Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be highlighting some of the content from our 2007-2008 annual report. This publication is meant to provide more than a summary of the past twelve months at Mars Hill. As I wrote in the introductory letter, “we’ve published an annual report to invite the entire church to prayerfully consider with us the year behind, the year ahead, and our faithfulness in this very moment.” The letter continues:

The Past

Jesus says, “Every branch that does bear fruit [God] prunes, that it may bear more fruit” (John 15:2). This was certainly true of our past year. We celebrated much fruit in the form of four new campuses, hundreds of new believers, and almost one thousand new church members. We also endured much pruning in the form of a necessary church reorganization, budget cutbacks due to a giving shortfall, membership renewal, and the ongoing criticism and attention that a church our size tends to attract.

The Future

Jesus promises that the life of a Christian will not be easy (John 15:18–20). We confidently expect God’s great work to continue. Therefore, we soberly anticipate more difficult challenges to come. We look forward to both the season of harvest as evidence of God’s faithfulness, and the season of pruning as evidence of his hand at work for his fame and for our good.

The Present

Jesus calls us to “abide” in him (John 15:4) through community, sacrifice, prayer, the church, and the Bible. Our past is because of him, our future belongs to him, and all of us must remain in him or we can do nothing. The labor of Mars Hill Church is far from over, and the future depends on our
faithfulness to Jesus and each other in the present.

Jesus’ work at Mars Hill Church cannot be reduced to a single publication—or any number of publications, for that matter. But the evidence is clear: Jesus is alive. Jesus is at work in and through and among his people. Jesus is very good to us. To him be the glory.