Driscoll - Confessions...1

Confessions of a Reformission Reverend: Hard Lessons from an Emerging Missional Church is "the story of the birth and growth of Seattle's innovative Mars Hill Church...It's also the story of the growth of a pastor, the mistakes he's made along the way, and God's grace and work in spite of those mistakes." (Back Cover).

Mark Driscoll is both a unifying and polarizing force in the current church and the blogosphere. Google Mark Driscoll and you get over 6.2 million hits. Current sport icons such as Derek Jeter, Dwyane Wade, and LeBron James do not even garner 5 million hits. As such, his reach is extensive and whether you agree or not with him, he gets two different groups of people on both sides (christian and non-christian and emergent and fundamental) talking. As such, I enjoy listening Driscoll preach (you can download his sermons in mp3 format at marshillchurch.org.) I have read his previous book "The Radical Reformission: Reaching Out without Selling Out," and I also frequent his blog (TheResurgence.com). So, I enjoy his style, his delivery and always feel challenged listening, reading, hearing from him. I have mentioned to my wife before that I would like to make a trip to Seattle just to attend Mars Hill Church and be able to hear Pastor Mark preach and see how they "do church" in "the least churched city in America." This book is providing that glimpse.

The book starts with a Prelude where Mark lays out a plethora of numbers and statistics to eventually lay out the fact he wanted to start a church to fill the gap of eighteen to thirty-five year olds who were missing from the churches (page 10). He also goes on to explain that he does know Mars Hill is peculiar but he sees them as one of Noah's dove off to find land. There is a new world of ministry opportunity to explore, among cities, young people, and cultural progressives (page 11). This urban setting and culture provides trend setting that attracts young, single, educated, creative, and liberal group of people. These specific group of people require new methods of ministry and opportunity. Mars Hill church is exploring these knew methods and opportunities and the city of Seattle (a city Mark "loves like a drunk uncle") is an ideal locale.

Coming out of this short 3 page prelude and wrapping yourselves around all the numbers you come to understand that Mark believes reaching the residents of the urban area is the key to spreading the gospel like wildfire. Go to where the people are, who embrace culture and set the trends for everyone else, and live with them and share the gospel. Establish a beacon of light in the middle of the emerging urban culture and some of those trends that are started will include Christian ideals and the love of Christ. But to reach you must adapt and provide Christ-centered worship that appeals to them. To do that, you need, no must, be engaged in the culture of the people you are trying to reach to understand them.