What a morning! There are few things that I love more than coming together with God’s people to celebrate what Jesus has done and ask him to do immeasurably more. That is exactly what we have the opportunity to do at our regular Vision Breakfasts.
We held our first Vision Breakfast of 2014 today and it did not disappoint. Mars Hill Church Ballard hosted Pastor Mark Driscoll, Pastor Dave Bruskas, and myself while we video conferenced with our entire church family in five different states. It’s always a morning filled with great food, great fellowship, and a great Father. This particular Vision Breakfast was our largest yet: 589 people attended the family meeting!
Mars Hill Church had much to celebrate today since just two days ago we had the privilege of officially launching five church plants into their new homes. We have been praying and working and working and praying for so many months—Sunday was a huge day for our church. In fact, today’s Vision Breakfast was the first one that Mars Hill Phoenix has attended. Quite a special day for our family.
Our next Vision Breakfast is Tuesday, April 15th. Every member of Mars Hill Church is invited to attend. If you are interested in attending the next Vision Breakfast, you may contact your local lead pastor for information. We want our entire church to have the opportunity to hear the vision from our Executive Elders and local lead pastors in order to be unified under Jesus’ leadership and pursue it together. In one of his psalms, King David exclaims, “how good and pleasant it is when brothers [and sisters] dwell in unity!” Let me tell you: I know what he is talking about! I experienced it today.
Here are reports from each of our churches, with some of the reactions from attendees:
Albuquerque
A total of 28 people attended the Vision Breakfast at Mars Hill Albuquerque.
“Pastor Donovan’s call to covenant with the church is where mission begins.”
Bellevue
There were 85 people in attendance at the Bellevue church.
“Having the Executive Elders sharing what is happening at Mars Hill Church is very helpful to empower people in our community. It creates a good connection with people as the vision is being cast.”
Ballard
Ballard hosted 88 people for its Vision Breakfast.
“2013 was a year of transition where we experienced a great deal of change. Change is an essential part of the gospel. We hope to continue to grow and change. Change is part of the constant nature of being on mission.”
“We sometimes don’t have the right perspective of God. We ask for small prayers and don’t have faith that he can accomplish big things. As we go through 2014 let’s pray for big things and expect our Lord to do big amazing things through our church for his glory.”
Downtown Seattle and Rainier Valley
Mars Hill Downtown joined forces with Rainier Valley to host 38 people for breakfast.
“It’s great to see that we’re not just our own local church, but that we’re also part of something that’s going on everywhere.”
“It’s very encouraging to hear Pastor Matthias lay out some dates and milestones as a part of growing into a healthy church. I want to be a part of it.”
Everett
In the freshly-launched Everett church, 49 people gathered for the Vision Breakfast.
“I like seeing the big picture of where the church is headed. It is exciting.”
“The faithfulness of Jesus is our motivation, hope, and security as we seek to become a regional church and change the face of Snohomish County.”
Huntington Beach
There were 14 people in attendance at Huntington Beach for this morning’s breakfast.
“The Vision Breakfasts and sharing of reports from all the churches puts flesh to the fact that we’re one church that meets across 15 locations.”
“I know it sound kinda cliché when Pastor Mark says we’re gonna have our best year ever, but I feel that too.”
Olympia
Olympia hosted 43 at its Vision Breakfast.
“We don’t get to be on mission, our lives are mission.”
“The problem with some of us Christians that have been Christians for a long time is we forget the taste of grace.”
Portland
“The Vision Breakfast allows me to directly engage with people who are really serious about advancing the Kingdom through Mars Hill globally and locally, here in Portland. We gather for fellowship and to hear from our Executive Elders, precisely where we are headed. That clarity helps us then discuss our local vision and activities in context of our larger purpose, together. It’s also great using the tech to see the other churches and helps our attendees feel ‘connected’ in ways that they might not, otherwise.”
“I grew up in a mega-church and we never knew what was going on. I like that Mars Hill shares regularly what is happening from the Executive Elders and is open about money and planning.”
Phoenix
Twenty-three people gathered under sunny skies at Mars Hill Phoenix.
“We are like Hank Aaron’s bat. Jesus is doing great things. It’s not us. It’s him supplying all we need.”
Sammamish
Sammamish hosted 54 people for its breakfast meeting.
“I love hearing the Executive Elders talk about the big picture and then give us specific stories. It connects me to it.”
“My company does the engineering work for the City of Sammamish, I’m happy to help you in anyway possible with this project.”
“I can’t wait to get my kids out there building, digging, and taking ownership in our church. This is going to be great for them.”
Shoreline
A total of 47 people enjoyed breakfast together at Mars Hill Shoreline.
“People are genuinely excited to see what Jesus is doing across all of the church. There were cheers when Pastor Sutton showed how healthy we are financially. Pastor Mark’s vision for where we are going as a church was really helpful.”
Pastor Steve shared his excitement for the foundation that Jesus has built at Shoreline. This last week saw some great progress in our members opening up morning seats and moving to the evening service which sets us up to continue to pray for the harvest while planning to launch a fourth service in the fall.”
Tacoma
In Tacoma, 34 people attended the Vision Breakfast.
“It’s amazing what’s happening at Mars Hill . . . it’s exciting to be a part of it.”
“Our vision for the future is very exciting . . . how can I help more?”
U-District
There were 23 guests in attendance at Mars Hill in U-District.
“Jesus absolutely wants to change the U-District and wants to save many. And for us, we have not been called to simply gather and remain silent but to go boldly and proclaim how Jesus changes all of life to all of those in our community, through community.”
West Seattle
Finally, 40 people gathered in West Seattle for this quarter’s Vision Breakfast.
“A lot of the time you can get so busy and focused on the area you’re serving in, that meetings like this really help you see the big vision and direction we’re going and what’s going on. Moments like this are really invaluable.”
“The goal of $2M in contribution for the end of the year was a lofty goal I didn’t think we would meet, but God is able and sovereignly in control. I am so humbled that God can and will accomplish his work through his church with or without me.”
