Members of Mars Hill Church and neighborhood volunteers installed a huge new mural in the upper parking lot of the Phinney Center on Saturday.
The mural was designed by Priscilla, a Mars Hill church member (that’s her in the back row, third from the right in the green shirt), and volunteers from the church donated all the materials and most of the labor. 
The mural was partially painted when it arrived. Volunteers, including the PNA’s Marylee Newman, on the right, finished painting it after it was installed.
Thanks to Mike V for all the photos!
42 responses so far ↓
1 jezbian // Sep 27, 2009 at 12:42 am
i’m all for the mural, but mars hill church scares the crap outta me. they’re led by a misogynistic, anti-queer wack job, despite the majority of the congregants looking like typical seattle hipsterites…
2 skivvies // Sep 27, 2009 at 1:34 am
The mural is a big whatever. The Mars Hill Church is really, really dopey. I want to like them but it’s run by a kook which can only make be believe the kook followers are deceiving themselves that it ain’t a cult. But paint away muralists! Perhaps keep your money away from the church before you regret it.
3 js // Sep 27, 2009 at 6:59 am
Such predictable comments from proleteriat. I think the mural is great.
4 Judith Wood // Sep 27, 2009 at 8:50 am
As the Director of Volunteer Programs for the PNA and the person who coordinated this project, I want to say that this group of Mars Hill members has been wonderful to work with. They are energetic and interested in getting involved in making their community better. My job is to match interested volunteers with projects and this has been a great fit. It’s NOT my job to judge the theology of their church, but to work together to achieve a mutual goal.
5 Howdy Doodle // Sep 27, 2009 at 4:49 pm
Colorful! How long before it acquires some additional paint from the local vandals?
6 Judith Wood // Sep 27, 2009 at 7:48 pm
Hopefully they’ll respect the art - at least for awhile. It will have several coats of sealant on it to aid in cleaning if that becomes necessary.
7 Silver // Sep 28, 2009 at 8:09 am
That is one of the prettier murals I’ve seen in Seattle!
8 Judith Wood // Sep 28, 2009 at 9:45 am
Be sure to come and see it in person. I am really happy with how it all came out. We were WAY overdue for a new mural!
9 seattle mike // Sep 28, 2009 at 12:28 pm
Looks like those iPod commercials from a couple years ago. Have the attorneys for Apple been notified?
10 anonymous // Sep 28, 2009 at 12:56 pm
i’m a big supporter of the pna but completely disagree with not wanting to consider the mars hill philosophy when deciding to partner with them. i have no doubt that the volunteers were very helpful and i appreciate their willingness to give us a great mural. but, they’re an institution that i think the pna shouldn’t partner with. bad decision.
11 me // Sep 28, 2009 at 1:00 pm
so does that mean PNA would partner with a racist church that doesn’t allow black people in it, because its volunteers are nice and easy to work with? Mars Hill is a disgusting organization that is totally disrespectful to women. i’m incredibly disturbed that the PNA is partnering with a group that is so anti-women.
12 margaret // Sep 28, 2009 at 1:46 pm
Judith, first let me say that I appreciate your work in bringing art into Phinney/Greenwood. Kudos. Yet, I don’t agree that partnering with the Mars Hill Church was an appropriate way to acheive that goal. Bringing art to our neighborhood is NOT the goal of the Mars Hill Church. And, I agree with the comments above in that I firmly believe that most PNA members would have serious concerns about the “goals” the Mars Hill Church. So, while the group of people that you worked with may have been - as you say - an “energetic group of people looking to make their community a better place”, I don’t think many of us in the PNA would want to live in the community those people think is a “better place.”
13 kory // Sep 28, 2009 at 2:00 pm
This really saddens me to see how people can completely look over the fact that there are people out in the community willing to serve the community out of the love they have for it because of mars hill and their love for Christ, just because they disagree with some of the churches beliefs. I watched the pastor this week say that he has a College fund for his daughters and hopes they want to use it, Women play a big role in the Christian life, and to say that they are held back I think is ignorant. I think mars hill call men and women both to be good steward of what God has given them and that is more than this culture has to say. Jesus Christ came down from heaven and served and loved people to show us that we should be doing the same, and when a pastor calls women to serve and love, he is now a misogynist? He has called all to love and serve not just women, Maybe talk to one of the pastors there if you have issues you might get better answers.
14 Whopper // Sep 28, 2009 at 2:32 pm
“but, they’re an institution that i think the pna shouldn’t partner with. ”
“Mars Hill is a disgusting organization”
Ahhhhhhh, feel some of that famous Seattle tolerance.
