A Message from ECF
A message from Guy Dalrymple, on behalf of the ECF Leadership Transition Team:
Leadership Transition Team Update
Recap of the transition process
Sunday, October 23, was a very exciting time for Evergreen Christian Fellowship. I will attempt to give a brief overview of what happened during our membership meeting and a glimpse of what we can expect going forward.
The Leadership Team presented a recap of what we have gone through financially and from a ministry perspective over the last year. As we discussed back in September, we had a specific financial goal to achieve if we were going to go forward as an independent church. At the same time, we indicated that we would look into and start discussing options for mergers or other ministry opportunities so that, if our financial situation did not sufficiently improve, we could implement one of those options in time to prevent losing the building.
Although many families did step up their sacrificial giving in a big way, it was just not enough.
The Leadership Team had explored several merger options and we shared the details of some of these. Based on our progress at the time, we hosted a meeting with Mars Hill and our Key Ministry Leaders on October 5. This allowed us to gain counsel and insight from more than just the seven of us on the Leadership Team. The comments and reactions of the Key Ministry Leaders were invaluable. In the end, we found that Mars Hill was not only the best fit for similar doctrine, but also had the resources and vision to take our ministry to the next level for the sake of Jesus on the Plateau and beyond.
At this point in the meeting, we invited Pastor Mark Driscoll from Mars Hill to speak to the congregation. He gave us a quick background of his life and the ministry of Mars Hill. Then he explained his vision for ministry on the Eastside. Pastor Mark’s vision and enthusiasm were contagious and a level of excitement was rekindled within us and began to grow. There were several questions for Pastor Mark which he answered in a humble and frankly honest manner. We received feedback from some who came to the meeting with uncertainty but left with a renewed sense of enthusiasm, hope, and gratitude for God’s provision.
We then explained that in order to merge with Mars Hill, we would first need to dissolve the entity of Evergreen Christian Fellowship. To do this requires a two-thirds vote of the members present at the meeting. However, the Leadership Team felt that in order to go forward effectively and in unity, we needed a unanimous vote of all present, members and regular attendees alike. After dispersing and collecting the ballots, we had one ballot from a non-member that was invalidated for failure to vote. The remaining 151 ballots all chose to go forward in ministry as Mars Hill Church Sammamish! We call that unanimous! Pastor Mark then closed our meeting with prayer and we spent the next half hour in conversations with the Mars Hill staff members who had attended.
Going forward as Mars Hill Church Sammamish
So, what does it look like to become Mars Hill Church Sammamish? Starting next week, we will have the Pastor Dave Bruskas preaching for us. A member of the senior leadership team at Mars Hill, he is the Network Pastor who oversees all of the Mars Hill churches. We have been blessed with Pastor Alex Ghioni, who will lead our church in this transition. Deacon Brian McCormack will lead our youth ministry, and he met with our middle school and high school kids last night. You will definitely be able to find Brian—he’s 6’ 9” and has a smile that is as wide as he is tall. The kids took to him immediately. Both the adult and the youth Sunday services will be starting a four-week series on doctrine culminating in a celebration service led by Pastor Mark Driscoll on November 27. This will constitute our “soft launch” with the October 27 service being the first one to include those current Mars Hill families who live in this area but currently attend the Bellevue church. December 4 will be the first Sunday where we’ll be synched up with the regular Mars Hill sermon schedule. The church will hold its official launch on January 15, 2012, the same day Mars Hill churches are launching in Portland, Oregon; Orange County, California; and Rainier Valley, Washington.
Announcement and welcome, October 30
This Sunday, October 30, will include three key activities:
First, you will get to meet Pastors Dave and Alex. Brian will be upstairs with the youth.
Second, we will have an opportunity to honor ECF Pastor Ken Draper for the time he has ministered to us and a free will offering will be collected to show him our appreciation. Thank you cards would also be a nice gesture.
Third, we have all been invited to attend the 4 p.m. service at Mars Hill Church Downtown Bellevue (childcare will be available). Pastor Mark will be announcing Mars Hill Church Sammamish at the end of each service. At the 4 p.m. service he will invite everyone from ECF to stand so that we can be welcomed as a part of the Mars Hill family and prayed for as we start a new chapter in our church’s history. The location is 620 106th Ave NE, the old John Danz Theater building.
Celebration Night, November 1
We are also going to have a celebration night on Tuesday, November 1. Mars Hill Church will be throwing a party so that the ECFcongregation and the Mars Hill members who will be joining us can meet and mingle. There will be worship, prayer, and a brief message from some of the Mars Hill pastors. It all takes place at the church building. Dinner and childcare will be provided. Specific time to be announced Sunday.
The City accounts
One last detail, regarding The City. If you had an account on The City previously, by Thursday morning you should receive an invitation to re-join The City as part of Mars Hill Church Sammamish. Follow the link to accept the invite, and to see instructions on how to recover your username and password if you have forgotten them. For those without a previous account, details on how to join will come out in a subsequent update.
It has been an honor and a privilege to serve on this Leadership Transition Team. This church is our extended family and we each feel a deep sense of love and responsibility for all of you. If you have any questions, we will remain available personally and by email at ECFLTT@evergreenchristian.com until such time as the new leadership staff is in place and communications have been set up.
May Jesus bless you all and we look forward to seeing you at Mars Hill Church Sammamish on Sunday at 10 a.m.