Rob Bell and Mars Hill
Rob Bell and Mars Hill
Hello everybody. I was wondering if anyone here is familiar with Rob Bell or Mars Hill in Grand Rapids, Mi.? For those of you who don't know, it is one of the fastest growing churches in American history. If you do know about it I am interested in hearing your opinions as I have never attended a church like this before. Thanks and blessings!
Last edited by Guest on Wed Dec 31, 1969 7:00 pm, edited 0 times in total.
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Wow. Must be pretty recent 'cause I've never heard about them before.
Would you mind providing some contact or website info so we can check 'em out?
Would you mind providing some contact or website info so we can check 'em out?
Last edited by Guest on Wed Dec 31, 1969 7:00 pm, edited 0 times in total.
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Agape,
loaves
"And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves...And they did all eat, and were filled" (Mark 6:41-42)
loaves
"And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves...And they did all eat, and were filled" (Mark 6:41-42)
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_Blind Beggar
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- Location: Portland, OR
Rob Bell is the teaching pastor at Mars Hill Bible Church, which has been around since 1999. It is part of what is commonly called the Emerging Church Movement. They are an orthodox, evangelical, postmodern body.
I just did a Google and found the following Christianity Today article: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2004/011/12.36.html
I just did a Google and found the following Christianity Today article: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2004/011/12.36.html
Last edited by Guest on Wed Dec 31, 1969 7:00 pm, edited 0 times in total.
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_Les Wright
- Posts: 105
- Joined: Thu Mar 04, 2004 11:32 am
I think you could find VHS/DVD resources at your Christian bookstore from them.. we were presented with one on a small gathering SUnday morning service once... the week after xmas this year I think..
I thought it was pretty thought provoking. It could be used for unchurched people I think to reach out.
Thats all I know.
Les
I thought it was pretty thought provoking. It could be used for unchurched people I think to reach out.
Thats all I know.
Les
Last edited by Guest on Wed Dec 31, 1969 7:00 pm, edited 0 times in total.
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_Michael Wesley
- Posts: 8
- Joined: Sat Mar 11, 2006 2:39 pm
- Location: Thunder Bay, Ontario
I just heard of this church and pastor today. After doing some research, I learned that Rob Bell is also the author of Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith I haven't read this book, but am interested in reading it and/or hearing from someone who has.
From my brief bit of research, it appears that their first service as a church (Mars Hill Bible Church) attracted about 1000 visitors. It is said that this was done without advertising, but just "word-of-mouth and the launch support of Calvary Church, Grand Rapids." Since then it has experienced massive growth and is now attracting 10 000 churchgoers. It also seems that many of the churchgoers are young people between 20 and 30--a group that some say has been ignored by most other churches. As a person in this age-group, I haven't felt that my age group has been ignored, but perhaps that's just my experience in the churches I have attended. Either way, this is exciting news to me as I feel that many of the people in my age group are hungry for God and are becoming increasingly disinfranchised with the systems and driving forces of our mainstream secular culture. However, most of these people would be very reluctant to enter the doors of most churches, both traditional and contemporary.
Mars Hill Bible Church has been called an "emerging church"; a movement that is experiencing much growth. Although Mars Hill is a "mega-church", it is said to differ from other mega-churches in that it "places little emphasis on high-tech production during its weekly gatherings." Gatherings are simple and pared-down to just the basics because they have the "belief that the gatherings should not be a performance, as many megachurches are often known for."
You can listen to their recent Sunday teachings on their website http://www.mhbcmi.org/listen/index.php
I gathered much of my information from Wikipedia. To learn more see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Hill_Bible_Church
As one who attends a small church and enjoys the intimacy and community that goes along with it, I have come under the conviction that I have a certain amount of pride in being a part of a small church. But, I am now seeing things differently. I believe that God's heart is to see more and more of humanity repent and enjoy a relationship with Him as their Lord. Mega-Churches like Mars Hill (and others) have the resources and momentum to expand the Kingdom of God in big ways. For this reason I am excited that churches like Mars Hill Bible Church exist.
