This last week the Elders at West Seattle decided to kill Wednesday Men’s Morning Prayer so that it can expand and live by moving into the mission front of community.

For decades several faithful ladies, known as the Golden Girls, prayed weekly through the West Seattle phone book for the expansion of the Gospel and for a church like Mars Hill to thrive in West Seattle.

Four years ago four men gathered in West Seattle weekly to walk the neighborhoods and pray for the families,  the mission to love the city, the expansion of the Gospel and that God would provide a Mars Hill West Seattle Campus to help love the people in this city.  This group has faithfully met weekly since it started and has matured into the Wednesday Morning Men’s Prayer Group.  Men have come from all over the South Puget Sound Region as far South as Federal Way to pray.

Today we now have a thriving campus that is loving the city and a campus plant that is about to start up in Federal Way.

Recently multiple groups of men in community groups started to meet weekly at various times and locations throughout the city to pray for each other, their specific neighborhoods and the expansion of the Gospel where God has called them to live.  Each of these groups have experienced rapid growth both in participation as well as their ability to love on the City through specific acts of service.

This last Wednesday the decision was made to shut down Wednesday Men’s Morning Prayer with the vision to redeploy all the men into their community groups and local neighborhoods.   All the men will be taking what they have learned and starting up their own prayer times with men from their community groups.  They will continue to pray for the same things but with a greater focus to be with those they live near and are on mission with in their neighborhood.

To get plugged into a Mars Hill West Seattle Community group email westseattlecommunity@marshillchurch.org

We have asked all our community groups to find ways to show the love of Jesus in their community, but who would think that would lead one group to discovering a gun.

Jason, a community group leader for less than three months, lives in the Rainier district. He has a love for the people in his neighborhood and deeply desires to care for them. This community is mired in gang violence and marred with graffiti. He knows that Jesus has removed the stench from his past and he desires to symbolically do the same in his neighborhood by physically cleaning it up.

He is building a community group dedicated to cleaning graffiti and the neighborhood they live in. Last week they took MicroMission funds and funded a cleanup of four traffic circles. He chose this project because he was involving women and children on this project. (Jason believes that when they clean up graffiti there are some risks, so he plans to do that just with the men.) Little did he know that this was not quite as safe as he thought.

They set out removing trash, weeds, and anything that distorted the beauty of the area. They clothed the newly cleaned ground with fresh bark that they paid for. As they were cleaning up one of the traffic circles, one of the members found a gun hidden in the bushes. One does have to wonder what that gun was used for if it was disposed of. Coincidentally, there was a gun fight in the area just days before. It is a blessing that it was discovered by Jason’s team before a child found it.

As they removed the last of the garbage and carefully placed the last of the bark, they gazed upon how much the area was transformed. As Jesus is in the business restoring each of us despite our brokenness, Jason’s group reflects this truth by cleaning up their neighborhood. Afterward, they celebrated with several other teams in the park enjoying Vietnamese sandwiches–pondering what the next project would be like.

In the following days, the city sent them a letter thanking them and giving them an award “The Best Road Rage Killer” for their hard and persistent work.

There are likely thousands of opportunities like this to show the love of Jesus in our neighborhoods. How could we learn from Jason’s example to allow God to use us in such restorative way?

I am writing this shortly after receiving a call from my brother, letting me know that my Grandmother just passed away in her senior living home.

I share this because I am writing a story about another senior living home. There is a Mars Hill community group in High Point sharing the love of Jesus at the Providence Elizabeth House. They have adopted this multicultural low income housing for seniors by expanding their community to include those living there. The members of the community group have committed to spend time with the people in the house, which is next to where most of them live and where they meet as a community group. Part of their plan is to have a monthly game night at the facility. The other part of the plan is to be intentional on finding other ways to share, live together with, and love the people in the facility.

For example, last week they attended a birthday party hosted by Elizabeth House, celebrating all the birthdays for that month. One Mars Hill member, Katie, shared a story of meeting a woman named Paulitta, spending the evening with her and having a conversation with her in French. “I love how the Lord works,” Katie, said, “using our experiences and interests to connect us to the lost. I look forward to getting to know Paulitta better and praying for wisdom to share Christ, the True Creator, with her.”

