Pastor Mike Wilkerson is the Mars Hill pastor over our Redemption Groups program. Together with Pastor James Noriega, he has created a unique and crucial ministry where people who have suffered physical and sexual abuse, or who have addictions, can find help. Pastor Mike is currently working on a book on the subject. At Mars Hill Church it’s all about Jesus, even in biblical counseling where over the past year, hundreds of men and women, with their wounds and enslavements, have come to groups seeking freedom from Jesus—and have been changed. His light has broken through the darkness of sin’s deception; his love has melted hardened, bitter, hearts. Scales have fallen from eyes that had been blinded by rote religiosity. Marriages have been mended as husbands and wives go through groups together. Burdens of shame have been exchanged for the freedom of forgiveness and the assurance of God’s love. Mars Hill’s Redemption Groups—gospel-based recovery for the abused, addicted, and distressed of all kinds—launched in Fall 2008 at the Ballard campus. In 2009, four more campuses started groups—Shoreline, Downtown Seattle, West Seattle, and Bellevue—along with a few churches outside of Mars Hill, including one overseas. Also in 2009, Crossway signed the Redemption book for publication in January 2011, paving the way for campuses, churches, prison ministries, and homeless shelters around the world to offer Redemption Groups. Group participants, commissioned to "let the redeemed of the Lord say so" among family, friends, and Community Groups, have shared the hope of redemption with others. Many have gone on to train and serve as leaders in Redemption Groups, Community Groups, and Post-Service Prayer ministries, flourishing in their God-given talents and newfound freedom. We have heard many awe-inspiring stories from group participants. Here are just a few: "This has seriously been the single most life-changing event in my spiritual life beyond my conversion. I praise God for my Redemption Group, for loving me enough to help squash my idols and strip me of my false identity. For the first time in my life, I can truly say I have tasted and seen that the Lord is good, that the living God is my refuge." "All the sin that is so hard to give up isn’t so hard when you really just want God. We all have idols, and we all think ours is the most embarrassing, but God wants you back, because he loves you." "I felt so much freedom to express my feelings and fears. I have been set free from the bonds of shame. God has brought me to a place of recognizing that I am not a victim, but at the same time allowing me to recognize the hurt that has caused by a broken relationship with my father. I'm thankful for this gift and the friends I've made in the process." "This has been a life-altering experience. My heart has definitely been shaken and I am ready to allow God's healing hands to fully touch my life. I have never been so open about my life before." "While I was in the group, God showed me how precious I am to Him and I started to see that no matter how awful my story was, His story is so much bigger and more powerful." "Jesus has opened my eyes to see the real love I have been missing out on. It's really quite breathtaking."