Of course, if it was a local mosque, that made women wear scarves and worship separately from men, Seattle’s loony left would all be out braying about tolerance.
FYI none of the women at Mars Hill are forced to go there. None of them. Now, I disagree with their message, but we live in a free country and if women chose to go to that church and follow it’s teachings, as long as they are constitutional and legal, I have no problem.
15 Whopper // Sep 28, 2009 at 2:35 pm
“Bringing art to our neighborhood is NOT the goal of the Mars Hill Church.”
really, you have proof in this case?
My god you people are intolerant. I haven’t been to church in 40 yrs but I’d rather have one of the Mars Hill folks as a neighbor than you nasty, spiteful haters.
Not one woman at Mars Hill is forced to go there. If they believe in the church’s teachings, that’s their right.
16 anonymous // Sep 28, 2009 at 3:19 pm
intolerant goes both ways i’d say. and sonds like there is a lot of intolerance targeted towards those expressing their disappointment.
maybe we should try and be a bit more respectful on both sides. less evangelizing, name calling would elevate this conversation from where it currently is.
17 kory // Sep 28, 2009 at 3:22 pm
ps did you hear about the FIRE a few block down the road that almost took out an entire building?
or did the mural cause so much of an uproar you forgot all about it.
look at the artical
not a single comment, or any on anyother of the blog posts.
i love it. mars hill gets so much publisity.
watch the video on the website i put as mine. and tell me all about the mission of mars hill.
18 kory // Sep 28, 2009 at 3:25 pm
http://www.marshillchurch.org/media/its-all-about-jesus/its-all-about-jesus-mission
here is the mission of mars hill.
ps did anyone here about the FIRE down the street?
or did the mural cause too much of an uproar we forgot all about it?
19 Stupid Hippie // Sep 28, 2009 at 4:33 pm
We should only let Buddhists paint the walls at the PNA…..afterall, in most Asian Buddhist countries they believe that you are reborn a woman as a punishment and women play a subservient role in Buddhist temples.
But it’s a really tolerant religion and I like the flags in my garden and my Free Tibet bumpersticker.
20 MHC // Sep 28, 2009 at 5:02 pm
check out the MHC mission
click on my name and watch the video
21 Idle Activist // Sep 28, 2009 at 5:37 pm
I guess it’s true, no good deed goes unpunished. Special thanks to Phinney’s perpetually aggrieved class for injecting politics into everything, yet again.
22 Idle Activist // Sep 28, 2009 at 6:08 pm
‘Mars Hill is a disgusting organization that is totally disrespectful to women. ‘
well this explains all the angry, bitter middle aged, divorced women you have to avoid at Kens.
23 SPG // Sep 28, 2009 at 6:40 pm
whopper, you keep on about how nobody is forced to go, but you do realize that those that do go have to sit through the message, be it one of tolerance or indoctrination about a woman being subservient to her husband because god decrees it.
I think people here are well within their rights to say if they don’t agree with the message from mars hill.
24 Whopper // Sep 28, 2009 at 7:14 pm
“but you do realize that those that do go have to sit through the message”
No they don’t, they can get up and leave anytime, and if a woman chooses to listen to it, that’s her right. If she finds that church comforting, that’s her right.
Why can’t we simply thank these folks for a great job? You know, if these folks were from a local mosque that taught that women are subservient, all the loony left here would be out bleating about tolerance…..and for once, I’d agree with them.
25 Howdy Doodle // Sep 28, 2009 at 7:19 pm
The PNA is also involved with the Lutheran Church, which brings hundreds of homeless people into the neighborhood every week, but I am not going to lose my mind over it.
26 HeyOh // Sep 28, 2009 at 11:05 pm
Right, I see. To add to it, I should add that if we have any police officers patrolling our neighborhood that attend Mars Hill Church, then they should also go somewhere else, because -you understand- I just don’t want those people involving their cult in my community. And it is MY community. No one else allowed. Especially those that belong whatever group I deem to be a cult. Though we are still a “tolerant Seattle, ” mind you. Just don’t disagree with us, then you’re solid.
27 Jesus Freak // Sep 29, 2009 at 11:16 am
Right on, HeyOh. I totally agree with your (sarcastic) comment! LOL
28 Appreciative // Sep 29, 2009 at 8:06 pm
Thanks Mars Hill members for following Jesus’ command to “love your neighbor.” We can all learn from your example.
29 Anonymous // Sep 30, 2009 at 10:59 am
I consider myself a fairly tolerant person.
But I have listened (online) to some of the Mars Hill sermons. And I have read some articles about the pastor and his congregation. And frankly Mars Hill confuses me and scares me a little bit.
