It happened twenty-five years ago on Mother’s Day, the day Patty and I will always remember like yesterday. It was a crushing day, a refining/defining moment, an inflection point, and the day when we fully understood that children indeed are a gift from the Lord.

We were both a young twenty-nine years old, incredibly blessed with our nearly six-year-old daughter (Julie) and little Timmy, a few weeks shy of his third birthday. We were living in a suburb in Northern Virginia just outside of Washington D.C. where I was serving in one of the choicest assignments in the U.S. Coast Guard. After attending the morning worship service at Reston Bible Church, we went out to one of our favorite spots for a special Mother’s Day lunch, and then it was home for naptime. I was out in the garage putting the finishing touches on a handcrafted “train bed” I was making for Timmy for his upcoming birthday when Patty came outside to tell me that he had a really high temperature and to come inside.

Fast-forward a couple of hours…we had prayed for him and called both our mothers to ask them to pray for him. I can still see our son lying on the sofa next to Patty when seizure #1 hit him—his feet are trembling wildly, and his eyes are rolling back in his head, only the eerie whites of his eyes are visible. The next seizure comes a short while later, and then a third. We pack up Julie and Timmy and head to the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD, praying for a benign diagnosis like a fast-moving flu bug. Little did we know.

After a nightmarish evening that turned into early morning, where the emergency room doc ordered up three blood samples and a spinal tap without much of an explanation (other than meningitis was ruled out), we received word that our son needed to remain overnight at the hospital. Patty stayed with the little guy, who was dealing with being a human pincushion as well as could be expected, and I took our sleeping daughter home. I rejoined Patty the next morning at the hospital after dropping off our daughter at school. Our church prayer chain evidently worked well as our pastor, Mike Minter, arrived a few minutes later.

Tears still flood my eyes as I recall the vivid imagery of what happened next. It was 1983, Monday, mid-morning. A nice doctor asked Patty and I to follow him to a meeting to discuss Timmy’s situation. Pastor Mike joined us in a conference room filled with numerous medical staff. My heart raced when I saw the grim, somber-looking faces around the table. “We have some really hard news for you,” said the physician, who identified himself as a pediatric oncologist with a specialty in hematology. “Your son has leukemia.”

In a moment, the vision of a future seeing my son as a teenager and as an adult simply vanished, replaced with an image of a small burial plot. Patty was so strong as I sobbed my heart out. It was the first time she had ever seen me shed a tear in our ten years of marriage. We heard fragments of the physician’s explanation, and tried to process the more positive news that “we caught this early” and “this looks like the best type of childhood leukemia, Advanced Lymphoblastic Leukemia [ALL] to treat”. We heard the news that treatment would need to begin immediately: a month-long stay in the hospital for aggressive chemotherapy protocol and followed by two weeks of radiation treatment, and then…who knows?

As Pastor Mike, Patty, and I shared in those early hours following this news, I recall how fundamentally flawed my thinking was about God. Nothing bad was supposed to happen to my family—how could the Lord let this happen? It was then I realized that as a sinner all I deserved was death and separation from God. It became clear that being married to Patty, having a beautiful daughter and son—even a son with a terminal illness—was more grace and mercy than I ever deserved. This fundamental understanding brought about an immediate, deep, hard to express sense of acceptance and peace. It felt like a special touch by the Holy Spirit. Hundreds, even thousands of people were praying across the country for our little guy, and we were pleading for Jesus to heal our son. The elders of Reston Bible came a few days later and prayed for healing, anointing our son in accordance with James 5. That day, Timmy’s white blood cells returned to normal. Jesus had miraculously and mercifully healed our little guy. Since the chemo treatments were already in progress, and we weren’t certain how Jesus had healed him, we decided to continue the remainder of the chemo and radiation treatments.

By God’s amazing grace, it’s now a quarter century later and our son is a healthy twenty-seven-year-old man who loves Jesus and is following him. If space permitted, pages could be written about the extraordinary and unconditional love and care that a young mother gave to both our children throughout this ordeal. We were changed forever as a result of this special day twenty-five years ago.

Psalm 51 holds a rich meaning for us. As King David writes, “Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.”

This year’s Men’s Advance is rapidly approaching. The health, vitality and ultimate legacy of this church, and this campus in particular, rests in the hands of the men of WS. Men are uniquely called to lovingly lead, shepherd, and be the heads of their families and church. When this doesn’t happen, families and church suffer. Yet, this does not happen with our own strength, wisdom or resources but through being vitally and deeply connected to Jesus Christ, for apart from him we can do nothing (John 15:5f). Men, I invite you to join us May 16th-18th as the men of Mars Hill Church ‘advance’ into the woods to study (Heb 12:1-3), worship with other dudes from across our six campuses, connect with other brothers from West Seattle, strategically think through how we (individually and corporately) can best reach our city with the Gospel, teach the other campuses how to play softball, and pursue Jesus and what he has for us in the coming year. Make it work with your schedule. Volunteer if you can’t afford it or let us know and we’ll find a sponsor. Cancel your plans to sit on your couch all weekend and watch the M’s loose yet again. Make it happen. Be there.

Because the tomb is empty and there’s still breath in our lungs,
Pastor Adam

Click here to register

Event brief:
Jesus Christ is the Author and Perfecter of our faith (Heb 12:1-3). It is in, through and for Jesus that we are called to run with endurance the race that is set before us. In other words, Jesus is the means by which we run and the prize for which we are running. Join the men of Mars Hill Church at the 2008 Men’s Advance, “Jesus - Author & Perfecter”, as we examine every Christians’ call to run with endurance and lay aside every weight and sin, while looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

FEES:
$120 for Friday - Sunday
$75 under 17 years old
$60 Saturday only, includes lunch & dinner
$100 Staff
$75 Scholarship price (email events@marshillchurch.org to request - limited availability to please consider your need carefully before requesting)
$0 Saturday only Volunteer price (must be approved to register at this amount)

Calling all Shoreline dudes! (“last minute” dudes that is—you know who you are!)

I am writing because the Men’s Advance is right around the corner, and I have a question for you: Has Jesus called us together to play fake religious games where we pretend our lives are “together” while we try to look good on the outside? Or, has Jesus perhaps called us to “lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely” that we might “run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Heb 12:1)? Hmm . . . let me think about that.

