Tony - Shoreline 2006-14

Your Name

Tony

Gender

Male

Which describes your role at Mars Hill?

Regular Attender

What Mars Hill location(s) did you attend?

Shoreline

What years were you involved / attending?

2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

How did you first hear about Mars Hill?

I met some attendees at another ACTS 29 church Celebrate Recovery meeting in Bellevue.  I told them I was still looking for a church that felt right, they said they loved Mars Hill.

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

Walked into the Ballard location and felt instantly at home.

What were your first impressions?

Loved everything, how Mark taught the bible was far and above all other reasons.  The music and bands were great, decor, coffee all added to the experience.  I liked that it was big enough that I could walk in and walk out without greeters.

The bands were amazing.

Why was Mars Hill your church home?

They were not pushy but they offered support to me right from the start.  James Noriega and Bent Meyer gave me one on one biblical therapy.

The church introduced me to people who really wanted to help and let me know they were there.  I also got into a men's group with Leo Schultz and that helped as well.

Once I got into redemption group, I was able to become sober after years and years of struggling.  Gods church saved my life.

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

It helped me come to understand God and his love and meet people who were not afraid to talk about their real problems.

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

I miss it, no other church has felt like home or made me feel excited to go.  It will be harder for me to ever tithe again because I know I will question how money is spent.

What would you like to have changed about Mars Hill?

More controlled growth and accountability.

Which describes you?

I stayed at Mars Hill through closure.

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

I didn't want it to be over, it was depressing that Mark would not repent and be honest about what happened.  I wanted to see who was going to stay on.  The church seemed in a hurry to close, from my point.

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

The head pastor spent church money to have a company buy his books to get on the NY Times bestseller list.  He was also accused a being a bully to others who ran the church.  Mark's ego became one of a big business CEO.

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

I'm sad I don't have a community of friends that go to a church I feel comfortable at.  It is harder now to trust churches.

Please write anything else you'd like to add.

Mark was an incredible bible teacher, people were great there.  There was low pressure to get involved in events but you knew you were welcome anywhere at anytime.  They helped me truly save my life and become a better father, husband and overall child of God.