This will be a weekend of both celebration and of mourning for the Mars Hill Church body. The Downtown Seattle and University District church families will be having services in those locations for the last time this Sunday, October 5. They have been preparing for this final day since the transitions were announced in early September. As we’ve communicated for the past month, these closures are a grievous result of the current financial crisis Mars Hill is going through.
Thankfully, Scripture is clear that the church is not a building. Colossians 1:18 says, “And [Jesus] is the head of the body, the church.” The church is the body of Christ, which is made up of the people whom he has called to himself and redeemed through grace by faith.
Although the buildings are being closed, the people of Mars Hill Downtown and U-District are being welcomed with the open and excited arms of surrounding Mars Hill churches.
Jesus has done so much through the ministries and outreaches of both of these churches and we pray that these will continue. For instance, Mars Hill U-District has had a very fruitful ministry among the Seattle university students. Mars Hill Ballard continued this tradition during University of Washington’s “Dawg Days” last week. Several Mars Hill staff and volunteers set up a booth and handed out free hot drinks and talked with students passing by. View some photos and an update from "Dawg Days" in last Friday’s Weekly.
As these building close, we are thankful that the legacy of these churches will continue as the Mars Hill Church body continues to work together to bless the community and carry out the mission of Jesus. Thank you to all of the volunteers and individuals who served and loved these communities for the last several years. And thank you to all the leaders for their many years of service, for their love for the church, and love for all the people who have come through our doors. Pastors Drew Hensley and Matthias Haeusel both served tirelessly and with great sacrifice, all for Jesus and his church, and we are very grateful for them.
Please pray that the families of Mars Hill Downtown and U-District would enjoy their last services in those locations and celebrate together all that Jesus has done. Pray that they transition well to different Mars Hill locations.
We are saddened, but we are hopeful, because we are setting our hope fully on the grace of Jesus and nothing else (1 Pet. 1:13).
