Kacie - Downtown Seattle 2009-14

Your Name

Kacie

Gender

Female

Which describes your role at Mars Hill?

Regular Attender

What Mars Hill location(s) did you attend?

Downtown Seattle

What years were you involved / attending?

2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

How did you first hear about Mars Hill?

I noticed the name because I had attended a few services at an unrelated Mars Hill in Grand Rapids. My friend kept pestering me to find a church and finally I gave in and decided to go check MH services out.

What was the circumstance of your first time attending Mars HIll?

I believed in God. I was pretty sure that was the same thing as Jesus and I thought it might be good to know what other believers knew and did. I thought I would find a way to live out my faith in a way that was appropriate. I really just wanted to honor the God who had made His existence and mercy clear to me.

What were your first impressions?

A sober fella from AA introduced himself and made me feel a part of. I felt free to entertain my curiosities and listen and agree or disagree. I was sort of lost in the stack of connect cards but God used that kerfuffle to lead me to the community group that I would most bond with and found lifelong friends there. I was very impressed with the authenticity of the people there. The format was wild, unpredictable, intimate and there was a sincere desire to seek God, worship and celebrate Him through conversation art reading and community projects.

Why was Mars Hill your church home?

I thought so but it turns out just Jesus and wherever my feet are is home.

What about your time at Mars Hill has had a positive impact on you?

Everything in one way or another. I saw hypocrisy, but I am a hypocrite, I saw gender prejudice but I am called a 1st son and a saint according to the bible, I saw abuse but I take advantage of people and neglect them too. Really I think we are just a bunch of folks in need of redemption and that's what we get so it’s all positive. I often choose to be negatively impacted but that's not a Mars Hill thing that's a lazy victim confusion depression thing that I battle from time to time

What about your time at Mars Hill has had a negative impact on you?

I think that pretty much said it. I managed to be sort of safe in grace. I know a lot of folks were hurt and confused by what was going on there but I felt really free and my community there was really genuinely there for me in all of life's confusion pain and joys.

What would you like to have changed about Mars Hill?

I wish the sermons focused more on love. I wish that people acted out of love and supported one another. I wish prophecy and mercy held more reverence. I wish there was more involvement from the supposed leaders to serve attenders readily and with prayer and confined cry from the Spirit. I wish dollars were distributed to the disadvantaged among us and the missions that individuals believed in doing for service to the community around them. I wish foreign missions were revered all in all I wish the Holy Spirit had been regularly consulted and the people (person) preaching would throw his arms up and pray when unsure and share the pulpit. I wish that there was more humility when leaders were sure and I wish that the group had formed better relations with other church organizations institutions and communities

Which describes you?

I left Mars Hill prior to closure.

Please describe why you left Mars Hill and what that experience was like.

It wasn't like leaving it was like going where I felt God was leading me

How would you describe the reason for Mars Hill's closure to an outsider.

It's my opinion that it pancaked due to pride over ideologies, doctrine, a lack of love and unwillingness to repent for these things

What's changed for you since your time at Mars Hill came to an end?

Well I'm still a poor dirtbag who doesn't know much or love very well but I know it and that makes me feel like God is pretty incredible and does love very well. I don't feel like I am as much of a spoiled brat, even though I'm probably even more of a brat than I was. I don't attend services anywhere regularly but the Spirit comes when he comes and ordains appointments for my enjoyment encouragement discipline and who knows maybe even to be of service to my fellows. Life feels a lot messier and I think that's because I'm a little more present in it

Please write anything else you'd like to add.

What do you call a pile of kittens?
A meowntain