Sign up for the Greece & Israel Trip

Beginning August 24, 2009, Pastor Mark Driscoll will be leading a ten-day trip to Greece and Israel. Mars Hill members and attenders are welcome to participate, although the trip is open to anyone who is interested. Activities include walking where Jesus walked, where Paul ministered, where the temple stood, and where the Scriptures were penned.

If enough people attend we have been granted permission to allow one of our worship bands to play a concert in front of the Western Wall. If that happens, we will actually have a Mars Hill indie rock church service at the very wall we have spent nearly a year studying in the Nehemiah series.

How is this a part of Mars Hill’s mission?

Living for Jesus

As a church that focuses on Jesus and trusts the scriptural record of His person and work, the trip will undoubtedly help us to have greater insights into Scripture and a greater understanding of Jesus.

A City within the City

As we visit the cities from which the gospel of Jesus spread throughout the world, we trust God to give us greater insights into His love and mission for us in our own city.

Knowing Culture

One of the great controversies in the earliest days of our faith was what was to be received, rejected, and redeemed from Gentile culture. Much of our New Testament letters were written in large part to wrestle with just such cultural issues. Therefore, as we travel through the places in which Paul ministered and wrote Scripture, we will be growing in our own understanding of the biblical principles that guide our involvement in culture for Christ.

Loving People

The key to loving people is to first comprehend God’s love for us. Scriptures teach us that God’s love was poured out for us in Jesus, who entered into history to live, die in our place for our sins, and rise from the grave to conquer death. Therefore, as we see what it means that God actually entered into human history in a specific time and place, we will grow in our understanding of God’s love for people, which can only increase our love for other people.

Transforming Lives

God is in the business of changing people to reflect His glory. He does this, in large part, through His Spirit, Word, and people. On this trip, it is our prayer that as we learn more of His Word together as His people as led and taught by His Spirit, we would experience life transformation for His glory and our joy.

The total cost for the trip is $3,495 per person (payment plans available) based upon double occupancy in a room. This price includes airfare, hotels, transportation, tour guides, entrance fees, breakfast and dinner daily, and all taxes and fees, along with all gratuities.

Sign up now for the Greece & Israel Trip and take advantage of the early registration discount. Space is limited.

As most of you are going through the How People Change curriculum and undoubtedly facing some heat from the sensitive topic on Sunday, Mark has provided additional information and resources on the Pastors blog.

The holidays are fast approaching. For many, this can be a difficult time of year. One specific way we can significantly help others is by providing gifts, service and prayers to help make the holidays a positive experience. MH is organizing its second annual Adopt-a-family program again to share with one another and minister to one another as a Godly family does. Last year, this event went incredibly well and the blessing received by both the adopting groups and adopted families was immeasurable. We hope you will participate with us in this second year.

A letter is being sent to members and regular attendees of MH that have been assisted financially by MH this year, single parents, and others whom may have unmet financial needs in this season of life. Those recipient families who wish to participate will complete a questionnaire to be mailed to the church office. Each family in need will be paired with a CG or family that wishes to participate in the program. This is a perfect opportunity to lead your Community Group in very practical service to the body at Mars Hill and/or to their own community and experience the wonderful blessing of giving out of what Christ has given you. We don’t want any family to go without this season, so we’ll need lots of Community Groups to get involved.

In addition, if you know of a MH family OR a family in your community, neighborhood or sphere who may be in need this season, please, please send their name and address to Mercy@marshillchurch.org and we will include them in this mailed invite.

How it works:

So to recap those dates:

Confirm by 11/16 that you wish to adopt a family.

You will receive your adoption on or before 12/03

Contact your adoptive family by 12/10 to schedule a delivery day.

Deliver your blessings by 12/20

We thank you for considering participating and look forward to hearing from you!

Mercy Ministry at Mars Hill Church

Read the Introduction from Pastor Mark below. Curriculum from the text will be posted weekly here.

From Pastor Mark Driscoll(see trailer here)

Jesus was a rebel, outlaw, renegade, and hardcore, sanctified troublemaker. He never sinned, but He lived His life by a set of rules that His culture did not approve of, especially the stuffed-shirt religious types. Examples include healing on the Sabbath, throwing over tables in the temple, eating with godless sinners, and not washing His hands before eating. Clearly, Jesus was no coward who conformed to social pressure.

