The Book
“The guys like me need to read this book and pray
for a guy like that to help them.” -Mark Driscoll
Life is the greatest asset you’ll ever have. Are you wasting it, or investing it?
Sutton Turner spent his first 35 years accumulating everything a man could want: a successful business, a beautiful wife and kids, a golf swing, lots of money, and plenty of free time to enjoy the finer things. But he could not buy enough, earn enough, or drink enough to escape the haunting question: What’s the point?
Somewhere between continents, cultures, commerce, and Christ, the story took a turn for the better, and now Sutton Turner is eager to share his experience with others like him. This book is for older men ready to give whatever they have left. This book is for young men anxious to give all they’ve got. It may be a year or it may be a lifetime, but it’s never too late to invest your gifts in the greatest mission the world has ever known.
Like any good investment, however, this one comes with risk. Consider yourself warned: what you’ll read in these pages could destroy your meticulous ten-year plan. This isn't gonna be easy, but it will be worth it.
Spread The Word
What others are saying
“If you feel that God is nudging you to use your business skills in His kingdom, but you don't know how that could possibly work for you, you should read Sutton's book.”
Rick Holliday
Executive Director
North Point Ministries
Atlanta, GA
“Sutton's book on this topic is a strong challenge to laymen in the church to consider how God may be leading them into a more significant place of service. If you are a serious man of God, if you'd like to apply your business acumen for kingdom work, if you desire to come alongside pastors and leaders and provide practical wisdom and skill to insure greater outcomes in ministry — then I say, read on!”
John Collins
Executive Pastor
Harvest Christian Fellowship
Riverside, CA
“I highly recommend this book if you want your Church to make an impact and have influence."
Grant Thomson
Global Marketing Director
Hillsong Church
Sydney, Australia
“Pastor Sutton does a fantastic job in this book painting the picture of what this transition can look like as well as how effective you can be for the Kingdom. There is great wisdom found in his story along with application for yours.”
Layne Schranz
Executive Pastor
Church of the Highlands
Birmingham, AL
“I found Invest helpful in its call to successful, trained and called businessmen to consider bringing their skills from the world of business to the local church.”
Tim Challies
Pastor
Grace Fellowship Church
Toronto, ON
The Author
Sutton Turner is the executive pastor and an executive elder of Mars Hill Church in Seattle. He spent several years in the business world, working in Texas and the Middle East before God called him to serve at Mars Hill. Turner oversees the church’s central operations and business functions, including finance, property, media and communications, and technology. He also trains and mentors the executive pastors and deacons across all Mars Hill Church locations.
In light of all this, Sutton Turner would still tell you that his first and most important ministry is right in his Seattle, WA home. He has been a husband to Marci for almost two decades, and is dad to Grace, Faye, and Joseph.
In 2008 Sutton Turner (CEO) and Abdulla Saeed Al Qamzi (Managing Director) founded a real estate company in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Sutton and Abdulla are pictured here in front of a model of Al Reem Island, a $30 Billion development. This was just one of the many business ventures Sutton had the privilege to undertake and execute. During this time, he had the incredible opportunity of living as a Bible-believing, Jesus-loving Christian. He had employees, friends, and clients who were Muslim with whom he was able to be friends and show Christ's love in everyday life.
As the Executive Pastor at Mars Hill Church, Sutton Turner gets to serve alongside Pastor Mark Driscoll and Pastor Dave Bruskas on the Executive Elder team. They are great friends as well as ministry partners. Sutton likes to call himself Pastor Mark's "2IC", or "second-in-command." On Sunday mornings, Sutton is Pastor Mark's right-hand man—he does everything he can to make sure that Pastor Mark is set up for the best possible morning of ministry. During the rest of the week, he runs the operational, functional, and business aspects of the large and growing megachurch. He is excited about leading one of the new ministry opportunities at Mars Hill: the XP Residency Program, where men who are skilled in the business world get trained to utilize their skills and abilities in the church.
Executive Pastor
Residency Program
The Executive Pastor Residency equips you to lead in the role of executive pastor at a Mars Hill church. It exists to send out called and competent men who can faithfully implement the vision of the lead pastor and have the ability to spearhead operations of the church.
This program includes three years in the Seattle area serving in a paid role. Each resident will move through our eldership process while they are matched with a lead pastor resident. Both will then be sent to plant a Mars Hill Church. If you steward resources well and would like to develop as a pastor at Mars Hill Church, then this residency is for you.
© 2013 Resurgence
A note from Resurgence:
Invest is our first self-published book with Resurgence Publishing. We are so honored that God has entrusted us with the weighty task of developing resources to serve the leaders of his church. We take this responsibility very seriously, and in an effort to present excellent and accurate material, we have provided an ongoing bibliography for this book. This document includes all resources cited in the book, and lists corrections that will appear in any future editions of the book.
View the ongoing bibliography here.
