As the Grand Opening of the Federal Way Campus quickly approaches, people often ask, “How can we pray for you?”

These are a few key areas in which we could use your prayer:

1.    People are typically motivated to pray when they perceive a physical lack or a need in their lives; pray for us that, when we pray, we will be motivated by our love for Jesus instead of by the absence of things or people.  As we prepare for this brand new campus, there are many tasks to be completed, many volunteers to be equipped for ministry, and many people to be cared for in Federal Way and the surrounding cities.  Instead of praying for Jesus to supply the things we think we need in order to make our tasks easier, let us pray in thanks for the love Jesus has for us that has called us to be messengers of his love to the people of Federal Way and beyond. We want our prayers to be expressions of our humble reliance on God and honest adoration of God’s character (Psalm 116:1).

2.    The goal of prayer should not be limited to deliverance from pain and suffering. The goal of prayer should be to recognize that our pain and suffering affords us the opportunity to participate in the service, sacrifice, and sanctification of Jesus our Lord and Savior.  Pray that we would be moved not just by the afflictions from which we want to be delivered, but also by the vision Jesus gives us as we experience our trials. We want to see Jesus through the opening of the Federal Way campus. We want to see Jesus being worshipped among the nations. We want to see the nations being transformed to live for Jesus (Isaiah 6).

3.    Pray that we would shun the tyranny of urgency, and instead be maintained by the priority Jesus has for us.  In Matthew 5-7, Jesus preached a sermon that clearly communicates to us how we are to live our lives. In it, Jesus says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you,” (Matthew 6:33). We go through meetings, trainings, and more meetings to equip us for our responsibilities. Let us pray that the programs and peoples of our church do not become our focus, but that our focus remains fixed on Jesus.

The purpose of prayer is to express our love for Jesus, to participate in the life he has blessed us with, and to offer our lives back up to him as a living sacrifice. Let us pray together in community so that we live in the presence of the living God (Psalm 116:9).  “When we work, we work. When we pray, God works.” Hudson Taylor

We are initially launching the campus at Sequoyah Middle School, one of seven middle schools in Federal Way Public Schools. Here is a picture of the site:

Here is the street address of school:
3425 S 360th Street Auburn, WA 98001

Here are the directions to the school if you are traveling on I-5:
1. Take Exit 142A to merge onto WA-18 E toward N Bend/Auburn
2. Drive 0.7 miles then take the Weyerhaeuser Way exit
3. Drive 0.4 miles then turn right at Weyerhaeuser Way S
4. Drive 0.3 miles then Weyerhaeuser Way S turns slightly right and becomes S 349th St.
5. Drive 0.2 miles then turn left at 28th Ave S (4 Way Stop sign)
6. Drive 0.7 miles then turn left at S 360th St (the school will be on the right).

Here are the directions to the school if you are traveling on Military Rd:
1. Turn right at S. 360th St if you are heading from North or Turn left at S. 360th St. if you are heading from South
2. Drive 0.6 miles and then the school will be on your left.

Here are the directions to the school if you are traveling on Enchanted Pkwy S/WA 161:
1. Turn left at 20th Ave S. if you are heading from North (Wild Waves Theme Park on the Southeast corner)
2. Drive 0.1 miles then continue on S 360th St. (4 Way stop sign).
3. The school will be on the right.

What does the portable church look like?

The equipment we use on Sundays will be stored during the week in trailers like the one pictured below. A set-up crew will arrive a couple hours before the service starts to unpack the trailers and prepare the school gymnasium as our church meeting place. Check out this nifty You Tube video that shows how a worship stage can be erected by a set up crew of 6 in only 17 minutes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NO6XspdRzEs&feature=related .

What time is the worship service?

We will initially launch with one service at 10 am on September 20th.

Which rooms are used for worship, hospitality, information, resources, and children’s ministry?

We will gather in the gymnasium for worship. Children ministry will use flex rooms (the common area in the middle of classrooms). The great hall will be an area for hospitality, info desk, resource center, and place of fellowship.

Important campus information:

Sequoyah Middle School
3425 S 360th St
Auburn, WA 98001
Mobile (253) 642-MHFW (6439)
federalway@marshillchurch.org

The Bible gives us many examples of portable churches, beginning in Old Testament. The patriarchs worshiped God by offering sacrifices (Gen. 15) and setting up a stone pillar as they journeyed through the land of Canaan(Gen. 28). By the time of Moses we see the tabernacle, also known as the tent of meeting (Exodus 40). This is the first portable church building, and it was erected according to the Lord’s specific instructions.

In the New Testament, as Jesus and his disciples travelled to different places for three years, the early church gathered at homes, synagogues, temple and other meeting areas for worship, then scattered to be expressions of the body of Christ (Acts 1:13, Acts 2:46, Acts 8:20, Acts 17:17).

A portable church is a gathering of believers or disciples of Jesus. It is a meeting place that is neither permanent in its use of facilities nor of equipments.

Even the temples in Jerusalem from both the Old and New Testaments are portable churches in the sense that they were destroyed (2 Chronicles 36:17-21 and The Wars of the Jews by Josephus, a Jewish historian who chronicled the fall and destruction of Jerusalem in the First Jewish-Roman War in AD 70). Church buildings and temples alike are not permanent. In our day, we see many church buildings converted into museums, monuments, or centers of social and cultural events and programs.

