Something Is Happening Here
By Ellis White, Senior Pastor
A mom—not a churchgoer herself—recently texted another parent and said something that stopped me in my tracks when I heard it.
“I don’t know what happens at that student ministry, but it has completely changed my daughter’s life.”
Her daughter had been invited to Easter last year by a friend. She raised her hand that morning to accept Jesus. And since then, something has been happening in her—quietly, steadily—that her own mother can see but can’t quite explain.
That’s the gospel doing what only the gospel can do.
This past year has been full of moments like that. At Easter, over 100 people raised their hands to profess faith in Jesus. Whole families came forward to receive Bibles as a next step. One mom was nearly out the door when something compelled her to turn around and get a Bible for herself.
At our recent marriage course, 85 couples gathered—17 of them from outside Chapel Hill entirely. One couple came in on the verge of divorce. They’re leaving committed to each other and to their marriage. The impact that will have on their young children is something we may not fully see for years.
These aren’t programs. They’re people whose lives are being redirected.
And there’s more to come. We also welcomed two extraordinary new leaders this month—Seth Wolfe as our Director of Worship Arts and Crystal Bentley as our Director of Children’s Ministry. I couldn’t be more excited about what lies ahead. The best is still to come.
Paul wrote to the church in Philippi: “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.” (Philippians 1:3-5 NIV)
Partnership in the gospel. That’s what giving to Chapel Hill is. Every gift funds the Alpha course that brings someone to faith, the LifeGroup that walks alongside them, the student ministry that quietly transforms a teenager while her mother watches in wonder, the marriage course that holds a family together.
June 30 is the end of our fiscal year. If you’ve been thinking about making a gift and haven’t yet, this is a meaningful moment to do it. And if you give regularly—thank you. Your faithfulness is what makes all of this possible. If you’re in a position to make an extra gift this month, that too would make a real difference as we close out the year.
Would you prayerfully consider a gift before June 30? You can give online here or by mailing a check to the church office. If you’d like to donate stock or have any questions, our Director of Finance Sharalynda Campbell is glad to help—reach her at scampbell@chapelhillpc.org.
Thank you for being the kind of community where a mom can look at her daughter and say: I don’t know what happens there, but something is different.
Pastor Ellis
P.S.—I’d love to see you this Sunday. We’re continuing our series through the Ten Commandments—this week we’re in the Sixth, and we’ll be talking about something we all deal with: how to handle anger. It’s a timely and practical word, and I think you’ll find it helpful.