Who Is Shane Hipps?

Well, he’s the guy who will be the lead teaching pastor at Mars Hill Bible Church in Grandville, Michigan when Rob Bell leaves that post at the end of this year.

He also happens to be one of my best friends.

Shane was in my brother’s class in high school, so he was around the house a lot.  At least one year, I was his counselor at church camp.  Then, in the late 1990s, Shane moved back to Minneapolis after college and we spent much time together.  In fact, Shane was the very first person to read the first draft of my first book.

Shane went on to Fuller Seminary, to pastor a Mennonite church in Phoenix, and to write a couple books in the years before he landed at Mars Hill.

Now, Shane’s sermons are downloaded by a couple hundred thousand people a week, and he’s got a slick new website where you can watch his videos, read his blog posts, and generally learn more about him.

I’m thrilled for him, and I think Mars Hill is in great hands in this time of transition.  Listen to one of Shane’s sermons, and I think you’ll agree.