The Winstons were honored together for their tireless work on behalf of West Seattle Hi-Yu, and Cindi Barker swore it was just a coincidence the announcement came during a Hi-Yu event. Here’s the excerpt she read from the nomination for them:

Tim and Carol have been instrumental in the revitalization of WS Hi-Yu over the last two years. They both came back to fulfill key roles in the organization when the presidency role became vacant mid-year in 2007. Tim stepped in to be president and his wife Carol stepped in to chair major key committees – membership, souvenir booklet, and Senior Court Coordinator. Both have provided insight and assistance to other areas as well. Tim is currently very focused at generating revenue to purchase a Float Trailer for the award-winning float. With this trailer, the float can continue to survive the long distance journeys to other Community festivals where Hi-Yu proudly represents West Seattle. West Seattle Hi-Yu has the last Seattle community float, an honor we are very proud of. Without Tim and Carol and the dedication they have brought to Hi-Yu over the past years, many events could have disappeared. The wonderful, & beneficial Scholarship Program for the Hi-Yu court young ladies could have gone by the wayside. The float could possibly have become a ‘treasure spot for parts’ on Ebay, Tim and Carol are truly “Outstanding Community Volunteers.”

Photo and excerpt: West Seattle Blog

Thanks Tim and Carol for taking your Gospel Mission seriously!  It is encouraging to see our members getting involved in our city, engaging culture in a meaningful way, and then having them recognized for their efforts.

Have questions about Hi-Yu or how you can get involved?  Check out www.hiyu.com

One of the tools we use at the West Seattle campus is The City, Mars Hill’s online social network. The City allows us to create discussion topics, share prayer requests, and promote upcoming events both at the West Settle campus and within individual community groups and service teams. If you’re not already on The City, you can stop by one of the Connect Desks on Sunday to join.

But to let people outside of Mars Hill know what’s happening at the West Seattle campus, we also have Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Many of the pastors and staff have individual accounts as well.

Plus, each campus has its own website that offers additional resources, updates on events, and personal stories from pastors, staff, and members at the West Seattle campus. If you’re interested in receiving updates when new content is posted, you can subscribe to the RSS Feed or enter your email address at the bottom of this page.

We should be clear that our goal is not to overload you with information, but to provide you with as many resources as possible for building relationships and being connected at the West Seattle campus so that ultimately, you can be more connected to Jesus. Because it’s all about Jesus; it’s always about Jesus.

Every Tuesday, a West Seattle pastor’s wife takes their son shopping at the same grocery store. She visits the same checker, and many of the employees not only know her and her son by name, but buy animal crackers or cookies for her son and have them ready for him when they arrive.

On most Wednesdays after Men’s Morning Prayer, a handful of guys go out for breakfast, and patronize the same local eatery. Each week, they are served by the same waitress, who has practically memorized their usual orders. The men began to ask her if there was anything for which she needed prayer. On the morning of Christmas Eve, they presented her with a Christmas Gift to show their appreciation for her service, and to show to her the same grace and love that Jesus has given us.

Every Sunday after the 5pm service, a community group has dedicated itself to gathering with some West Seattle campus staff at the local pub for fellowship, and looking for opportunities to be missional to the employees and community.

These are merely examples of ways we can patronize local establishments, make personal connections with the employees and other regulars, and get on a first-name basis with them. As the saying goes, “They don’t care what you know until they know that you care.” And it’s not just about an agenda, it’s about truly loving people and showing them, through our actions, the love that Christ has shown us.

We can, and should, do this as well with our neighbors, our co-workers, and our friends who don’t know Jesus. As we embrace this New Year, let’s continue to focus on Jesus and His Great Commission:

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20 ESV)

Let us also pray that we would be good stewards of our missional opportunities, and commit ourselves to studying God’s Word so we can be prepared to witness to those who need to hear His message.

Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. (Colossians 4:5-6 ESV)

Let not those who hope in You be put to shame through me, O Lord GOD of hosts; let not those who seek You be brought to dishonor through me, O God of Israel. (Psalms 69:6 ESV)

On Saturday September 13th, The Lord provided a beautiful day for the 89th annual “Clean and Green.” Over 80 volunteers from Mars Hill West Seattle loved their neighbors by giving two hours of their time to help the City of Seattle clean up brush and debris from the Gateway to West Seattle on Fauntleroy Ave. near the “Walking on Logs” sculpture.

