Remembering Katrina, and Lakeshore Baptist Church

Pastor Don Elbourne has posted a video clip, showing what he saw when he returned to his church, Lakeshore Baptist in Mississippi, four years ago today. It was the first time he was able to get there after Hurricane Katrina.



A few weeks after this was filmed, Chapel on the Hill sent a team of men (Pastor Bill Breckenridge, Frank Scerbo, Cliff Cherry, Blaise Wylie, Nate Abrams, Jeff D'Angelo, Mark Schoonfield, and Bill Hodgetts) to work in that devastated place. Two more teams of Chapel men went down in subsequent trips (Pastor Bill, Bill Hodgetts, Frank Scerbo, Pat Arthur, Scott Enchelmaier, Jeff D'Angelo, Blaise Wylie, and Mark Schoonfield, and then Pastor Bill, Pat Arthur, Scott Enchelmaier, Mark Schoonfield, Johnny Fabrazzo, Steve Hangge, Marc DiEdwardo, Stan Zimmerman, and Frank Scerbo). Later Pastor Bill and Donna-Jean went down, and then Chapel sent a team of women (Donna-Jean Breckenridge, Maria Hangge, Bethany Abrams, Elisa Fabrazzo, Arleen Zimmerman, and Debbie Capolino).

We also sent down many shipments of food, clothing, school supplies, Christmas gifts, cooking supplies, and cash, all provided by Chapel on the Hill.

We continue to send our prayers. To see what is happening at Lakeshore now, go to Brother Don's church blog: rebuildlakeshore.com

and pray for Lakeshore Baptist Church, and the people of that community, as they continue to share the Gospel and to be the hands and feet of Christ.

Because eternity matters most

In our church, we pray for people's needs. Most often, the requests have to do with physical concerns, and that's normal.

But what matters most is the heart, and a person's spiritual life.

This weekend, Chapel on the Hill will lead a youth retreat in the mountains of Pennsylvania. We are thrilled to be able to speak to these young people about their walk with God. Make that their 'run' with God, as we focus together on Hebrews 12:1 & 2, and "Looking Unto Jesus."

We ask you to pray for them, and for us!

Leaders: Pastor Bill and Donna-Jean, Bethany and Nate.
Young People attending:
Alison, Matt, Gretchen, Nathan, Samantha, Timothy, Amanda, Mike, Melissa, Johnny, Delora, Andrew, Elizabeth, Jordan, Lindsey, Peter, Hannah, Daniel, Jessica, Mike, Vietta, Michael, Taylor, PJ, Emily, Jerard, and Erick.

Please pray - because eternity matters most!

"I Will Arise"

Several of Chapel on the Hill's Cross Culture young people presented "I Will Arise," choreographed and directed by Bethany Abrams.

"Death will have no victory..."

It was an incredible night - we praise God for the Chapel Choir, under the direction of Pastor Anderson, as they sang songs of worship and adoration, and also for the message we heard.




The whole world will sing...

Redemption's Story

Tonight at 8 p.m. at Chapel on the Hill, the Chapel Choir, Cross Culture Drama Group, and Pastor Paul Anderson will present "Redemption's Story."

Because it matters more than anything...

(Our Easter celebration of the Resurrection will begin at 9:45 a.m. Sunday with Chapelccino, then our Morning Worship at 10:30 a.m.)

In Their Own Words

The people of Chapel on the Hill have sent in their Notes of Praise, telling what our church means to them.

Here are those notes, in their own words.

Coming to church on Sunday helps me to become a better person all week. It is like medication for the spirit. Stop taking it and you go back to your old ways.

I have enjoyed the opportunity of meeting some great people and appreciate the beautiful music.

I have enjoyed singing in the choir and the fellowship of the other choir members has been a blessing to me.

I like Chapel because I like to Praise God there and Sing!

I’m glad I have a special prayer buddy and I likes Chapelccino!!

We are thankful for our wonderful church family and knowing that we are always there for each other.

For me, Chapel has been a place of complete security as I tread through the totally insane world around me.

Chapel on the Hill gives me a chance to serve the Lord – delivering meals to our Christian family, greeting at the door, fellowshipping with our loving Christian family, learning by the preaching, being encouraged by others while we are having our problems, praying for others, getting to meet missionaries, and seeing my own family grow closer to Christ!

We’re visiting family members in another state right now but, as you can see, "you're always on our mind"!!

We thank everybody for their prayers for the healing of those who had ailments, it is so very thoughtful.

Chapel on the Hill is a warm, welcoming family of committed believers. The Ladies Fellowship reaches out to so many needy people with the love of Jesus. The Sharon Bible study means a great deal to me.

Worship and prayer for one another are important at Chapel on the Hill. I felt so covered in prayer when having surgery several years ago and when my mother passed away last summer. So many wonderful things take place at Chapel on the Hill.

Pastor Paul Anderson always brings me back to the Word......for this, I am most grateful and "well with my soul". I praise the Lord for bringing me to Chapel on the Hill.