It feels like they thinly veil the part of their message that says they do not tolerate Gays, Jews, Atheists or really anyone who does not believe what they believe. And since we have Gay people, Jewish people, Atheists and other “non-believers” in our neighborhood, doesn’t it seem hypocritical to work with them on a neighborhood project, no matter how beautiful the art may be? Lots of groups or even cults if that’s what Mars Hill is profess to do things out of love or charity or neighborly kindness. I am certain that the Mars Hill folks were kind. But their organization preaches narrow mindedness. It feels like there is a deeper message here although I may not be expressing it correctly.
But I am wary of Mars Hill and if the PNA continues to work with them then I may have to re-evaluate my relationship with the PNA.
30 Dag Knabit // Oct 1, 2009 at 11:34 am
Ya, religion tends to separate and pit people against each other.
31 Hannah // Oct 1, 2009 at 3:21 pm
Coming from a different part of the country, I must say that these comments have me convinced that Seattle would be a very unwelcoming city for me as a Christian. It seems that all the talk of tolerance is mostly hypocrisy.
32 James Rayment // Oct 1, 2009 at 4:12 pm
Anonymous I Challenge you to find any statement coming out of Mars Hill church which is anti Semitic. Find it or stop talking
- James
33 rdw // Oct 1, 2009 at 7:32 pm
Could someone please define “tolerate” for the sake of this discussion? It’d help.
34 Anonymous // Oct 1, 2009 at 7:37 pm
It is not about the name is Mars Hill or the name of PNA, or even Seattle, but rather it’s all about Jesus.
35 Anonymous // Oct 1, 2009 at 7:38 pm
^of
36 Amy // Oct 1, 2009 at 7:52 pm
It was a discussion board like this that made me angry and want to go see the ” misogynistic, anti-queer wack job” in person and see what all the hoopla was about. It was about Jesus. Nothing more nothing less. Some of Jesus’ closest friends were women and he treated them with complete respect. He is the example my church follows. I have been going there for two years now and it has changed my life for the better. Hooray for these blogs!!!
37 Thien Nguyen // Oct 1, 2009 at 11:47 pm
I don’t know where you guys listen to on the net about Mars Hill, but after watching this vid, I can’t see how you can say the women are not honor at Mars Hill.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkaeAkJO0w8
38 Anthony // Oct 4, 2009 at 2:45 pm
Sounds like much intolerance directed at Mars Hill. I have done much research on this church. They follow Jesus. That simple. Jesus was revolutionary in how he treated women vs . How the culture treated women. Mars Hill is passionate about women being treated with respect. Do your research. Your accusations are completely unfounded
39 Anonymous // Oct 5, 2009 at 8:26 pm
Hey.
James.
It’s not about saying things directly against Jews.
Or gays.
It’s about “my way or the highway”.
And the beauty of these boards is that I don’t have to stop talking. But you can stop listening any time you like.
40 Anthony // Oct 6, 2009 at 7:53 am
I agree that the beuty of these boards is “freedom of speach”. So, I’ll respond to the last comment. I completely understand why you are upset at the “My way or highway” attitude. I too, when investigating Christianity, hated this aspect of it. Jesus as the only way. But after I started to investigate I had a change of heart. First, is the Bible accurate in regards to History? OK, if its accurate, did Jesus even really ever exist? OK, if he existed, did any other historical source document anything about his life? How do I know that the Bible in circulation today is the same Bible that was written originally? After I felt like I was holding a book that was not tampered with, and that Jesus was not this mythical fairytale, I felt compelled to investigate it. So I read the New Testament. Until this, I thought that Jesus was a “good teacher”, “moral man”… After reading the Gospels you will see that either he was insane, a liar, or God… I believe that every soul has to make a determination about this man who came into history and completely changed the course of civilization… And, yes.. Jesus claims to be the only way… But that does not mean that anyone, regardless of race, religion, background, cannot come to Jesus and have eternal life…. He came for everyone. All nations, all people, all walks of life
41 Anonymous // Oct 6, 2009 at 9:07 pm
Anthony -
But what if you don’t choose Jesus??
Then what?
42 Anthony // Oct 7, 2009 at 6:17 am
Good question. I would suggest reading the Gospels, or just one of the Gospels.. It still comes down to faith, weather or not you believe that what Jesus said is true, recorded accurately, which, historically there is alot of evidence pointing towards a true historical account recorded in the Gospels.
Its not for me to say what happens if you don’t choose Jesus. All I can say is that I did choose him, 5 years ago, and I believe he is real and he has changed my life.
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