One of the basic facts you probably learned about the epistle to the Romans was that Paul wrote it. It’s distinctly Pauline in its logical, argumentative style, requiring us to put our brains in gear and really think. It can be a lot of work to read! But Paul wasn’t entirely original in what he […]
A Vigil and a Seahawk
On Monday morning I sent out an emergency blog regarding the shocking assault on a crowd of concert-goers in Las Vegas the night before. Like all of you, I was having trouble grasping the enormity of the carnage. At the time, we were receiving reports of 50 dead and some 400 wounded. I challenged you, […]
Las Vegas
My beloved in Christ: I rarely watch TV in the morning but happened to turn on the news this morning to find the horrific account of the mass shooting in Las Vegas. I haven’t heard anyone say so but surely this is the worst terrorist attack on American soil since 9/11. And yes, I realize […]
A Sweet Family
This weekend Cyndi and I traveled north to perform the wedding of Philip Saucier and Megan Liepman. The Liepmans once worshipped at Chapel Hill before they moved. The Sauciers have been beloved members of this church for 20 years. It was a glorious family reunion. It was not a short trip, and it wasn’t that […]
Until All Are Free
One of the things I love about Chapel Hill Church is that we don’t shy away from the difficult things in life. We wade into addiction with our Celebrate Recovery Ministry. We don’t look away from issues like homelessness with the Compassion Kit Builds and partnership with Tacoma Rescue Mission. We love our neighbors at […]
Releasing Leaders—Michael Bouterse and Thrive
Introduction by Pastor Mark:Last weekend in worship we celebrated the first of ten $500,000 Beyond These Walls pay-downs on our mortgage. Huzzah! You will recall that one of our three emphases for our BTW initiative was to “Release Leaders.” Well, one of the most gifted young leaders to come through our church is Michael Bouterse. […]
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Kickoff Weekend in Romans…and a HUGE surprise.
The epistles (letters) of the New Testament are arranged by size, largest to the smallest. This puts Paul’s letter to the Romans at the front of the line. But if they were listed in order of importance, Romans would still be in the lead-off position because it is, without a doubt, the most important letter […]
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How to Have Spiritual Conversations Naturally
Ever since we showed Curtis’ story of meeting me in Starbucks and beginning a journey that resulted in him coming to church, joining a LifeGroup and placing his faith in Jesus, I’ve had people ask me: “Ellis, could you teach on how you had those conversations with Curtis?” And starting on September 13, I’m going to be doing […]
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Support the EPC’s Hurricane Harvey Relief work
In response to devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey in Texas, our denomination, the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC), has launched an emergency relief fund to help with recovery efforts. You can read more about the effort HERE. ‚Ä®‚Ä® Here’s more information about the important work the EPC is doing to help those affected by Harvey, including a link […]
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Remember Your Baptism… and Be Thankful
I remember my baptism. It happened in an air-conditioned gym, in front of about 200 college students. I stood in a kiddie pool, and after sharing my own story of faith, Reverend David Burke poured water from a pitcher over me three times. “In the name of the Father…” whoosh went the frigid water over […]