Greetings, Chapel Hill Family! I’m not sure if 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV) is my “life verse,” but it is helpful to meditate on “in season and out of season.” “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Jennifer and I are so grateful […]
Worship Has No Language Barrier
As I stood in the back of the room, I became so overwhelmed by the love of God that I couldn’t hold it in. My eyes started to water, and my heart had never felt so full. I was witnessing the power of worship in a way many people would never understand. My students were […]
Hope for the Prodigal
I recently came across a book by Pastor Jim Putnam called Hope for the Prodigal. I think it could be an encouraging read for those who have a “prodigal” living at home or who has moved away. Putnam asks the question, “What does an ideal home, one that is hard to leave but easy to […]
So It Begins
Two days—that’s all that separates the latest Chapel Hill GO Team from one of the boldest, most exciting outreaches I think I’ve ever heard of. On Saturday, our team flies down to California to partner with Ravi Zacharias International Ministries for a week of evangelism to students at UC Berkeley. We’ve joked that walking into […]
Day 1 in the Prisons
God is doing amazing work in and through The House of Blessing! Monday our team left to minister to men and women incarcerated in Thai prisons. For the past three months, we have studied, prayed, and prepared for this day, and we were excited to see how the Lord might use our small offering. […]
Arrived in Thailand!
The Thailand team arrived in Bangkok safe and sound. After a full day of travel we were greeted by the House of Blessing staff who loaded our many bags up and drove us to the House of Blessing (HOB). When we were settled in, we began to catch a glimpse of the unique ways God […]
Continuing friendships…
Today we leave for Bangkok, Thailand to support the ministries of the House of Blessing. Our Thailand Go Team is all set to go, and we are looking forward to continuing the friendships that were established 2 years ago with an earlier Go Team. Team members include (from left to right) Madison Lian, Pastor Bill […]
Taking Celebrate Recovery to Thailand
Several years before joining the Chapel Hill pastoral team, I remember having a growing desire to contribute in some way to the church in the two-thirds world. I didn’t sense a call to become a full-time missionary abroad, but I did want to help Jesus Christ’s Church in under-resourced places. Next Thursday evening, January 18, […]
Releasing Leaders—Michael Bouterse and Thrive
Introduction by Pastor Mark:Last weekend in worship we celebrated the first of ten $500,000 Beyond These Walls pay-downs on our mortgage. Huzzah! You will recall that one of our three emphases for our BTW initiative was to “Release Leaders.” Well, one of the most gifted young leaders to come through our church is Michael Bouterse. […]
Read More… from Releasing Leaders‚ÄîMichael Bouterse and Thrive
Coffee!
We have a love for coffee in Gig Harbor, but our team has a greater appreciation that we gained directly from the farmers here in Haiti. One of the programs that World Relief is involved with is training coffee farmers on better pruning techniques. Coffee plants can grow quite tall, but the harvest diminishes as […]