Let me ask some other questions: Does it really matter how I live my life? Is eternal reality really more important TODAY, than earthly reality? What does it mean to live a fruitful life for Jesus now? When I stand before Jesus some day will the works of my life burn like a house of cards such that I am saved “only as through fire” (1 Cor 3:15)? What words will Jesus speak to me personally? Will I hear, “you wicked and slothful servant!” (Matt 25:26)? Or will I have fruit to present to the King, receiving reward from His hand, and hearing “well done good and faithful servant” (Matt 25:23)?

Shoreline Campus brothers! What we are doing with our lives right now really counts for eternity. This life is a battle against the deceptive nature of sin and demonic lies that would trip us up and cause us to live frustrating, unfruitful lives of futility. This daily battle is very real, and Jesus has given us a great gift in this fight – each other! As the Head of the Church, He has called us to do life together. He has called us not to “look good” maintaining a religious exterior, but to be gut-real with each other in the fight. When we do this in each others lives His strength through His Spirit is powerful against sin, deception and the evil one. He has called us not merely to survive this life with a whimper, but to be among those who genuinely “conquer” (Rev 2:7).

The Men’s Advance is a key opportunity, not only to hear good teaching and have fun, but to be gut real before God and your brothers in this fight because Jesus fully intends, not that we go out with a whimper, but that we conquer! The Holy Spirit says “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another . . . (Hebrews 10:24-25).

Don’t miss this year’s Men’s Advance. Now is the time to register, and you can do so here. Or go to www.marshillchurch.org and click on “News and Events” then you will see the link to “Men’s Advance: Jesus Author and Perfector.”

Last time I talked about the types of tech volunteers that have really frustrated us over the past several years, and I have to admit that I was rather harsh, but none the less truthful. However, I certainly do NOT want to give the impression that we have had nothing but frustration, as nothing could be farther from the truth. We currently have (and have had in the past) many great volunteers who are extremely giving and serve very humbly. In part one of the series I listed four qualities we look for in volunteers, let’s take a look at how those play out practically in our tech volunteers.

Mark 12:28-31 (ESV)
28 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

1. Loves Jesus
   Again, this seems obvious for anyone who has a desire to volunteer with the Church, but as Pastor Mark is fond of saying let’s not miss the big E on the eye chart. Its the first part of what Jesus said was the greatest commandment. We see this in our volunteers by seeing the fruit of their life outside the boundaries of serving in the tech ministry. We listen to their testimony and we look for life transformation. We are not legalists who want to see a bunch of rules followed, but testimony and behavior are the indicators of the heart, and your heart needs to be with Jesus before it’s with the computer.

   I have personally seen this in the lives of our volunteers, heard many stories of how God saved them, changed the way they thought, changed their behavior to be more like him. A volunteer must be willing to share this as a good relationship with Jesus is our first priority for someone, we don’t simply write code, we worship Jesus.

2. Loves the Church (global and local)
   This is part of the second commandment Jesus talks about, loving people. Loving the church is loving other Christians ( and loving non Christians, as part of the mission of the Church). Practically the idea here is being on mission with our particular Church (Mars Hill Church) to love people in a way that glorifies God. Our volunteers need to either be members or pursuing membership, to ensure that we are all on the same mission. They need to be involved with a community group, to ensure that they are participating in the community, being discipled, and loving our brother and sisters in Christ in a real physical community. We consider this to be very important to a successful volunteer. On a couple of occasions, we’ve had people who didn’t think these were important, they just wanted to work. It is NEVER NEVER NEVER just work, that’s a mistake in thinking.
3. Humbleness
   I have found in my corporate career that technology people are very prideful people, having very strong opinions on technologies and methodologies. I’ve seen many “Holy Wars” over stuff that in the end really don’t matter that much (PC vs Mac vs Linux, Programming Language #1 vs Programming Language #2, my framework can beat up your framework, etc). A volunteer on mission for Jesus needs to push that stuff to the bottom of their priority list. They need to recognize that there is an existing mission strategy with leadership in place, and they need to start by just helping where help is needed. We value creativity and expertise , certainly. We are always developing leaders who can move into roles of responsibility, but those opportunities are for faithful humble servants who follow Jesus who set our example for humbleness.

   I’ve seen humbleness exemplified with our great current set of volunteers. This is a group of extremely smart and technologically gifted individuals, who simply asked where they could help out with they first got here. Over the course of time, as they have served faithfully, they have made suggestions and had ideas that have changed the course of our technology strategy and influenced our thinking for the better. We need good faithful people to help us be better at what we do, but having influence is all in the approach.

4. Called to serve in this area
   This can be the trickiest quality to identify as many people have the desire but not necessarily the time to devote to something that can require a decent amount of time. This is something that requires prayer and very serious consideration. A good volunteer needs to be prepared to serve in the technology area faithfully for a longer period of time (think a couple hours a week for 6 months at least, preferably longer). Now, we aren’t going to give a volunteer so much work that it overwhelms them, we understand that people have very demanding day jobs and family commitments, and that is perfectly fine, we understand. A good volunteer though needs to understand that we (staff and other volunteers) will be making an investment in them that is time consuming for us, and they need to be considerate of that. We just ask that if we are going to make an investment in you, please be faithful to honor that investment. Don’t get me wrong, people do serve for a while and then transition to other ministries, this isn’t a life long commitment, but the key words are: “for a while”.

   Looking at our current set of volunteers, again, these guys took this to heart. They have a history of faithfully serving over a longer period of time, faithfully doing the tasks they agreed to take on, understanding that we are investing in them and trusting that they will do what they agreed they wanted to do. The have earned that trust with their actions.

In summary, let me say that volunteers have worked out nicely for us. I have seen our volunteers have a huge impact on our technology and direction, because they love Jesus, they love the Church, and they humbly serve in a difficult area that they are called to serve in. The entire tech department, and indeed the entire church, owe them a great deal of thanks, and we thank God for them.

Next volume, I will finish up by outlining some of our needs and how people can get plugged in.

