By Julie Hawkins, Pastor of Ministry Easter Sunday has come and gone, but what we witnessed here at Chapel Hill last week is not something that fades with the calendar. Over the course of our Easter services, more than 100 people raised their hands to commit their lives to Jesus. Each one of those hands […]
Author: Pastor Julie Hawkins
Come and Search
By Julie Hawkins, Pastor of Ministry This week, the Church enters a season called Lent. For some of you, that word is familiar. For others, it may feel mysterious or unnecessary. So let’s begin simply. Lent is the 40 days leading up to Easter. Just like Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness before he […]
What Are You Waiting For?
By Julie Hawkins, Pastor of Ministry The day after Thanksgiving always feels like a crossroads. Half of us are still in a turkey haze, grazing through Tupperware full of leftovers. The other half are already hauling boxes of Christmas decor out of the garage, decking halls like it’s our job. Half of us are hesitant […]
Why 100% of Us Should Be on a Serve Team
By Julie Hawkins, Associate Pastor of Ministry When I was a kid, church was never just a place we went on Sundays. It was a place where my parents showed me what it meant to live a life of service. My mom was part of a prayer team, taught Sunday School, and led Bible studies. […]
The Empty Grave and Ordinary Days
By Julie Hawkins, Pastor of Ministry I woke up Monday morning a little frustrated that it felt like an ordinary day. How could we possibly go from the celebration and feasting of Easter Sunday to sitting in carpool lines and a regular workday? I appreciate that the week after Christmas is usually a quiet, slow […]
Keep on Feasting!
By Pastor Julie HawkinsPastor of Ministry One of my daughters asked me what I was most excited about this Christmas. Our advent reading had talked about the growing anticipation and expectation for the celebration of Christmas. Part of that is naming what we are excited about. For me, the best part of Christmas is Christmas […]
Numbering Our Days
By Pastor Julie HawkinsPastor of Ministry Every morning when I wake up, the very first thing that I do is read a psalm. I started this practice a few years back after being challenged to engage Scripture before scrolling. Confession time: many mornings, that psalm read isn’t ingested through the bleary lens of my 4:45 […]
Seeking the Kingdom
One of my intentional themes for this year is taken from Matthew 6:33: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” I decided that throughout the year, I wanted to focus on that command to seek first the kingdom of God. But what does […]
From Announcement to Anticipation
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 […]
O Sacred Head, Now Wounded
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 […]