Why are we embarking on this journey of becoming an independent church?
This has been the plan from the beginning, but a number of things needed to be in place first. For example, we needed large enough attendance to be self-sustaining. We also had a number of events that delayed the timing. At this time, we are ready.

What does our independence from the Crossing ultimately mean?
Being independent means that we operate functionally and financially independent from the Crossing campus. The details have not yet been worked out. We may want to continue to use some resources from the Crossing (e.g. accounting, admin, insurance, HR, etc).

How will decisions be made in the interim? Will the Crossing elders be making decisions for the Altamont?
Jim is still meeting with the Crossing elders twice a month as a liaison between the two campuses. However,the decisions specific to the Altamont campus will be made by the Altamont elders with input from the Altamont leadership team and the Altamont congregation. There are some decisions that impact both campuses and will need to be agreed upon by the elders from both campuses.

Will we be changing our name at some point?
We haven’t yet decided what we will be called.

Could we get the Attorney on retainer at VBC to help with the 5013(c) application going?
VBC does not have an attorney on retainer.

Who are the corporate officers? Should the corporate officers be separate from the elders?
The IRS requires at least three corporate officers: President, Secretary, and Treasurer. VBC has a fourth; Vice-President. These folks do carry some liability associated with the operation of the church, but other than holding an annual meeting do not have many functional responsibilities. We are working through whether or not to allow elders to also serve as officers, but have not yet decided.

What level of involvement will the body have in the legalities of the church’s establishment and legal status?
We need to determine who needs to review and approve the various filings as we move through the process of becoming an independent non-profit.

Where do our tithes/offerings go now?
Currently, tithes and offerings are collected either online or during Sunday services and are deposited in accounts that are jointly held by the two campuses. These funds are held in insured accounts that offer reasonable returns and are categorized by the Director of Finance, Cindy White, as either general giving or directed giving. Directed giving is when the donor specifies how they want the funds to be used. Cindy also makes a reasonable effort to identify whether the donation came from the Altamont campus or the Crossing campus. The Altamont campus represents approximately 33% of the general giving.

How is the giving managed to the different categories?
Giving is first divided between designated giving and the general fund. The general fund giving is identified as Crossing or Altamont based on the family roster.

What is the most cost efficient way for the church to receive funds?
Cash, physical checks and EFT via BillPay/Zelle have no associated charges to the church. Online giving through the webpage uses a service called PushPay that has an associated fee; debit card being the lowest and credit cards being higher (VISA/MasterCard charge less than AmEx which charges less than DinersClub)

What is standing in the way of separating tithing and budgets between the two campuses?
We do not yet have a handle on all of the expenses associated with the Altamont campus. We are currently using several resources (including staff) from the Crossing campus that will need to be separated before we can isolate our expenses.

We did share that our giving is higher at the Altamont, but our expenses are also higher since we are paying rent on our facility.

What is our relationship with the Korean church and how do they impact our finances?
We rent the facility to the Korean church for a portion of the day on Sunday.

Will The Altamont have the ability to be untangled from the Tim Barley litigation situation?
It is not clear how that will work.

Are we at a point where we can open a banking account to manage our giving and expenses?
Before being able to open an account, we need to complete and file our incorporation paperwork and file for our non-profit status.

What is an elder led church?
The pattern throughout the New Testament is that each local body of believers is shepherded by a plurality of God-ordained elders. The qualifications for elders are found in 1 Tim 3:1-7 and Titus 1:6-9.  The primary responsibility of an elder is to serve as a shepherd/overseer of the church (Acts 20:28). That involves a number of specific duties. As spiritual overseers of the flock, elders care for the church and act as shepherds (1  Pet. 5:1-3), setting an example for all (1 Tim 4:11-12). They do this by:

• collectively determining church policy (Acts 15:22);

• preserving the purity of the gospel (Titus 2:1);

• identifying others for leadership (1 Tim. 4:14); and

• teaching (1 Tim. 3:2 & 5:17).

