Mars Hill Bellevue is helping kick off a church-wide effort to raise funds for a number of local ministry needs and our global effort to see as many churches and disciples of Jesus as possible.

Why? Because God has been generous to us.

By donating above and beyond regular church giving, we have a unique opportunity to start the new year strong and gain some ground in our mission to share Jesus with the world.

Through the Generous Giving Campaign, we are asking our church body to give in three ways, depending on the call God puts on your heart.

1. Give generously to our Bellevue Campus Fund to support our growing need for facility development and bless our mercy partners and projects. We will be giving 10% of all money donated to the Bellevue Campus Fund to the Jubilee Reach Center. The JRC provides educational, emotional and spiritual enrichment to underserved youth and their families in Bellevue. For more information, please visit their Web site: http://www.jubileereach.org
2. Give generously to the Global Fund and support our effort to start new campuses, plant new churches, train leaders and create more free resources online.
3. Give generously to the General Fund to support our day-to-day operating cost of all the campuses, ministries and central operations of the church.

However you decide to give and share this season, “Be generous in every way…because of the surpassing grace of God upon you” (2 Cor 9:11, 14).

More information

Check your mailbox this week for more information about the Generous Campaign. Or, pick up a copy at church this Sunday.

Two months after it started, the new Deaf ministry is experiencing a great deal of growth and support. Because there’s an interpreter signing during the service, there are 3-5 new people attending the 11:15. With this language access, these members of the community can experience the gospel, some for the first time. Those already coming are now reaching out to their community and inviting other deaf and hard of hearing people to come.

Why is the church called to this?

The Deaf community is an American sub-culture largely un-reached by the truth of the gospel of grace. Since it is rarely taught in Deaf people’s native language, American Sign Language, there is also a huge lack of context and true understanding when it comes to the gospel of Jesus Christ as our savior.

Though deafness is seen by most people as a disability, it more importantly has a naturally developed and distinct culture, language and a rich history. Community is valued and sought out. We desire to make a place for this community to fellowship and grow as they are spiritually fed and encourage each other to live for Jesus.

The group’s leader, Lindsey Kasowski, shared how the people of Mars Hill have contributed to the Deaf ministry’s success.

“The staff and leadership has helped make this ministry happen by meeting physical and spiritual needs: providing lyrics, a music stand and stool, a sound pack, saving rows for the Deaf attenders, and through prayer and encouragement,” she said.

The membership has also been an encouragement to Lindsey personally, praying for her as she both interprets and launches the ministry, as well as reaching out to this new population in the church by meeting them, shaking their hands and welcoming them into the body, of which they are a valuable part with a special purpose.

The ministry’s next step is to do outreach events, as well as start an ASL community group.

Lindsey requests several prayers for the group:

1. She asks for general prayer as the ministry reaches out to this un-reached community as well as for those who are already attending.
2. That they find community and that their lives are being changed.
3. Pray in particular that Lindsey, the leadership and the new attenders aren’t discouraged
4. Continue to pray that the Lord would bring more people to share the work.

By: Troy Schneringer

Just six weeks ago at the Men’s Advance, Jesus was working in my heart, tearing out my sin and replacing it with His righteousness.  Ready to fight I headed home and worked on my “one thing” with great intention.  Six weeks later, I was embarrassed at the answer when I was asked at Men’s Morning Prayer how my “one thing” was going.  I was playing the part of the fool from Proverbs 26:11.

I confessed that life had been busy, I’d been traveling and honestly I had forgotten about it.

But God is gracious.  As we prayed He gently reminded me why I need to be in regular community with other Christian men.  If not for the gentle reminder from Doug Phillips one early Thursday morning I would never have remembered what God had called me to change.

The next day, in relentless pursuit of my heart, God reminded me one more time of the importance of community through the words of Paul in Ephesians 4:

“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.”

Praise God for the body of believers and their unique gifting that build me up in Him so that I don’t have to be tossed to and fro by the waves but can someday, through Christ, attain mature manhood.

Mars Hill Bellevue now has a Facebook page! Check out our new page for pictures, live updates and more info!

http://www.facebook.com/marshillbellevue/

Also follow @MarsHillBEL on twitter!

http://www.twitter.com/MarsHillBEL

Reading through II Corinthians 5-6:13 he explained God’s calling to mission in the Christian’s life.

“Living on mission for God starts with you and I having broken hearts and being the humble people of God,” he explained. “We are to be pursuers of people– just like God pursued you. We are to be broken and burdened, straining and longing to be further clothed in the life that is in Christ.”

What does it mean?

Pastor Chris envisions regional teams of people living out their desire to reach the lost in the region they call home. He emphasized that although he and the church will provide training and equipping as necessary, he is here only to facilitate the mission work in the region. “It is dependent upon you to carry out this vision in the region and to reach out to others in our neighborhoods and work places,” he said.

Where do we start?

• Pray for the lost in your region
• Pray for the launching of this localized vision of mission – individuals plugged into a community group where additional resources and equipping will be available
• Pray for the strengthening of our community groups
• Share resouces and communicate within your region to help equip others
• Volunteer in your region.  Volunteers, especially bilingual, are currently needed to serve at the Jubilee Center.  Contact Chris Parks at chrisp@jubileereach.org

“As we move forward, growing in Christ, let us pray for our region, strengthen our community groups, be the outpost of Christianity in our region and gather again in October to discuss ideas and needs in the West region.”

By: Katherine McPherson
Photos by: Heidi Angel