Mars Hill Pastor Rob Bell Announces Official Start of 'Fit to Smash' Tour
Rob Bell, the outgoing lead pastor and founder of Mars Hill Bible Church in Grandville, Mich., has announced that his tour, "Fit to Smash," was set to officially get underway next week.
In two videos published online, Bell, the author of Love Wins, reveals to viewers some of the props to apparently be used during the tour, which begins in Canada.
The videos, also posted on Bells' Facebook page, reveal that "Fit to Smash" will start off in Toronto, Ontario, on Thursday, Nov. 11, 2011.
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Other stops and dates on the tour include:
- Ithaca, N.Y. - Friday, 11/11/2011
- Providence, R.I. - Saturday, 11/12/2011
- Philadelphia, Pa. - Sunday, 11/13/2011
- Pittsburgh, Pa. - Friday, 11/25/2011
- Charlottesville, Va. - Saturday, 11/26/2011
- Jersey City, N.J. - Sunday, 11/27/2011
Tickets prices range from $25-$30, according to Ticketmaster and the venues hosting Bell's tour. According to the Michigan minister, these dates reflect the first two legs of the "Fit to Smash" tour.
On his website, Bell says "Fit to Smash" will involve "several hours of entirely new content I haven't given before, exploring all the exhilarating ways we stumble and fumble and fail and bleed and limp along and just how good and sacred and thrilling it all is."
Bell has not been forthcoming about what exactly attendees can expect during the tour.
Spokesperson Suzanne Wickham from Bell’s book publisher HarperOne said, "The event is a two-hour talk with questions afterwards," according to a previous CP article. Wickham declined to give any more details about the event.
Bell, who founded Mars Hill along with wife Kristen in 1999, caused a firestorm in the evangelical community with his book, Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived, which questioned whether the Bible actually teaches that there is a literal and eternal hell.
Love Wins, published in March 2011, drew various responses, with some evangelical leaders calling the book heretical and saying it espouses a universalist worldview. Still, some applauded Bell's work, calling it timely.
CP also reported in September that Bell was teaming up with "Lost" co-creator Carlton Cuse to produce a new TV show called "Stronger," which has been described as an unusual spiritual drama and is reportedly loosely based on Bell's life.
During his Sept. 25 sermon at Mars Hill Bible Church, Bell discussed the "new calling" he felt God had placed on his life, which involves moving his family to Los Angeles.
Bell has said that he plans to undertake several projects, including the "Fit to Smash" tour and writing more books.
According to a statement from Mars Hill Bible Church on Bell's resignation, the founding pastor will deliver his final sermon to his home congregation in December. Co-pastor Shane Hipps will continue to teach the community along with other "familiar voices" on Sundays during the spring of 2012.