Ryan played Uno with a gentlemen from Vietnam and another woman. The woman just could not believe that this community of believers would even spend the time with them. Ryan just looked at it as a blessing to share life with people that were different, yet who still have so much to offer, because he sees them as image bearers of God.

As I share this story in the midst of processing the loss of my grandmother, I am so thankful that the seniors living at the Elizabeth House are being loved by the members of Mars Hill.

“And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But God’s wrath has come upon them at last.”

We talked about the power of the Word of God, and about how the apostles gave thanks for the transforming power of the proclaimed gospel. In addition, the Thessalonians received in faith the preached Word of God, and the truth of God was at work in them first for salvation then for sanctification. The Thessalonians imitated the apostles preaching the Gospel despite real persecution.

Application Questions:

• Are you giving thanks for those you are ministering to?

• How would you articulate the Gospel to a young believer? To a person who is lacking faith? To a non-believer? To an angry believer?
• How is the truth of the Gospel changing how you live your life?
• How could the Gospel help you in the trials you are dealing with?
• What are others imitating in you?

Prayers this week:

• Pray for the Trial series that many non-believers would come to know Jesus both at the campuses and on-line.

• Pray for the campaign to raise campus pastors and church planters that 900 faithful and called men would step up. Pray for the church planters that are being assessed this week.
• Pray that Mars Hill community groups would be so focused on the gospel of Jesus that the groups and their members are praying for evangelistic opportunities to invite non-believers to Mars Hill and into their group.
• Pray for all those who are in financial need that they would find their hope and security in Jesus.
• Pray for those who are worshiping money rather than Jesus. Pray the people would understand the deep riches of the Gospel and would desire to give out of that understanding.
• Pray for the Micro Missions campaign
• Pray for the Elders that they would be unified and walk not in their own efforts but the power of the Holy Spirit.

New Leaders and Community Groups

There is a new breed of leaders emerging that are innovative, authentic, and equipped to start new community groups all over the Southern Puget Sound region. We have commissioned ten new leaders who are starting up groups, and have several more launching groups next month.  West Seattle, The Rainier District, Burien, Des Moines, and Tacoma are some of the areas where these new groups are launching. Each new leader has gone through rigorous training, testing, and approving, and we look forward to the transforming work Jesus will do through these new shepherds.

New Training

We have improved our monthly leadership training process to better equip our leaders, and deepen the community experience. This month, we also have the privilege of having a world class teacher come and help train our leaders. Steve Timmis, author of the book Total Church, and pastor of The Crowded House from London, will be speaking at the Total Church conference coming up this Monday night. He will also be taking some time this Sunday to meet and speak with our leaders at West Seattle.  Steve is a master at linking the gospel, community, and missions together, and we are looking forward to our time with him.  This is one of the many opportunities we are able to provide this year, to fully equip and empower our leaders.

New Standards

Jesus takes caring for his sheep seriously, and we will be faithful to that calling.  Therefore all new leaders go through a rigorous training process to meet the Biblical qualifications for leaders.  What we are finding is that our new leaders are encouraged by these higher standards, because they feel far better prepared to lead, and they see Mars Hill’s commitment to healthy leaders, and the people they shepherd.

New Equipping of the Saints

We are now wrapping up the second round of community groups walking through the Biblical community class. By the end of Spring, all community groups will have gone though this training. This class equips the saints on what the Bible says about community, and how we can build community to reflect this.  It has completely transformed much of our groups’ vision and passion for Biblical community.  For example, one person who had felt trapped in fear and anxiety, felt for the first time, freedom to share who they were with those around.

Get Connected

It is truly an evidence of God’s grace to see lives transformed in and through community! If you are not part of a group and would like to join one, stop by the Community kiosk on Sundays, email westseattlecommunity@marshillchurch.org, or register on The City to find a community group that’s a good fit.

This week the men from West Seattle gathered to pray. We opened by talking about the conversations we had with nonbelievers this week. We then turned our attention to Psalm 73:21-28 (below):

“21) When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, 22) I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you. 23) Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. 24) You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. 25) Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. 26) My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. 27) For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you. 28) But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.”

We then talked about the pains of sin how ultimately it is against God and grieves God. There is pain for us as we suffer separation from God and discipline (For those who are believers). We talked about how in the Hebrew Sin is like having a kidney stone which can bring a man to his knees. At the same time we have a God who holds our hand to help us walk through this.

