The City on the Hill

In Jeremiah 29:4-7 God called the Israelites, who had been exiled into Babylon, to pursue the peace and prosperity of that pagan city. Likewise, Jesus, in Matthew 5:13-16, calls us to be a city on a hill that cannot be hidden. He clarified that not only our words, but our words backed by deeds of service would shine the glory of God from the city of God into the secular city. We see in Luke how Jesus not only used his words to bring the gospel, but also his acts of service allowed his words to be heard. As Christians sent into our respective cities, we are called to be the very best citizens of that city. We are to work for the peace, safety, security, vibrancy, and future of our city, plus the common good of all of our neighbors. A gospel-centered church is one that takes this mission seriously. We want to demonstrate the resources the Christian faith has for hope in the future.

New Heavens and New Earth

In Revelation, we don't see individuals being taken out of the world into heaven, but heaven coming down to renew the world and wash it of evil, disease, poverty, injustice and death. At Mars Hill Downtown we are actively working to build bridges and relationships with city and neighborhood leaders. We want to find out what the needs and gaps are in our city and if at all possible, work towards a solution.

City Involvement

Practically, we host "Town Halls," where we invite local city leaders to an evening of discussion, brainstorming and strategizing how we as a community can assist. A new ministry that sprung out of a conversation with a civic leader last year is "Rest". This ministry reaches out to the girls and women in our city who work in prostitution and dancing, or who are involved in sex trafficking. We are pursuing permission with a downtown strip club for some of our women to begin building relationships at the club on Friday nights. Additionally, many members are actively involved on community councils, Mayor's office, business associations, and chambers of commerce. We don't believe that politics changes hearts—Jesus does. We do believe that we are called to serve our city, love our neighbors, and be as active as possible, so that people "see our good works and glorify our Father who is in Heaven" (Matt. 5:16).