Care and Counseling
Community groups are the primary means for care at Mars Hill. These groups of usually 10-15 people meet throughout the city during the week to share life together and disciple one another. This includes sharing a meal, studying and discussing Scripture, praying for each other, confessing sin, counseling and encouraging one another, as well as being on God’s mission together to love and serve their community.
But when particularly challenging struggles arise, we also offer additional resources to supplement this primary means of care. While some of the details may vary from campus to campus, in general, these resources include:
Post-Service Prayer is an opportunity for anyone to connect with a pastor or volunteer counselor on Sunday after each service. At the Ballard campus, pastors and counselors are available at the front of the stage, and sometimes in the Main Foyer, during this time to pray with folks and help them in their struggles.
We recognize that because of the shame and pain associated with sin, people are more likely to speak with someone they trust. In this way, Post-Service Prayer is a great opportunity—especially for those who aren’t connected to a community group—to meet a trusted Mars Hill leader, who can help them get the care they need.
For those facing difficult and seldom-discussed struggles, like abuse, addiction, and trials of all sorts, Redemption Groups offer a time for growing in knowledge of how God changes our lives by the Gospel. These intense small groups dig deep into difficult and seldom-discussed areas of life. Far beyond Bible study, this is about life study—your life connecting with Jesus’ life.
Each quarter Redemption Night begins with the Redemption Weekend Intensive on Friday night and Saturday. (This is required for group participants and recommended, but optional, for General Track participants.) Redemption Night includes two sessions: a Main Session (open to everyone) and various Breakout Sessions defined by three basic tracks:
- The Group Track features intense small groups that dig deep into difficult areas of life. Participation in these groups requires advance registration.
- The General Track is designed for those who need help, but are not in a Redemption Group. Participants attend the main session and work through the same curriculum that is discussed in the groups. Though this work is independent, General Track participants are encouraged to identify a spouse, friend, or community group member with whom they can discuss the material during the Breakout Session or at another time during the week. Occasionally, there will also be some volunteer biblical counselors and pastors available in the General Track following the main session to address urgent concerns that may arise during the sessions.
- The Recruiting Track is for prospective leaders: Redemption Group leaders, volunteer counselors, and marriage mentors.
2011 WINTER QUARTER
Weekend Intensive: 1/7 (starting at 7pm) and 1/8 (starting at 9am)
Tuesday Nights (starting at 7pm) from 1/11 – 3/8
Redemption Groups are only a way station in a lifelong journey. Groups are brief and get right to work, meeting only about ten weeks. Participants leave groups armed with new ways of seeing God and themselves, and tools for working it out over time in community.
When sins and struggles require individual attention, one-on-one biblical counseling is also available. Like Redemption Groups, the focus here is learning to understand how the gospel applies to each individual’s life. Biblical counseling is seasonal and depends entirely on the person and the situation, but again, the goal is to help people walk through their struggles in community.
CONNECTING TO CARE AND COMMUNITY
We know that there are many people at Mars Hill who are hurting—some because of the abuses committed against them and others because of the sin that enslaves them. But rather than building programs to address each specific trial, the elders have equipped people who’ve known similar troubles to care for those who need help. You can connect with one of these people at your local campus or by emailing one of the addresses below:
