FAMILY

"Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward."
(Psalm 127:3)

Joseph & Marilynn

Joseph & Marilynn are pillars in the IVC family...they have encountered many storms with us in planting a church in IV. Holly and I, along with the rest of the IVC family, could not be more thankful for their lives of faith!

Please pray for this couple, as they serve and love the IVC family so well...and Joseph is in charge of the whole Jesus Burger operation every week . These pictures are from their wedding over two years ago, such an epic day!

"Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary." (Galatians 6:9)

"so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises." (Hebrews 6:12)

Jesus Burgers - Spring Quarter

I am super stoked for the Jesus Burgers this Spring quarter! We are taking them off tonight as it is spring break for both UCSB & SBCC. One of the greatest things about Jesus Burgers, besides the love of Jesus, is the joy that we have on this night. Over the years the joy and peace have continued to grow more and more. It is felt by everyone on this night. God's love is real and when His children believe in Him they radiate His joy and peace to everyone around them.

"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans 15:13)

Kristin & Heather

This picture is from our last baptism about a month ago. Kristin (left) is going to be living at the Jesus Burger House next year. Heather lives at the home this year and will be returning again next year. These ladies are women of faith - I am super encouraged by their love for Jesus, others, and IV!

Heather joined us for Kristin's baptism as she has been walking alongside her this year...please pray for these ladies as they play important roles in a lot of peoples lives in IV.

Nate & Derika

Nate and Derika Sims are pillar in the IVC family and do the majority of the videos on the jesuslovesiv.com site...these are pictures from their wedding last April.

Please pray for them as God has given both of them a major role of loving, serving, and standing strong for the IVC family. Derika is also doing a lot with the Jesus Burgers book being published this September.

Jesus Burgers - Help Support the Publishing of the Book‏‏

We are raising money to cover the cost for the book Jesus Burgers...please consider partnering with us (anyone who donates at least $25 will get a free book once published in September).

http://fundly.com/jesusburgers

Jesus Burger Testimony From NC

This was a Facebook message from our friend Barbie who lives in North Carolina, she and her husband used to be a part of the church several years ago:

A girl and her 14 month old were playing trains with my kids in the kids section at Barnes & Nobles today and we started talking.

She was from San Diego, and when I told her I was from Santa Barbara, she lit up and laughed. "OH! The Old Me used to spend many a night partying up and down DP." I laughed too and asked her if she had ever heard of Jesus Burgers, and she lit up again. "I got saved there," she said. "And then I joined the army, met my husband, and that's how I got here." Now here she was, a great, loving mommy to her little girl, keeping herself busy meeting other mammas somewhere safe and nice while her husband was deployed.

So, I met a girl today, all the way across this vast continent, whose life had been touched by Jesus in the same place and with the same people that had raised me up in the Lord. Her name is Courtney--- and Jason Lomelino, Jacob Reeve-- she says hi. :)

How cool is God???!!

Jesus Burgers - Yummy

Josh Morton took this picture from last Friday at Jesus Burgers...it always cracks me up when people say that their hamburger taste better than In-N-Out...I must say, I think every time I have heard this, which has been often over the years, it has almost always come from a person who has had a few too many drinks. They're good, but not that good - ha ha

Jesus Revolution

This is the cover of a 1971 Times Magazine. In the late 60's, early 70's, the Holy Spirit swept through college campuses awakening people to the reality of Jesus! So much so that it became the top story on major newspapers and magazines.

The stories that I have heard in IV are ridiculously amazing...one has it that a guy ran down Del Playa on a major party night with a torch in his hand...as he did tons of people followed him as he ran down to the ocean at the end of Del Playa. Once he got there countless people gave their life to Christ and entered into the waters to get baptized!

We are praying and believing God for another move of His Spirit in our generation! Please join us, as He already did it once, which means He can do it again!

""Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you." - Jesus

Welcome to Isla Vista

This is the sign that you see driving into Isla Vista...we are beyond thankful to be in IV and watch God tangibly change our city these last 10 years! We believe IV is going to be known one day not for its crazy parties, rather for the amazing work Jesus is doing!

This next quarter we have 2 different conferences going on, one with some Santa Cruz pastors who were involved in the Jesus Movement, and another with Jake Hamilton (Jesus Culture guy). Spring quarter is traditionally our best quarter, we are expecting nothing different this year too!

Jesus Burger Book

Super exciting news - I signed the contract earlier today for the Jesus Burger book! It is scheduled to be published and ready to be sold by September of 2012. We could not be more thankful watching God do miracles week-in and week-out this last decade in IV!

