Oct. 5, 2022

“Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past. See I am doing a NEW THING. Now it springs up, do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

- Isaiah 43:19

Dear MC3 Family,

This evening’s Vision Night experience gave the MC3 staff and elders an opportunity to share where the Lord is leading His church. It was a wonderful evening of worship, fellowship, prayer and learning.

MC3 can trace its roots to 1904. Ever since, the church has worked to win new people to Christ and meet the needs of our community. We have learned the importance of rebirth and renewal in the body of Christ as we face new challenges.

In 2018, we made the bold decision to rebrand the church as MC3 and sell our property on Old Stone Mountain Road. While searching for a new church property, we worshiped at Parkview High School, in the parking lot of our old church building, and at the Paxton Drive event hall—not to mention several months of online worship only when the Covid pandemic struck in 2020.

Through it all, we remained faithful and followed where the Lord was leading. In February, the Lord led us to our new church home. We are so incredibly blessed and want to stay in tune with the Lord’s guidance.

Tonight, we embraced a new vision and mission for MC3—to help people walk one step closer to Jesus. It’s simple, straightforward and captures what we want to do as a church family.

We will live out this vision by adhering to our values—what we call the three Cs:

Celebrate—Attending a weekly worship service.

Connect—Praying and reading Scripture daily, and joining a Connect (C) Group.

Commit—Serving and giving time, talent and money to the Lord.

As part of Vision Night, we outlined plans for investing in families and a $750,000 building and landscape renovation for our new church property at 4415 Stone Mountain Hwy.

We also announced that Commitment Sunday will take place Nov. 6. Commitment Sunday recognizes that nothing will happen without the Lord’s hand and guidance as MC3 moves forward in living out this new vision: Helping people walk one step closer to Jesus by Celebrating, Connecting and Committing to our Savior and His church. We want you and your family to be a part of what God is doing at MC3. We want to be united as a body of believers to make a Kingdom impact. As a result, Commitment Sunday will ask all our existing members and regular attenders to make a conscious decision to commit to MC3 and walk one step closer to Jesus together. We will be asking people to choose whether they want to remain or become members of MC3. And we will focus on baptizing new believers and rebaptizing those who feel the need for renewal. Look for more information in your mail in the next week.

We remain incredibly excited about where the Lord is leading MC3. The church has an important role to play in making Christ relevant to a lost world where He is desperately needed. We look forward to walking one step closer to Jesus with you on this amazing journey.

Yours in Christ,

Art Stansberry and the MC3 elders and staff

Sept. 3, 2022 – Tomorrow’s Church at the Lake now looks like Rain at the Lake. As a result, we will not meet at Lake Hartwell tomorrow but will have Church at Church, starting at our usual time of 10:30 a.m.

This was a difficult decision to make, but the weather forecast calls for rain all night and well into the morning and afternoon at Lake Hartwell, along with flashflood warnings. Given potentially muddy conditions and driving hazards, we believe it prudent to postpone the event.

As present, we hope to reschedule the lake service for either the last weekend in September or early October. Be on the lookout for more information.

We hope to see everyone at church in the morning. Join us for coffee and donuts at 10 a.m. and worship at 10:30!

April 14, 2022 – Please join us Sunday as we celebrate Easter and the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

We will have coffee and donuts available starting at 9:30 a.m., and our Easter worship service will begin at 10 a.m.

Art and Gerardo will team up to present an unbelievable STORY, and our Kids Ministry will feature “A Walk With Jesus,” where children have an opportunity to see what Jesus experienced in His last week of life.

New Visitor

Guests can fill out the New Visitor Form on the home page of our website, and we’ll have a host greet you at the door.

Come celebrate the resurrection of Jesus with us on Easter Sunday.

March 14, 2022 – Your middle and high school students can now register for Summer Youth Camp!

The early bird rate is $375 with a FREE shirt. Don't miss out on the BEST WEEK OF SUMMER! Only 15 spots are available.

