With two obtrusive pumps attached to his body and strict doctors’ orders to remain in isolation, Danny Hannan went to church anyway. He brought a retractable chair for tailgating up to the side of the church and sat there all morning one Sunday. home. It was the closest he could get to his church family, but for him, it was enough.

We live in a day and age when people are little more than consumers, and as ministers, we can be tempted to provide religious services for religious consumers. But we are not called to consumption; rather we are called to a commission.

The pandemic seems to have dug its tentacles into every thread of our lives, obviously healthcare being at the forefront. As one of our local missions partnerships, Victory Health Partners has certainly felt the effects of the past year.

Is there really a way to have social media and maintain our Christian identity? Is the only way to “be a good Christian” on social media to not have social media? And how do we speak out against injustices while still representing Christ? Daniel addressed these concerns and so many more.

“The kind of mother I think you really want to be is a Mother of Repair. This kind of mom is focused on reconciliation. This kind of mom does not shy away from the hard stuff. She rises and meets the mess head-on. She understands that God is in control and that her role isn’t to fix everything and make it all better but to just be there with truth in her words and grace in her hugs. Children, kids, teenagers, young adults.... they are all going to mess up, often in very big ways. During life’s darkest moments, children don’t need a mom who dances in the kitchen. They need a mother of repair.

We all want authentic community because that means we know each other well enough to notice when there is a need. It means we’re paying attention to each other.

Since 1998, Jim and Mary Mather have led the Friends of Internationals ministry at the University of South Alabama and served as surrogate family for students who are worlds away from the comforts of home.

Hey Mars Family! As a missionary with Horizons International supported by our church I want to share a little bit with you about what God is doing among Muslims in the Middle East!

We pulled up to a section of shacks, and as we piled out of the SUV, three kids emerged from one of the little box houses. One of the missionaries opened the back hatch to reveal a small stack of Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes.

We hear the personal, heartbreaking stories of families struggling through medical issues, and we want to help, we’re just not sure what to do. So for many of us, we let the compassion for these families fade as soon as the news cuts to commercial. Because when the problem is so big and overwhelming and complex, well, how could one person make a dent?

Have you ever walked out of a Sunday gathering longing for something more? What you are longing for though is difficult to explain.

Maybe you, like many others I have talked to, have devoured the biblical teaching at Mars Hill for a while, but still don't feel connected. Maybe you long to meet new people and get involved with the ministries of the church. Perhaps you don't know where to start.

Bosnia and Herzegovina sounds like a fair destination for tourism. It is in fact a location marked with great historical significance including, the Ottoman empire, the assignation of Franz Ferdinand that sparked World War I, and an interesting Civil War that happened there in the 90’s. There are sights to see, trails to walk, information boards to read, but, no, it doesn’t carry the same ring as destinations of other short-term mission trips. It isn’t South America or Africa. It’s Europe, Eastern Europe to be exact. Wasn’t Europe the epicenter of Christianity for hundreds of years? So, why would an American church send missionaries there?

What does it look like for ordinary Christian people to live out their faith in day to day life? It can be challenging to know just what serving God looks like outside of Sunday.

Because of your support we have seen stories of pain turn to joy, stories of death turn to life, and stories of despair turn to hope. God has shown us his goodness and we are grateful to work alongside you as we take part in building the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven.

As a thank you for being a Story Teller, we want to share four of those moments with you from 2017.

We left our 1st Community Group (and may leave our new one soon).