How are elders selected?
The existing elders identify potential elders from men who are actively serving well within the church family. These candidates are invited to a leadership training class focused on the role of eldership in the New Testament. Those desiring to become elders— and whose current service would be enhanced as an elder— are invited to join elder meetings where they are vetted against the elder qualifications (1 Tim 3:1-7 , Tit 1:6-9). At the end of this vetting process, and after much prayer, they are presented to the body for feedback concerning any character issues that would prevent them from being able to serve as an elder. Assuming no issues are raised, they are then formally presented to the body as a new elder (Acts 14:23)

How long does an elder serve?
The office of elder does not currently have a limited term. An elder will continue to serve so long as they are called to serve and their ministry is enhanced by their service.

How many elders do we ultimately want to have for the Altamont?
We have never used a particular formula to determine the number of elders we need. Jim is currently meeting with 2 potential elders. Assuming all goes well that will bring us to three and that is a good start.  The elders are always on the lookout for potential elders (2 Timothy 2:2).

Will Jim solicit input from the body on those identified to be elders?
Yes, it is our practice to present potential elders to the body for comment before they are confirmed.

What is the role of deacon?
Deacons serve in the area of “helps”, taking on practical needs in the church so the elders are free to focus on prayer, teaching and shepherding the church family (Acts 6:1-6). This role is distinct from the role of elder. There are two common models for deacons: individually appointed deacons who oversee particular areas of ministry (e.g., widows or meal train) or a pool of deacons who are told of a need in the church or community and determine how to address the need. We are planning to use the first model so that individuals are able to serve in areas where the need matches their heart.

Can women be deacons?
Yes, we are convinced by scripture that the role of deacon can be filled by both men and women. There are needs that are best served by women… more on this in the soon to be released document on deacons.

What are the qualifications to teach on a Sunday morning? We only allow men who have demonstrated the gift of teaching, uphold our “What We Believe” statements, and are approved by the elders to teach on a Sunday morning.

Will Altamont establish new mission partners or continue relationships with the current ones and work with the crossing to fund trips/ contribute to the needs of our partners?
Though still working out the details on what missions will look like at the Altamont, this is an area of ministry we plan to continue as an independent church family. Our current thinking is that we would assume support for those mission partners associated with folks in our church family. There may be some mission partners that are supported by both campuses - that's OK.

When does our lease terminate?
Our current lease expires at the end of November 2026

What church location options are being explored?
We are currently reaching out to the existing landlord to understand his intention at the end of our existing lease. There are 3 possible responses:

• Is he open to extending our existing lease?

• Is he willing to lease us additional space in the building?

• Does he want to end the lease when the current lease expires?

What options are available to us in the area to lease or purchase?
We are gathering our wish list for a new facility

Can we afford to lease/purchase solo?
The initial budget indicates that leasing a space as an independent church is financially feasible. However, purchasing a building presents challenges due to the down payment and monthly payment requirements. Given the current Altamont Building Fund and existing giving levels, acquiring a building outright is not presently affordable. This situation calls for focused prayer.

What is the square footage of our current building?
The current building is approximately 9,000 square feet.

Do we have a team working on the building?
We are inquiring of current landlord to determine if we can extend the lease and, if so, can we add to our footprint? At the same time we are putting together our wish list for our facility. If we need to find a new building, we will need help with that.

Can we increase our security training?
Several of the Altamont family attended the “Eastbay Faith-based Security Seminar” on February 8th with the plan to incorporate what was gleaned into our standard operations and guidelines at the Altamont. This is an important priority for us. More on this after the seminar.

Are we able to extend our existing lease of the building?
Our landlord is willing to extend our lease and possibly give us additional space. We are in the process of negotiating that. We also continue to look for alternate spaces.

Who handles software selection for the church?
This is currently a distributed function and will need to be addressed.

Will the Family Matters Meetings be recorded and/or broadcasted for people to watch remotely?
While the meetings are not recorded, the notes for the meetings along with the questions are posted after each meeting for those who could not attend.

Any plans for more discipleship classes/courses (e.g., My Heart Unveiled/Unchained)?
Charlie talked about the First Principles Series from the Antioch school. There is other material available such as My Heart Unveiled (women) and My Heart Unchained (Men). We would encourage groups to continue using these.