REGISTER NOW

We have a camp sponsorship application for anyone needing financial assistance. Please do not let finances be a barrier for your student to experience a life­-changing week at camp.

Camp Sponsorship

Feb. 20, 2022 – We are delighted to announce that MC3 has completed the purchase of our new church home located at 4415 Stone Mountain Hwy. in Lilburn.

The purchase was completed Thursday, Feb. 17, and formally announced at today’s worship service.

“This is truly an answer to prayer and diligently seeking the Lord’s will in this matter,” said Art Stansberry, MC3’s senior minister. “We are grateful for the Lord’s provision throughout this journey and we look forward to seeking His will and seeing where He will lead us in the coming years. We are so blessed.”

MC3 paid $1.6 million in cash for the new church property, which is located just off the access road on Highway 78 between the Yellow River Game Ranch and the John Deere dealership.

As part of the sales agreement with First Pentecostal Slavic Church, the two congregations will share the church space until the previous owner’s new church home is ready for occupancy—expected by October.

This new and dynamic property is an answer to three years of prayer and seeking the Lord’s will on a new church home for MC3—a journey that began in late 2018 after we sold the church’s property on Old Stone Mountain Road in Stone Mountain.

Meanwhile, MC3’s Sunday worship service will shift to 10 a.m. on Sunday, March 6. Next Sunday’s service (Feb. 27) will remain at 9 a.m.

Look for more details about other events—including onsite C-Groups, youth and children’s events—in the coming weeks.

We urge our congregation to remain faithful in their prayers for God’s blessing on this next step in the life of MC3.

Jan. 4, 2022 – With the start of the new year, MC3 is unveiling a new name and logo for our middle and high school student ministry.

The name is a small change. Instead of MC3 Students, we will go by MClll Youth.

“The reason for this change is to just embrace the new that God is going to do in and through this ministry, students and volunteers,” said Gerardo Mancilla, MC3’s Outreach and Family Life minister.

We are also excited that middle and high school students will be meeting again in our new building! We will be meeting on Thursday Nights from 6:30-7:30! Here is the schedule for the night!

• Students arrive from 6:15-6:30
• Hangout / Games 6:30-6:50
• Worship / Sermon 6:50-7:15
• Hangout/Small groups 7:15-7:30
• Dismiss 7:30

Kicking off with pancakes and pajamas

Jan 13th will be our first Youth Event! We are going to do it right and have a New Year's Pancakes and Pajamas Party!

We will require students to wear masks due to Covid spikes. In fact, masks will be required until further notice at every youth event.

“God has some great things in store for the youth ministry and we are excited for all He will do in and through it,” Gerardo said.

Go ahead and follow us on FaceBook and Instagram @MCIIIYouth.

We are honored that you would allow us to come alongside your family to play a small part in your student(s) faith!

Jan. 3, 2022 – Today marked the completion of MC3’s Solid Life Bible reading plan, a year-long effort that carried us through the New Testament as a church family.

Almost 60 people participated in the Bible reading plan.

This year—rather than focus on one single plan—we will offer a series of Bible reading plans throughout the year. We will begin Monday, Jan. 10, with Building on the Rock, a 15-day reading plan focused on Scripture that equips us with solid building blocks for a godly life.

You can join the plan by clicking on this link: https://bible.com/p/48337072/2b6e34cd8e5180210ab6134dde21f3c3

Once you click on the link, you will be directed to a page where you can ACCEPT THE INVITATION. To do so, you will need an account set up via Bible.Com or through the YouVersion app on your phone or tablet. Being part of the plan will allow you to comment and interact with other participants.

Closing expected by Jan. 22

Dec. 21, 2021 – As announced at Sunday night’s Christmas Candlelight Service, MC3 has entered into a commercial contract to buy the property at 4415 Stone Mountain Hwy. in Lilburn as the site of our new church home.

The closing date is expected to occur by Jan. 21, 2022.