Jesus was ultimately murdered in an attempt to stop Him from literally turning the world upside down, which was as effective as blowing on the head of a dandelion to exterminate it. Nonetheless, Jesus endured the cross, as Hebrews 12:2 says, “for the joy that was set before him” and never lost His joy even in the midst of betrayal, poverty, injustice, loneliness, pain, suffering, slander, and even death. Jesus was single-minded in His mission to pursue God’s glory in heaven and our salvation on earth. Jesus lived without those things that we would typically associate with joy, such as health, wealth, sex, and comfort, yet He is the freest and happiest person who has ever lived. Jesus is the most joyful person who has ever lived because He was the most obedient, God-glorifying, humble, sacrificial person who has ever lived. Paradoxically, He had joy despite being a “man of sorrows” (Isaiah 53:3).

Following his conversion, Paul patterned his life after Jesus and also lived as a rebel, outlaw, renegade, and hardcore, sanctified troublemaker. He too was single, broke, often homeless, and so hated that he got run out of more than a few towns after taking a good beating. Paul writes Philippians while he is sitting on the floor of a filthy Roman jail (Philippians 1:1317)-a brutal place and nothing like the Paris Hilton Camp Cupcake Clubhouses that we see today. Alone in his jail cell, flat broke, tired, hungry, sick, abandoned, and facing the prospect of a brutal death, Paul sat down to write a letter to his friends in Philippi, who enjoyed one of the few churches written to in the New Testament that did not sound like it had been taken over by drunk carnival workers.

Founded by Paul in roughly 50 AD, the church at Philippi was the first church in Europe. The church began when the team of Paul, Silas, Timothy and Luke met with some Jewish women at their place of prayer in Acts 16. Their first converts were a wealthy upper class Asian businesswoman, Lydia, and her family; a demon-possessed lower class Greek slave girl; and a middle class Roman jailer and his family. Despite racial, economic, gender, and political differences, the church grew to be very healthy and filled with joy as they grew together in their love for and service of Jesus Christ.

(more…)

Community Group Leaders!

Mars Hill Ballard is requesting your help in a very important manner. We are in the process of recruiting new communion servers and wanted to present the opportunity to our community group leaders. We wanted members of our church leadership to be a visible part of this crucial element of worship. Although it is a vital part of our worship and Sunday services, it is not a huge commitment. Please let Samson know if you are available to serve communion at the service you attend. I appreciate your time and thank you in advance for your help.

Contact samson@marshillchurch.org for more information.

Foundry:

Historically, a foundry was a location where tools and weapons were forged and fashioned. It was a place where iron would sharpen iron, which corresponds to the biblical concept of community (Prov. 27.17).

As Mars Hill¹s one-day educational program, Foundry fosters community and spiritual refinement through one-day (Saturday morning) classes.
Participants can take the content beyond the classroom setting using an optional study guide, provided for further individual study, family devotions, and/or Community Group discussion. Foundry is open to members and church attendees.

EVENT:

If you are interested in better understanding Jesus in the Old Testament, there¹s an important event on the Mars Hill calendar for you.

On October 6 at the Ballard Campus, a course called ³Emmaus Road: Seeing Christ in all of Scripture² will be offered.

Luke 24:27 ³And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he [Jesus] interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself²

Just as Jesus taught the disciples on the Emmaus Road after His resurrection to see himself in the Old Testament, this class will lay the foundation of the overarching Biblical story, studying Jesus in the Old Testament and our role within God¹s story.

This Saturday seminar is a great opportunity to grow in your knowledge of Jesus and to gain a broader view and respect for the story of God found within the Old and New Testament. Come by yourself, with your Community Group, or with your family for this valuable teaching seminar.

