Adam Sinnett is the new Campus Pastor for Mars Hill Church | West Seattle Campus. He and his wife, Jen, have attended Mars Hill since 2000, and have a six-month old baby boy, Carter.

Role at Mars Hill
Campus Pastor of MHC | West Seattle, which means I oversee everything we do as a church in this beautiful corner of the city.

Wife’s name
You can call her “Jen”, though I have permission to be more creative.

When did you become a Christian
I grew up Catholic understanding what it meant to be a “good” person and having a fairly deep cognitive understanding of who Jesus was, yet that knowledge never penetrated my heart. I lived a moral life while running from God, attempting to live apart from my Creator and Sustainer who put the very breath in my lungs. I built a personal kingdom on awards, recognition, sports, relationships, leadership positions and personal pursuits – ultimately finding my value therein. In comparing myself to others around me I felt as though I was doing pretty good, not perfect but better than most, and imagined this would give me preference with God – cuts in line, so to speak.

On the outside I was a “good” guy, yet full of self-righteousness, pride and rebellion against God seeking to establish my own kingdom (i.e. live however I wanted) instead of submitting to his. I later learned I was self-deceived, thinking that I knew all that I needed to know, not realizing that knowledge is only a part of the equation. I was challenged in this upon arriving at the University of Washington by a friend who explained to me through Scripture that God doesn’t grade on a curve – God requires perfection (Mt 5:48). I still remember it, “What the &*(^! Perfection?” I spurted. It struck me that the common phrase, “Nobody is perfect,” was actually admitting and excusing what separates us (i.e. sin, thus imperfection) from God at the same time. Conviction set in.

Over the ensuing week or so, I began to come to a deeper realization that I was a sinner. Not a sinner in the typical pop-cultural “everyone is a sinner” sense, but in a much deeper profound heart-wrenching sense. I would read Jesus saying things like, ” For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Mark 7:21-23) If you really think about that it should cause the hair on the back of your neck to rise. It means that who we are comes from inside of us and I am unable to change that because of where the source is located. What I do is intricately connected to who I am. There’s no such thing as committing an autonomous disconnected sin. This conviction of sin, deep rebellious sin, even though I was a perfectly good guy by worldly understanding, moved me to seek forgiveness, reconciliation and redemption by Jesus Christ. That was over ten years ago and nothing has been the same since. Though I do still sin (read: understatement) Jesus is transforming who I am from the inside out.

First set foot in MH
Several buddies of mine in college were involved in the early days. I think the first time I set foot in Mars Hill was in the Laurelhurst building in 1998. I visited again when the church met downtown in First Pres but I didn’t really stick around (due to a lack of transportation and a suspicion of what they called “worship music”) until the church moved into the Paradox on University Avenue in the U-District.

Became an elder
December 2006.

How did you end up in West Seattle
Jesus. About this time last year I made the dangerous move to pray while sitting alone in the West Seattle sanctuary still under construction. I prayed, “Lord, I pray that you would allow me the opportunity to lead a people such as this, on mission with Jesus, in Seattle.” Little did I know, seven months later, I would be asked to prayerfully consider taking over the leadership of the West Seattle campus. At that point, the decision was clear though admittedly not easy.

Scripture
“I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” Acts 20:24

Quotation
“Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak. We are halfhearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”-C.S. Lewis

Last book read…and what are you working on now
Last: Visioneering, Andy Stanley
Now: Ministries of Mercy, Tim Keller

Last movie watched
The Queen…my wife really wanted to see it. Seriously.

Music
Techno/Electronic. Shout out to c89.5fm!

Favorite Seattle-area eatery
Cactus. I recommend the Ten Dollar Nachos – perhaps the best nachos in the city.

“On the depth of the riches and the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord or who has been his counselor? Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen” Romans 11:33-36