written by Joe Filburn

Yeah, it may seem something of a silly wordplay, calling Mars Hill’s annual men’s weekend an “advance” rather than a “retreat.” But it’s an effective metaphor, nonetheless, and I saw it expressed in reality this weekend.

Now, some people may have the idea that the Men’s Advance is not much more than a testosterone-laden excuse for our men to spend a weekend away from home, consuming large quantities of cured meats
and goofing off. Thankfully, there was plenty of food for everyone, meat (and veggies) included, and sufficient time for normally busy guys to get off the grid and enjoy some recreation, but the true hallmark of the weekend was a constant and unflinching focus on following Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.

If you’ve been around Mars Hill for any amount of time, this shouldn’t come as a surprise, but it bears repeating that our unity is only to be found in Jesus. As I saw hundreds of men interacting with each other over the weekend (over 400 men attended), I couldn’t help noticing how diverse a crowd it was. I don’t mean “diverse” just in limited, ethnic terms, but in a much broader sense that includes the cultural nuances that inform the general categories of culture we see expressed and embraced all around us. I don’t have time to go into a discussion of this diversity, but I want to make the point that there is nothing that would unite these hundreds of men except that they have been chosen by Jesus to live as brothers in this time and place, to the glory of God.

On Saturday morning, Pastor Bubba spoke to the Ballard men, calling us to turn from sin, to place our faith solely in Jesus, to make Jesus the only source and recipient of our worship, and to let our response to Jesus be contagious, that we might be used to build faith in others. At the end of this session, Pastor Brad House explained the tremendous opportunity we have at the Ballard campus, specifically the opportunity to build authentic, Jesus-centered communities that Jesus will use to transform people’s lives. He then outlined the need for many new leaders (75 more by year’s end) and invited those Jesus was calling as leaders to respond by stepping forward. Twenty-six men left their seats and stood before their brothers, committing to serve as leaders!

My faith grew as I was humbled to see the enormous responsibility Jesus has entrusted to us as a church, and as I saw so many men respond in obedience to Jesus. As we “look to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising its shame,” we cannot help but grow in our faith as he calls us to advance as a community that glorifies him in our struggle against sin and in our pursuit of holiness.

Even if you weren’t able to attend the Men’s Advance, you can still respond to Jesus’ call to advance in faith. If Jesus is calling you to respond, please email ballard@marshillchurch.org so we can encourage you and assist you in your response to Jesus.