Welcome Altamont Family!

As we participate together in becoming an independent church, this webpage will record our progress and help keep everyone informed. Here you can:

  • Find information about our next church family meetings

  • Read meeting notes from previous meetings

  • Share a question or feedback for the Altamont Leadership to address

  • Read answers to previously asked questions

Next Altamont Family Meeting:

Sunday, February 23 (following our morning service.)
Discussion topics will include:
Deacons, “What we believe” document, Vision/Mission, Rough roadmap of Major Milestones

Prior to our February meeting, please use the Feedback form below to answer any or all of these four questions:

  1. What is unique about the Altamont church community?

  2. What are the unique needs in the surrounding community that we be able to address as a church?

  3. What unique resources and capabilites has God brough together within our church community?

  4. What ministry vision would you say drives the Altamont leadership?

Altamont Questions & Feedback

Previously Asked Questions (by topic)

INDEPENDENCE

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.

GIVING & FINANCES

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 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.

LEADERSHIP

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:

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.

SUNDAY GATHERINGS

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

BUILDING

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.

FAMILY MEETING ARCHIVE

January Meeting Notes

 

PRAYER NEEDS

  • Guidance as we explore future location options.

  • Wisdom to discern, prioritize and address the various matters involved in this process of becoming an independent church.

  • For unity and deep affection for one another to continue to grow and find practical expression among everyone at the Altamont.