Most often, our churches are new church plants, starting from the square one. In other cases, though, as with our churches in Sammamish, West Seattle, and Bellevue, an established church chooses to join our church body and become a Mars Hill church. This was also the case for Mars Hill Albuquerque two and a half years ago. Years before, Pastor Dave Bruskas had planted the church City on a Hill, but come summer of 2009, they had the chance to join Mars Hill and they took it. Here is a word from Pastor Dave on what that process was like, and how the church has grown since then. The mission of Mars Hill Church is to make disciples and plant churches. This takes place in a number of ways. We’re continually praying and seeking God’s blessing as we strive to make much of Jesus. When it comes to church planting, we’ve historically seen Mars Hill grow as a church in one of two ways. The primary way we plant new Mars Hill churches is when a man feels called to a city or area and approaches the elders to plant a Mars Hill Church. We’re seeing this happen with our new churches in Orange County, Portland, Everett, and Rainier Valley as well as a number of other churches in the beginning phases of planning. Occasionally, an opportunity arises to have an existing congregation join Mars Hill as a church to help in the work God has set before us. These types of partnerships take much prayer and humility on both sides and are very rare. Such was the case two years ago when I approached the elders at Mars Hill to discuss merging City on a Hill two years ago.

An Ordinary Start

Mars Hill Church and City on a Hill Church in Albuquerque, the church I’d pastored for 10 years, began discussing a partnership during the first months of 2009. Leaders from both churches met to pray about and talk through what it might look like for City on a Hill to become the first out-of-state Mars Hill church. During that season, many important questions surfaced, such as, "How would this new venture be led?" "Who owns the assets and how do we account for money?" and even, "How would a church culture forged in Seattle work in Albuquerque?" But one question rose above all the others as most important: "Would more people meet Jesus if we went through with this?" After months of deliberation, the leaders of both churches unanimously answered that question with a resounding "Yes!" Then everyone went to work. On July 1, 2009, the City on a Hill elders voted to dissolve and Mars Hill Albuquerque was born. The first public service of Mars Hill Albuquerque was held on September 13 of that year.

At an Extraordinary Cost

Mars Hill Church paid a generous sum of money in order to bring City on a Hill Church aboard as a new church. The decision was made to keep all City on a Hill staff and facilities. Salaries and benefits were increased, technology was improved, new flooring was added in the vintage Lobo Theater, signage changed, and storage space was constructed. Lastly, Mars Hill Church invested significant money so that sermons could be translated into Spanish for the benefit of the people living in Albuquerque and beyond.

Then Takeoff

City on a Hill Church averaged 275 men, women, and children in attendance each week for the six months leading up to becoming Mars Hill Albuquerque. In less than two short years, the church now has over 700 people attending services weekly. Even more encouraging are the 250 people who have been baptized since September 2009. Lives are being transformed, disciples are being made, and churches planted for Jesus’ glory. It’s my prayer all our churches would do that forever. For more on the decision to go to Albuquerque from the Seattle-Mars Hill side of things, read Pastor AJ Hamilton's post, "Why on Earth Did Mars Hill Go to New Mexico?" which we ran as part of last fall's This Is Mars Hill series. Dave Bruskas is an executive elder and network pastor for all Mars Hill churches.