From my brief bit of research, it appears that their first service as a church (Mars Hill Bible Church) attracted about 1000 visitors. It is said that this was done without advertising, but just "word-of-mouth and the launch support of Calvary Church, Grand Rapids." Since then it has experienced massive growth and is now attracting 10 000 churchgoers. It also seems that many of the churchgoers are young people between 20 and 30--a group that some say has been ignored by most other churches. As a person in this age-group, I haven't felt that my age group has been ignored, but perhaps that's just my experience in the churches I have attended. Either way, this is exciting news to me as I feel that many of the people in my age group are hungry for God and are becoming increasingly disinfranchised with the systems and driving forces of our mainstream secular culture. However, most of these people would be very reluctant to enter the doors of most churches, both traditional and contemporary.
Mars Hill Bible Church has been called an "emerging church"; a movement that is experiencing much growth. Although Mars Hill is a "mega-church", it is said to differ from other mega-churches in that it "places little emphasis on high-tech production during its weekly gatherings." Gatherings are simple and pared-down to just the basics because they have the "belief that the gatherings should not be a performance, as many megachurches are often known for."
You can listen to their recent Sunday teachings on their website http://www.mhbcmi.org/listen/index.php
I gathered much of my information from Wikipedia. To learn more see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Hill_Bible_Church
As one who attends a small church and enjoys the intimacy and community that goes along with it, I have come under the conviction that I have a certain amount of pride in being a part of a small church. But, I am now seeing things differently. I believe that God's heart is to see more and more of humanity repent and enjoy a relationship with Him as their Lord. Mega-Churches like Mars Hill (and others) have the resources and momentum to expand the Kingdom of God in big ways. For this reason I am excited that churches like Mars Hill Bible Church exist.
Last edited by Guest on Wed Dec 31, 1969 7:00 pm, edited 0 times in total.
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_hollyplace
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Tue Jul 11, 2006 5:14 pm
Michael,
With all due regards for much of what you are expressing, one of your sentences caught my attention: "However, most of these people would be very reluctant to enter the doors of most churches, both traditional and contemporary." I think this idea is a common error in the body of Christ today. The only door into the church is Jesus Christ. Jesus is the door. It is out of order to desire to bring people into a gathering of believers, making our buildings, programs, speakers, music, etc... more attractive to the unbelievers or people of the day, in order to bring them in. This is the wrong idea. It is somewhat like sex before marriage - it's out of order and not the way. Jesus is the way. He is the door. Only when a person comes to a saving knowledge and acceptance of Him, do they enter the church. The church is the people, not a building, program, music, etc. The church is the family of God. It should look like a family and relate to one another like a family. A person comes into the family of God when they recieve the son. Jesus taught us to go out into the world to teach the gospel, not bring them to our places. We are to go to them, not bring them to us in order for them to know Him. Jesus never taught people to "go to church" or try to get unbelievers to "go to church." As far as I can see, Jesus never taught us to do church the way many people think of it today. That was not the goal. The goal was to come to Jesus in order to be adopted into the family of God. We should be living in and amongst people, telling them about our loving Lord and Savior as we walk through the day, work in our work places, shop in the market places, etc... By the power of His spirit, our lives should become more and more filled with the spirit of Christ, that wherever we go, people can know Him by our lives, testimony, and how we love one-another. We should spend time with people, loving them, eating with them, working with them, playing with them, just as Jesus did, and telling them when appropriate about our heavenly Father. Jesus is the best teacher, and the way He did it is the best way, going about the earth, living, eating, working, teaching, praying, healing, etc.... His way is the best way. He is the only way.
So in summary, I don't agree at all with the idea of getting people into these structures, making them appealing, etc.... Like you said, most people would not don the doors of most of todays churches and they shouldn't. Those who are called, must come to the Lord Jesus before they come into the family of God. He is the door. Believers teach them about Jesus wherever they are, through the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the believers who are living in the world, not of the world. As we walk with the Lord, we should learn to be a family of God, looking more and more like family, loving one another, becoming His disciples, teaching others, just like he did, out in the world, using His methods, not some modern day ideas.
Best regards.
