I come from a very small family. One sister, no aunts, no uncles, no cousins. We could hold our family reunions in a phone booth. (For you millennials who don’t know what a “phone booth” is, Google it.) But when I married Cyndi, I was welcomed into a very large, very scattered and very diverse […]
Worship Has No Language Barrier
As I stood in the back of the room, I became so overwhelmed by the love of God that I couldn’t hold it in. My eyes started to water, and my heart had never felt so full. I was witnessing the power of worship in a way many people would never understand. My students were […]
The Landing at Chapel Hill
Have you heard? There’s no better place to be on Wednesday nights than Chapel Hill! There’s a place for everyone, no matter their age or stage of life. From Alpha, to Extreme and Celebrate Recovery, there’s a lot to do around here, and it’s been great fun to see our Chapel Hill family come together […]
Is There Room for Me?
The last thing you want your church community to ask you to do is to add one more thing onto your calendar. I get it. But do we really want reams of checklists and pages on the calendar without meaningful people in the midst of them? Without noticing how much you’ve grown from one season […]
Welcome Home!
Whether you are a member, a regular, or one of the many, many visitors that joined us this summer, you are warmly invited to “Welcome Home” weekend as we launch our new program year. I will begin a sermon series on Jonah titled “Reckless Love.” Our choir will be back for the 9:00 am service. […]
Why Try Alpha?
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 […]