Schedule for the day:

9:00-9:45 Big Picture Overview (Pastor Gary Shavey)

9:45-10:15 Seeing Christ in the Old Testament: Garden of Eden

through the Exodus (Deacon Greg Joines)

10:15-11:00 Seeing Christ in the Old Testament: Conquest through the

Church (Pastor Bill Clem)

11:15-12:00 Breakout:

Track A: Christ in the Wisdom Literature (Pastor Zack

Hubert)

Track B: Christ in the Psalms (Deacon Andrew Pack)

Track C: Christ in the Prophetic Literature (Deacon Wendy

Alsup)

12:00-12:30 Conclusion (Pastor Bill Clem)

Here¹s the link to register.

https://www.sporg.com/pom/registration?cmd=event_info&event_id=93902

Leaders,

Read this post by Pastor Dick. This is an opportunity for the people in your group to serve not only the church, but the city by providing hospitality to families that need to hear about Jesus.

-I am so excited about this new season at Mars Hill with the expansion to the multi campus model and Ballard being the training center in which to send from. This affects each ministry as we raise up leaders, trained teachers and volunteers to fill positions now in their communities reaching their neighbors. As you know Wedgwood launches in Oct. and the Eastside and downtown are soon to become realities, therefore, we will be sending many trained people from Ballard to these campuses.

The fact that we are on mission is exciting and the fact that so many people come to Mars Hill because they believe in the mission of seeing lives transformed for Jesus in and around the city of Seattle is nothing short of miraculous. But part of sending trained people out is filling those now empty spots. We are sending up to 50 trained people (just in Children’s ministry) in the next few weeks and months and therefore need those who are committed to the Ballard campus to step up and fill the holes of those who are being sent. I write this for Children’s Ministry but in reality every ministry is sending and every ministry needs people to fill these positions. If you are on mission with us the easiest way to find out about the needs and opportunities in the church is to go to the serve desk in the main foyer as it is a one stop shop of ministry opportunities in the church. If you see yourself serving the little MH culture please email  renee@marshillchurch.org

Pastor Dick McKinley

Children’s Ministry Pastor

Should community be a safe place?

I often hear it said that to have a healthy growing community groups ministry, the groups must be a safe place for believer and non-believer alike. And to this point I agree, that the community of God should be a place that is welcoming to all comers, hospitable and loving. and in that sense very safe.

But what are people really saying when they say they want their community to be safe?

I fear that many equate safety with comfort. Defining a safe group as one where I can be myself.not judged but excepted as I am, “judge not, lest ye be judged”.right?

Sounds great. but wait. what if “myself” is a gossip. or a liar, or ungrateful, or self worshiping. Should a Community Group be a place where I am free to be those things in a safe environment? Have we not been called to spur one another on to good deeds. to encourage and rebuke one another so that we glorify Jesus with this fleeting life? (Hebrews 3:12-14)

My wife and I experience this as we prepared to go through the HPC curriculum with another couple. We experience some trepidation as we prepared to expose ourselves in that community. Our fear was not because we did not trust or loving friends. It was because, in that community, we could guarantee discomfort from the exposure of our sin. Should we have dismissed this community because it was un-safe?

If safety is comfort then I pray our groups are never safe. To be comfortable with your sin is to be dead to the work of the Holy Spirit (John 16:7-9). In authentic community, I cannot hide my sin for long because, inevitably, pressure and time will expose it among a group of people who truly care and love me. In such a community, I am forced to confront, confess and repent of my sin. This is painful, unsettling, and certainly not safe by the standard of comfort. Safety is not in that I will not be challenged to live a life worthy of my calling to Christ, but it is in that it will be done in love from a brother or sister that is, or has, walked through that same fire. Ultimately, there is no safer place then in the arms of Christ, to whom this process points and draws us.

Considering the non-believer, it is unfathomable to me that we can believe it is safer to be left in a state of death and decay, dangling over the flames of hell, then to be confronted with the life-giving message of the Gospel. This is rarely a comfortable confrontation with the living the God, but how desperate is their need to be saved from the destruction they are hurtling toward. Yet we hold our tongue for comfort? Unfortunately we are often deceived that what would be safe (God) is dangerous (uncomfortable) and that which is dangerous (damnation) is safe (comfortable). (Isa. 5:20).

My encouragement to you is to embrace the danger of living in authentic community. Look forward to the work God is doing in you and through you as part of a community. Embraced discomfort for a greater joy, Sanctification.

