From the pulpit on Sunday, we talk a lot at Mars Hill about "being in community" and "getting discipled," but what we don’t want you to hear are dry commands, void of gospel-centered reasons why you should do them. Fortunately, our own pastors Brad House and Bill Clem have written two new Re:Lit books about these respective subjects, which both hit shelves this Friday, September 30.

Community: Taking Your Small Groups Off Life Support

by Pastor Brad House

To have "It’s all about Jesus" constantly placarded before us isn’t just gimmicky church marketing; we need to hear this, remember this, and live our lives in light of this. It’s such a simple phrase, but so easy to forget, especially when we’re socially isolated. We need community to remind each other of how that simple little phrase applies to life and why it matters. In Pastor Brad’s book, Community, he examines healthy, gospel-centered small groups in three sections. He first lays a biblical foundation for the need and purpose of small-group community: We weren’t built for isolation. We weren’t made to live lives disconnected from one another. We are created in the image of a God who dwells in community. We are created for community. Maybe you’re already in community, but your group feels like it’s barely surviving. How do we take our community groups off life support? In the second part of the book, Pastor Brad presents a big-picture "health plan" for small groups, looking closely at the nuts and bolts of small-group ministry. We want our communities at Mars Hill to be thriving, healthy gospel centers. That doesn’t mean that everything is perfect and no one has problems, but it does mean we are continually grounded in the good news of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. The book ends with a practical section detailing with ways we can move forward as a church having more missional small groups that bless each other, the church, and their communities. Community is a great gift from God given to us to share with anyone and everyone.

Disciple: Getting Your Identity from Jesus

by Pastor Bill Clem

A disciple is a follower. As Christians, we are disciples of Christ. Our entire identity is defined by Jesus, so we do well to think carefully about what it truly means to be a disciple. In Pastor Bill’s book, Disciple, the reader is asked, if it is all about Jesus, then where do you fit into God’s story? Pastor Bill uses Scripture and real-life stories to illustrate the essential elements of Christian discipleship. He looks at the characteristics and distortions of image, worship, community, and mission. He dives into what it means for these four crucial areas of life to be grounded in Jesus. Each chapter ends with an assignment in which Pastor Bill encourages you to journal through Scripture passages built around a particular theme. The book finishes with a practical look on weekly planning and the multiplication of disciples, since we’re also called to be disciple-making disciples. Both veteran and new Christians can benefit from this comprehensive look at what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. We hope these two books will serve you and the church well. Both Community and Disciple are published by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.org.