by Kane C. Leonnig

“I love my church!” For the first time in my life, I can say that honestly and joyfully. Being able to make that statement is a wonderful thing. But what’s so great about Mars Hill Church that makes me feel this way? That’s a little more complicated. Growing up in churches, I came to believe that the foundation of a church is its doctrine.

It had been my experience that I was never going to agree 100 percent with any church’s doctrine. There were always little things that I didn’t think lined up with scripture, or that I was too stubborn to submit to. Because I was never fully aligned with a church’s doctrine, I was never fully aligned with a church.

Refusal to fully commit kept me from really getting behind the mission of the church, so I was always just a little outside. I grew bitter toward the church. I blamed and judged the church for being imperfect, for being human.

After some time of not being a part of any church, God used friends and the undeniable pulling of the Holy Spirit to bring me to Mars Hill. Somehow, God began softening my heart towards the church and I continued to attend Mars Hill. At some point during that time, my understanding began to shift almost involuntarily, subconsciously.

As I learned more about God through the teachings and as I slowly opened myself up to being a part of Mars Hill through community and small acts of service, God began working behind the scenes to give me a revelation that I just now have come to realize: I no longer believe the foundation of a church is doctrine.

No, the true foundation of the church is Jesus Christ. I believe that Mars Hill is based on Jesus. This shift changes everything I felt about church! While it was okay for me to disagree with some parts of a church’s doctrines, it’s not okay for me to disagree with any part of the perfect man, Jesus. Since Jesus is perfect, I can get fully behind him. Since Jesus is the foundation of Mars Hill, I can get fully behind Mars Hill. Since I can get fully behind Mars Hill, I can find my place, settle into the body to rest and to serve, and there is no bitterness. At that point, doctrine, while still of huge importance, becomes secondary to Jesus.

I am now free to daily fall more in love with Jesus and more in love with his bride, and my family, the church. I can fully dedicate myself to Jesus and my church, and doctrine is now something that I learn more about through growing closer to Jesus, through biblical study, through sanctification, and through my church, to the glory of God.

Amen.

Our membership class will begin on February 12th and continue for eight weeks until April 1st. To learn more about the Doctrine Class and membership, check out our “Become a Member” page.

HAPPENING THIS WEEK:

• WED – Proxy Student Ministry | 7pm – Multi-Purpose Room
• FRI – Premarital Class | 7:30pm
• SUN  REAL MARRIAGE –  | 9am • 11:15am* • 5pm
  * Video Sermon includes Spanish Subtitles.
  Childcare is provided at all three services.
• ALL WEEK - Community Groups meet in homes, apartment complexes, condos, dorm rooms, coffee shops and restaurants all through out the week.  Find out more here.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

• SUN – Feb 12th – Doctrine Class
• SAT – Feb 18th – Resurgence Seminar – Pastor Brad House – Community
• SUN – Feb 19th – Leadership Sync

SERVING NEEDS:

• Mars Hill Albuquerque has many ministries that are in need of volunteers with servant hearts. To learn of the serving areas please CLICK HERE or visit the info desk.

RECENT BLOG POSTS:

Pastor Matt on Membership and Community Groups

At the end of the day, though, if you’re a disciple of Jesus, you’re going to submit to him. That means you’re going to love his church. That means you’re going to submit to the leadership of the church just as you do to Jesus as the head of the church.

Crystal is My Best Friend – Pastor AJ

Crystal was 17 at the time, and I was 18. I beat out several of my classmates when I convinced her to date me. I made the most of her decision, and we were soon engaged. Seven months and seven weeks later we were married. By that time, I was 19 and she had just turned 18.

Why Should You Become a Member – Deacon Greg Qualls

There are so many different reasons people give about why they don’t want to be a member. Sometimes it’s baggage from another church where membership is a horrible experience. Sometimes it’s baggage from being at a church that had no membership. Both of those situations cause people to view membership in a negative light. The answer to both is pointing to Jesus.

Doctor to Homemaker – Part 1 – Molly Reitsma

I know I would regret not following God’s guidance presently. God is calling me away from medicine now, not one year from now. “Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned him, and to which God has called him.” -1 Corinthians 7:17. Plus, none of us knows how long we have on this earth when. God calls us to a new direction, it is best to be obedient as soon as possible, not just when it’s convenient for me or when the world would say it’s more “logical”.