My prayer is that groups will be a place where we encounter God, and challenge one another to glorify Him. That’s not safe. That’s community.

At the Transformation Series conference about three weeks ago Paul Trip did some work out Hebrews chapter 10 that I have been noodling on since that weekend.

[(nōōd'ling) to contemplate, meditate, think about.]

The concept is not new, and most of us are quick to pay it lip service.

The concept: Christianity is meant to be lived out in community.

Ground breaking I know. Probably not the first time you’ve heard this proposition, but have you ever noodled on it?

We are created in the image of the Trinitarian God who exist in community. “Yes, yes” we nod our heads in agreement. yet few of us willing seek out encouraging, rebuking, exciting, fun, painfully authentic community in our church. I am convinced that the majority of Christian hear this proposition say that you could, may, might benefit from, living out your faith in community. The reality however is that this is not a suggestion. There is an expectation in this text that we live in community (Heb. 10:22-25). In fact, verse 25 is a rebuke to those that think they don’t need to be apart of it. As Mr. Tripp indicated, this is not a call to attend a church service, but to live life together in a meaningful way that exposes our sins, encourages us in faith and draws us closer to Christ.

As I sat in my office this week I was posed the all too familiar question: Why do you think people avoid community? If I had a nickel .

Just to give you background, we currently have approximately 1/3 of our Sunday attendees in Community Groups including ½ of our members.* Respectable numbers by church statistical standards, but far from the expectation of Scripture and to what I believe God is calling us. *This does not include other legitimate forms of community.

So why DO people avoid community?

One reason, and I believe the most significant, is that in authentic community our sin is exposed. We can keep up appearances at work, a family function, or a barbecue. but if we are in a community of believers who take scriptures like Hebrews 3:13 seriously, we cannot hide for long. We all sin, and as John 3:20 outs us, we “will not come into the light for fear that [our] deeds will be exposed.” We fear light like a 32 year old actress fears HDTV. In reality, however, it is this exposure that gives us life. “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1 John 1:5-7)

Unfortunately too many of us have believed the lie that darkness is better then light. In the deepest parts of our regenerate hearts we want communion with God and fellowship with each other… but we have been deceived by the promise of comfort that does not bring peace. My challenge is to live in the light believing the promise of my faithful God that the shame of being exposed will be worth the joy of glorifying Jesus.

So let us live life together, willing to be pruned by God through His Word and His people for the purpose of glorifying Jesus… and don’t forget to bring your sunglasses.

Some of you may be wondering what was up with the tags on our last round of rosters. I have fielded a few questions and responses to the new tags and it seams that some clarification would be helpful. So let me lay out what we are doing, why we are doing it, and possibly the most important. what we are not doing.

What we are doing:
Lets start with what I am talking about. On the latest roster (Census) form there was a section called Tags, with following options:

Men Only
Women Only
Singles-college
Singles- career
married-young
married-seasoned
Kid Friendly
meals

With instruction to tag all that apply. The purpose is to describe your current group not define your current group. By describing the group you are merely saying this is who is here, you are not restricting it to other demographics. You may only check one box if that is all that applies, however most groups will be made up a mix of people from different life stages and will check multiple boxes. So of your group is ” women only”, you would check that box but also check the boxes that describe the women in that group, single, married, ect.

Why we are doing it:
Tags serve a couple of purposes. The first is to help us understand who is in groups and who is not. We can simply look at this information to determine what life stages are engaging in community.
The most significant reason however, is to help us to assimilate new people into groups. If a single mom with kids is looking for a group, the tags help us quickly identify what groups are set up to welcome kids. As well, if an older couple is looking to mentor young single folks they may look for groups that have those particular tags. The reality however is that most people are looking for a community of people feeling the same pressures and having the same interest as themselves. That is a reasonable desire and although we would love to see groups that are made up of folks that span across different life stages, we realize that is not always attainable.

What we are not doing:
We are not attempting to separate or define groups by these tags. If groups naturally develop an affinity identity we are not going spend energy trying to “diversify” that group, however, and our expectation is that any such group would still be open to people of any life stage.

So. please take the time to check the tags that apply to your group so we can better help plug people into the community of Mars Hill Church.