The gospel never took root in Seattle, but some Christians are beginning to wonder if God is planning to change all that.

On Easter Sunday, Mars Hill Church packed half of Qwest field, drawing in 17,500 people for the Pacific Northwest’s largest church service ever.

What distinguishes this event from one-time evangelical preachers, who tally saved souls with commitment cards and raised hands, is that more than 680 people were baptized.

Being willing to come down from the stands to get dunked in water on a shivery April morning is good way to test the authenticity of a response.

Baptism is also a one-time thing for protestant Christians. That means there were at least 680 new Christians that day.

The church is growing, and it’s not with large families. The gospel is beginning to penetrate hearts and change minds.

As a Christian, this time couldn’t be more exciting.

While Mars Hill centers its attention in Seattle, it’s second-largest campus is on the Eastside. Soon we’ll be moving to the John Danz building in downtown Bellevue.

There are also plans in play to open campuses in Kirkland, Issaquah and Renton over the next few years.

This is good news for Eastside cities.

The group couldn’t be more focused on its communities.

The church partnered with the Jubilee Reach Center, and members have been running large food and clothing drives.

Mars Hill even setup a micro-grants fund to help those who want to serve the community, but don’t have the money. It covers anything from a couple hundred bucks to help a single mother move homes to throwing a party at the local senior center.

Mars Hill isn’t alone in this movement. City Church, which has a large campus in Sammamish, is thriving, and Eastridge just moved into an impressive new building in the Issaquah Highlands, where it runs a massive Thanksgiving food drive.

All of this growth doesn’t come without controversy.

Christians often say the Gospel of Jesus is the most offensive thing ever spoken. It’s totally exclusive to all other beliefs, but entirely inclusive to everyone who wants to believe.

It offends those who cherry pick their faith and the self-righteous who want to exclude others.

As a free-thinker, come to your own conclusions about what Jesus said about himself. We’ll pray for you.

But as a community, know that we’re excited to serve and love our communities.

Celeste Gracey is a staff writer for the Issaquah Reporter. She can be reached at 425-391-0363, ext. 5052 or via email at cgracey@issaquah-reporter.com. She lives in Bellevue.