Molly and her husband Jeff recently decided that Molly would leave a pediatric residency training program and a future career in medicine to become a full-time homemaker. Go here to read Part 1 of this three part series.  Here, Molly explores some of the questions they faced in making this decision.

by Molly Reitsma
April 2011

It is easiest and most helpful for me to organize my/our thoughts in regards to the questions we asked God and asked ourselves throughout this process. Since announcing our decision, many people have asked us these same questions:

Aren’t I making myself too dependent, too vulnerable?

What if Jeff dies, finds himself unemployed, or disabled? Even without board certification, my medical degree still allows for employment options. In regards to being dependant and vulnerable, that is part of God’s design for marriage and the Christian life in general. Husband and wife are to mirror Christ and the church; we humble ourselves to be dependent upon and serve each other, being vulnerable to one another just as we are in relationship to Christ.

Society tells us to be independent and achieve success all on our own. Christians celebrate the fact that we are nothing apart from our God and depend wholly upon him. In addition, we have prepared for the unexpected. We have life and disability insurance policies and keep a modest budget. Yet above all, we are trusting in God’s providence. He is leading us in this decision now and we know he will lead us in future circumstances should I need to pursue an income for our family.

Life is more than money: “Keep your life free from love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you.” God is our ultimate insurance. We trust that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). Even if Jeff dies and I find myself single, we have faith that it would still be part of God’s good plan for us and he will guide us through for our joy and his glory.

Aren’t I too smart to be a homemaker? Won’t I be wasting the gifts God has bestowed upon me?
This was the biggest hurdle for me, and thus requires the longest answer. Just over a year ago, I thought the answer to these questions was a resounding yes. But I realize now that the answer is a confident no! My judgment was formerly clouded by my pride as a physician. I was too good to be “just” a homemaker.

Medicine had become an idol for me; my identity was more in medicine than it was in Christ. Finally I asked myself, “what is more important to me: what I get to do for God, or God?” He is infinitely more important! As long as I have a saving relationship with him, who cares what career he tells me to pursue? And who am I to tell him what I should do with the life and gifts he’s given me? (Romans 9:20-21).

In assessing the gifts that make me so well-suited toward medicine, I also realized that they are broadly applicable and will translate well into the role of homemaker: interacting with children, multitasking, teaching, sharp memory, quick learner, organization. My life is not ultimately defined by Jeff, hypothetical children, or my career. Though all are important parts of who I am, I find perfect fulfillment, joy, and identity in Christ alone. That does not change based upon career or family circumstances.

Not only did I overvalue my role as a physician, I also undervalued the role of homemaker. Of course, I should not be surprised that I held this belief. Our society severely demeans the roles of wife and mother. Most would believe that being a homemaker is something only for those that don’t have “better options” and certainly doesn’t require much intellect. But the bible instructs us otherwise: the roles of wife and mother are a high calling, something to yearn and pray for, an honor!

There are several examples of godly women being specially blessed with marriage and children, and called ‘holy’ for pursuing such roles eagerly: Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Hannah, Ruth… and look at how God describes the wife of noble character in Proverbs 31:10-31; she is strong, intelligent, generous, and homeward in her focus. No, she is not isolated and exclusively in the home, but serving and prioritizing her family, all while fearing God.

Again, in Titus 2:3-5, women are to instruct one another to “love their husbands and children” and be “busy at home” so that “no one will malign the word of God”, and 1Timothy 2:15 states that “women will be saved through childbearing, if they continue in faith, hope and holiness with propriety.” It is undeniable that the roles of wife and mother play a specific and special role in women’s ability to “work out their salvation with faith and trembling” (Phil 2:12-13).

As an aside, Jeff and I do not believe that scripture instructs women to be exclusively homemakers and we do not think it is a sin for women to work outside the home, as long as, if God calls them to be wives and mothers, it doesn’t preclude their ability to serve their family. The duties of a homemaker are important in ensuring the health of one’s family. A house does not become a home if we simply hire out the role of homemaker: paying others to raise our children, clean our home, and cook our food. Jeff and I see me being a homemaker as integral to us revealing the kingdom of God to and through our family and having a positive impact for Christ in this generation and generations to come.

Molly and her husband Jeff recently decided that Molly would leave a pediatric residency training program and a future career in medicine to become a full-time homemaker. This is an unconventional decision in today’s culture. We wanted to share with you some of the questions and thoughts they faced in making this decision.

by Molly Reitsma
April 2011

I am in year two of my three year pediatrics residency training program. Through the prompting of the Holy Spirit and after much discussion and prayer, Jeff and I have decided that I will no longer pursue a career in medicine. This all began when God changed my heart: I no longer have a desire to practice medicine. After this revelation, we took most of a year to make our decision because we wanted to give it the time and thought it deserved, to look at things from every conceivable angle, to make sure this wasn’t typical “burn-out”. It has been an emotional, surprising, scary, and in the end, very exciting, process.