And so we begin with Shan Applin’s vision for the Children’s Minsitry

The most recent edition of Seattle Metropolitan listed Mars Hill Church among its “Wash-In” items for the month of May—right after downtown strippers and right before Super Mario. We’ll take that as a compliment, I suppose. In any case, the text-message phenomenon continues. Incidentally, the same issue also named Ballard the city’s #1 “Hot Hood.”

Also recently, a theology blog called Parchment and Pen posted a new interview with Pastor Mark about Vintage Jesus and the presence of Jesus in our culture today.

2 Corinthians 2:14-15
14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing,

As I participated in the scraping, masking, and painting an entire house, garage, and basement of a foster home in rainy Lynnwood this Sunday along side 50 or so fellow Mars Hillians, I was struck by the fragrance of Christ. It was such a blessing to experience the body of Christ as it acted out His love on His behalf, for His glory, in His name. I really mean it was a blessing. It is a shame that our culture (especially our suburban culture) has developed into such an autonomous society. Hebrews 10:25 says, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing.” I hope for those of you who participated this last Saturday, that you got a taste of how fulfilling worshiping God in Gospel Fellowship is.

On May 3rd roughly 120 Shoreline Campus attendees & members spread out through Shoreline and Snohomish County to love others in Jesus name. Here are some praises we lifted up to God this morning at Men’s Morning Prayer from the 4 different projects that we were involved in…

Shoreline School District - Parkwood Elementary(Shoreline)
About 40 people showing up to help love the shoreline schools in Jesus’ name by planting, doing outdoor cleanup, and landscaping. May the Lord be lifted up and glorified in the eyes of the Superintendent and the parents who stopped by to see them work. Mars Hill participated as 1 of 11 Shoreline Churches working together to make Jesus’ name famous in Shoreline through serving the Shoreline School District. We will again have an opportunity to bless the Shoreline Schools during our Back to School Drive that we do in August to help Shoreline kids get the supplies they need to go to School. click here to see a slide show of photos from the event.

Pioneer Human Services – Cypress House (Lynnwood)
Praise for about 50 people showing up to serve these Foster boys in Jesus’ name by painting the ENTIRE exterior, garage, and interior of the basement of a house, hauling away trash, hanging out with the Foster boys, and buying them new house nubmers. Praise that nearly the entire exterior of a home, a garage, and the interior of a basement were able to get painted in one day! It was truly a miracle. Also praise for the people who are new to our campus getting a chance to connect with and be known by our church body. Pray for continued opportunities and for willing servants from our body to love and serve the 5 teenage boys who live there and the women who run that organization.
click here to see a slide show of photos from the event.

Catholic Community Services (Snohomish County)
Praise for about 20 volunteers showing up to serve disabled & elderly shut-ins in Jesus’ name. Praise for the blessing that these people were to our servants and for the opportunities we had to bless them through yard work, chores, errands, and fellowship. Pray that the Lord would continue to provide ways we can bless theses organization and to develop relationships with these people in need to God’s glory and our joy.

Deaconess Children’s Services (Snohomish County)
Praise for about 20 volunteers showing up to love the battered moms and those who serve them in Jesus’ name. Praise for so much work accomplished in 6 hours of cleaning, painting, staining, laying floor tiles, etc… Praise that God was glorified in the eyes of those who serve the down trodden in this small town 65 miles outside of shoreline and for the work He did in the hearts of those who participated to glorify Himself and to impress upon them His grace.

Romans 12:1, 3-8
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

I enjoyed worshiping with y’all corporately as a body this past Saturday. Please continue with me in repenting of the sins of omission that we have committed by forgetting those in need and by forgoing fellowship within the body of Christ through serving others.

I sat through Black Sabbath’s classic “Iron Man” tune, watching the film’s techno-credits dazzle until the familiar scroll kicked in. The friends who’d accompanied me and sat through the two-hour rocket of a film stood up from their seats, but then glanced back at me; I shook my head, pointed to the screen, and remained. With a sigh, they sat back down. The payoff was well worth it, whether you were astonished by the teaser scene that followed the movie’s credits or whether you just listened for the sound of comic fan-boys going into seizures throughout the auditorium.

The guy with the Fantastic Four T-shirt behind me stared blankly at the screen and mumbled to his compatriot, “I think I just soiled myself.” An odd but awestruck offering on the altar of Stan Lee. Thankfully, I’m pretty sure he was joking. However, this thrill ride of a flick, propelled by tight, slick direction by Jon Favreau and fueled almost entirely on Robert Downey Jr.’s charisma, has an amazing test flight that sets a high bar for the summer movies to follow.

Although he’s been around the comics world since 1963, most people don’t know Iron Man like they do Spidey or the Hulk. Although some locations and situations are updated, the story basically remains the same. Billionaire Tony Stark (Downey Jr.) has everything; not only is he CEO of Stark Industries, which produces advance weapon systems for the U.S. military, he is a hedonist who seems to live in the moment. A fast talking, hard drinking ladies man, he is also a genius who has invented many of the high-tech items for the company. Demonstrating a new weapon for the United States Air Force in Afghanistan, his convoy is attacked by terrorists, and Stark is grievously wounded. His heart is irreparably damaged. Held hostage in a cave, terrorists force Tony to reproduce the new missile he was demonstrating. With life on the line, and a life-changing attack of conscience, Stark builds a powerful suit of armor and vows to amend his ways, using his genius and fortune to protect others. With the help of his personal assistant Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), Air Force Lieut. Colonel Jim Rhodes (Terrence Howard), and his computer assistant program Jarvis, Tony vows to protect the world as Iron Man. He must also contend with his shocked business partner, Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges).

