We want to see lives flourish in the grace, peace, and hope of Jesus
Our Story
We are a young church that was formed and is continually being formed by the grace of God. In 2014, Daniel and Stephanie Englehart moved to Des Moines, Washington sensing God's call to start a new church in the city. 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 they moved from the Englehart's living room to Highline College. In 2017, the church began renting space from Gathering Place Church in Des Moines, where we still continue to meet. (2038 S 222nd St, Des Moines WA)
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.
Our beliefs
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. For a more detailed description of our beliefs, please reach out to us using our Contact Us form.
Our leadership
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. If you'd like to connect with Daniel, please reach out using our Contact Us form or you can find him on social media.
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.