Many may question why I would not complete my residency training and then become a full-time homemaker. I cannot with certainty say that I will not someday feel regret on some level about not completing residency. But I do know we have a very strong sense of certainty and conviction about this decision.

I know I would regret not following God’s guidance presently. God is calling me away from medicine now, not one year from now. “Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned him, and to which God has called him.” -1 Corinthians 7:17. Plus, none of us knows how long we have on this earth when. God calls us to a new direction, it is best to be obedient as soon as possible, not just when it’s convenient for me or when the world would say it’s more “logical”.

We have been encouraged by the story of Elisha in Kings 19: he was called, in a sudden and unexpected moment, away from farming and to the life of a prophet. While plowing fields (like medicine) is honorable, honest work that benefits others and glorifies God, he still had to be obedient to God’s authoritative call on his life towards a new direction. He burned his plow, symbolizing total conversion to his new role. He wasn’t saving farming as a backup plan if prophesy didn’t work out.

We made our final decision in January 2011. I will officially resign in June 2011. I would love to already be done, but I’m finishing out my second year to honor my contract, honor my colleagues and help our family to make a bit more money, since we have large school debt and won’t be making a big “doctor’s” salary until Jeff finishes his training in June 2012. Kind of like King David, I have been appointed but not yet anointed to my new role.

Importantly, we did not make this decision based upon assumptions for our future. We do not assume we’ll be able to have children, live long lives, or remain in good health. We pray for all of these things, but know that life often brings the unexpected. Instead of basing our decision upon assumptions, we made this decision through the influence of God’s Spirit and Scripture. His Spirit has changed our passions and his scriptures have affirmed our instincts toward making this change.

This Sunday Pastor Mark will focus on the topic of a Respectful Wife as he continues through the Real Marriage Series.  Join us at 9am, 11:15am, or 5pm or during the week in one of our Community Groups.

Mars Hill is a church, and the Bible uses the metaphor of a body to describe the church (1 Cor. 12:12). It’s a beautiful illustration of how we’re each created to serve different functions, we need everyone to function in order to be a healthy body, and all of us as separate parts find purpose and unity under Jesus, ‘’the head of the body, the church’’ (Col. 1:18). Members are the church (Eph. 2:19–22). We recently sat down with some members of Mars Hill Church to ask them what some of their thoughts are about membership. The following responses are from Deacon Greg Qualls, who leads a Community Group near I-40 and Eubank.

How long have you been a member at Mars Hill Church?

I have been a member since Mars Hill came to Albuquerque. We were members at City On A Hill for three years before the transition.

As a Christian, all your church participation has included membership, so has there ever been any resistance to the idea?

In the other church I was a part of, while there was membership, it wasn’t valued. It was like a country club membership. Your name was on a list. To this day, I think my name is still on the member role. Their view is that that unless you die or transfer your membership to another church, they still have you on the membership. Once a member, always a member, no matter what you did or didn’t do. But there was nothing behind that, responsibility wise. I’m against that concept of membership.

What would you say to someone who had doubts about membership?

My question would be “why not?” There are so many different reasons people give about why they don’t want to be a member. Sometimes it’s baggage from another church where membership is a horrible experience. Sometimes it’s baggage from being at a church that had no membership. Both of those situations cause people to view membership in a negative light. The answer to both is pointing to Jesus. The fact of the matter is that Jesus calls us to be a body. He calls us to be committed to one another. He calls us to be committed to our pastors and to be in a place where the pastors can minister to us. It’s hard for pastors to really go “This is my flock,” unless that flock is calling to them.

A lot of the time, the reason for someone not becoming a member is sin in that person’s heart, or a sin that was done against them. If someone is reading this and they’re hesitant about becoming a member, I don’t want to give them a blanket answer. I would tell them to ask the tough questions of their own heart. Just say, “Holy Spirit, expose to me why I am fighting against this.” Dive into scripture. I’ve seen so many people buck against the system just for the sake of bucking against the system. But I’ve also seen so many people benefit from membership.

You lead a community group with many newlywed couples, and families that are just beginning to have children. Are there any ways that particular demographics can benefit from membership?

