreement that has shaped both congregations.
Over two decades, the partnership has supported a long list of projects in the Engalaweni area: prayer houses for worship, Bible study, and fellowship; school and teacher housing; a vocational school teaching tailoring and carpentry; a school breakfast program; Emma's Chickens, a self-sustaining poultry project initiated by an MVPC youth; solar electric lighting systems; a grain bank for future food security; famine relief and a "Farming God's Way" soil-and-crop initiative; an orphan fund supporting dozens of children with food, clothing, hygiene, and school supplies; and periodic partner travel exchanges.
The most ambitious joint project is the Engalaweni Health Centre, which MVPC funded and which opened for full operation in January 2022 after receiving certification from the Malawi Ministry of Health. The Centre includes a Women's Maternity Ward for prenatal, labor, and delivery care, a General Ward for first aid and treatment of common illnesses, and an Administrative Block with offices, examination rooms, and a basic pharmacy. A certified medical clinician and certified nurse live on-site in staff housing. The Centre is overseen by Medical Operations at the Embangweni Mission Hospital about thirty kilometers away, part of the mission health system of the Health Department of the CCAP Synod of Livingstonia. For area residents, the Centre has meant that health services are now available in minutes instead of a six-hour walk.
Locally, MVPC is also deeply connected to organizations such as Loveland Habitat for Humanity, House of Neighborly Services, Community Kitchen, Birthline of Loveland, Alternatives to Violence, Lago Vista Neighbor, Life Choices, St Vincent DePaul, and St Matthew's Medical Clinic. Internationally, the congregation supports The Antioch Partners (with two partner families serving in Kake, Alaska and Malawi), Frontier Fellowship, Compassion International, International Justice Mission, Marion Medical Mission, Malawi Mission Network, the Reformed Church in America's Global Mission, the Medical Benevolence Foundation, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, The Outreach Foundation, TEAM, and Witnessing Ministries of Christ.
The Burrito Crew, Helping Hands, and the Heart of Service
One of MVPC's most tangible ongoing mission efforts is the Burrito Crew. The program began in 2020 during the pandemic when a local hotel donated frozen scrambled eggs to Loveland's Community Kitchen after a cancelled conference. Pastor Jim Webb, drawing on his catering background, gathered church volunteers to use the eggs to make burritos at MVPC that they would then return to the kitchen. Today a small group of volunteers meets every Wednesday at 12:30pm in the Life Center, rolling out about 150 burritos a week to feed those experiencing homelessness in Loveland.
Helping Hands is the church's volunteer hub, broken into seasonal and on-going opportunities. Coffee and donuts before and after Sunday worship is a regular volunteer slot, as is the front desk during office hours and meal delivery from the Deacon Freezer to those who could use a little extra care. A long-running Photo Project invites longtime members to help identify old church photos and return them to families. Card Writing sends weekly notes of encouragement to attendees and members. Greeters welcome people at the doors, and Sanctuary Care volunteers keep Bibles, hymnals, pens, and notepaper stocked every other week.
The Deacons oversee ministries of compassion, including a Prayer Shawl and Blanket Ministry that meets on the fourth Wednesday of each month at 1:45pm in the Library. Prayers are offered before, during, and after each shawl, which is then blessed and given to bring comfort to someone in need. The TLC Prayer List gathers requests from the congregation, shared with the staff and Deacons and, with permission, with MVPC members for two weeks at a time.
Activity Groups and Fellowship
A wide range of activity groups gives MVPC members a chance to connect outside of formal study and service. Mah Jongg gathers on the first and third Mondays of each month at 1:00pm in Room 114. Building Bridges (a Bridge card club) meets on the first Thursday at 12:30pm in the same room and welcomes new learners. Bunco gathers on the third Saturday of each month, with a non-perishable food item for the House of Neighborly Service serving as the entry fee. Two pickleball groups meet monthly at the Reed family home - a novice group on the second Saturday and an advanced group on the fourth. A Poetry Hour with Jim Work meets on Wednesdays at 1:00pm in Room 117 (with a summer break), and Tech Time with Shirley Reed offers weekly help with smartphones, tablets, and computers on Tuesdays at 10:00am.
Outdoor fellowship takes the form of the Mountain Viewers hiking group, which explores local trails, parks, and natural areas with a new walk announced each month. The Travel Club, meeting quarterly in Room 117, swaps stories and ideas about future group trips. A planned ten-day Presbyterian Scotland tour with Wilcox Travel, April 3-12, 2027, is already on the books, taking participants through Edinburgh, Perth, Oban, the Isle of Skye, and Glasgow.
What to Know Before You Visit
Visitors who want to know more are encouraged to attend Discover MVPC, a one-time meeting held once a quarter with the pastors and elders to learn about the church and what it means to be a Presbyterian. MVPC Connect meetings held each month highlight ministries, events, and service opportunities and invite newcomers to share their own passions. Both are organized by Kimberly Caldwell, the Connections Coordinator.
The church office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00am to 3:00pm. The snow policy follows the Thompson School District: if Thompson schools are closed or delayed, MVPC is as well. Visitors can enter the North Parking Lot by turning off of North Garfield Avenue onto Spruce Drive. Reserved accessible parking is available close to the North Entrance doors. A wheelchair-accessible ramp sits by the North Doors near the teacher-and-children statue.
Giving can be done in person during worship or at the office, online through the Vanco giving platform, or by mail. Live streaming and on-demand services are available on YouTube, and Home Communion instructions are offered for those joining remotely. A member access page offers additional resources for current Deacons, Session members, small group leaders, Westminster Choir members, and instrumentalists.
For a congregation whose commitments include a twenty-year mission partnership in Malawi, an annual Scottish Kirkin' celebrated with bagpipes and sticky toffee pudding, a multi-level discipleship program, a children's ministry that treats the wiggle as a gift, and a Wednesday Burrito Crew that quietly feeds hundreds each week, MVPC in Loveland keeps one steady focus: to glorify God and enjoy Him through a welcoming and growing church fellowship shaped by the grace of Jesus Christ.