Although the superhero billionaire with lots of tech toys sounds suspiciously like Batman, the film is tonally closer to Spider-man, humor and slapstick mixed with the mechanized bombast of Michael Bay’s Transformers and an undeniable 80s sensibility as the movie starts with ACDC’s “Back in Black” and Downey Jr.’s fast-talking (which never stops, whether he’s trying to get the military to loosen up, get a reporter into bed, or get his computer to stop advising him against being impulsive). The movie barely lets you take a breath, sandwiching some serious commentary on war profiteering between repulsor blasts, amazing sets and special effects, fantastic dialogue, and sight gags. Iron Man is not the foundationally tragic, tormented hero like Bruce Wayne, but rather a spoiled, middle-aged hedonist who has realized much later in life than Peter Parker did that “with great power comes great responsibility”. This allows a more natural use of humor and fun to accompany his narrative journey. Using his fortune and abilities to right his wrongs, however, he DOES become obsessed by his mission, with a fervor to atone for wasted time and actions that have hurt others. In one scene with Pepper Potts, Stark’s passion and conviction stop the humor short; the film demands from Downey Jr. the ability to shift Stark from silly or sarcastic to sober and serious, and he surprisingly succeeds with the nimbleness one expects is required to maneuver in that Iron Man suit.

Iron Man employs some classic imagery and narrative devices that make the audience soar with him, some of them bordering on the biblical. These include the classic themes of conviction and repentance, a transformed heart, and a nearly godlike armor that helps our protagonist achieve his goals. In the film, Tony is a promiscuous jerk and an arms dealer, with no regard for how his actions affect others, or the trail of emotional or practical turbulence he leaves in his wake. After his crisis, he begins to see Pepper Potts as the beautiful helpmate she truly is to him and his affection for her grows. His confession and repentance to the press about his company’s lack of conscience, as he sits on the stage and absentmindedly pulls out a cheeseburger, is played for laughs but bears a beautiful honesty without being preachy. It’s a subtle message woven into a vibrant physical story of metal and conflict that is actually transmitting a quiet, spiritual message of redemption. This even plays its way into the visual of Tony’s repaired heart, which literally glows with new light:

“I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. But as for those whose heart goes after their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their deeds upon their own heads, declares the Lord God.” - Ezekiel 11

Tony Stark’s heart is cold and hard, and it takes this life-changing event to rip it out and give him a new heart that can walk in the light. His “heart change” is marked by the comic-book sized visual that remains central throughout the rest of the film. He’s like the Grinch whose heart grew three sizes that day… with copper wire and an ARC reactor. Moreover, as the reborn Tony Stark heads into combat against his enemies, he dons a suit of armor (which runs on the seemingly boundless energy he has been given by his new heart), a 21st century Spartan headed out to hold the line against the hordes of evil.

“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.” - Ephesians 6

There is a “bootstrap mentality” in the film which fails to capture the grand narrative of our lives. Stark’s reclamation, from the practical creation of his new heart to the armor he sports, is based almost entirely on his own intellect and resources. He is convicted of his sins and sets out to save himself… as if that were possible. There is a moment early in the film where a character sacrifices monumentally for Tony. There is another moment where a caring character in Tony’s life disobeys his instruction and does something that conflicts with his “disposable lifestyle”. This simple act of affection later ends up saving his life quite literally, and there is a sense throughout the film that he needs his friends, but the film still generally embraces the idea that we can fix our own brokenness and achieve atonement by our own devices. Like physicians, we heal ourselves, and perhaps “get by with a little help from our friends”. That might work on Oprah, or in a Beatles song, but I don’t believe that this fails to encapsulate the full story of our lives. In fact, the visual in this film - that there is one armored avenger swooping down from the sky to save us - almost paints a picture that we need a savior, but the imagery is muddled and admittedly intended to “wow”, not to proselytize.

Still, while the story is flawed here in relation to mankind’s overarching metanarrative, it IS speaking to a lesser theme with great truth. From Scrooge to modern America, there is truth to the fact that we have been blessed with abundance and use if selfishly, unwisely, and even hurt others to maintain and advance. Tony Stark was born into Daddy’s wealth and gifted with a seeming natural aptitude for science and invention. These were not things he earned; they were gifts from his earthly father and his Creator. What have we done with the common grace that has been showered on us? We are too often hoarders or hedonists in Americana. I may not have Tony Stark’s wealth, but compared to the larger population of the world my middle class lifestyle is the spoils of a king. From my neighborhood to my country, am I seeking to make a difference with what I’ve been given? Am I missional in my mindset? Am I guarding my heart, putting on the proper armor, and engaging in a righteous crusade that expresses my love for God and my love for my neighbor?

This is not the movie I expected from Jon Favreau, director of “Swingers”. Christopher Nolan set the bar HIGH with Batman Begins, demonstrating that just because the source material is a comic book doesn’t mean you have to make a good comic book film; you can just make a good FILM. It’s true that Downey Jr. is the heart of the piece (no pun intended) and the the film, rises, falls, heats up or chills based on his performance (pun intended) but Paltrow, Howard and Bridges all orbit and add gravity to the piece; it’s obvious several of them will have larger roles in future installments and there are several nice nods to fans who know some of the coming story arc. Still, the film is NOT so insider in its language, nuance or style that a newcomer will feel as if he’s missing something. I suspect many will cough up the money to see this film in-theater more than once. Favreau has given us the kind of high flying summer blockbuster that is now going to make Prince Caspian, Hellboy, The Hulk, Indiana Jones, and even The Dark Knight work hard for their money.

Hopefully a few of the upcoming comic book movies stink, otherwise - if these fanboys keep soiling themselves - the theaters will reek of geek awe.

Important and Timely Items:

Dedicate your new kid this coming Sunday at the Mars Hill Downtown campus. Mars Hill does not baptize infants (see the ‘Becoming A Member’ section of the Call To Mission) but we do like to dedicate newborns to the Lord and covenant with parents to shepherd children in a relationship with Christ. If you are interested in participating at this week’s Mother’s Day service baby dedications please email downtown@marshillchurch.org

On a similar note we will be baptizing believers on Sunday May 25th at both the morning and evening services. More info will be forthcoming, but if you are a new believer or have never been baptized please get in touch with us at downtown@marshillchurch.org

A baptism of sorts will occur at the Mars Hill Men’s Advance as Mars Hill’s men are fully immersed into a weekend of teaching about Jesus, His glory and the ever-pressing need to kill our sin. The weekend has been titled “Jesus, Author and Perfecter” and will feature teaching by Pastors Mark Driscoll, Bill Clem, Scott Thomas and Tim Smith. Apparently this is going to be the last all-campus men’s advance, so don’t dilly dally and register now (space is limited)!