The places where we worship are not central to our worship, but it is the glorious presence of the gospel of Jesus Christ that binds us together. We find community in the body of Christ through the praises, prayers, preaching, presentation of gifts and offerings, and participation in the Communion by the power of the Holy Spirit. Our goal as a church is to facilitate this purpose of the body of Christ as we gather in schools, theaters, community centers and warehouses…or even traditional church buildings.

The answer is, “No.” Why? Let us consider. Sports teams have pre-season trainings, corporate employees go through trainings, and most professionals like lawyers, doctors, pilots, teachers, and engineers invest many years in preparation for their careers.  If you are questioning the necessity or the validity of the trainings of people who are involved in ministries, you are revealing your understanding of a local church as a social club or consumer oriented membership to a business or organization that serves your needs and interests.

We need trainings for the Launch Team because we are serving Jesus and the needs and interests of his church.

On August 2^nd, Jesus’ followers on a mission to Federal Way will gather for the last time at West Seattle campus to clearly understand the gospel to be the source of our motivation and power, the roles and responsibilities of each volunteer, and the specific plans to realize the mission in Federal Way beyond the campus launch in September.

Would you respond to Jesus who calls his disciples to be trained in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16-17) and prepared for good works (Ephesians 2:10)?

Federal Way Campus Launch Team Training #3:

When: August 2 (2 pm – 4:30 pm)

Where: West Seattle Campus auditorium

Who: Those who live for Jesus and are on mission with Jesus

The question we need to ask is “What kind of leadership gifting do I have?” and not “Do I want to be a leader?”

On July 12^th, about 60 people gathered at West Seattle Campus to prepare for the Federal Way Campus launch. Jesus Christ is the senior pastor of Federal Way Campus and serving under Jesus are elders, deacons, and members. Currently, I am serving as an elder in the capacity of campus pastor and lead in following Jesus on his mission guided by the Holy Scriptures and the Holy Spirit.

Dave Harris is serving as a deacon candidate and volunteers as a pastoral assistant by also leading the church alongside the elders.

There are “saints,” or many Christians who love God and help lead the Federal Way Campus by using their resources (time, talent, and treasure) to help establish and extend the gospel movement as church members in Federal Way area and beyond.

Biblical leadership is all about following Jesus as his disciples. Are you following Jesus? Do you want to follow Jesus on mission in Federal Way?

Here is how you can be involved in leadership of Federal Way Campus:

Initiate contact and start a conversation by:

Email (E) federalway@marshillchurch.org

Mobile (M) 253.670.1647

Fax (F) 800.316.8201

As part of our launch team trainings, we are reading through The Prodigal God by Tim Keller. The subtitle and major focus of the book is “Recovering the Heart of the Christian faith.”  This book reminds us of the reasons why we plant new campuses and churches and helps to prepare us as we proceed with the Federal Way launch in a little over two months. The Federal Way Campus will be a church that focuses on reaching out to the lost, both religious and irreligious, to show them how to find the Way, following in the work and life of Jesus.

Here are some questions for you to answer if you are considering being part of Federal Way Campus:

1. What are you motivated by?
2. What do you value?
3. Who are you loving and serving right now?
4. Who are you following and imitating right now?

How can you be involved?

1. Attend the meetings (July 12 and Aug 2 at West Seattle Campus, gather at main auditorium beginning at 2 pm)
2. Fill out the form https://mhcwestseattle.wufoo.com/forms/mhc-federal-way-launch-team-training/
3. Complete personal insights profile http://www.unitymg.com/tti/ and email the results to Dave Harris dave.harris (at) marshillchurch.org.
4. 4. Get a copy of The Prodigal God and read.

My prayer is that Jesus would prepare, and send us out as gospel laborers into the harvest of the Federal Way area in this fall.

Excited to be laboring with you,

- Pastor Samuel

On July 4th, we are having an outdoor BBQ at the beautiful Five Mile Lake County Park near Federal Way for a celebration of the Fourth as a community. Starting at 10 am, the Federal Way Campus Launch Team warmly invites family, friends, and neighbors to meet with people, share a potluck meal, and spend a few hours enjoying the community and playing together at the park. Join us in this time of fellowship and community that is being founded in the gospel and is being formed by the mission to reach people in Federal Way and neighboring cities and counties.

Please sign up to bring items to the potluck HERE
Questions?
federalway@marshillchurch.org
Address:
36429 44th Ave S
Auburn, WA 98001
map it

On June 14th, thirty people gathered in front of the West Seattle Campus main auditorium for the first team training meeting for the Federal Way campus launch. We praise Jesus for bringing both Mars Hill members and non members who have passion for the place and people in Federal Way area.

We are reading a book “The Prodigal God” written by Tim Keller to focus our attention on the story of God who sends his only begotten son, Jesus, to redeem his people and restore a community founded in the gospel and formed by the mission.

I invite you to share your conviction and commitment to this mission by coming together as a community called “Launch Team.” Our next training days are July 12 and August 2, at 2pm at the West Seattle Campus, and September 6th and 13th at Federal Way Campus. If you are interested in being a part of the core leadership team, start here reviewing the notes from Training #1, and tell us who you are by clicking this link.

Please fill out a questionnaire to help the team get to know you by clicking here

For more information about the first training day June 14th, click here