By Katie Nelson, Director of Care Ministries In my attempt to “practice what I preach” as the Director of Care Ministries here at Chapel Hill—that flourishing comes when we heal and tend to our whole self, God, and others—I take a jog in the woods about twice a week on a regular basis. There is […]
Trusting God in the Long Work
By Rachel White, Pastor of Next Steps It was so inspiring to see answers to prayers from 15 years ago when we visited Oxford last Fall. Walking around the city reminded me of countless prayer meetings and the hopeful anticipation during the season we lived there that God would answer those prayers with large numbers […]
When Christmas is Over but the Stress Isn’t
By Ellis White, Senior Pastor The Christmas decorations are still up, the tree needles are still in the carpet, and the credit card statement has already arrived…uninvited. December may be over, but the financial decisions we made during it are very much still with us. Somewhere between “It’s Christmas! It only happens once a year” […]
Reading the Bible Together in 2026
By Ellis White, Senior Pastor In the UK, Boxing Day, December 26, is a public holiday that follows Christmas Day. Traditionally, it’s a slower day: a pause after the celebration, marked by rest, long walks, and time with family. For me, it has always felt like a hinge moment—Christmas behind us, a new year quietly […]
Go, Tell It on the Mountain
By Ellis White, Senior Pastor There’s a reason we keep coming back to the story behind the songs at Christmas. These carols aren’t sentimental leftovers from another era. They are testimonies. They were written because something happened. Something that could not stay quiet. One of the clearest examples is “Go, Tell It on the Mountain”. […]
Looking at Jesus, Looking at Each Other
By Cara Taylor, Director of Outreach Last Sunday I was surprised by grief mixed with joy. Many of you stepped up to my husband and me to receive communion. Person after person, I looked into your faces and gave you a piece of bread and said, “The body of Christ, broken for you.” Waves of […]
Let the Carols Lead Us to Christ
By Jesse Yi-Gray, Director of Music Going into my first Christmas season as a married man, I knew there was one conversation my wife and I needed to have that wasn’t covered in our pre-marital counseling. Whispers of Mariah Carey and Michael Bublé, advertisements for Starbucks seasonal drinks, December worship planning meetings getting added to my calendar all […]
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 […]
A Whisper of Revival in the UK
By Ellis White, Senior Pastor I wish you could have heard the way her college pastor told the story—slowly, gently, still moved by what God had done. A young female student in Oxford had grown up in the occult. Her health was unraveling. Her life felt fragmented and empty. She was searching for meaning anywhere […]
Feeling Lonely at Church?
By Jenna Arnold, Director of Digital Outreach I’ve attended church my whole life, and there have been seasons of belonging—and seasons of deep loneliness. One of the biggest differences between those seasons, I eventually realized, was me. I remember one Sunday sitting in church feeling transparent, like no one would have noticed if I’d disappeared. […]