goodbye, Mars Hill
It is the end of an era. As of December 31, 2014, Mars Hill, the organization, will no longer exist.
But Mars Hill, the people, will live on-- in a body of believers who have had their circumstances shaken and their plans changed.
God had something better for this group of people. Through a lot of suffering, tears, and questions. Through discipline that was timely and God-ordained. Through persecution that was unsolicited and frustrating.
In a nutshell, almost exactly one year ago, our church was celebrating. We were ecstatic over new campuses launching, new sermon series starting, and lives continually being changed by Jesus. All very good things. There was a lot of excitement and joy, but there was a lot of pride and sin. From the bottom to the top, purging needed to happen. Week by week (almost comically), more criticism would come out against Mars Hill, nationally and locally. As the climax was building, our church was blindsided by allegations made and we were left hurt and confused. Wondering who we could trust, where to go from here, and what to do. We gathered as a church body and prayed. We discussed and shared our hearts, so we could encourage each other through the Bible and more prayer. Always more prayer. As the end was in sight, Mars Hill as an organization made the decision to dissolve and let each campus choose to continue as its own church.
God has been immensely gracious during this time. He allowed our local church to continue and replant under strong, Godly leadership. He allowed us to keep our building, something that, at this point we were not holding tightly to. And now, Resurrection Church will begin. A new church, but the same Church, with the same Senior Pastor, Jesus.
In just one year, He has brought us through so much.
Here are a few things I have learned.
1) The Lord disciplines those He loves. (Hebrews 12:5-11)
I admit that I haven't always recognized God's discipline in my life. It was something I would think through but couldn't specifically pinpoint. This year, in more than just church issues, I have seen God tenderly and lovingly take me through some hard things. The Holy Spirit convicting of sin, stirring my hearts in situations, chastising me in times when I chose self over God, sin over His desires for me, fear over faith. He did this to grow me. To make me more like Jesus. To more clearly reflect the image of God that I was made in. There is so much more discipline to take place, but I know it comes from a loving, gracious, and merciful Father. He truly disciplines those He loves, whether we recognize it as that or not. "...but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness." (Heb 12:10)
2) Church discipline is a hard but beautiful thing to watch.
I feel very privileged to have seen now, for the second time in my life, church discipline (Matthew 18) in practice. I say privileged because it takes a lot of guts for church leaders to call out sin when it would be way easier to overlook it! To study the Scriptures and seek God's wisdom in the situation, not just what their natural response would be. God is holy and He wants us to be holy. So much that He sent Jesus to die for our sins. I learn so much watching church leaders walk through a personally painful time with a steadfast desire to see God glorified, even above their own comfort and desires.
3) Reconciliation.
One of my favorite passages in the Bible is 2 Corinthians 5. In verse 18 (through 21), it reads, "All this {the new birth} is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."
God's heart is for reconciliation. Reconciliation is a two-way street. It takes two people to be reconciled to one another. Out of all of this that has taken place in our local church, I have seen reconciliation happen. I have seen God stir the hearts of his people to live out "the ministry of reconciliation" that he has entrusted to us. Basically, we love because God loves us. We forgive-- because God has forgiven us much! We can extend grace when hurtful words are spoken, when criticisms are made, when things are unfair-- because Christ endured so much, "When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed." (1 Peter 2:23-24) He dies so that we might live to righteousness! This is what it means to look like Jesus in this world; this is what sets us apart from "good" and "nice" people. Christ. It is his work in us that bears fruit and allows us to look to the reward of Christ, rather than our present circumstances.
In conclusion, through this challenging and painful time, God has yet again proven himself faithful. Not just because the story ends well; but because it is just beginning! Jesus will continue to change lives; He will keep drawing people to himself and showing who he is and reminding us that is all that matters.
But Mars Hill, the people, will live on-- in a body of believers who have had their circumstances shaken and their plans changed.
God had something better for this group of people. Through a lot of suffering, tears, and questions. Through discipline that was timely and God-ordained. Through persecution that was unsolicited and frustrating.
"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit." John 12:24
In a nutshell, almost exactly one year ago, our church was celebrating. We were ecstatic over new campuses launching, new sermon series starting, and lives continually being changed by Jesus. All very good things. There was a lot of excitement and joy, but there was a lot of pride and sin. From the bottom to the top, purging needed to happen. Week by week (almost comically), more criticism would come out against Mars Hill, nationally and locally. As the climax was building, our church was blindsided by allegations made and we were left hurt and confused. Wondering who we could trust, where to go from here, and what to do. We gathered as a church body and prayed. We discussed and shared our hearts, so we could encourage each other through the Bible and more prayer. Always more prayer. As the end was in sight, Mars Hill as an organization made the decision to dissolve and let each campus choose to continue as its own church.
God has been immensely gracious during this time. He allowed our local church to continue and replant under strong, Godly leadership. He allowed us to keep our building, something that, at this point we were not holding tightly to. And now, Resurrection Church will begin. A new church, but the same Church, with the same Senior Pastor, Jesus.
In just one year, He has brought us through so much.
Here are a few things I have learned.
1) The Lord disciplines those He loves. (Hebrews 12:5-11)
I admit that I haven't always recognized God's discipline in my life. It was something I would think through but couldn't specifically pinpoint. This year, in more than just church issues, I have seen God tenderly and lovingly take me through some hard things. The Holy Spirit convicting of sin, stirring my hearts in situations, chastising me in times when I chose self over God, sin over His desires for me, fear over faith. He did this to grow me. To make me more like Jesus. To more clearly reflect the image of God that I was made in. There is so much more discipline to take place, but I know it comes from a loving, gracious, and merciful Father. He truly disciplines those He loves, whether we recognize it as that or not. "...but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness." (Heb 12:10)
2) Church discipline is a hard but beautiful thing to watch.
I feel very privileged to have seen now, for the second time in my life, church discipline (Matthew 18) in practice. I say privileged because it takes a lot of guts for church leaders to call out sin when it would be way easier to overlook it! To study the Scriptures and seek God's wisdom in the situation, not just what their natural response would be. God is holy and He wants us to be holy. So much that He sent Jesus to die for our sins. I learn so much watching church leaders walk through a personally painful time with a steadfast desire to see God glorified, even above their own comfort and desires.
3) Reconciliation.
One of my favorite passages in the Bible is 2 Corinthians 5. In verse 18 (through 21), it reads, "All this {the new birth} is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."
God's heart is for reconciliation. Reconciliation is a two-way street. It takes two people to be reconciled to one another. Out of all of this that has taken place in our local church, I have seen reconciliation happen. I have seen God stir the hearts of his people to live out "the ministry of reconciliation" that he has entrusted to us. Basically, we love because God loves us. We forgive-- because God has forgiven us much! We can extend grace when hurtful words are spoken, when criticisms are made, when things are unfair-- because Christ endured so much, "When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed." (1 Peter 2:23-24) He dies so that we might live to righteousness! This is what it means to look like Jesus in this world; this is what sets us apart from "good" and "nice" people. Christ. It is his work in us that bears fruit and allows us to look to the reward of Christ, rather than our present circumstances.
In conclusion, through this challenging and painful time, God has yet again proven himself faithful. Not just because the story ends well; but because it is just beginning! Jesus will continue to change lives; He will keep drawing people to himself and showing who he is and reminding us that is all that matters.
"And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together." (Colossians 1:17)
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