Brandishing orange vests and wielding shovels, rakes, and clippers, volunteers marched to the cleanup site on Fauntleroy Ave just after the West Seattle Bridge. Mars Hill volunteers then worked alongside over 100 other volunteers (including one chain gang) from throughout the city to help remove blackberry bushes and other debris from the side of the road. According to the West Seattle Blog, this year’s “Clean and Green” was the largest in history, recording upwards of 200 total volunteers.

Scripture tells us that Jesus redeemed us to “purify for himself a people zealous for good works.” (Titus 2:14) This was evident at the “Clean and Green.” Our volunteers worked so zealously clearing debris that by noon the event staff asked us to stop clearing debris because there were not enough trucks to carry it all away.

Volunteers then spent the remaining time until 3:30 working alongside their fellow men and women, helping them to load the debris into trucks provided by the city.

Not only did this event provide opportunities for MHC members to come alongside their fellow men and women as witnesses of God’s love in Christ, the event also helped us to grow in favor in the eyes of the city. Due to the success of this event, the City of Seattle expressed interest in working with MHC in the future.

Thanks everyone for your hard work, prayers, and faithfulness. Let us continue to share the love of Christ with our city so that more and more people might come to know that Jesus Christ is alive and well, ruling and reigning in heaven—and also in the hearts of all who believe.

A volunteer with Mayor Nickels, and Mars Hill Welcome Team members Mary and Kyli.

Our goal is to provide 100 volunteers that will give two hours (ideally 33 volunteers per 2 hour block) to the service project. This is a perfect project for your community group, service team or family. Kids 10 years old and above are welcome to participate.

The area of the Gateway is roughly 5 blocks long on the West Seattle Bridge between the Walking on Logs sculptures up to 35th Avenue SW. The clean-up is part of Seattle’s Clean & Green Initiative. The mayor of Seattle, Greg Nichols, and other key city leaders will kick-off the event at 9:00am.

Here are some recent articles about the project in the West Seattle Herald and the West Seattle Blog.

Sign up HERE on the City or in the commons on Sunday.

Email westseattle@marshillchurch.org with questions.

Praise be to God for another God glorifying and successful Tuesday night in August! The numbers for this Tuesday’s California Dinner and a Movie event were outstanding!

The evening began as the body of Mars Hill West Seattle descended as a great cloud of witnesses onto the restaurants around the Admiral Theater. We had people representing the body of Christ at almost every restaurant on California Ave from Alaska St to Walker St! Hope you all tipped well so that our servers experienced the love of Christ via your outward expression of gratitude.

After dinner, the body reassembled as one man at the Admiral Theater to watch “Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.” The total attendance was about 310 people. Approximately 50 of those people were not Mars Hill attendees and about 20 were walk-ins who came to see the hulk and were persuaded to stay for Narnia when they realized the Hulk was canceled. Outstanding!

To celebrate our many blessing in Christ, some people also went out to dessert and drinks afterwards at more of the local eating and drinking establishments.

Thanks everyone who attended. See you all next week at Alki for the beach baptism and BBQ.

•       High Point Clean-Up + Helping Two Families
•       Providence Regina House Service
•       Arbor Heights Neighbor Help
•       Longfellow Creek Clean-Up
•       The Kenny Visit
•       UGM Shelter Service
•       Life Care of West Seattle Service
•       “Surprise” Service opportunity

You can go here for more information on why we are doing this.  Also, there may be additional projects coming in this week so check regularly. SIGN UP THIS WEEK!

FAQ’s:
Q: Can my kids come?
A: Yes! Most projects are suitable for children or are arranging care for the children.

Q: What if I only have ½ a day?
A: Several of the projects are ½ day (or less) projects.

Q: What if I’m not in a community group?
A: You don’t have to be involved in a particular community group to sign up. Sign up for whatever project interests you most or best suits your schedule. This will be a great opportunity to get to know others in a community group while serving alongside one another.

Q: What if I have friends who do not go to MHC that would like to help?
A: That’s great. Invite them and let the project leader know how many you plan on bringing when you RSVP.

For more information or answers to other questions, please email westseattle@marshillchurch.org.

Because the Tomb is Empty,
Pastor Adam Sinnett

On Saturday, July 26th, MHC WS will scatter throughout the greater Seattle area to Serve the City. Each community group and ministry team will select a service project in their neighborhood, among their affinity group (i.e. high school, business, etc) or with an established service organization. After a day of sacrificially serving (as we’ve been sacrificially served by Jesus Christ) we’ll rendezvous back at the building, 3:00 – 5:00 PM, to BBQ and share stories from the day. Sign-ups for each project will begin for everyone on July 12th on The City under the West Seattle campus group. Questions? Email erikh@marshillchurch.org

Why are we doing this?