I think any demographic can benefit from membership. The easiest way to explain, and these are verses we always read when we’re doing an interview, is to look at Romans 12:4-6:

“For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith” if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.”

A lot of people in my community group, and I think at Mars Hill in general, they come from a background where they are disconnected from family. They were taught to be individuals. They are completely separated and pulled away in their own little worlds. That’s not the way God ever intended us to live. Look at the Trinity. The Trinity is a community in and of itself. Then God draws us into being in relationship with him as well, through Jesus. Whenever we’re called to Jesus we’re also called to his family. It’s through membership we’re saying that, “We’re dedicated to this family” and the family is saying, “We’re dedicated to you.”

A lot of families I know are having kids. Those kids will never really see their grandparents. If they do have grandparents they see, those grandparents aren’t saved. It’s about having that family of fellow believers who can speak into their lives and say “Here’s how to raise Godly children,” “Here’s how to be a Godly parent,” “Here’s how to be a Godly spouse,” and “Here’s how to find your identity in Jesus as you’re doing those things.” That’s ultimately the heart of membership. It’s not “Here’s your secret handshake and badge. Write a check, and we’ll see you in a few months for our annual meeting.” It’s drawing in to be a family together, to serve and protect and love each other in that.

Our membership class will begin on February 12th and continue for eight weeks until April 1st. To learn more about the Doctrine Class and membership, check out our “Become a Member” page.

by Pastor AJ Hamilton

I fell in love with Crystal Dawn when she leaped from the passenger seat of a moving Suburban to tackle a friend in the back row of the car. I was in the middle row, and I was in awe.

Crystal was 17 at the time, and I was 18. I beat out several of my classmates when I convinced her to date me. I made the most of her decision, and we were soon engaged. Seven months and seven weeks later we were married. By that time, I was 19 and she had just turned 18.

I wanted to grow up with my wife, start having kids, and grow up with them, too. By the time I was 30, God had graced us with five beautiful kiddos. We will celebrate 13 years or marriage in September. In only six short years, we’ll have been married longer than not.

On March 7th, 2010, in a sermon entitled “Jesus Loves Sinners,” Pastor Mark Driscoll touched on some of the Biblical foundations for community groups and membership.

“Jesus loves sinners and was a missionary who went into the culture among sinners. A good missionary 1) follows Jesus, 2) starts a community group (welcoming other people into your life and home) and 3) repents, repents, repents. At Mars Hill Church, we gather (come together as God’s people for preaching, teaching, and worship) and scatter (go out as God’s people for mission and community) because Jesus did both.”

Pastor Matt Wallace, the Executive Pastor at Mars Hill Albuquerque, tells us how his church is following the examples set down by Christ.

How long have you been a Pastor at Mars Hill?
It is over two years. Before that I was at a different church here in Albuquerque, for about 10 years.

How long have you been a Christian?
About 20 years.

So, the churches you were part of before you became a pastor, did any of those have membership processes?
I’ve always been a part of churches that had membership, but not necessarily a process. Some of them were real simple: you’d raise your hand, say you’d like to be a member, and ok, that was it. Others had membership processes similar to ours here at Mars Hill. I think what we do with the membership process takes into account an understanding of who the person is, their testimony. We ask questions. Are they genuinely converted believers? Are they followers of Jesus? Have they been baptized? Most churches have some kind of membership covenant, whether they teach through that and make it accessible or not, there’s usually some kind of interview or signing of the covenant. The member says yes they agree with what the church says.

Do you think that membership can work without someone being part of a community group?
It really can’t. If you do that, you basically have churches that don’t have membership at all. You have churches that have membership with nothing to it. It’s no different than signing up for your little barcode thing at the grocery store. You’re getting some type of benefit out of it, whatever that benefit is, but there’s no investment. You’re just on a list. If you really are going to have a membership process it needs to be connected to the community of the church. We’re in covenant together. We’re a covenant community. We’re called by God to be on mission together. So, if you take community group away from what we do in our member process, then you’re just on a list.

Can you participate in a community group and be part of the church without seeking membership?
Absolutely. We encourage people at Mars Hill, even if you don’t know Jesus, to get into a community group. We’re more concerned about making disciples than we are about making members. At the end of the day, though, if you’re a disciple of Jesus, you’re going to submit to him. That means you’re going to love his church. That means you’re going to submit to the leadership of the church just as you do to Jesus as the head of the church. There are things that, as you grow as a disciple, you begin to see the connection to membership. You see that this is the place God has put me. This is where I need to spend my time talent and treasures. That is reflective of someone who’s saying, “I’m a member of this body. I’ve been gifted for the good of this body and I need this body.”

