“You Get Me”
In the early nineties, Chapel Hill was gearing up for our first major building program since I had arrived as pastor in 1987. Although we desperately needed a larger sanctuary, the session decided to begin with classrooms and a gymnasium. In a time before the YMCA and the Boys and Girls Club, there was no place in Gig Harbor where kids could gather and play. We decided to make this our priority and save the pews and organ for another time.
We began to interview contractors for the job. Some represented big operations. But one man particularly impressed us. I still remember his pitch: “If you hire my company, you get me. I will be on the job to see that it gets done right.” We hired him…and he was…and he did. His name was Chuck Hunter and we were so pleased with his work that, when it came time to build our sanctuary and, later, our Gathering Place/Youth addition, I don’t think we even interviewed anyone else. We trusted Chuck Hunter to do a great job for us.
Eight years ago, the City of Gig Harbor “hired” Chuck as its new mayor. It was a part-time job, but he treated it the same way he treated our building projects. He poured himself into serving our city during what turned out to be eight years of the most significant growth in our history. The new city hall building, the YMCA, St. Anthony’s, Uptown, Harbor North and countless park projects and other improvements, not to mention a blistering recession—Chuck was at the helm during an exciting, challenging and formative era.
For good reason, we consider Chuck Hunter to be a friend of this congregation. Tonight, the Session will consider a resolution to honor him for his service to us and to our community. I thought you’d like to know.
Pastor Mark
P.S. This Sunday we will wrap up our series on “Our Call-Up, In and Out.” Then next week, I begin a new series on the book of Galatians titled, “Radical.” Why not join me in reading through this letter where we discover Paul taking his Galatian friends to the woodshed…