“Why is half the church made of cinder block, and the other half red brick?” That was the question a friend of mine asked his father, who had just taken a call as the pastor of the church in question. The church sanctuary was literally split down the middle with half of the room made […]
Movin’ on up
Our son came home after every service this summer with a new Bible verse memorized. They came complete with hand motions, and he was so proud to show them off. Do you know any teenagers who similarly want to learn Bible verses with exaggerated hand motions? Me neither! But we had a conundrum in moving […]
Healing
These are Chapel Hill Church’s core beliefs on healing. God is sovereign. He heals his people by whatever means and in whatever time he chooses. (Mt. 8:1-3; Mk. 1:40-42) God alone is the source of all restoration and healing. Spiritual reality encapsulates every aspect of human life, affecting mind, body and soul. (Job, esp. chapter […]
I was out, when I thought I was in
I recall coming to biggest rugby game of the year when I was in my second year at university. The announcement for the team was to take place one Sunday night with all present. I was sure I would be in the starting line-up. Yet, when the names were read, I was left on the […]
Got Trust Issues?
We put a date on a sticky note: October 16, 2021. That one yellow square lives on a poster-sized post-it note by the copier at 703 Kitsap Street where we mapped out all the events for the fall. This date didn’t have an event title yet, but we knew we wanted to serve our neighborhood […]
Cruising Down 16
The other week a friend walked into my office, and as we caught up on life he shared with me what his LifeGroup had been at work on: memorizing Psalm 91. After we said our goodbyes the idea of memorizing Psalm 91 stuck with me. Sometimes I’ll joke with people that as a pastor I […]
Remembering our baptisms
Last Sunday was a special Sunday. For the first time in almost two years, since before the pandemic began, we got to celebrate a baptism Sunday. We heard about the story of the people of Israel miraculously crossing the River Jordan, and picking up stones in order to make a memorial so they would always […]
I want to get re-baptized!
March 19, 1989. That was the answer to my question. I had several photos but I didn’t have the date. It didn’t take place in my home town, as the local priest would only perform the ceremony if the family attended the church. So, we went to my grandfather’s church, St. Augustine’s on the Fulham […]
Launch Conundrums
The 3 big tasks this week are all because of 3 huge causes for celebration Sunday. We need to expand our downstairs space – because we had 21 kids in the house! We need a safer way up to the front door than our brick steps – because all generations joined us for worship! We […]
Never Forget
I’ll never forget where I was 20 years ago today when I heard the news about the 9/11 terrorist attacks. I was a teenager and was just getting on the bus at the end of school (the UK is five hours ahead of the East Coast of the US), when someone said, “I just heard […]