As we close out 2009, we're giving thanks for all of the incredible ways God has blessed us in 2009. All across Mars Hill - from Pastor Mark to community groups, from Shoreline to Albuquerque - we're giving thanks to God for what he has done. Stay tuned to all of these stories by joining us on Facebook, Twitter, or by subscribing to this blog. 10% of everything given into Mars Hill's general fund goes to church planting through Acts 29. A29's director, and Mars Hill elder, Scott Thomas recently started looking back at the past year. Here are a few of the things he notes:

We have been incredibly blessed to see many new churches planted, a growth of influence and new friendships with leaders and church planters across the globe. We had 131 new church planting churches join the network this year to date, increasing the number of churches in Acts 29 Network to 288. We have 336 new applicants just in 2009 alone (about one per day). With this trajectory, we are anticipating over 120 churches being planted in 2010.

In the summer we established Acts 29 Western Europe with Steve Timmis serving as Director, and we approved our first church planters there with a couple in Lindfield, England. I went to Belfast Northern Ireland in October preaching and training potential planters with Timmis and subsequently instructing 5 pastors to coach our Acts 29 church planters in Western Europe. We now have Acts 29 church planters in Canada, England, Guatemala, Ecuador, Brazil, South Africa, Congo, Uganda, Zambia, India, Nepal, Thailand and Australia.

God is opening doors for us to influence many church planters toward gospel-centered church planting. In addition to dreaming about collaborative church planting with Jonathan Falwell recently, I also got a direct message tweet from a professor of a major Christian University that is not in our theological camp. He said, "You guys are really bringing the revolution. Keep going!"

In a climate where many churches are shrinking and dying, we praise God that we're able to plant. We thank Jesus for the new opportunities, new friends, and chance to be ambassadors of reconciliation. You can read Scott Thomas' post in its entirety at Acts 29.