"Tuesday, May 31, 1904 at 7 P. M. took place the laying of the cornerstone," the church’s historical records indicate. When work first began on University Baptist Church, Teddy Roosevelt was president, the Wright Brothers had recently taken flight, and the state of Washington was less than 15 years old. The building was constructed for the work of the gospel, and by God’s grace it is now Mars Hill Church’s turn to carry that legacy. After months of due diligence, we officially purchased the facility today.

This is Huge

The building will be home to our U-District Campus and is located mere blocks away from the University of Washington, one of the largest, most influential institutions on the West Coast. Students come from around the globe to study at UW, representing over 100 countries. A permanent presence in the middle of this crossroad of cultures will allow us to take full advantage of the transitory nature of college life. We’re in a position to influence these kids for just a few short years before they go on to start families, build organizations, lead communities, and change the world. When students graduate, they’re sent out to either build their own kingdom or live for Jesus’ name. A sense of urgency comes with the territory, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Two Years in the Making

Though some of Mars Hill Church’s earliest roots can be traced to the Ave (the U-District’s primary thoroughfare), the latest effort to serve the student population goes back almost two years. The idea behind the "College Mission" was to build a team of faithful missionaries serious about sharing the gospel with their peers—not a social club for Christians. Under the leadership of Pastor Matt Jensen, what started as one community group grew into multiple community groups, which grew into a full-blown Sunday service in Kane Hall. In the past year we’ve seen hundreds of students pack out the lecture auditorium to hear about Jesus. Jesus has been tremendously faithful to this vibrant group of young men and women, and the stories coming out of this ministry are beautiful evidences of God’s grace. One guy got saved in Starbucks. People got baptized in Red Square. Six hundred students showed up to hear Pastor Mark preach about Pagan Pop Culture. Jesus loves the U-District.

A Global Effort

The University of Washington is an international community, so it’s fitting that a large portion of the financial support for the new building purchase comes from our Global Fund. Over the course of the past year, generous friends of Mars Hill worldwide have contributed almost $2 million toward future campuses and gospel work. Thank you to the many who have given in faith to see something like the U-District Campus come to fruition. If anyone else out there has a heart for the U-District or simply want to support this ongoing work of the gospel directly, please consider giving toward the efforts of what is essentially a campus led by poor college students. But lots of them. Pastor Matt is spending his summer getting this "surge of hungry new Christians" ramped up for the new school year; 100 are training to be community group leaders. They’ve got Jesus and now a roof over their heads. God is good.