What would you say to someone who enjoys being a part of Mars Hill but is resisting joining a community group?
On a personal level, I would want to find out the heart behind the resistance. I think you look at it through the lens of discipleship. Being a disciple, for us, that’s reflecting the image of God. We’re recreated through the Gospel, through the work of Jesus to bear God’s image rightly rather than distort it through sin. So, part of reflecting God’s image is that we’re a people in community. We image God, but we also worship God. We’re in community with other believers and we’re on mission. There’s something there that someone with these concerns doesn’t understand about bearing the image of God. Because God himself is in community. There’s something that they’re not understanding about what it means to be a disciple. They’re not an individual who relates with others at convenience but they’re a relational being that is meant to live in community with other people.

You can be at churches that put you in relational settings but that doesn’t mean you walk away feeling known. You can be at churches that have small groups and they study the Bible together, but that doesn’t mean there’s ever anybody who just turns to you and says, “Is this really even making an impact? And what would it look like if it did? And if it’s not, why isn’t it?” We can study the Bible and never ask those questions. We can get together with groups of believers often and still never interact with non-believers. Or if you do interact with non believers, never feel like your gathering, your Bible study, your small group, your home group, whatever it’s called, a place where you could invite those people.

Have you seen Jesus working through community groups and membership to more in people’s lives?
Absolutely. The stories are awesome. I just got an email this past week from a couple, where the woman, in particular, is working through some issues that are physical and spiritual. The husband is doing what he can to shepherd her through this, but it’s a new thing for them to deal with. She had reached out to me via email saying they needed to find a community group, asking about Biblical counseling, asking about redemption groups. It was totally new to them, they didn’t know what to expect, but they knew they couldn’t go on as they were any longer. The first place I started was that they needed to get in community. They need to share what they’re walking through with community. So I gave her a couple of groups to check out. They did, that week, and the next day I get this really long email from her just saying thank you. They went to community group, they shared what they were struggling with, and the community group loved them, served them, and asked hard questions. She even admitted it was intimidating at first, but the more questions were asked, the more she realized that the group wanted to serve her well. They wanted her, and her husband, to grow as disciples. Community group really had an impact and that was their first time in that group.

With membership it’s a little different, because the class is a lecture setting, but we still dialogue some. Every time we’ve done it, both through the questions and through the process, even just taking questions after class, you see people wrestling with their understanding of who God is, who Jesus is, what the Gospel is about, just these things that really root us to our faith. You see the light bulb come on.

In the membership class, why is it important to be present as opposed to reading the book?
It’s no different than the way you learn anything else. I can read something and I have general understanding. I can wrap my mind around it but if I do something, and actually jump in and get my hands dirty, it will have an impact. That’s the hope with the Doctrine class. I would say that the format we have now gives people a chance to really digest information and ask questions. The majority of us, if we’re reading through a book, we have questions. Most people don’t write those down. Some people write them down and never ask them. I think what the Doctrine class is trying to do is go to that third layer: we know you have questions, and we want you to ask them, and then let’s wrestle through the answers together.

What would you say to someone who has doubt about membership?
I’ve got four kids. I’m responsible to father and shepherd those kids. That doesn’t mean if I’m out and about and I see someone else’s child doing something dangerous and life threatening that I won’t step in. But it does mean if I see a kid that’s just being unruly and the parent is not disciplining them, I’m not going to go over there and discipline the kid. That’s not my kid. In a similar fashion, there are clear Biblical commands to me as a Pastor. I need to give an account for souls, shepherding, leading by example. Who am I doing that for? There has to be somebody I am responsible for if I have to give an account for them. The person that wants to come to Mars Hill and just sit in a seat and not follow Jesus, not really respond to the Gospel, not want to hear any wise counsel that’s meant to serve them and then at the same time wants to hold me responsible for that? That’s fairly self-centered and consumeristic. If you really feel like this is where God’s placed you, then let’s go.

Membership is not that difficult of a process. It just requires some time. And it’s time well spent. We get to know who people are through this process. We serve them with the Doctrine class as a gift. We want them to know what the Bible says, we want them to know what Christians believe, and we want them to grow as disciples. You could look at the Doctrine class as this requirement, this thing you have to do, but for us, we just want to give you this content. We want to equip you.