This new and dynamic property is an answer to three years of prayer and seeking the Lord’s will on a new church home for MC3—a journey that began in late 2018 after we sold the church’s property on Old Stone Mountain Road in Stone Mountain.

“It’s been an amazing journey in so many ways,” said Senior Minister Art Stansberry, “and through it all the Lord has continually blessed us in ways we never imagined. In some ways, we’ve felt like the Israelites as they wandered in the desert—waiting for the Promised Land. But the Lord has always provided. He allowed us to step through several open doors during the process, and this time, He has taken us a step further. We’ve trusted His timing, prayed diligently and sought His will at every step of the way, and He has delivered. We are super excited about writing the next chapter in this part of His Kingdom.”

MC3 is buying the property from First Pentecostal Slavic Church, which is in the process of relocating to new facilities in Winder, Ga. For the foreseeable future, the two churches will share space in the Lilburn church.
As a result, MC3 will begin holding its Sunday worship services at the new facility on Jan. 2. This Sunday, Dec. 26, at 10:30 a.m. will be our last service in the Paxton Hall event center.

On Jan. 2, our Sunday worship service will begin at 5 PM—with a catered meal to follow. For the remainder of January—starting Jan. 9—our Sunday worship services will begin at 9 a.m. That was the time preferred by the vast majority of MC3 attendees who completed a recent survey asking our congregation to designate their preferred time of worship in lieu of our normal time.
In February, the worship time will shift to 10 a.m. on Sundays.

Look for more details about other events—including onsite C-Groups, youth and children’s events—in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, we extend our appreciation to the First Pentecostal church for allowing us to hold this past Sundays’ candlelight service at the new location. It was a wonderful service, with onsite attendance topping 100—our highest total since the pandemic began in March 2020.

We urge our congregation to continue their faithful prayers as the due diligence process proceeds and the sale moves toward completion.

Sunday night's candlelight service in the sanctuary of 4415 Stone Mountain Hwy.

No morning worship service will be held on this date

Dec. 14, 2021 – We are pleased to announce that MC3's Dec. 19 worship service will be an evening candlelight service beginning at 6 p.m.—with dessert, coffee and hot chocolate to follow.

We will be worshiping at the Slavic Pentecostal Church, located at 4415 Stone Mountain Hwy, Lilburn, GA 30047. The location is near Yellow River Game Ranch, off the access road running alongside Highway 78.

This will be a family service, with no separate services for children on this evening. Tours of the building will also be available.

Make plans now to attend and bring a guest for this special service on the last Sunday of Advent.

For planning purposes, please note that we will return to our current worship space and service time of 10:30 a.m. for the Dec. 26 service.

Dec. 13, 2021 – The MC3 Board of Elders is pleased to announce that Mike Robbins and Jim Walters have been appointed to three-year terms on the elder board, effective Jan. 1.

The selection of Mike and Jim to their new roles follows a year-long period of intensive study, mentoring and working alongside the current elders. Both men currently serve as deacons and have a strong commitment to service, prayer and encouragement to others that will make them great servant leaders.

Mike, who was baptized at age 10, has attended MC3 for the past six and half years with his family—wife Cecelia and daughter Emma, 14. In addition, the couple has four grown children. Mike is involved in numerous church activities, including both the Sunday SOAP and Wednesday 9:37 C-Group. He has served as a board member for SOAR (Serving Others and Rejoicing) Ministries and has been an avid servant on numerous church outreach events and mission trips. Mike works as a mechanic for Delta Air Lines in Atlanta.

Jim, who was also baptized at age 10, has attended MC3 for the past seven years. He is a member of both the 70-Strong and Tuesday night prayer teams. He has served on numerous teams and activities during his time at MC3. Jim works as a graphic artist, designer and illustrator for the national Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta. He is the father to daughter, Caroline, 34, and son, Joshua, 24, who previously attended MC3.

With the appointments of Jim and Mike to the elder board, Jim Barber—MC3's administrator—will step aside from his role as an elder.