Last summer when I visited several campuses of Mars Hill church, the music was even better than the reputation that precedes. Their bands are made up of local musicians who have a love for both music and Jesus. The best part was, it was specific to that church in that city in that time. There is possibly no better example of contextualization than the bands of Mars Hill Church. And, for the first time ever, Pastor Tim Smith’s band Ex Nihilo is heading East to lead at Advance 09 and Re:Sound.
Perhaps one of the most difficult cities to contextualize the gospel in is Seattle. This is what makes Mars Hill church so effective at teaching about contextualization and missionality – they have effectively taken the gospel to a culture that would make most shirt-tucked, clean-shaven suburban church leaders cringe and question their methodology. And no other city is so identifiable with a music scene as Seattle. The band Ex Nihilo is a beautiful example of amazing worship music and contextualization. Their versions of “Here Is Love” and the Miller tune “All My Tears” are enough alone to come. You’ll praise God, and then geek out on their pedals.
Check out Ex Nihilo here.
Invite your friends on the facebook page for Re:Sound.
Matt Stevens is the Worship Pastor for Vintage21 Church in Raleigh, North Carolina. Contact him via Twitter: @MattStevensNC 
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