Even though the temperature is dropping and the leaves are turning, there is new life at the Ballard Campus. We’ve seen attendance grow by nearly 2,000 people the past few weeks—a feat that only God could accomplish. Even more exciting is that we’re seeing people come to know Jesus. Recently, one community group had six people become Christians.

For those of you who are new to Mars Hill, we want you to know all the resources available that will help you get connected, be involved, and mature in Jesus.

One of the resources that plays a crucial role in our effort to get people connected and keep them connected in a way that is meaningful and fruitful is The City—our online social network. If you aren’t on The City, you can visit one of the Connect Desks on Sunday to join or ask someone already in The City to invite you.

Once on The City, you can use it to find and join a community group. As image-bearers of the triune God (one God, three persons), we’re meant to live in relation to other people. Our expectation as a church is that we walk with one another through the rough moments of life and carry one another’s burdens. Therefore we want to encourage you to participate in community as a significant means of sanctification and discipleship in your life. To find a community group that’s a good fit, you can select “Find a Community” beneath the “More” tab on The City.

In addition to community, we also call people to serve the church body. As more and more people attend Mars Hill, the need for more volunteers and leaders intensifies. It takes hundreds of people to coordinate a Sunday service, in addition to the leaders who lead groups during the week. To find out more about the various service opportunities, you can visit one of the Connect Desks on Sunday or you can select “Find a Service Team” beneath the “More” tab on The City.

To equip you for service and to help you grow and mature in Jesus, we’ve recently launched our fall midweek programming. For those struggling with abuse, addiction, or the effects of deep-rooted sin, we’re offering Redemption Night at the Ballard Campus on Tuesdays at 7:00pm. The invitation is open, but if you’d like more information, email redemption@marshillchurch.org.

For college-aged men, the College Mission is hosting Theological Fight Club on Tuesday nights. This is a seven-week training session to learn how to read the Bible, be a disciple, and disciple others. You’re welcome to join at any time. For more information, you can visit the College Mission website.

Wednesday nights are devoted to training and equipping families. We’re offering a Discipleship Class, a Marriage Class, and a Parenting Class, as well as Children’s Ministry and Student Ministry (ages 10-18) to help people fulfill God’s calling through the various stages of life. Children’s and Student Ministries are ongoing so again, you’re welcome to join at any time. If you weren’t able to sign-up for the classes, you can still attend. Simply show up on Wednesday night and we’ll get you plugged in. Classes will also be offered again starting in January.

While The City and the Ballard website are great resources for information on events, ministries, community building and service opportunities, as well as personal stories of what God is doing in and through this campus, we also want to put the most relevant information directly in your hand on a weekly basis. To do so we distribute The Weekly each Sunday at all the services.  And if you still find that you have additional questions, you can talk to a pastor or deacon in front of the stage after each service or visit one of the Connect Desks in the foyers.

We hope that you see our heart in providing all of these resources: We want you to know and love Jesus and we want to do all we can to see more and more people do the same. We hope you’ll join us in this God-glorifying effort.