Important but not as urgent news:

Whether you are a long time member, new visitor or considering membership you need to get up to speed on the Mission of Mars Hill. The Call to Mission web page is a useful if not mandatory read for anyone wanting to understand the specifics of our mission to bring the Gospel to Seattle and beyond. Do you know what our specific mission statement is? Why does Mars Hill seek to ‘know culture’? And just where is this ‘city within the city’ that we are building? Find all the answers at The Call to Mission.

And speaking of cities and missions, one of your missions should be to join our aptly titled online network ‘The City’. The City is a web based social network for Mars Hill members and visitors that is sort of like Facebook but infinitely better since it actually supplements your community involvement at Mars Hill and keeps you connected with people who might actually fit the real definition of a friend. Plus you cannot ‘poke’ anyone in The City. New users must be invited by current users, so talk to your community group leaders or service leads to get plugged in…or check with the Info Desk in the Commons on Sunday.

Serving Needs at the Downtown Campus

This blogging stuff is fun. If you would like to help with the Downtown blog please email cyberjason2004@gmail.com

The Greeting Squad and the Security Team need help on Sundays. If the words greeting or security speak to your skillset, talents and/or desire to serve please email downtown@marshillchurch.org for more info.

This week (Sunday, May 4) I preached the sermon Covenant: God Pursues as part of the Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe sermon series. This post is intended to help serve those in Mars Hill who are discussing the doctrine in their Community Groups, and also serve anyone else who desires to study the issue further.

What Is a Covenant?

Being God’s people is a repeated theme throughout both Testaments: “I will live among them and walk among them, and I will be their God and they will be my people” (e.g., Lev. 26:12; Jer. 32:38; Ezek. 37:27). The Christian story begins with creation in harmony, unity, and peace; it ends with a restored creation. Between these two bookends is the drama of redemption. The covenants are major dimensions (or acts) of this drama. The goal is to see the work and person of Christ in light of the Old Testament and to highlight aspects that we have possibly overlooked. Christ’s work is intimately related to and fulfills each of the five covenants (with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David) that God initiated in the Old Testament. New dimensions are brought to light when Christ’s covenant is understood in the context of the previous covenants. Covenants are about God’s activity and intention to redeem us, and the covenants tell us about ourselves—our condition, our brokenness, our dignity, our role as images of God, our suffering, and our calling.

God entered into covenantal relationships with his people. There are explicit references of a divine covenant established with Noah (Gen. 6:18), Abraham (Gen. 15:18), Israel (Ex. 24:8), and David (Ps. 89:3). Israel’s prophets anticipated the coming of a “new covenant” (Jer. 31:31), and Christ himself spoke of the last supper in covenantal language (Luke 22:20).

The word for covenant is berith in Hebrew and diatheke in Greek. A covenant is “a bond in blood that is sovereignly administered” (O. Palmer Robertson, The Christ of the Covenants, p. 4). When God enters into a covenantal relationship with humanity, God sovereignly institutes a life-and-death bond. Thus, a covenant is a life and death relationship with God on his terms.

1. A bond—This implies relationship. It commits people to one another, God to God’s people, and people to God. Oaths, promises, and signs accompany the bond or commitment.
2. A bond in blood—There is an ultimacy or intensity in the covenant. By initiating covenants, God never enters into the relationship casually or informally. Covenant relationship signifies the life-and-death intensity of the bond. This intensity is seen in all three types of covenants—human to human (Gen. 21:27, 32; 2 Sam. 3:12, 13), God to human (Abraham—Gen. 15:18; Moses—Ex. 24:8; Deut 5:2; David—2 Chron. 21:7; Ps 89:3; the New Covenant—Jer. 31:31; Ezek. 37:26), human to God (2 Kings 11:17; 2 Kings 23:3; 2 Chron. 29:10). The establishment of a covenant is called “cutting a covenant.” It usually entails the slaughter of an animal. This symbolizes or represents the curse that the covenant-maker calls down upon himself or herself if they should violate the commitment that was made.
3. A bond in blood sovereignly administered—There is a unilateral form of covenantal establishment. There is no bargaining, bartering, or contract negotiations. The sovereign lord of heaven and earth dictates the terms of God’s covenants. It is God’s covenant in that it is conceived, devised, determined, established, confirmed, and dispensed by God himself: “Behold, I am establishing my covenant with you.”

God makes six major covenants in the Bible:

1. Adam and Eve (Gen. 1:26–2:3)
2. Noah and his family (Gen. 9:8–17)
3. Abraham and his descendants (Gen. 12:1–3; 17:1–14; 22:16–18)
4. Moses and the Israelites (Ex. 19:5–6; 3:4–10; 6:7)
5. David and the Kingdom of Israel (2 Sam. 7:8–19)
6. Jesus and the Church (Matt. 26:28; 16:17–19)




The purpose of these covenants was to address the problem of the human race. The claim that God has, in principle, solved that problem with the establishment of his covenants is echoed across the Old Testament. The covenants are the story of God’s uncaused, gracious, and generous love. God is under no obligation to rescue humans and the world from their plight, but chooses to do so and takes the initiative to bring it about.

As the story develops throughout the Old Testament, this covenant love is referred to in various terms, but the main one is hesed. According to Vine’s Expository Dictionary, “The entire history of God’s covenantal relationship with Israel can be summarized in terms of hesed.”

Hesed is God’s loving kindness—the consistent, ever-faithful, relentless, constantly pursuing, lavish, extravagant, unrestrained, one-way love of God. It is often translated as covenant love, loving kindness, mercy, steadfast love, loyal love, devotion, commitment, or reliability. Hesed turns up regularly in the Old Testament, particularly in the Psalms. It is typically translated “love” and sometimes translated as “mercy” (Ps. 23:6). However, hesed has a much narrower definition than the English term “love” conveys. In the Hebrew Scriptures, hesed refers to a sort of love that has been promised and is owed—that is, covenant love—as in Hosea 11:1: “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.” Covenant love is the love God promised to give to his covenant people, and which they in turn were to respond to in kind, loving God with all their hearts, minds, and strength. Hesed does not suggest some kind of generic love of everyone.

