This Sunday, we will have only one service at 10:00 am. (Did I mention that earlier?) This is one of those Sundays when we want to remember—and celebrate—the fact that we are part of a larger church family. If we typically worship at our classic service, we have brothers and sisters, large and small, that […]
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September 13 will mark my 35th year anniversary as your pastor. You can’t do anything for 35 years and not have some difficult moments, and we have. But for me, they are completely overshadowed by the joy and privilege of being part of a body that, I believe, God has used in significant ways to […]
We are still watching the story unfold, but as I write this, we are receiving reports of a shooting in a Texas elementary school that has taken the lives of 18 children and at least two adults, including one teacher and the 18-year-old assailant. This is just the most recent of such barbaric acts. Ten […]
Cyndi and I just returned from a surprise family reunion birthday party for her mom, Peggy. (My bonus was that I got to spend three uninterrupted days with my granddaughter, Cici. She is quite the dancer! Maybe I’ll share that with you someday! ????) En route, Cyndi and I stopped in Anaconda, Montana. Anaconda was […]
This is one of my favorite frequently-asked questions at the wood wall each week. I love that people at Chapel Hill want to connect to service. Serving our community and the church is part of who we are. It’s in our mission statement: exalt Jesus, elevate others, launch disciple-makers. It’s in our discipleship process: worship, […]
Have you ever longed for greater unity in the body of Christ? This week it was so encouraging to join with our Chapel Hill Alpha team and a larger group of 140,000 believers from all over the world for a livestream of the Alpha Leadership Conference. Coming from all different backgrounds, denominations and parts of […]
What was the date you were baptized? My date was March 19, 1989. 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 […]
Kennedy Quinn Tesdahl, you are such a well-mannered baby! You knew that your daddy, Pastor Gunnar, had a big Easter Sunday to lead. So, very politely, you delayed your arrival until Tuesday at 12:46 pm; all six pounds and 10 ounces of you. Welcome to the world, Kennedy, and to your Chapel Hill family! We’ve […]
Almost exactly two years ago, Cyndi and I were visiting our daughter, Rachel, in North Carolina, when we received news of the shutdown. A virus called “Covid-19” was spreading like wildfire. No one knew how to stop it or how it worked. So, the state of Washington, along with many other states, went into emergency […]
I think he’s bitten off more than he can chew. I certainly hope so. If Vladimir Putin was hoping for a quick capitulation by the Ukrainian people, he is surely disappointed. Though outmanned and outgunned, the Ukrainians have risen up in defense of their country in what can only be described as heroic. Putin underestimated the […]