Church Parking Lot

The Church we meet at each Sunday has lost its parking lot for a season. A massive apartment complex is being built and until finished there will be no easy access parking for the IVC family. Fortunately, IV has plenty of street parking, which is not as convenient, though it does get the job done.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:2-4)

Praise the Lord - the 2 are now 1

These pictures are from Erik & Krissy's wedding that happened about 3 weeks ago...Krissy has been a spiritual daughter to Holly and I so watching her enter into the covenant of marriage with an amazing man of God was one of the more special days in our life. We love Erik and Krissy and are super excited to watch their life of faith continue to grow as a married couple.

Erik co-leads the Upper Room before Jesus Burgers every Friday night and Krissy leads our Monday night Prayer & Prophecy time...please pray for this couple, as they're key to all that God is doing in IV and beyond!

"For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh." (Genesis 2:24)

More Baptism Pics

In the last 2 week I have been a part of watching 8 people give their life entirely to Christ...entering in the watery grave and raising to the newness of life in Christ Jesus! I could not be more encouraged by ALL He is doing in our midst right now - lives are being saved, healed, transformed, and set free to do what God made them to do.

"having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead." (Col 2:12)

Jesus Burger - The Book

IVC Presents: Jesus Burgers | Jesus Loves IV

Please be praying as we are in the process of putting together a book about Jesus Burgers. It will consist of how it began, the philosophy behind it, about 20+ testimonies of what Jesus has done and still is doing in IV...our heart is to make Him famous in our land and throughout the nation!

"Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory," (Psalm 115:1)

Love Looks Like...

Sometimes at Jesus Burgers this is what love looks like ...taking care of people who have had too much to drink. Fortunately, this guys had good buddies that stayed with him the whole night. A few of the guys at the Jesus Burger House gave him and his friends a ride home around 1am tonight, as there was no way this guy was going to be able to get home.

Overall, tonight was amazing! Thank you to all those who prayed for us tonight as Jesus yet again did more than we could ask or imagine!

New Creation in Christ

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." (2 Corinthians 5:17)

This is from a baptism that just went down at 6pm today at Goleta Beach...my buddy Jacob Reitzin led our new brother Christopher to the Lord last week...baptism is such an incredible picture of idenifying yourself fully with Christ in His death, burial, and ressurection! Delivered from the old life/nature, set free into the new life/nature! Be praying for our new brother, he is so thankful for what Jesus has done for him.

Jesus Burges - Yay God

God is good, always. This last Friday at Jesus Burgers we saw people get healed, 2 received Christ, and other people got prayer. This is a picture of two guys who had a gnarly encounter with God after we got done praying over them in front of the Jesus Burger House...yay God, doing more than we could ever ask or imagine!

Pray for us tonight as we hit the streets with God's love and feed the city a hamburger of love!

IVC Leadership

It has been said if you are a leader and look back and nobody is following you than you're probably not a leader...ha ha, but I would have to agree. This last week we had an IVC leadership meeting at our house to celebrate all that He is doing in our midst and to touch-base for the coming months. The picture includes some of the ladies in leadership, thankful for these woman of God.

We are super stoked for the Spring quarter, expecting it to be our best quarter yet, which is saying a lot as this year has been amazing!

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him." (1 Cor 2:9)

The Del Playa Men of God

I loves these brother...incredible, honorable, and faithful men of God! Please be praying for these guys as the enter into the last quarter of the year beginning in April.

"How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore." (Psalm 133)

Anchor of Hope | Jesus Loves IV

Anchor of Hope | Jesus Loves IV

Get it on iTunes...and check out where Mac is going the next two weeks with Benjamin Dunn & Friends:

March 20-21 Redding CA Wondertastic Worship Fest
March 23 Woodland WA
March 24 Portland OR
March 26 Bellingham WA
March 27 Seattle WA
March 29 - 30 Petaluma CA
March 31 - April 1 Santa Barbara CA
April 3 Santa Monica CA
April 4 Winnetka, CA
April 5 Laguna Niguel CA
April 6 Riverside CA

Baptisms = New Creations in Christ

6 people gave their entire life to Christ yesterday...baptism is the seal of the new covenant that we make with Him. On His end it's the Holy Spirit, forever sealed with Him.

"In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation-- having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise," (Ephesians 1:13)

More pictures coming later this week, God is so good!!! He is mighty to save and to set the captive completely FREE...as believers you've been delivered, baptism is that moment you can always go back to and BELIEVE this regardless of how you FEEL.

"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, Because the Lord has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners;" (Isaiah 61:1)

DP House Family

The Del Playa House family, where Jesus Burgers are served on Friday nights, have a monthly dinner at our home...the ladies surprised the guys with a formal, yummy, and loving dinner. They had fun dressing up as 50's housewives and waiting on each of the guys.

It was a great time together, beyond thankful for the home this year...as a pastor I could not ask for a better home of those that love Jesus, one another, and a city so well.

"Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit." (Hebrews 13:17)

Jesus Loves IV

Nate & Derika Sims have been making videos and posting them on this site...they're videos that brag about what God is doing in the lives of His children...please remember to check them out from time to time on your phone or computer.

We are hoping to have a video section on just "Jesus Burgers" one of these days too...recording a weekly video from that night either from someone in the church or someone that was visiting Jesus Burgers.

IV Newspaper

Mac Montgomery & The Family Band made the IV Newspaper this week...the article is well worth reading! Isla Vista is changing, God is transforming a city one life at a time.

I love the title of this article: Mac Montgomery & the Family Band Ignites Isla Vista.

http://www.dailynexus.com/2012-03-08/mac-montgomery-family-band-ignite-isla-vista/

I Love My Daughter

Yesterday Hope made tons of cards and had the idea of selling them in front of our house...when I asked her how much per card she said $1, but when I returned 10 minutes later she had raised her price to $3 a card. Ah, I love Hope! I can't wait to see what God is going to do with this little girl, so much creativity is in her. And speaking about creativity, I came across this video the other day...definitely applicable to church life too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U&feature=youtu.be

IV HOUSE OF PRAYER

For all those in IV & SB area please remember the House of Prayer is open 24/7 to meet with the Lord and pray on behalf of a generation...God is moving His church to pray, believing that what we ask for will be given!

http://jesuslovesiv.com/ivhop/

"Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you." - Jesus

New Prayer Meeting - Tuesday @ 7pm

A new prayer meeting began Tuesday @ the IV House of Prayer on the ending of abortion in Santa Barbara, the nation and the world. It will be every Tuesday from 7pm to 8pm.

I just read this on someone's FB status today:

65 million + babies have been murdered since 1973 on US soil.

This is not an argument or debate it's a fact that nobody can dispute.

The womb has been turned into a gas chamber and America turns a blind eye.

Statistics are just numbers unless you put a face to them.

It doesn't matter what god you believe in or if you even believe in one if you are human this should effect you.

I love helping other parts of the world but focusing on other nations problems doesn't make ours disappear.

We have the greatest genocide happening in the world right now in our cities and we continue to act like its ok.

Blood is the same inside and outside of the womb and if a fetus is just tissue why can't my fingernails express emotion?

* and the picture above is real - they had to open the womb of a woman to help this child live and when they did the hand of the baby reached out and grabbed the surgeon's finger. When we die are bodies stay here, but our spirit leaves. We are a spirit, even before are bodies fully form. It has been said, "I am a spirit, that has a soul, who lives in a body." I would agree.

Baptism - New Life

"having been BURIED with Him in baptism, in which you were also RAISED up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead." (Col. 2:12)

Death & life are at the core of the gospel message...buried with Him in baptism and raised to the newness of life in Christ Jesus! Gospel means good news and this is very good news for all those who have put their faith in Christ.

This last Sunday a guy named Ian was visiting a friend who lives in IV...he was staying at the dp house and being loved on all weekend. He ended up coming to the gathering on Sunday and giving his life to Christ. We baptized him that night in the Pacific Ocean around 8:30pm, it was amazing! (And I know the picture doesn't look like it was taken at night, but cameras do crazy things these days)

God is good, mighty to save!

Prayer & Prophecy

Every Monday night from 7pm to 10pm in the IV House of Prayer (prayer shed) we pray & prophecy over people who come in...people can sign up in advance, but almost everyone just walks-in.

What as been super sweet is we continue to have people who don't know Christ coming to get prayer each week! The gal in this picture is an amazing sister in Christ named Bridget...she was baptized about 6 months ago and has been growing so much in Jesus! I am in awe of how much God loves people and super thankful to have a place where we can speak His love over His children each week.

Revival

Here is a picture from the Family Gathering tonight...we had an amazing time listening to Bob Weiner, a father in the faith, speak to us about winning souls for Christ! For more information check out Bob's ministry: http://www.youthnow.org/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=65&Itemid=32

* picture taken by Mac Montgomery: http://ourfamilyband.tumblr.com/

Kids = Love

I love this pic...it was from Mac & Braelyn's wedding this last summer.

Mac Montgomery - Album

Mac (IVC Worship Pastor) released his own album/ep today...this album is much different than the first one that he put out a few months ago with The Family Band. Get it on iTunes! These songs are some of the ones we have been worshiping the King with at both the Upper Room & the Sunday Family Gathering lately...God is good, enjoy!

JB's Tonight

Here are two pictures from back in the day...pray for us tonight as we love on the city of Isla Vista. And praise God that our influence over the years continues to grow...God is faithful to what He begins.

"and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,"  (Ephesians 6:19)