I’m going to gross some of you out. I grew up on a little alfalfa ranch on the outskirts of Yakima. We had a horse named “Monty.” Monty grazed on that alfalfa and produced piles of reconstituted alfalfa. Those piles dried in the sun and became what we called “road apples.” And one of the […]
Don’t unfriend me!
Word meanings change. A “tool” used to be a shovel or a hammer. Now it means an unintelligent person who doesn’t know he’s being taken advantage of. “Thongs?” That was what we used to call “flip flops.” Now, I would raise an eyebrow if I told someone I wanted to “slip on my thongs.” Some […]
There’s no place like home…in Port Orchard!
Wow, what a wonderful weekend we just had! Our own Gunnar Tesdahl was ordained and installed as the newest Assistant Pastor at Chapel Hill, and it was so great to see so many of you gather in person to support Gunnar in his calling. I know Gunnar, Aimee, and their families appreciated your prayers and […]
Launching a new disciple-maker
Could you recite our mission statement? You hear it nearly every week if you worship with us. “Chapel Hill Church exists to Exalt Jesus, Elevate Others and Launch Disciple-makers.” All three verbs – Exalt, Elevate and Launch – have an “upward” trajectory, an homage to our name, Chapel Hill. (And believe me, if we could have […]
Getting back to normal…
Most of you are probably already aware of the incredible staff that works so hard, often in the shadows, to care for, protect and serve the members and friends of this congregation. I’m sure that you have taken the time, as I often do, to thank those team members for their diligent and faithful service […]
Celebrating the moms in our lives
Her name was Gwen. Gwen Bradley. She was born in England but immigrated to the U.S. when she was five. When it came time for university, she opted to go to England to train to be a nanny for royalty at the prestigious Nordland Institute, the first American student to attend there. Upon receiving her […]
How much are you worth?
Cyndi and I just returned from a vacation in Arizona. One of the highlights was our visit to the Grand Canyon. We often use the term “breathtaking”…sometimes too lightly. But this is one of those moments when, literally, it took my breath away. So beautiful, so massive, so impossible to describe with words. Even pictures […]
I didn’t see the sign!
Recently, our 9-year-old dishwasher was struggling and after three attempted repairs I gave up and purchased a new one. I chose to install it myself because I had already taken apart the old one so many times, I figured it would be easy. The delivery guys dropped it off, took away the old one, and […]
How to keep your kids’ faith alive
Statistically speaking, most students who attend church as a teenager will stop attending as an adult. How can we reverse that trend? Over the last few months, our staff have been studying the book, Faith for Exiles by David Kinnamon and Mark Matlock, which seeks to answer that very question. Two of the five practices […]
A weekend to celebrate!
Wow! What an Easter! When we processed down the center aisle for the first service and I saw a room full of people gathered eagerly for the 8:30 celebration, a wave of gratitude and emotion swept over me! Particularly to see so many of my older friends back after more than a year, vaccinated, feeling […]