We want to thank Pastor Mark and Cyndi Toone for their 37 wonderful years of faithful service to Chapel Hill. Here are some important things to know: SAVE THE DATES! Sun, Aug 25, 9:00 & 10:30 am Pastor Mark’s last sermon as Senior Pastor of Chapel Hill Church Wed, Aug 28, 4:30-8:00 pm A celebration of Pastor Mark and Cyndi’s 37 years of faithful service to Chapel Hill. During the first half of this celebration (4:30-6:30 pm), we will enjoy an outdoor party with food, bluegrass music, and fun located outside door H. During the second half (6:30-8:00 pm), we will move to the Sanctu ..read more

When a mother and her teen daughter magically trade bodies in Freaky Friday, the spring musical opening this weekend at Peninsula High School, audiences will experience a hilarious and very literal lesson in empathy. Who do you find exasperating? Or maybe just hard to figure out? Would you be willing to swap places in order to understand them? As a mom, I think one mortifying day would be worth the reward of a more genuine relationship with an enigmatic teen. Maybe a harder question … how to gain perspective from someone we see as really different? I’d love to tell you about Chapel Hill p ..read more

Last Sunday morning I was on a plane back from a family trip. When I took my phone out of airplane mode at 10:30 am, I already had six text messages from people saying, “Did you hear the news?” I really wanted to respond, “What news?” and see how people navigated telling me via text that the Pastor Search Committee announced that Ellis White is their recommendation for our new Senior Pastor at Chapel Hill. However, I knew the news, and Joey and I were delighted to hear the cheers and whistles as we listened to Pastor Search Committee Chair Scott Griffin’s announcement during the 10:30 online s ..read more

Cyndi and I had the privilege of attending the Masters Golf Tournament last week. It was a true bucket-list experience. Even if you aren’t a golfer, you know of the Masters. This was one of those times when the experience exceeded the expectation. And…there are things I learned at Augusta that translate well back into our life as a church. I’m eager to share those things with you…and will soon. There are all kinds of reasons I want people to worship in person on Sunday mornings. This Sunday, however, there are two especially great reasons. First, we have an opportunity to hear from ..read more

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