HAPPENING THIS WEEK:

• WED – Proxy Student Ministry | 7pm – Multi-Purpose Room
• FRI – Premarital Class | 7:30pm
• SUN  REAL MARRIAGE –  | 9am • 11:15am* • 5pm
  * Video Sermon includes Spanish Subtitles.
  Childcare is provided at all three services.
• ALL WEEK - Community Groups meet in homes, apartment complexes, condos, dorm rooms, coffee shops and restaurants all through out the week.  Find out more here.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

• SUN – Feb 12th – Doctrine Class
• SAT – Feb 18th – Resurgence Seminar – Pastor Brad House – Community
• SUN – Feb 19th – Leadership Sync

SERVING NEEDS:

• Mars Hill Albuquerque has many ministries that are in need of volunteers with servant hearts. To learn of the serving areas please CLICK HERE or visit the info desk.

RECENT BLOG POSTS:

Thankful for the Doctrine for Kids – Family Guide

The Doctrine for Kids – Family Guide is a gift! Not only will I use it in our family, but I will also continue to use it in our Community Group.

Molly is My Best Friend – Pastor Donovan

It must be noted that throughout this time, Molly had no idea to what degree I liked (i.e., wanted to marry) her and for how long. It wasn’t a creepy stalker thing. I like to think the Spirit showed me how to play my cards right, making me more like a “Spirit stalker.”

by Pastor Donovan Medina

My wife’s name is Molly, and I still remember the first time I saw her. She was walking in a large crowd. She stood out taller and more beautiful than all who stood around her. However, there was one slight problem. She was walking with her boyfriend. So, with much self-control, I maintained my distance and respected the inconvenience.

During this laborious season of restraint, I walked by her in a parking lot. I turned to a friend of mine and said, “If I could marry any girl, it would be her.”

About a year later, I found myself in my first conversation with Molly. It went something like this:

Me: “What’s the deal with your boyfriend?”

Molly: “Let me explain: 1. Take two pieces of paper. 2. Glue them together. 3. Let them dry. 4. Tear the two glued pieces of paper apart. 5. Rip all those pieces into smaller pieces. 6. Throw each piece into the wind and let them land in the gutter.”

Me (in my head): “PRAISE THE LORD!!!”
Me (with poise): “Wow. OK.”

It was at that point that we became friends. For about three months we did everything together. Anything we did had the catch phrase “This is better than Disneyland!” I loved being with her.

It must be noted that throughout this time, Molly had no idea to what degree I liked (i.e., wanted to marry) her and for how long. It wasn’t a creepy stalker thing. I like to think the Spirit showed me how to play my cards right, making me more like a “Spirit stalker.”

According to Molly, her understanding of our relationship changed when her amazingly insightful mother asked her about the status of our relationship. Molly proceeded to try to convince her mom that we were “strictly friends… well, really good friends…OK, best friends…” At that moment she had an epiphany…”I like him!”

After that great moment, we dated, got engaged, and eventually married each other.

Now, with 10 years of marriage and 4 beautiful children under our belt, I am happy to say that Molly is still my best friend. Life with her will always be “better than Disneyland!”

For the record, we’ve never been to Disneyland.

by Kristen Kelly

“Do you ever step away from God’s Big Plan?” I asked the kids on Monday evening during our Community Group.

“Noooooo!”  was the emphatic reply of all the kids, ranging in ages from 4 to 10 years.

“What about when you get in a fight with your brother?”  I asked. There was silence. My words gripped their attention.

“How can you invite Jesus into that time of fighting?” Their common response was “I don’t know.” I encouraged them to ask the Holy Spirit to help them answer the question.

One-by-one, they responded. “Listen.”  “Stop doing what I’m doing.”  “Forgive.”  “Pray.”

I was humbled and recognized the Lord in our midst.

The Doctrine for Kids – Family Guide is a gift! Not only will I use it in our family, but I will also continue to use it in our Community Group. I love that I can rally the kids together mid-week and know that they are all studying the same themes. I love that they are all memorizing the same scripture verses. And I love that there are printed out questions for digging deeper, an option of what Community Group may look like with these kids.

I’m thankful for Deacons Mark and Renae, for leading Mars Hill Kids here in Albuquerque and for the amazing resource in the Family Guide. I look forward to how Jesus will continue to reveal himself to us through the eyes of our children.

If you haven’t picked up Doctrine for Kids – Family Guide, you can get it this Sunday in the Children’s Ministry area.