Malachi 1:1–5 is a clear presentation of hesed. Malachi opens with the declaration of the word of Yahweh: “I have loved you.” This affirmation of God’s choice of and affection for the nation provides a powerful beginning to the message to be given. On the one hand, it will soften the tone of the messages—they will be delivered in love. On the other hand, it will underscore the nation’s ingratitude.

The people were not immediately convinced of this declaration; to them, because of their state of spiritual rebellion, it sounded good but was not convincing because things had not worked out to their satisfaction. “How have you loved us?” they asked. And the prophet’s response reminded them of their status as the chosen people of God: “Is not Esau Jacob’s brother? . . . Yet I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have hated.” The point that Malachi was making to his audience was that their existence as the people of God was the clearest evidence of the love of God. God chose the Israelites to be his kingdom of priests in the world. He gave them the Scriptures, the temple, the priests, the prophets, the covenants, and the Messiah. And his love for them was an everlasting love—even though they failed him again and again, he still retained his covenant with them.

Not only did God choose Israel (“Jacob”), but he also cared for the Israelites whenever they were in trouble. The simple fact was that Israel was protected throughout the ages. This should have told Malachi’s audience that the love of God was genuine. Not only had God protected Israel from the treatment they received from Edom, he also restored Israel to her land and left the mountains of Edom a wasteland. This was a clear demonstration of God’s love for his people.

For each of these covenants, it is helpful to highlight five special features (see Scott Hahn, A Father Who Keeps His Promises: God’s Covenant Love in Scripture):

1. The covenant mediator (the person God makes the covenant with) and his covenant role (whom the mediator represents).
2. The blessings promised in the covenant.
3. The conditions (or curses) of the covenant.
4. The “sign” by which the covenant will be celebrated and remembered. 
5. The “form” that God’s family takes as a result of the covenant.

What Is the Adamic Covenant?

The covenant with Adam (Gen. 1:26–2:3; Hos. 6:7). The word “covenant” isn’t used, but the story of Adam and Eve is told in covenantal language. Adam is the covenant mediator in his role as husband. God promises blessings—that their union will be fruitful and their offspring will fill the earth and rule over it. God establishes a sign by which the covenant will be remembered and celebrated—the Sabbath, the seventh day of rest. And God imposes one condition that they must keep to fulfill their obligation under the covenant—that they not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God attaches a curse for disobedience—that they will surely die. By this covenant, God’s family assumes the form of the marriage bond between husband and wife. 


What Is the Noahic Covenant?

The covenant with Noah (Gen. 9:8–17). The word “covenant” is used in the case of Noah, as God promises never again to destroy the world by flood. The covenant is made with all humanity, through the mediator, Noah, in his role as the father of his family. The covenant includes blessings to Noah and his family (that they will be fruitful and fill the earth) and conditions that must be obeyed (not to drink the blood of any animals, not to shed human blood). The sign of the covenant is the rainbow in the sky. By this covenant, God’s people assume the form of a domestic household, an extended family.

What Is the Abrahamic Covenant?

The covenant with Abraham (Gen. 12:1–3; 17:1–14; 22:16–18). God swears to give Abraham a great land and to bless his descendants, who will become a great nation. God makes the covenant with the mediator Abraham in his representative role as chieftain. God promises the blessings of land and great nationhood for his descendants, and through them to bless all the nations of the earth. The sign of the covenant is the mark of circumcision. Circumcision is also the condition that Abraham and his descendants must obey in order to keep the covenant. By this covenant, God’s family takes a “tribal” form.

What Is the Mosaic Covenant?


The covenant with Moses (Ex. 3:4–10; 6:7; 19:5–6). By this covenant, made with the mediator Moses in his representative role as the judge and liberator of Israel, God swears to be Israel’s God and Israel swears to worship no other but the Lord God alone. The blessings promised are that they will be God’s precious and chosen people. The conditions of the covenant are that they must keep God’s Law and commandments. The covenant sign is the Passover, which each year commemorates Israel’s birth as a nation. By this covenant, God’s family assumes the form of a “holy nation, a kingdom of priests.”


What Is the Davidic Covenant?

The covenant with David (2 Sam. 7:8–19). God promises to establish the mediator David’s “house” or kingdom forever, through David’s heir, who will also build a temple to God’s name. To David in his role as king, God promises to make David’s son his son and to punish him if he does wrong but never take away his royal throne: “Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever.” Through the blessings of this kingdom God promises to give wisdom to all the nations. The sign of the covenant will be the throne and temple to be built by David’s son, Solomon. By this covenant, God’s family grows to take the form of a royal empire, a national kingdom. 


What Is the New Covenant?

The New Covenant of Jesus (Matt. 16:17–19; 26:28). The sixth and final covenant is made by the mediator Jesus, who by his cross and resurrection assumes the role of royal high priest and fulfills all the promises God made in the previous covenants. The prophets, especially Isaiah and Jeremiah, had taught Israel to hope for a Messiah who would bring “a new covenant,” through which God’s law would be written on men’s and women’s hearts (see Jer. 31:31–34; Heb. 8:8–12). The conditions of the covenant are that men and women believe in Jesus, be baptized, eat and drink his flesh and blood in remembrance at communion, and live by all that he taught. The Lord’s Supper is the sign of the New Covenant. By this covenant, God establishes his family in its final form as a universal (katholicos or “catholic” in Greek) worldwide kingdom, which Jesus calls his Church.

For Further Study

• Clark, R. Scott. “A Brief History of Covenant Theology.” 2001. http://www.wscal.edu/clark/briefhistorycovtheol.php .
• Hahn, Scott. A Father Who Keeps His Promises: God’s Covenant Love in Scripture. Ann Arbor, MI: Servant Publications, 1998.
• Robertson, O. Palmer. The Christ of the Covenants. Phillipsburg, NJ: P & R Publishing, 1981.

Is aborting a pregnancy resulting from rape wrong?

If I’m so utterly sinful I can’t even choose Jesus, what right does he have to judge me?

These are the kinds of questions Pastor Mark receives live via text message during his sermons at Mars Hill Church. Our “SMS Q&A” has become a regular feature at certain services and a phenomenon that’s attracted both local and national attention.

