First thing in the morning and every day after work, my dogs go wild when they see me. They wiggle their tails, bounce with excitement, and push their way into a hug. Every inch of their little bodies is filled with the kind of joy I can only describe it as pure delight. It’s an […]
Daily Prayer
Revival starts with prayer. There has never been a prayerless revival. But it’s not enough to just pray “God, send revival, amen” and go about our day without changing. In 2 Chronicles 7:14, God says “if my people, who are called by my name, humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from […]
Substance over style
A couple times a week, I will pull up to my favorite coffee stand in the harbor and order myself an iced decaf latte. Iced, because I run warm. Decaf, because I’m naturally caffeinated. And a latte because I’m not a “real” coffee drinker…I just like my milk with ice and a couple shots of […]
Spiritually nurturing the next generation
A special message from Pastor Mark Toone Hello my Sweetheart Church: I will never forget the moment when I suddenly qualified for Father’s Day: the birth of Rachel Megan Toone. Well, my “little girl” also happens to be an EPC ordained pastor…and a pretty terrific communicator, if I do say so myself! She is home […]
Clues for a life well-lived
I met someone last week who gave me a clue for how to be more joyful and compassionate. Pascal Bimenyimana visited Chapel Hill from Haiti where he leads our global partner there, World Relief. He is a survivor of the Rwandan genocide in the 1990s, and he has served among the most devastated places in […]
New mercy for the morning
Last weekend we ended our services with a call to come forward for prayer. I was surprised by the number of people who came forward asking our pastoral team to pray for them. It was humbling and encouraging to kneel beside many in this congregation and pray for very real needs. I was surprised that […]
Any anxious thoughts today?
So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand […]
Fare-thee-well
One of the hard things about pastoring a church for more than 35 years is that you say a LOT of goodbyes, including those to really treasured members of your staff team. Alas, I have another one of those hard goodbyes that I want to share with you. Shannon Rickert, our Senior Director of Care Ministries, Shannon […]
A prayer for this Mother’s Day
I’m grateful for the tradition I grew up with in the UK of honoring all women on Mother’s Day. Old, young, kids at home, kids grown, never had kids at all. Every year as little kids we would run round the church giving daffodils to every woman in the pews. God’s family comes in all […]
What’s the most valuable thing this world can give you?
Earlier this morning, Saturday, May 6, King Charles III was crowned King of the United Kingdom in a worship service at Westminster Abbey. At a certain point in the service, he was presented with a Bible, by the Moderator of the Church of Scotland. As the Moderator presented the Bible to the King, he said […]
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