If you have been around Chapel Hill lately, you have probably heard a bit about Alpha. It is something that we are really excited about! But you might be wondering what Alpha is exactly and who is Alpha’s target audience. You might be like the friend with whom I had coffee today who has gone […]
Reflections from the Summit
Hello Chapel Hill! I’ve just come back from the Celebrate Recovery Summit of Faith: Going for Great at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, CA! Imagine 3,000 brothers and sisters in Christ, 21 people from Gig Harbor, celebrating the positive changes God has made in their lives. We worship, have wonderful training and teaching time, and […]
A Special Thank You from Pastor Mark
My dear Chapel Hill family: This week, Cyndi and I received pictures from our daughter Rachel in her new robe (a gift from the Session) with her Chapel Hill St. Andrews stole around her neck, standing among the faculty members for Commencement at Montreat College. So…she’s off and running! I just want to thank all of […]
Wednesdays: Same but Different
For years, Wednesday night has been the focal point for many changed lives at Chapel Hill. If you’ve been attending for a significant amount of time at Chapel Hill, you’ve probably been touched by a ministry that ran on Wednesday, from Men’s Life to FPU and many more. That’s why I’m excited about some of […]
A Big Family Moment
I’ll start with a confession. I know I cannot possibly be dispassionate about what I’m going to write. How could I? This is about my little girl, my daughter, Rachel. So, if I enthuse a little too much, please forgive me. But you also might enthuse a bit because she’s your daughter, too! The “First Daughter […]
Pastor Mark back in the pulpit this weekend
Every one of us can recount a vacation that didn’t QUITE turn out as they had planned. This was certainly one of those for the Toones! While leading a great group of folks on a Reformation Tour in Germany and Switzerland, I ended up in an Emergency Room in Zurich. They took care of things […]
Hope for the Prodigal
I recently came across a book by Pastor Jim Putnam called Hope for the Prodigal. I think it could be an encouraging read for those who have a “prodigal” living at home or who has moved away. Putnam asks the question, “What does an ideal home, one that is hard to leave but easy to […]
For Everything There Is a Season
There is nothing better than summer in the Northwest. As I peer over my laptop out the window at the bluest skies you’ve ever seen and the hills the greenest green, I am so grateful for this place we call home. The long, warm days invite us outside to enjoy our beautiful little corner of […]
Help a Sister Out!
You know this moment: life transition. You don’t know where anything is. Can’t find a rhythm to save your life. You go to bed at crazy hours. Workout, what’s that? Oh—you want to ask about my soul? Seriously, did I eat recently? I can’t remember. I hope you had a tribe of people to get […]
The One Time Jesus Was Angry
Our imagination is sometimes crippled when it comes to reckoning with the emotions of Jesus. One of the incredible things we believe is not just that Jesus is fully God, but that he is fully man, with all of the range of emotions and experiences that being a human being involves. Tears, laughter, frustration, and […]