Ultimately we do all of this because we want God to be glorified and we want to participate leading to joy in our hearts. We are made to treasure God above all things and that is when real changes takes place.

We then broke into smaller groups and spent a consider amount of time confessing our sins to each other before praying for the Church and the ministry of the Church.

Questions:

• What sin are you allowing to fester in you inner being?
• Do you see your sin as something that is against God?
• Do care about how you grieve God with your sin?
• How could you ask Jesus for help to walk through a particular sin?
• How can you treasure God and his eternal glory in such a way that you run from your sin?

Prayers this week:

• Continue to pray for a spirit of humility and unity among the leadership and staff at Mars Hill
• Pray for a spirit of unity in the Church and that people would respond to the Mission of our church out of an identity in Jesus. Pray that the believers at Mars Hill would take tangible steps to mature in faith and bear fruit (2 Peter 1: 5-9).
• Continue to pray for the 1 Peter Series.
• Pray for those who are suffering that they will lean into the promises of Jesus and find strength and joy.
• Pray for the Tuesday Redemption Night and the Wednesday evening “Equip” classes. Pray that people will grow through the process and remain faithful to attend and do the work.
• Pray against Satan, his tricks, and divisive attempts to hamper the mission of Mars Hill and lead people astray from the truth of the gospel.

On Wednesday, 12 men from West Seattle joined in fellowship and prayer, and contemplation of the scriptures. After sharing a few stories of encouraging encounters with non-believers or new attendees of Mars Hill and the conversations that were had through the opportunities God provided, we turned our focus to begin a new study of 1 Thessalonians.

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace. We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 1:1-3 ESV)

We discussed some personal reflections on the passage, including the Apostle Paul’s consistent focus on praying for the people of the churches he wrote to, so that he not only wrote to them with correction in mind, but also back that up with regular (seemingly unceasing) prayer. Pastor Cliff gave us some additional observations to consider.

OBSERVATIONS:

• It is God who ultimately produces faith, love and hope in us.
• Paul’s heart is constantly on the spiritual health of the believers rather than their happiness.
• Paul is constantly in prayer for the Saints.
• Paul sees the Saint’s through the eyes of God and rejoices in that work (evidences of God’s grace).

We then discussed some questions of application and committed to considering them more during the rest of our week.

QUESTIONS:

• What is our heart towards other believers in our community?
• Do we pray like Paul giving thanks for evidences of God’s grace?
• Are you experiencing faith, love and hope despite different circumstances?

In addition to personal confessions and prayer requests, we set to group prayer with specific items before us.

AS YOU READ THIS, PLEASE JOIN US IN THESE PRAYERS AS ONE BODY OF CHRIST:

• Pray for the Advent season that many non-believers would decide to come to Mars Hill. Pray that many would invite non-believers to the Christmas Eve Service.
• Pray for the Elders that they would be unified and walk not in their own efforts but the power of the Holy Spirit.
• Pray for those who are in need during this Christmas Season especially those who are suffering and those who are alone.
• Pray that each person at Mars Hill will catch take time to reflect on what Christ’s birth means to them this Christmas.
• Pray for the Adopt-a-Family program. Pray that the believers of Mars Hill would show the love of Jesus through the sacrificial giving of their time, talents, and treasure to those that are in need.
• Pray for the strengthening of families this Christmas and for the men that they would lead with faithfulness, love and hope
• Pray for the single people at Mars Hill as the holidays can be a time of struggle. Pray that they would find joy in their circumstances.

We men gather at 6:30am each Wednesday at the West Seattle Campus. Please join us!

Pastor Cliff led us this week, and as we turned our focus to the word of God we looked at Luke 6:43-45 (verse below):

“For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

We discussed how having a heart of humility and grace that is oriented toward God is what Jesus desires. In order to be fruitful it is imperative that our hearts are right before Jesus, which requires us to continually remain in him (a joy, not a burden) due to the deceitfulness of our hearts. Pastor Cliff also read the following verse out of Jeremiah 17:9-10:

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? ‘I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”

Application Questions:

• What is the condition of your heart towards others?
• What outward actions are you doing that do not reflect a heart change?
• What type of fruits are you producing when no one is looking?
• What steps are you willing to take to change your heart?

