Were you there, men?

I’ve had the privilege of seeing Mars Hill Church through many seasons of investment of the men God has called to be a part of his family and a part of this church. It’s seen multiple incarnations and evolved in time and transmission, but never left the core of what we teach.

I was a new Christian when Pastor Mark rallied the men and handed out stones to all the dudes at a theater in the University District, admonishing us to man up and be real men that loved God and advanced the gospel.

I was an intern when we started “Dead Men”, a theological fight club that included debating church doctrines with the listeners armed with NERF weapons to annihilate the loser.

I was a deacon when we had the first “Men’s Advance” – no retreat, gentlemen – and helped oversee the event as we took the guys to Warm Beach Camp for intensive teaching and training.

I was a pastor when we put together “Reborn on the Battlefield”, another Advance that I’m still reminded of when I see dudes with T-shirts sporting the horned skull with a sword sticking in it. That was both a blast and a blessing.

Did you miss all of that? No worries – the tradition continues in October, monthly, at Mars Hill | Lake City when we begin “Real Men”, a new monthly tradition where we will rally the men on the first Wednesday of every month for training, testimonies, and prayer over what we’re currently facing in our lives as individuals and as the church. We’ll be incorporating the classic essentials with new teaching and application and guest speakers and discussion groups. It will be an integral time for our connected, mature men to come together with new dudes and guys who haven’t landed in Community at Mars Hill, sharing in comraderie around our commission in Christ.

October 1st kicks things off with “WAR”, which will include everything from The Fellowship of the Ring to the Iraq War and our real conflict as biblical missionaries loving our city but facing a real, spiritual enemy. The importance of friendship – real friendship between God-fearing men – will be a highlight that threads through our first quarter. What does that look like? Join us and find out.

Doors will be open at 6.30pm so guys can hang out, meet each other, break the ice, etc. Real Men will bring beef jerky and other manly snacks to share. At 7 the agenda will officially commence for the evening so come early and get to know the guys next to you in the trench as we serve our God and imitate Jesus.