The whole “text your question” idea started during the Religion Saves series—itself a result of the “Ask Anything” campaign. It’s been a huge success on a number of fronts:

• The anonymity allows people to broach certain subjects that are commonly discussed in daily life, but rarely within a church context.
• In addition to using the technology during sermons, we’ve integrated it into many of our conferences—allowing people in multiple locations (including at home, for those watching streamed video online) to participate.
• Q&A via SMS avoids those awkward open mic moments, keeping the questions on topic and focused.
• It’s quick, concise, and cheap.

On a typical Sunday, the text messaging occurs during the 7pm Ballard service—the last of the day. The team that handles the messages receives about fifty questions during the allotted time.

In the future, we’re hoping to include Q&A at more of our services so that anyone watching in the same time zone can pull out their phone and send in a question. For now, you can watch recordings from the SMS Q&A on our YouTube channel, or on our sermon series pages.

Keep those questions coming. All you texters are participating in our worship service in a truly meaningful way. For example, the question about abortion after a rape has generated a lot of attention and some amazing stories have emerged of God’s grace, goodness, and transforming power.

On behalf of Mars Hill Church and the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, thanks for the text.

I’ve been a big fan of the Coen brothers since Raising Arizona and have enjoyed their work from Miller’s Crossing to The Hudsucker Proxy. For some reason, I’d missed The Big Lebowski until last year and finally enjoyed Jeff Bridges amazing performance. (Did anyone notice Jeff’s tip of the hat to Lebowski in his latest film, Iron Man?) Still, I wasn’t immediately enraptured with this film as most were last year. A few other MH Pastors hated it. After contemplation, repeat viewing, and some study, it’s actually quite illuminating to me why this film has struck a chord in both film buff and casual viewer and I’ve come to a profound appreciation for what the film has to offer. Those who haven’t seen it can watch the trailer below:

Watch the trailer

Join us for the film this Friday at 7pm, as we will view it in its entirety and then spend 15/20 minutes unpacking the film’s narrative themes. Groups and individuals are welcome to stay following the film and discuss, debate, and debrief its impact on them and contemporary culture.

As Anton would say, “You stand to win everything. Call it.”

JUST TWO WEEKS LEFT!

2008 Men’s Advance: Jesus | Author and Perfector

• Men of Mars Hill, you have one opportunity a year to advance with your brothers in Christ at an intensive weekend of training and growth. These weekends have produced incredible fruit in the past. Men, DO NOT MISS THIS!
• The advance will occur at Warm Beach Camp on May 16th - 18th. Pastors Mark Driscoll, Bill Clem, Tim Smith and Scott Thomas will be throwing down, as well as your campus pastors. Check out this link for full information and registration.

OTHER NEWS

The City - Mars Hill’s own online community networking site.

• Built by Mars Hill’s pastors and staff to support the community life of Mars Hill’s body. Ask your community group leader, service group lead or stop by any desk on Sunday to get invited. Check out this link to a great story about it.

Spring 2008: The Call to Mission

• This is a very unique time in the life of our church as each member and attender is essentially attending our membership class each Sunday, through Pastor Mark’s preaching. Check out the Call the Mission special website.

News and Announcements

Mother’s Day Baby Dedications

• This Sunday, May 11th. Email shoreline@marshillchurch.org to sign up.

2008 Men’s Advance: Jesus | Author & Perfector

• Men, don’t miss out! This year’s event is May 16-18th at Warm Beach Camp. Pastors Bill Clem, Mark Driscoll, Tim Smith, and Scott Thomas will be speaking. Click this link for more info and registration.

Children’s Ministry Needs Parents to Serve ONCE every SIX weeks

• In order to prevent volunteer burnout, avoid turning kids away on Sundays, and have a maximum effect on children’s lives for Jesus–we’re calling parents at Shoreline to serve ONCE every SIX weeks in the Children’s Ministry. You DON’T need to be a member to serve and we simply need you to support the teachers in the classrooms by keeping an eye on the half pints.
• Email mattg@marshillchurch.org for more info.
• Click here for a CM application. Submit completed app to CM check-in desk (on Sundays) or email to mattg@marshillchurch.org.
  

Upcoming Events

WEDNESDAY, May 7th - Men’s Morning Prayer

• 7am at the Shoreline offices. All men are welcome. Click here for a map and here for last week’s agenda.

**For MORE UPCOMING EVENT INFO visit the Shoreline Events Calendar

Serving Needs

• The PRODUCTION TEAM needs volunteers to run the soundboard, PowerPoint, lighting, or video at all services. Email shoreline@marshillchurch.org to help out.

**See our SERVING NEEDS PAGE for more opportunities.

Mars Hill Church Shoreline lives for Jesus as a city within the city of Seattle: knowing culture, loving people, and seeing lives transformed to live for Jesus. For more information, visit us HERE. For information on community groups go HERE. For information on other ministries go HERE. For general questions, you may email us at shoreline@marshillchurch.org.

This is a great opportunity to get physical and spiritual exercise together as well as get top quality MMA (mixed martial arts) training. This is going to be challenging and fun without bad attitudes or intimidation. Coach Joe is opening up Eastside MMA just for us so our classes will be private. It is also a missional outpost so invite some of your friends who are interested in MMA to join us who might not otherwise get involved in our church or the sport of MMA. I’m excited by the overwhelming response of men who are choosing to get more physically and spiritually fit. We have 72 men initially wanting to train together.

Team Eastside will have classes available on Saturday mornings at 8:30 - 10:00 AM & Thursday mornings at 7:00-8:30 AM. Classes will be limited to 20 and must have a minimum of 8 participants for class to be held. Email coach Joe at (eastsidemma@mac.com) to reserve your spot.

Choose the class that best fits your schedule.

Training sessions will start with the word & prayer for 20-30 minutes and end with an hour of training. Training for Mars Hill MMA Club will take place on the following days in May:

• Thursday May 8th & 22nd. 9-10:30am
• Saturday May 10th & 24th 8:30-10:00am

As with anything worth your time and effort there is a cost. Coach Joe and Eastside MMA has made this very affordable considering they are opening up the club during off hours just for us. $68.11 includes your enrollment fee, boxing gloves, hand wraps and first class fee ($15) and tax. There is a $15 drop in fee per class thereafter.