• We are commanded to love our neighbor as our self (Mt 22:39). If we’re all honest, it is a confronting commandment because it quickly reveals the condition of our heart and should move us to action.
• Our motivation to serve is found nowhere else but in the gospel. We love and sacrificially serve as we have been loved and sacrificially served by Jesus Christ. This includes loving and serving our enemies, because even while we were enemies Christ died for us (Rom 5:8). The only true and lasting motivation for serving and loving others is experiencing the love and grace of God, through Jesus Christ, made available to us in the gospel. If we truly know, believe and grasp that we are sinners saved by grace alone, apart from anything that we have done, we will live lives that pour out grace and generosity to those around us. 
• Serving is the gospel in action and we are called to be doers, not hearers only (James 1:22). Often there are felt needs all around us, that if met, can serve as gospel bridges for the words of the gospel to travel across into the lives of those that have yet to meet Jesus.

Will you join me in prayer for this event and the city of Seattle?  Serving and loving the city goes far beyond a single day of service, but it starts with one.

Because the Tomb is Empty,

Pastor Adam Sinnett

One of my personal favorites, ever since I first heard the simple laid-back guitar of their single “Santa Monica”, is playing at the Downtown Campus of Mars Hill Church in just a week. Needless to say, I’m excited.

The show will be a benefit for New Horizons, a non-profit group that works with street youth in Seattle.

Showtime is 8:00 pm on Saturday, April 5th and doors will open at 7:00 pm. All tickets are for general admission seating and will go on sale at 10:00 am on Thursday March 24th. Tickets available exclusively through www.ticketweb.com for $15 plus service and other fees.

I’ve also come to realize that this mirrors my spiritual state.  I’m not in the driver’s seat of my life.  I guess I mistakenly thought I was.  God thought this was a good time to remind me who really has the wheel.  Just like he’s been teaching me to let others serve me by driving me places, he’s also teaching me to hand the wheel over to Him, and it’s been a hard lesson to learn.

The day before my surgery, on my daily reading through Proverbs, I hit chapter 19 that day, and stopped on verse 21, sensing a Holy Spirit nudge.  The verse has become my theme for these past several weeks:

Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.

As usual, I’d planned everything out before the surgery.  The freezer was packed with food for my husband while I was out of commission.  I’d scheduled a caretaker to be there for me while Dan was at work.  My school was on spring break, so I expected to ignore my students all week while I was zoned out on meds.  I even loaded up on lots of juice for me to drink, so I’d have something to “eat.” 

But then, my plans all fell through.  My ideal caretaker, my mom, was fighting a cold, which turned into pneumonia, and she was busy trying to breathe.  So obviously, she couldn’t make the trip to Seattle.  Even in my medicated stupor, I realized that I’d forgotten to do some important school work, and some unexpected work crept in as well.  At the hospital, just before I was released, the dietitian gave me a list of foods that I couldn’t eat, including most of the juices and fruits that I’d purchased before the surgery.  And this recovery period is taking much longer than I ever thought it would, so the frozen food stash isn’t enough for my entire period of convalescence. 

I didn’t have a plan B, but thankfully, God had his own plan from the start.

He provided new caretakers, and I could see God’s hand in all of it.  Dan managed to get some time off work, and my little sister took time off from her job and drove here to nurse me when Dan needed to go back to work.  For awhile, I had both of them here, switching shifts and helping me out when I couldn’t help myself.  God gave me just enough strength to do my school work.  And Dan has been doing some creative grocery shopping for me, finding foods that are soft enough for me to eat, including items from the baby food isle.  I’m also learning a lot about asking for and accepting people’s generosity, since my dear church sisters and friends from the community have been volunteering to help out wherever we need it, including filling in on meals when the freezer gets empty. 

It’s certainly not what I’d expected during this time, but it’s a far better plan than mine.

I know I haven’t learned my lesson. I’m going to keep grabbing the wheel, plotting the course, going my own way.  But hopefully, every so often, I’ll remember this time in my life, and scoot over to the passenger side to let the better driver take over. 

Okay, so I’ll say it:  “Jesus, please, take the wheel!”