Renee
With all due regards for much of what you are expressing, one of your sentences caught my attention: "However, most of these people would be very reluctant to enter the doors of most churches, both traditional and contemporary." I think this idea is a common error in the body of Christ today. The only door into the church is Jesus Christ. Jesus is the door. It is out of order to desire to bring people into a gathering of believers, making our buildings, programs, speakers, music, etc... more attractive to the unbelievers or people of the day, in order to bring them in. This is the wrong idea. It is somewhat like sex before marriage - it's out of order and not the way. Jesus is the way. He is the door. Only when a person comes to a saving knowledge and acceptance of Him, do they enter the church. The church is the people, not a building, program, music, etc. The church is the family of God. It should look like a family and relate to one another like a family. A person comes into the family of God when they recieve the son. Jesus taught us to go out into the world to teach the gospel, not bring them to our places. We are to go to them, not bring them to us in order for them to know Him. Jesus never taught people to "go to church" or try to get unbelievers to "go to church." As far as I can see, Jesus never taught us to do church the way many people think of it today. That was not the goal. The goal was to come to Jesus in order to be adopted into the family of God. We should be living in and amongst people, telling them about our loving Lord and Savior as we walk through the day, work in our work places, shop in the market places, etc... By the power of His spirit, our lives should become more and more filled with the spirit of Christ, that wherever we go, people can know Him by our lives, testimony, and how we love one-another. We should spend time with people, loving them, eating with them, working with them, playing with them, just as Jesus did, and telling them when appropriate about our heavenly Father. Jesus is the best teacher, and the way He did it is the best way, going about the earth, living, eating, working, teaching, praying, healing, etc.... His way is the best way. He is the only way.
So in summary, I don't agree at all with the idea of getting people into these structures, making them appealing, etc.... Like you said, most people would not don the doors of most of todays churches and they shouldn't. Those who are called, must come to the Lord Jesus before they come into the family of God. He is the door. Believers teach them about Jesus wherever they are, through the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the believers who are living in the world, not of the world. As we walk with the Lord, we should learn to be a family of God, looking more and more like family, loving one another, becoming His disciples, teaching others, just like he did, out in the world, using His methods, not some modern day ideas.
Best regards.
Renee
Last edited by Guest on Wed Dec 31, 1969 7:00 pm, edited 0 times in total.
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Renee
good post, renee. in general, i see megachurches (and any seeker sensitive type church) as a giant baby pool. it can hold a lot of people but you cant go very deep. of course there may be exceptions.
TK
TK
Last edited by Guest on Wed Dec 31, 1969 7:00 pm, edited 0 times in total.
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"Were not our hearts burning within us? (Lk 24:32)
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_Deep Stuff
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Thu Apr 15, 2004 5:23 pm
- Location: Farmington NM
I bought Velvet Elvis at a Promise Keepers Rally after watching a video (NOOMA) of Rob Bell's they showed. The book has some good stuff in it, but also a lot that isn't good. Please read this article http://www.relationalconcepts.org/long% ... Review.pdf I'm afraid I have to agree with the reviewer, Dr David DeWitt, that in Repainting the Christian Faith, "Bell uses questions in much the way Satan used them in the Garden of Eden. He changes 'God hath said!' into 'Hath God said?'”
Bell teaches that the meaning of Scripture cannot be found in any objective manner since it must be interpreted by subjective people (pp. 44-46). Bell believes the church has the authority to make new interpretations of the Bible (pp. 50, 68) based on what Jesus said about “binding and loosening.” And away he goes.
Bell teaches that the meaning of Scripture cannot be found in any objective manner since it must be interpreted by subjective people (pp. 44-46). Bell believes the church has the authority to make new interpretations of the Bible (pp. 50, 68) based on what Jesus said about “binding and loosening.” And away he goes.
Last edited by Guest on Wed Dec 31, 1969 7:00 pm, edited 0 times in total.
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I read Velvet Elvis last year and rather enjoyed it. In fact, I thought it was terrific. Of course, I disagreed with him on some points, and there were things in the book that I thought could have been expressed much more clearly. But that's pretty much what reading Christian books is all about. I don't think I've ever read one I agreed with fully.
Bell comes across as a bit of a mystic at points, and as an iconoclast throughout. I'm planning on re-reading it this year, mostly because of the negative things I've heard said about it. For me, I found it somehow refreshing, because it wasn't your run of the mill Christian book.
I must confess, when my running partner read the book, he asked me, "Are you sure *you* didn't write it?", because many things Bell brought up were things I'd brought up on our runs. So that might influence my opinion.
Bell comes across as a bit of a mystic at points, and as an iconoclast throughout. I'm planning on re-reading it this year, mostly because of the negative things I've heard said about it. For me, I found it somehow refreshing, because it wasn't your run of the mill Christian book.
I must confess, when my running partner read the book, he asked me, "Are you sure *you* didn't write it?", because many things Bell brought up were things I'd brought up on our runs. So that might influence my opinion.
Last edited by Guest on Wed Dec 31, 1969 7:00 pm, edited 0 times in total.
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