Plans to Equip Churches Worldwide to
Create Interactive Church Communities
Contact: Tara Powers, 616-233-0500
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Nov. 18 /Christian
Newswire/ -- Zondervan, a world leader in Christian
communications, has acquired The City, a propriety online
community-building software program created by Seattle-based
Mars Hill Church. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Developed over the past two years by Mars Hill pastor of
technology, Zack Hubert, who spent eight years in management
at Amazon.com, The City was created in response to the
church's need to improve communication, better engage with
members, support small groups, build a stronger church
community and free up administrative resources. Mars Hill
launched The City earlier this year to create a dynamic,
engaging interactive online community for its more than
7,000 members. Within two months of launch more than 85% of
the church's members had signed up and more than 75% visit
the site every single day.
"The City is an essential part of the way our members and
our staff communicate every day," said Mark Driscoll, Mars
Hill's founding and preaching pastor. "Thanks to Zondervan
churches and organizations around the world will have access
to this resource to help people meet Jesus and build
community."
Zondervan plans to build out the current features of The
City and offer scalable and customizable modules to churches
nationwide who want to create their own vibrant, interactive
community for members.
"The City is the most creative, dynamic church-building
resource that I have seen, and we are thrilled to be able to
make it available to churches of all sizes and
denominations," said Moe Girkins, president and CEO of
Zondervan. "The impact The City has had on Mars Hill is
nothing short of remarkable, and I'm confident other
churches will be attracted to the substantial
community-building benefits that come from offering this
unique resource to their church members."
The City is specifically for the church internet community.
Each church member has a unique username and password,
assuring the community of a secure and reliable network.
Members of each church's social network can post and
maintain their personal profile, find spiritual resources,
sign up for volunteer opportunities, engage with their small
group members, join book/study groups, maintain a journal,
access news, and connect and share personal feelings,
experiences, needs, and prayer requests with other church
members.
"The City is much more than a social network as it helps
churches to solve their greatest challenges - whether it's
church planning, fundraising, developing small groups,
building the global church, bolstering a sense of community
or improving communications among members," added Girkins.
"We are excited to take this incredibly valuable resource
that Mars Hill has created and bring it to other churches
throughout the U.S. and around the world."
As a result of the acquisition, The City creator Zack Hubert
will be joining Zondervan as Vice President of Church
Community Networks.
A virtual tour of The City's features can be found at
www.onthecity.org.
About Zondervan
Zondervan, a HarperCollins company, is a world leader in
Christian communications and the leading Christian
publishing brand. For more than 75 years, Zondervan has
delivered transformational Christian experiences through
general and academic resources by influential leaders and
emerging voices, and been honored with more Christian Book
Awards than any other publisher. Headquartered in Grand
Rapids, Mich., with offices in San Diego, Miami, and London,
Zondervan conducts events and publishes its bestselling
Bibles, books, audio, video, curriculum, software and
digital products through its Zondervan, eZondervan,
Zonderkidz, Youth Specialties, Editorial Vida, and National
Pastors Convention brands. Zondervan resources are sold
worldwide through retail stores, online and by Zondervan
ChurchSource, and are translated into nearly 200 languages
in more than 60 countries. Visit Zondervan on the Internet
at
www.zondervan.com.
About Mars Hill Church
Mars Hill Church is a non-denominational church that meets
in seven different locations throughout the Seattle area,
with twenty weekly services broadcast via satellite from the
flagship campus. In 2008, Outreach magazine named Mars Hill
Church the second-most innovative church in America. The
church began in 1996 as a small Bible study in the home of
founding pastor Mark Driscoll. Today, over seven thousand
people attend Mars Hill on a weekly basis, with millions
more accessing free sermons, music, and other resources
through the church's extensive Internet library. To learn
more about the ministry of Mars Hill Church visit
www.marshillchurch.org.