Sometimes the “yes” takes you by surprise. I’ve been praying for my little brother for years and we’ve had countless spiritual conversations over those years. But as you know if you have a family member or a friend like that, you grow used to their rejection and even if you continue to share, you don’t really expect a “yes” to an invitation. That’s totally where I was at with my brother. But listen to what happened a couple of weeks ago…My family were in town and I invited my brother to attend Alpha with me. And he said YES! In just one short visit my brother came to Alpha once and church twic ..read more

In Chapel Hill’s denomination, the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC), there are typically three offices in the church: Ministers of the Word (Teaching Elders, Pastors), Ruling Elders, and Deacons. Elders share authority with the Pastors, representing the mind of Christ as they understand it in the various courts of the church, watch over the spiritual welfare of the people, and may be appointed to participate in Presbytery or General Assembly because the EPC is a connectional church. Collectively, the Ruling Elders are called the Session. THE SESSION Serena Blair, Chair of the Session St ..read more

Five years ago, I began to think seriously about my retirement date and the process of transition. I wanted to do all I could to ensure a smooth handoff of leadership to the next Senior Pastor. But I was also aware of several key administrative leaders on our staff who are of my “vintage” and would be retiring around the same time as I. The new Senior Pastor would need a strong partner to guide the administrative side of the church. I began to dream of a new position, a Chief Operating Officer, who would give oversight to HR, Finances, and Operations. My hope was to find an experienced busines ..read more

Chapel Hill is pleased to offer Margaret Burnham Memorial & Rhoda B Simerson Scholarships to 12th-grade students or currently enrolled college students. These scholarship funds will be awarded to students who have demonstrated faithfulness to Christ and to the ministries and mission of Chapel Hill, and are deemed most likely to make an impact for the sake of Jesus upon his world. Priority will be given to Chapel Hill members and families. Get more information and apply here. Deadline to submit is Friday, May 31.  The post Student Scholarships Available appeared first on Chapel Hi ..read more

I still remember my first Easter at Chapel Hill. It was April 3, 1988. (I didn’t actually remember the date! I had to look that up.) We were worshipping in what we now call the Memorial Chapel. Chapel Hill offered three services and packed the place out with more than 700 in attendance regularly. It was one of the most exciting moments of my young ministry life. I had never preached an Easter sermon and I couldn’t have been more excited. I remember buzzing with excitement the following week, it was so incredible.  Little did I know that I would continue stepping back into the Chapel Hill ..read more

This week, we embark on the journey we call Holy Week. We gather in a variety of ways to follow our Lord Jesus in his final days. For those of us who have been Christians for some time, it can be easy to forget the significance of each of the days that we celebrate as a church. And for those who are newer to the faith or our church family, perhaps these holidays will be altogether new. So, it seems fitting to review what Holy Week is all about and how we can participate, as we prepare our hearts for what God has in store for us in the week to come.  We begin tomorrow with Palm Sunday. Thi ..read more

I often get asked how many people attended Alpha and to share the stories of those who came to faith. These are definitely things worth celebrating, but one question I rarely get asked is how many people invited to Alpha or to share a story of someone who invited to Alpha. Those stories demonstrate the work of Christ changing our hearts towards the lost, and each believer’s quiet, unseen investment over the long haul—what it took BEFORE the invitation even occurred to Alpha. What I most want you to know about the Alpha we are about to wrap up is that God is growing our church’s heart to reach ..read more

One thing that we became more aware of after COVID-19 is cleanliness. Think of the things we enjoy more if they are “clean”? Maybe we think of doorknobs, bathrooms, kitchen counters, floors, drawers, garages, cell phones, computer screens or keyboards, microwave ovens, refrigerators, our clothes, our hands, teeth, sheets, pillowcases, windows, car windshields. The list can be endless. It is not quite spring here in the PNW, but we may be wishing it was by now. Maybe we are ready for some good old-fashioned “spring cleaning.”  Let’s talk about cleaning. We might quickly think about what ph ..read more

Easter Sunday is one of the biggest church-going days of the year. Of course, Christians gather to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, but have you ever thought about the fact that many people come to church on Easter who haven’t been in a very long time…or ever? You can be a part of the Easter Sunday Launch Team March 31 to welcome, lead worship, care for little ones, and show hospitality to our guests! Here are ways you can help: INVITE: invite someone to our Easter services by sharing this web page or picking up one of the beautiful East ..read more

Dependent on when you read this, we are about halfway through the season of the church calendar called Lent. During this 40-day period, Christians may fast from something like sweets, social media, television and spend time reflecting on Christ’s sacrificial death. I started Lent out strong. I love a good challenge. I love goals. I love ticking things off my to-do list. I did not give up social media this year and I resonated and laughed out loud at the internet’s rebranding of Lent as the Mark Wahlberg 40-Day Challenge.  Like Marky Mark, I treat Lent (and a whole lot of life) a bit like ..read more