
Our Story
Get to know more about us
We are a young church that was formed and is continually being formed by the grace of God. In 2014, Daniel and Stephanie Englehart began sensing a desire to start a new church in South Sound. They spent 2015 learning from a new church in Seattle before being sent out with support from churches in Fremont, West Seattle, and Burien. In the Spring of 2016, a group of 12 people joined together and launched the church on Easter Sunday. As the church began to meet together each week, more individuals, couples, and families joined. Soon we moved from the Englehart's living room to Highline College.
Over the years we've gathered in different church buildings in Sea-Tac and Des Moines. In 2024, we were gifted with the church buildings and property of The Pointe Church (formerly First Baptist Church Federal Way). Our story is a story of the grace of God. Our heart is to be a community centered on the good news and teachings of Jesus. We want to help people love God and love their neighbors as themselves. By God's grace we will continue to grow in relationship with God, one another, and those in our community.
What We Believe
“In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.”
The Mountain Church believes that the historic Christian gospel is true, compelling, and transformative. We believe the Bible, God's Holy Scriptures, are true and sufficient. We believe being rooted in the Word of God, and centered on the gospel of Jesus, creates a new community of humility, grace, truth, and love.
Our Vision
We want to see a movement of the gospel through the Puget Sound for the flourishing of all people.
We are a learning community of grace. We are family of servant learners and leaders. As we are made in the image of a relational God, we are a relational people. Our mission is to love God, love others, and make disciples of Jesus for the glory of God and joy of all people. As disciples of Jesus we are called to obey the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:34-40; Mark 12:28-34; Luke 10:25-28) and Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). If this vision were lived out, we would see lives flourish in the faith, hope, and love of Jesus. We want to see lives thrive in the calling God has given them in their relationships, home, workplace, and schools. We would abound in hope and move towards others, being known by our love. We would seek the peace and good of our city that would include reconciliation, community formation, and justice and mercy for the poor. We seek to do this because we want Jesus to be greatly exalted. We exist for the glory of God. We gather together on Sundays and live in community throughout the week as God’s sent people where we live, learn, work, and play. We seek to grow in the gospel and go with the gospel to make disciples of Jesus. We desire to grow in our relationship with God and in relationships with others. We seek to be good neighbors, cultivate gospel community to show the difference the gospel makes, and practice hospitality. We believe community is the context for change therefore we seek to learn with and from one another. In order to see a movement of the gospel we need a diversity of churches, communities, and disciples in the Puget Sound. We believe the redeemed people of God are from every tribe, tongue, and people who are a part of the new multiethnic community in Christ. We are called to work together. We partner with other churches and networks to work together in strengthening existing churches and starting new churches.
About Our Pastor
Daniel Englehart is the founding pastor of The Mountain Church. He grew up in West Seattle and would've rather done anything else than be a part of a church. Daniel loved playing sports, watching the Seahawks or Mariners, more than being with the church. It wasn't until high school that Jesus saved Daniel from the legalism and moralism he believed was "Christianity." Prior to faith in Jesus, he believed that his identify, worth, and goodness was found in what he did or did not do. The good news of Jesus has changed Daniel's life. He desires to grow in grace and wants others to experience the grace he's found in Jesus. Daniel and his high school sweetheart, Stephanie, have three young girls together.
Besides Jesus, his family, and the church, Daniel loves people and food, nachos in particular. He has a passion for helping others grow emotionally and relationally healthy. He's currently working towards a Master of Divinity with a concentration in Biblical Counseling. He enjoys counseling, listening to the stories of others, and helping people grow in grace.
Besides Jesus, his family, and the church, Daniel loves people and food, nachos in particular. He has a passion for helping others grow emotionally and relationally healthy. He's currently working towards a Master of Divinity with a concentration in Biblical Counseling. He enjoys counseling, listening to the stories of others, and helping people grow in grace.
Elders and Deacons
We believe that Jesus established two offices of the church: elders and deacons. Elders are entrusted with caring for and teaching the church. They exercise oversight and shepherd the flock of God. They serve as examples as they demonstrate the character, convictions, and conduct of Jesus. Deacons are lead servants of the church. They support the work of the elders, allowing them to focus on the ministry of the Word and prayer. They show the love of Jesus in meeting practical and tangible needs.

Phil Damron
Deacon

Daniel Englehart
Elder/Pastor

Cary Jester
Elder

Marilynn Jovanovich
Deacon
Peter Jovanovich
Deacon
Ben Swarner
Deacon
Our Name
In the Bible, mountains were often places where people encountered and experienced God. Throughout the biblical narrative, the glory of the Lord, (meaning the presence of His infinite and supreme greatness, worth, and beauty), is described as coming down on the mountain. God would reveal himself, offer instruction, and dwell among his people. Ultimately, the very image of the glory of God came down to the earth and was made manifest to his people in Jesus. In the gospel narratives, Jesus taught his disciples, communed with the Father, and commissioned the apostles on a mountain. Jesus came to make encountering and experiencing God possible through his life, death, and resurrection.
The name for The Mountain Church came out of this imagery and symbolism. We aspire to be a church where all people can encounter, experience, and enjoy God in Jesus. Just as Mount Rainer's iconic beauty can be viewed all around the Puget Sound and South King County, we pray the Mountain Church will be a city on a hill, a contrast-community, to share our passion for Jesus and show the difference the gospel makes.
The name for The Mountain Church came out of this imagery and symbolism. We aspire to be a church where all people can encounter, experience, and enjoy God in Jesus. Just as Mount Rainer's iconic beauty can be viewed all around the Puget Sound and South King County, we pray the Mountain Church will be a city on a hill, a contrast-community, to share our passion for Jesus and show the difference the gospel makes.
Our Partnerships
We are thankful to get to partner alongside other ministries, non-profits, schools, and networks to work together for the good of others and the flourishing of our community. Listed below are different organizations that we are affiliated with, recommend, support, or serve in our community.

Ellensburg Counseling
https://www.ellensburgcounseling.com
Ellensburg Counseling is mental health practice that provides grace centric counseling, rooted in the gospel. The gospel has relevancy to our modern day issues, especially as many mental health issues are relational in nature. Ellensburg Counseling endeavors to meet people where they are at, attend to the clinical issues and symptoms they are feeling and share the hope that can only come from Christ.

Des Moines Food Bank
http://www.myfoodbank.org/
The Des Moines Food Bank exists to provide emergency food service to those who need in the cities of Des Moines, most of Seatac, and the South Hill of Kent. We serve with the food bank to deliver meals to those in need who are unable to come to the food bank.

Lighthouse Northwest
https://www.lighthousenw.org
Lighthouse Northwest exists to break the cycle of domestic abuse one relationship at a time by providing resources, services, and support to families who have experienced abuse and by activating the community to participate in prevention and intervention. We have partnered with Lighthouse to serve in their domestic abuse recovery program.

PSBA and NWBC
Cooperating in Partnership
We collaborate with the PSBA and NWBC to seek to catalyze healthy, fruitful leaders and churches. We pray and learn with other churches and networks to work together in strengthening local churches. We want pastors and churches to be healthy in the Puget Sound. We believe there is great benefit in collaborating together to see the gospel bear fruit and increase among us.