Prayers this week:

• Pray for the elders, staff, and other leaders of Mars Hill – that God would protect their families during this holiday season.
• Pray for the D.A. Carson conference this Saturday – that many would attend, and that hearts would be open to what God would want to reveal to them.
• Pray for the Adopt-a-Family program this Christmas. Pray that the believers of Mars Hill would show the love of Jesus through the sacrificial giving of their time, talents, and treasure to those that are in need.
• Pray for the community groups – that each member and group as a whole would become far more missional. Pray for the new community groups and leaders that will be starting this next year.
• Pray for those that are single at Mars Hill during the holidays. Pray that they would be surrounded by loving family and friends, and that they would find joy and give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
• Pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to use the Song of Solomon series in the lives of those at Mars Hill long after its completion. Pray that all believers will seek to pursue their primary identity in Christ, that marriages will be strengthened, that fathers and mothers will raise their children to the glory of God, and that those yet to be married will pursue relationships that are honoring to Jesus.
• Pray that the men of Mars Hill would lead well and cover their families.
• Pray against Satan, his tricks, and divisive attempts to hamper the mission of Mars Hill and lead people astray from the truth of the gospel.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

We then discussed how Jesus leads and guards his people as a good shepherd guards his flock. Jesus also refers to the mission of reaching the rest of his flock that have yet to be brought to faith in him (verse 16). As believers, we have the privilege of being used by Jesus to bring the gospel to the ends of the earth and watch those that have yet to enter into relationship with Jesus come to him in faith.

Prayers this week:

• Pray for the upcoming Thanksgiving eve service – that many would come, hear the gospel of Jesus Christ, and realize that we should be most thankful for the grace that God the Father has poured out on us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
• Pray for the Adopt-a-Family program. Pray that the believers of Mars Hill would show the love of Jesus through the sacrificial giving of their time, talents, and treasure to those that are in need.
• Continue to pray for the Song of Solomon series. Pray that all believers will seek to pursue their primary identity in Christ, that marriages will be strengthened, and that those yet to be married will pursue relationships that are honoring to Jesus.
• Pray that the men of Mars Hill would lead well and cover their families.
• Pray for the final Apprentice training of potential community group leaders this Sunday.
• Pray against Satan, his tricks, and divisive attempts to hamper the mission of Mars Hill and lead people astray from the truth of the gospel.

Early on a rainy and very windy Wednesday morning, men from the West Seattle Campus gathered to offer praise and make requests of Our Lord. Last week, in the wake of an historic election, we paused our study of Colossians to pray for our country and government. This week, we returned to complete our prayerful consideration of this rich epistle, focusing on Colossians 4:7-17:

Tychicus will tell you all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts, and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you of everything that has taken place here. Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions–if he comes to you, welcome him), and Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me. Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis. Luke the beloved physician greets you, as does Demas. Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house. And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea. And say to Archippus, “See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.” I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you. (Colossians 4:7-18 ESV)

Pastor Cliff noted that one aspect we should focus on was living to build a legacy for impacting the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. We noted that these verses mention Mark and Luke, authors of two gospels, as well as Acts. We saw an instruction for Archippus that can easily apply to all of us: “See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.” We may all have ministries in mind for which we have been individually gifted, but that overall, the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-19) is part of our charge from the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). We also noted that Demas, mentioned in the passage above, did not appear to finish well. (2 Timothy 4:10)

Pastor Cliff asked us to contemplate the following questions before we split into two groups to pray for each other, our church, and missional hearts.

Questions

• What will Jesus and others be saying about how you lived your life loving your neighbor?

• How could you be more faithful to Jesus in the work of the Kingdom?

• What areas in your life would you desire to change and what steps are you willing to take?

Prayers this week:

• Pray for humility, patience, and unity with the leadership at Mars Hill.

• Pray for preparations for the upcoming Thanksgiving Eve service.

• Pray that men would lead well and cover the family.

• Continue to pray for the Song of Songs series. Pray that all believes will seek to pursue their primary identity in Christ, that marriages will be strengthened, and that those yet to be married will pursue relationships that are honoring Jesus.

• Pray against Satan, his tricks, and divisive attempts to hamper the mission of Mars Hill and lead people astay from the truth of the gospel.