Chapel on the Hill provides our family a place where the Word of God still remains the main source for guidance and where friends are considered family.

The body of Christ as Chapel teaches me how to seek God daily in our life. Our Pastor seeks the word of God right from the Bible and helps us to use the Scriptures in our walk. Chapel is a very special church and I am very grateful to have it.

I am grateful to have Chapel on the Hill as a home church where the preaching is great and the people are warm and caring.

God has used our Bible preaching pastors at Chapel on the Hill to bring me to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. God has also used Chapel to give me a faithful praying church family, and Chapel is where I met my Faith Family Child whom I pray for and who gives some of the best hugs around!

I love going to the Chapel. We have been going there since 1977, when we joined the church. It is a safe haven for me. Whenever I need some support and some prayer help I go to my church family.

I thank God for the sound preaching of the WORD, the strong mission ministry both local and around the world, and the prayer life of the church.

There is a great compassion and sensitivity to the trodden, forgotten, and poor, both within the church and in faraway countries. Above all I appreciate the consistent lifestyle of the pastoral leadership and their families, a generous and loving church body, and the multiple opportunities to be of service all for the glory of God .

Chapel on the Hill has changed my life on so many levels that I don't even know where to begin. My fellowship with the Lord has never been stronger. My clarity of what God expects of me is clear now and I have made many new friends that I cherish.

We have personally witnessed the power of prayer, and the fellowship of a church family.

When in a time of facing a crisis or need, that is when you see God’s blessings flow through this church. It's the power of prayer from the people of Chapel on the Hill that has helped us through this past year.

Thank you to Chapel On The Hill for the biblical teaching, the faithful prayer support, and the faith in action shown by those who have helped my wife. A true “family of God”!

I thank God for Chapel on the Hill. I've learned so much from Pastor's teachings and to be in a church where we all have our ups and downs, but to know that we can pray for one another and be there for one another in our family of God means so much.

I thank God we have a teaching pastor who teaches us from the word of God, helping us to see in scripture the love that God has bestowed on us that we are called the "children of God".

I could go on and on about how much Chapel means to me, but what I would truly like to convey is that the powerful, insightful expositions of God's word each week have deepened and strengthened my spiritual roots and drawn me closer to my Saviour each new day.

Pure Joy, Peace. Awe, His Presence amongst His people who show their pure love for their Church Family and genuine prayerful concern for others is what Chapel means to me.

Through rough times, Chapel was always there to offer nothing but genuine love and prayer. I've learned though Chapel that God would see me though all of life's obstacles.


Chapel on the Hill has answered the question for me, "Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?" Yes, He certainly can, and has - for many years. A table where one can be fed and nourished by the faithful preaching and teaching from the Word of God, not fast food, but the kind of spiritual diet that helps you grow and develop into a mature believer. I thank God for this banquet hall where I have never gone away hungry or become malnourished, enabling me to walk each day in His strength and by His grace.

Chapel on the Hill is where unconditional love is shared by those with whom I will spend eternity together with Jesus! Chapel is HOME!

Merry Christmas!

...from Chapel on the Hill.

Missions Weekend

It's an exciting weekend at Chapel on the Hill. We are having our Missions Conference - and launching a new ministry called "CUPbearers."

Also, Pastor Anderson has just published his book, "Habitations of Cruelty," chronicling the plight of children in places like Cambodia, Uganda, and Peru, and challenging readers to do something to make a difference in the world.

Check back here soon - we'll have it all for you to see!

Prime Timers!

At Chapel on the Hill, we have a great deal of emphasis on young people. We have Cross Culture, KidzAction, IGNITE!, V-Clubs, and Salt and Light Club. Not to be outdone, another group has formed: the Prime Timers. Their demographic is a bit older, but just as joyful and enthused.

This past week, Prime Timers met to pray,



eat,



write letters of support to soldiers,



pack up gifts to our military,



focus on the Word,



and just have a great night together.

What a night!

On my other blog, I write about our V-Club Banquet. Check it out - there are pictures here, too - it was a night to remember! Click here for the link.

The time of singing has come

Solomon wrote these beautiful words:

For lo, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone;
The flowers appear on the earth,
The time of singing has come.

We've had so very many things to sing about at Chapel lately. We've been especially grateful for the new little lives in our church family.


Nicolette was born on St. Patrick's Day,


and had her church debut on April 6th. Congratulations to Johnny and Elisa, and big brothers Johnny and Anthony - we're so happy for all of you!

And then there's Grace.

We knew ahead of time that her life would be marked by struggle - but that she would also be safely guarded by her Heavenly Father. She was born on January 30th - and she has already had 13 surgical procedures. She is a witness to God's faithfulness, and to answered prayer.

When she came into church for the first time last Sunday,


she caused quite a stir.

Pastor is here with Dennis, Dina, Baby Grace, and big sister Jessica, to sing the song we sing each Sunday, "I'm so glad I'm a part of the Family of God."


We thank the Lord that Baby Nicolette and Baby Grace are a part of this Family of God.