Email Coach Joe at (eastsidemma@mac.com) to reserve your spot. We will be creating a Mars Hill Eastside MMA Club group on The City to coordinate training days and to give you the opportunity to reserve your spot so it is critical you email Coach Joe now to reserve your spot, get in on The City group and stay informed. Many of you gave so many options for time it was hard to pick a time that suits everyone. Coach Joe is available for earlier training times like 6 or 7 AM on different days so we can look at options.

There are no shower facilities at Eastside MMA and I’m sure you will need a shower after a hard workout. Please send me suggestions for different times. Coach Joe and I are excited to work with all of you and provide you a great experience. Ill see you on the mats!

Pastor Jesse

THE TOP 3:

What You Need to Know This Week

• Annual Men’s Advance: Jesus | Author and Perfecter: At Mars Hill, we don’t Retreat, we Advance! Advance the Gospel, Advance the Mission of Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith (Heb 12:1-3) . This year, the advance will once again occur at Warm Beach Camp on May 16th - 18th. Pastors Mark Driscoll, Bill Clem, Tim Smith, Scott Thomas and the campus pastors will be preaching and teaching. Spots are limited so check out this link to register (or for more information). (Space is limited and this will be the final all-campus Advance, so register today!)

  

• The City has arrived in West Seattle! The City is a new way for Mars Hillers to network with each other in a way that reflects real life instead of replacing it like other social networking sites. New users must be invited by current users, so talk to your community group leaders or service leads to get plugged in…or check with the Info Desk in the Commons on Sunday. For more information about The City, read Nate Ellis’ recent blog or check out the Codex blog from the IT ministry.

  

• Have You Heard The Call? Are you curious about the “mission” of Mars Hill? Do you want to become a member of Mars Hill and aren’t sure what the process involves? The Call to Mission website will help answer these questions. Mars Hill has undergone a massive reorganization over the last year and has revamped the membership process (now using The City–mentioned above–and the current sermon series called Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe–see below). We are praying that this will result in a new and committed membership community of growing disciples on mission with Jesus in Seattle. You can follow this link for more information.

  

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

What’s going on in West Seattle?

• Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe is the current sermon series that started March 30 and will continue as part of the new membership “class” at Mars Hill. The series will conclude with an opportunity for all who attend to join Mars Hill as part of the body of Christ in Seattle. Check out the Doctrine series website for more information.

  

• Spring Midweek Classes are in progress. Check here for more information or register here (the “New Life in Christ” class will begin May 7th). Most classes will go through May 28th.
• Pssst! It’s Spring! You can go outside now.
  Mars Hill Outdoors has some great Spring activities planned for this week. If you are interested in finding an excuse to get outdoors, or looking for a great opportunity to meet new people and fellowship in the beauty of Our Lord’s Creation, check out the May calendar at marshilloutdoors.org

  
  (Photo Courtesy of Daniela Geleva)

• MONDAY MORNING MEN: The men of Mars Hill are invited and encouraged to gather Monday mornings at 7:00am to pray for our church, leadership, and community. For more information, e-mail westseattle@marshillchurch.org or just show up to the church’s side entrance on Ida St.

  

• For additional upcoming events please check out our calendar.

SERVING:

Where can I get plugged in?

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
(Colossians 3:23-24 ESV)

• Smile in The Spirit:
  THE WELCOME TEAM is looking for smiles, and the people who use them. If you are interested in helping with greeting the guests who come to the West Seattle campus to meet Jesus, email westseattle@marshillchurch.org today.
• Play without ceasing:
  The THE YOUTH MINISTRY TEAM is looking for leaders who are passionate for Jesus and the youth of West Seattle. Please email westseattleyouth@marshillchurch.org if interested.
• By their orange vests you shall know them:
  THE PARKING TEAM is looking for volunteers to help with the new parking lots we have been given to steward. We need people to serve the neighborhood and the body by helping to park cars in the lot and not in front of the neighborhood houses. E-mail westseattle@marshillchurch.org to get connected.

  
  Come be part of this team!

• Eat, Pray, Clean…It’s all Worship:
  THE BREAKFAST CLUB is a great ministry to begin getting plugged into Mars Hill, or to continue in fellowship and service. We meet at 9am each Saturday for a meal, some time of fellowship, prayer and looking into God’s Word and our own hearts, and then team up to prepare the building for Sunday services. We also reach out into the community to check in with our neighbors and show them Jesus. E-mail ryanm@marshillchurch.org for more info, or just show up on Saturday!

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
(1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV)

Mars Hill Church West Seattle lives for Jesus as a city within the city of Seattle: knowing culture, loving people, and seeing lives transformed to live for Jesus. For more information, visit us HERE. For information on community groups and other ministries go HERE. For general questions, you may email us at westseattle@marshillchurch.org.

This week I’ve covered the need for church leadership structures, some of the biblical principles that should guide any such structure, how we apply those principles at MHC specifically, and our multi-site approach.

However your church decides to architect itself practically, it is important that a few key things are not overlooked:

1. Conviction and principle must drive your leadership structure (as opposed to methods, tradition, legalism, etc). Structures must be flexible because they will need to change and adapt as the church grows and changes.
2. Build health and accountability systems. Proper care and oversight must be present for every level of leadership. Make sure everyone is connected to a ministry team and not isolated.
3. The church is a family, not a business. It needs to operate efficiently and effectively, but at its core it needs to be about Jesus and peoples lives being transformed.
4. Policy is important and necessary, but remember: it’s manmade.
5. When looking for leaders, assess and evaluate their character, competency, and calling. Compromise in any of these three areas will only create future difficulty.
6. Over-communicate and teach regarding the church’s mission and vision. People need to hear how they connect to the bigger picture of what the church is about and what the church is doing.
7. Follow Jesus and submit to the Bible (Proverbs 3:1–12).

• Belltowner Blog - New Mars Hill Church embraced by Belltown
• Seattle PI - Mars Hill Church opens in ex-Tabella nightclub
• Puget Sound Business Journal - Talking with Tim Gaydos
• Seattle Times - Troubled Belltown nightspo