As a kid, our family opened Christmas presents on Christmas Eve. So perhaps I can blame my parents—I am a victim—for not being very good at waiting for surprises. Frankly, I’m not very good at keeping that kind of secret, either. I love to spread good news! Which is why I told Dawn Davis in […]
I was there when….
If you’ve been around Chapel Hill for a while, you probably have those moments—those shared community moments—that stand out in your memory. You know, the reminiscences that start with the words, “I was there when….” I have a bunch of them. I was there when we baptized my kids. I was there when we ordained […]
$2,640,450 in advance commitments!
If you weren’t able to be with us for worship last week, you missed one of the greatest audible gasps in our worship history as a congregation. When I announced that several dozen of our leading families, from across the financial spectrum, had pledged an astonishing $2,640,450, you almost felt the exhale of air! It was such […]
I Bet YOU’LL Gasp, Too!
We are on the downhill stretch of our “Beyond These Walls” initiative. I wish you could hear the enthusiasm I am hearing about this vision to eliminate our debt, free up $600,000 annually, and begin to invest in beyond these walls ministry as never before. One of our leaders has three men in his LifeGroup […]
Mexico New
As far as I can remember, I’ve visited the country of Mexico six times, one of those times before I arrived at Chapel Hill. These visits have always been worthwhile, sometimes challenging, sometimes surprising, and always memorable. But never before have I been so excited for our church to revisit our southern neighbor. This year […]
Coffee!
We have a love for coffee in Gig Harbor, but our team has a greater appreciation that we gained directly from the farmers here in Haiti. One of the programs that World Relief is involved with is training coffee farmers on better pruning techniques. Coffee plants can grow quite tall, but the harvest diminishes as […]
Pucker Factor
Let’s face it: when a church announces a new giving initiative, it causes some—perhaps many—to pucker up a bit. Maybe even a lot. I heard from three different people last week who showed up for the launch of “Beyond These Walls: Making Disciples That Make History.” All three admitted that they came a bit reluctantly, […]
Graduation Day
God continues to bless our time together here with World Relief and the relationships we are forming as we learn about this bountiful, beautiful country we are in. It’s amazing how God uses us in our own time and place for His purpose. The same day Pastor Mark launched our Beyond These Walls series, we […]
Beyond These Walls in Haiti
Today we definitely felt like we were praising God Beyond Walls! After a bumpy (that’s putting it mildly) ride from Thiotte to Pichon and then up to the “Cascades,” we encountered one of the most beautiful waterfalls I have ever seen! It was a series of water cascading from very high up and then down […]
Haiti Worship Night
Friday evening, April 28 After taking a red-eye flight, we arrived in Port-au-Prince on Friday afternoon greeted by torrential rains, but they lightened up by the time we reached the guest house. After settling in and having a light dinner, we went to a “Night Watch” prayer and worship service at Joseph’s church (he is […]