News

Our congregation financially supports Mary Raber’s work in the Ukraine. She is there with Mennonite Mission Network. Below is her recent letter. Read it to learn about her work and find out how to support her with our prayers as well. – – – – – – – – – – – – – –… More

I have returned… returned to the States and now back to Bangladesh.  Going back for Michael and Rachael’s wedding was a really nice vacation.   They’re now happily married and moved into their new house in Lancaster.  Derrick and Rebecca also recently bought a place in Harrisonburg and I was able to visit that as… More

Mennonite Church USA Delegate Assembly 2009 Report by Ryan Koch, Chapel Hill Mennonite Fellowship July 7th, 2009 Tom, Isaac, and I arrived in Columbus on Tuesday afternoon just in time for evening worship which inaugurated the conference. A few details about the conference: all together nearly 7500 individuals attended. The total number of delegates was… More

Nathan Charles MCC Bangladesh June 9,2008 It’s storm season. It’s almost over from what I understand, but we’re kind of on the edge of the end of storm season and about to move into the rainy season. During storm season localized thunderstorms spin up and create mischief before moving on. For me these storms are… More

No one is proud of weakness. We don’t like to put our brokenness on display. But the Lord’s Table confronts us with our wounded bodies. The brokenness of Christ’s body confronts us with the wounds in our own life. In this short article, Isaac reflects on the way our congregations are broken and distributed as… More

To every thing there is a season, turn, turn turn. Bangladesh is one of MCC’s oldest projects. There’s a plaque in the Dhaka commemorating the first volunteer in West Bengal back in 1946. At one point MCC Bangladesh had over 300 National staff and something like 70 Expatriate service workers or Bideshi’s, but a few… More

Has God abandoned us? The world seems like a desolate place. But the Scriptures tell us that Jesus is Immanuel, “God with us.” Where can we find this One who gives life? Isaac suggests that the Christ shows up among those who gather at the edges of our comfortable world. Here’s a passage from his… More

The February 16th (2009) issue of the Mennonite Weekly Review features an article on the Eastern Carolina District’s local ecumenical conversations. The best part about it is that there’s a wonderful picture of a few folks at Chapel Hill Mennonite. Follow this link: Emerging Churches find treasures in Anabaptism.

One of the Charles family traditions that my Grandmother started is that instead of exchanging Christmas gifts we share a story about something which happened to us during the year. This is the story I wrote a little belatedly this year and decided to send it out as my latest update. “It’s the simple things”… More

Christians are people who make room for God. Mary is the first one in the Christian story who shows hospitality to Christ. She gives her very body as the space where good news can be born in our world full of bad news. In his Advent reflection for The Mennonite, Isaac looks to Mary as… More

For the past few years Nathan Charles has worshiped with us. He recently decided to serve with Mennonite Central Committee in Bangladesh for the next three years. Below is his latest letter. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –… More

For the past few years Nathan Charles has worshiped with us. He recently decided to serve with Mennonite Central Committee in Bangladesh for the next three years. Below is his latest letter. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –… More

Our district of Mennonite churches brought Shane Claiborne and Chris Haw to town for their Jesus for President campaign. You can read part of a report of the event below. —————————————————– The Jesus for President campaign came to Raleigh, N.C. on July 22nd. Chris Haw, Shane Claiborne, and their crew took the stage at 7pm.… More

Where does church happen? In this article, Isaac tells the story of a moment of church that happened outside the walls of our normal meeting place. The people of Chapel Hill Mennonite can gather anywhere for church, even in the hospital. Here’s a couple paragraphs from the article: Sometimes church just happens. Christ shows up… More

Giving up control is scary business. Can church be a place where we learn to be vulnerable with one another, and recognize that vulnerability as the movement of the Holy Spirit? Isaac remembers how a baby consecration wrapped him up into a vulnerable communion with God and companions at Chapel Hill Mennonite. Here’s a taste… More

Sometimes disticintions between churches and denominations gets to be a mess. Is there anything that can bring churches together? Isaac describes the relationship between Chapel Hill Mennonite and the Quakers as an example of what he calls “radical ecumenism.” Here’s an excerpt from his article, which appeared in The Mennonite: Tending to the grass and… More

Isaac described a day in the life of our congregation. He shows how our mourning is also our worship by telling the story of a worship service at Chapel Hill Mennonite. The article appeared in The Mennonite. Here is an excerpt: Mourning is worship. Sometimes we worship with our tears. To worship any differently would… More