Jesus changes lives. Jesus makes people new. Jesus redeems legacies and steps in to completely and utterly transform people.
Some of these people have been sharing online how Jesus has used Mars Hill to change them, save them, and give them life and hope. Jesus is perfect and does perfect work, even through imperfect people and churches like Mars Hill. Nobody is off limits for Jesus. He already loves you in the most lavish way. He changed the lives here; he can change yours.
Some of these posts and pictures have been re-posted here, with permission, for your encouragement. Share what Jesus has done in your life through Mars Hill using #changedlives or share your story with us online at marshill.com/stories.
Tripp hugs his daughter after her baptism at Mars Hill Church.
“So thankful to Jesus for how he has used the people of Mars Hill Church to change lives for eternity. And especially thankful for how he used Mars Hill to teach my daughter who her Lord and Savior is. That right there is what it’s all about.”
—Tripp
“Praying as I think of my life since starting at Mars Hill Church in West Seattle. Centered on Christ, dedicated to his glory, empowered by hearing the word of God taught by Pastor Mark. I thank my fellow community members for their prayers, service, wisdom and for giving me this family in Christ. May our eyes be more on Jesus and his word and not so troubled by the world.”
—Cindy
“No Facebook post would be long enough or articulate enough to express all the ways Mars Hill Church has blessed my life.”
—Karmen
“Our six children are now growing up in a family with parents who actually know and can articulate the gospel.”
“Long before Mars Hill came to Portland, God was using Mark to grow and mature myself and my husband. Now that we’ve been attending Mars Hill Portland for 2+ years, it is amazing to look back and see how different we are now. Both my husband and I are completely different people—we understand the gospel now in a way that we never did before, even having grown up in the church. And it’s changing us and our entire family. Our six children are now growing up in a family with parents who actually know and can articulate the gospel, and this is bearing immense amounts of fruit. Our community at Mars Hill Portland is family in a way we have never experienced in a church before and in only two years time. Pastor Mark—Thank you. Thank you for the way that you have led our church in humility and repentance and the way that you have so obviously loved and submitted to Jesus.”
—Kristi
“Before the birth of our first son, my husband and I felt called to move to the Seattle area. I had heard how unchurched the area was and heard about many churches that had questionable teaching. My heart was heavy and I wondered how we would find a church to call home. Then we heard about Mars Hill and Pastor Mark. We started attending Mars Hill the first week we moved to the area. To say Mars Hill has been a blessing to our family over the last four years is an understatement. The church has welcomed us, loved us and grown us. I am so thankful for pastors and leaders who boldly proclaim the gospel, seek to be like Christ and love their church.”
—Mary
“I have been a part of the Mars Hill family for almost 15 years. I have learned, been held accountable, nurtured, protected and loved deeply by this family. Pastor Mark has been instrumental in teaching me about Jesus, his love and sacrifice, and my relationship with him. Pastor Mark and Mars Hill leadership stepped in and protected and provided for me during the most desperate time of my life. I know that Pastor Mark is human and therefore will sin, but he has shown by his own example how to repent from sin. I love him and my Mars Hill family dearly and am praying for you all through these trials.”
—Corrie
“It was okay to not be okay . . . Jesus could fix our brokenness.”
“I first checked out Mars Hill in 1998. My friend invited me to check it out with her. I remember her saying ‘It’s super hot in the church, so wear shorts and a tee-shirt—and if we get there late, we’ll probably get stuck sitting behind the defensive line of the Husky Football team and won’t be able to see any of the words to the music.’ I was already a Christian, but at Mars Hill it was the first time I really started to understand that God used non-cookie-cutter Christians. It was okay to not be okay—that Jesus could fix our brokenness. The church was meeting in Laurelhurst and it was too far to drive, so I stayed in Federal Way at my church, because my heart was my community through a lot of crazy change. I ended up joining up again with Mars Hill when they were getting ready to launch Mars Hill Federal Way. I had been listening to sermons and visiting from time to time, and God really used Pastor Mark’s preaching to change a lot of lies I was believing. I thought, as a good Christian, you had to have all your junk together. I felt like I always needed to try to fix things before I went to Jesus. When we would crash the 7 [p.m. service] at Ballard and Pastor Mark would have no voice because he’d been yelling, we knew we were in for an excellent sermon. I’m happy to be at my church full of messed up humans. We’re family, and like any family, when you stick together through the hard times, you grow together in ways you couldn’t imagine.”
—Jamie
“Posting in support of our amazing pastor as well as the lead pastors who have come under fire. [. . .] My husband and I have only been at Mars Hill for 11 months, but felt so welcomed and ‘at home’ that we joined a Community Group quickly, become members, and have gone through Redemption Groups. Pastor Mark’s honest, blunt, loving and most importantly biblical preaching has helped strengthen me spiritually in such a short time. I’m excited to go to church, love the truth in which he teaches and can tell what a heart for Jesus and his church he has! This is just a rough patch and I know that God means to use this for the good of his people. Genesis 50:20 is very encouraging right now. We love you, Mark Driscoll, see you in just about two weeks! I know you’re probably not well rested from this vacation, but I have faith that you’ll be up on that stage preaching and worshiping the Lord and trying to keep the negativity outside. I will continue to be in prayer for you, Grace, and your five amazing kids which I have the privilege to know two of. What a godly church with godly leadership. Thank you. We have felt more than welcome from day one.”
—Emily
“It is all about Jesus! We are always aware of Jesus and his grace.”
“I am so filled with joy at this! I am so blessed to see my brothers and sisters in Christ praising our Savior and standing together as the family I know we are. My husband and I were married by Pastor Mark almost 18 years ago. We are still married and praising Jesus every Sunday thanks to our church family who have walked us through so much. We are so blessed by and have grown so much by all of the people we love at Mars Hill. We have seen Mars Hill at many stages. The one consistency has always been Bible-based teaching and a love for Jesus. It is all about Jesus! We are always aware of Jesus and his grace in every walk we take. I know Jesus has saved us individually and collectively, but I will never underestimate the love that was poured out on us by all the people God chose to put in our lives. I love my church family.”
—Melanie
“Since coming to Mars Hill, my wife and I have grown closer, our marriage has been healed, and we are walking close to Jesus. Jesus is the pastor of this church, which is something that we have all heard from Mark’s teaching. Mark is a good pastor. He truly lives to glorify Jesus.”
—Kyle
Jose proclaims his faith in Jesus.
“I came to Seattle for my cousin’s wedding two years ago. She brought me to her church, Mars Hill Rainer Valley. [I was a] non-Christian chasing death in the street. Mark’s words from the Holy Spirit softened my heart. I questioned things. But then God brought me back to Seattle for an internship. I came back to Mars Hill. Then Jesus smacked me with the gospel. I got baptized and everything changed. Now there’s even a Mars Hill in my hometown, Phoenix, AZ. Thank you, Jesus, for planting Mars Hill.”
—Jose
