Easter at Mars Hill Church is one of those days when the best way we can show Jesus' glory is by simply telling the stories around us. We had close to 20,000 in attendance for Good Friday & Easter, another 19,000 watched online, and 376 were baptized. We praise Jesus because each of those numbers is a unique story. The campus pastors shared some of their Easter stories with us at the end of the day today.

West Seattle

• Pastor James Noriega’s wife, Gina, getting baptized for the first time as a lover of God.
• One of the gal’s in the choir leaving mid-song to get dunked.
• An eight year old, whose parents just worked through a long season following adultery, was dunked by her dad
• Former drug, alcohol, gang-banger and now three-week old Christian getting baptized
• Former drug-addicted, lying, adulterous, nearly-divorced husband now reconciled w/ his wife and baptized today
• A gal who asked a friend last minute if she could attend the Good Friday service, where she ended up receiving Jesus and becoming a Christian.

Lake City

At our 9am service, an entire family of 5 got baptized with an amazing story of deliverance from false religion and God’s blessing to bring an entire family to faith. Dad also got to help baptize his wheelchair-bound son who was literally carried into the water by the family. From frozen water to helping those unable to walk, it was truly miraculous to see fearless members of God’s family demonstrating their wholehearted commitment to their faith and salvation in Jesus Christ.

Downtown Seattle

We baptized 30+ people today with many of those getting saved at MHDT and many who never knew about Jesus until they came through our doors. Here are some of the people baptized today:

• religious bible study champion baptized who memorized most of the NT but didn’t know Jesus
• porn addict
• drug dealer
• single mom
• rape victim
• agnostic
• heroine addict
• religious nut who thought God hated people
• people saved in Community Group

Albuquerque

• First ever Easter Sunday Gathering in Spanish for Mars Hill Church
• Largest Good Friday/Easter Sunday weekend ever in the Lobo Theater

Molly Reitsema reflecting on watching her husband Jeffrey Reitsema get baptized and then having him baptize her. "It was one of the most special things ever. As I saw him get baptized, I started crying because it’s just so special to know that we not only have a relationship in marriage, but more importantly we have a relationship in Christ. I just thought back to our wedding day and it was so special to get married…this is right there…to see him get baptized and then have him baptize me."

Bellevue

Mars Hill Bellevue saw over 2000 people walk through the doors of a gymnasium turned church. We had 25 people register to be baptized and another 25 who, moved by the Holy Spirit, came out of their seats spontaneously. Hundreds at each service witnessed the powerful work of Jesus Christ in the lives of the young and old as children as young as five and people well into their 60’s stood up proclaiming Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and were baptized. Husbands baptized their wives, fathers baptized their daughters, one man left saying; "I came in empty and I’m leaving filled up!"

Olympia

• The two big highlights for tonight, we had 7 baptisms - two Dads baptized their daughters. 3 others came to Christ in the past 6 months through Mars Hill Olympia.

• It was a packed house with lots of new visitors.

• New host homes for CG’s

• New people signed up for Redemption groups.

U-District

Dads baptizing college age sons and daughters, and friends baptizing one another. I met several people being baptized after they had become Christians while attending Mars Hill U-District services. It was an amazing night. The Holy Spirit simply showed up and glorified Jesus. Most electric event I think I have ever been a part of. To think that our service is 6 months old and this is happening, blows me away. Jesus is alive and after the U-District!

Federal Way

We praise God for all the baptisms, testimonies, and changed lives. I had a pleasure of baptizing my own 7 year old daughter, Karis. It also marked the first year anniversary of my wife Carol and my own baptism at the West Seattle Campus. Testimonies shared brought tears of joy and gladness, joy of forgiveness, joy of sharing the gospel to a friend and freedom from shame caused by molestation, rape, abortions, sexual sin and so forth. They were more than happy to declare their identity in Jesus!

Shoreline

One highlight: A family invited one of the son’s of a personal trainer the husband met at the gym. This young man heard the gospel and gave his life to Jesus. He came forward for baptism clearly broken by his sin in the face of Jesus’ grace. Uncontrollable tears were flowing as he stood publicly in the water for baptism. Pastor Mark added, "We had many professions of faith. Only God knows who was genuinely converted and regenerated. We will follow up with those who made professions to ensure they have such things as a Bible and community group to help serve them, along with counsel and a redemption group if they were addicted or abused. Those who were genuinely converted will demonstrate it with an ongoing changed life by God's grace."