Welcome spring

A Chapel Christmas

It's been a feast - a Christmas feast, at Chapel on the Hill. We've had music, drama, art, film, messages, and food - to say nothing of fellowship, love, and joy.

Our Christmas Celebration began with a musical program on December 14th. After a time of preparation and rehearsal, everything was made ready


for a beautiful evening.


Pastor Anderson led the 30-voice choir in majestic anthems of praise to God,


of rejoicing in the Incarnation, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection.


The candlelit service


also included drama, with a focus on the writings of the Old Testament prophets,


Micah and


Isaiah, and the writer John,


whose Holy-Spirit-inspired theme of "the Word became flesh" echoed in song throughout the sanctuary.


We included Mary and Joseph, and a wonderful duet


of "My Eyes Have Seen Your Salvation."


And then it was time for the kids with Pastor Bill, as they rushed in,


carrying over a hundred shoebox gifts, in a re-creation of our yearly participation in Samaritan's Purse's Operation Christmas Child.


Pastor Bill spoke for a few minutes about the vision Pastor Anderson has shared for a "CUPBearers" ministry (supporting ministries that seek to reach the enslaved girls of Cambodia, the child soldiers of Uganda, and the street boys of Peru). It's an intense message for Christmas - and when we watched a short movie showing these little boys, drug-addicted and abandoned, living on the streets of Lima, our festive mood darkened. But when we showed the sequel - what Shama House is doing to rescue, rehabilite and (by God's grace) redeem these young souls - the true spirit of Christmas permeated.


Pastor preached of hope - of the importance of getting what's important at this Christmas time, the message of Emmanuel: "God with us."

Afterwards, several of Chapel's people saw a need for one of their Pastors, and met it - in an extraordinary way.

On Friday night the 21st, Chapel opened its first Christmas Art Gallery. What an array of God-given talent, in drawings,


many paintings,
(below by 16 year old Katelynn DeMeo)






sculpture (by 14 year old Nathan Breckenridge),


quilts,


woodcarvings (done by 15 year old Matt Kenny),


origami,


and wordcraft.


The participants enjoyed the Art Gallery


as much as the onlookers.



Afterwards, we had a great Movie Night, watching "The Nativity Story" and eating popcorn.

"Christmas Sunday" brought more preaching of the Word by Pastor,


more singing (from Pastor and Lois doing "The Family of God"


to the choir's concluding "Hallelujah Chorus")


and then a real feast: a Christmas spread like no other.


The church gave gifts to their Pastors - generous, love-blessed gifts. We ate, we laughed, we sang - again (this time


with the Salt and Light Band)


and we had a very special event:


we watched Bethany and Alison


and the Spirit Wars kids


perform a powerful mime to David Phelps' "End of the Beginning."






It was the dessert to the season for us.


A Chapel Christmas.



A body of believers, celebrating the Savior who came to be one of us, so He could die for all of us. We are rejoicing. Thank you, Lord Jesus.

Christmas in the air

The snow fell this past Sunday, and that means Christmas can't be far behind.


Saturday was spent decorating the sanctuary,


working together on props,


and deciding where everything should go.


There was time for conversation,


some rehearsing,


and just hanging out at church.


Saturday night was Cross Culture - which means


games,


fun,


laughter,


and giving thanks.

And of course there was lots of food - both for body


and soul.


Next morning the snow came,


and so did new members to our fellowship.

Monday was a night for more practice - both for the choir


and for the kids


There's excitement in the air - as we anticipate the Salt and Light Showcase this Friday night, Chapelccino and our Worship Service this Sunday, our Christmas Celebration on the 14th, our Art Gallery and Movie Night "The Nativity Story" on the 21st, and our Worship and Lunch-time Dinner on the 23rd.


There's a lot ahead - and in the words of the choir, "Christ is born - sing Alleluia!"

Picture of Praise

The news is full of stories of those who got up early on Black Friday, to beat the crowds and get the deals. But the news at Chapel was of those who got up early on Thanksgiving Day in order to praise God for His mercy and blessings to us.

With coffee and cider, pastries and oranges, we met for just an hour - but there was no lag, no break in the testimonies. One after another stood, some who have done it year after year, others who for the first time publicly gave praise to God.


There were those who recounted God's faithfulness this past year - whether in miracle pregnancies, surgical recoveries, or mercies following a terrible theft. Others stood to speak of God's care for them in the little, daily provisions of life. Some said they had given up on church - until they came to Chapel, and experienced "authentic Christianity" in the lives of true brothers and sisters in Christ. There were testimonies of gratitude to God for the outpouring of Christian love in our church toward their spouses, their children, their families. And there were those who said it simply for everyone, "I want to say thank you for Jesus Christ."


There are many good ways to celebrate and enjoy Thanksgiving. Those who came out Thursday morning to be with the family of God all believe they had found the best way.

"Suffer the little children..."

Jesus made it clear that He loved children, and wanted them to be able to approach Him and learn of Him. And so at Chapel on the Hill, we want to be like Him in that way.

Recently we renewed our long-standing prayer program entitled "Faith Family." The idea of our Faith Family is for adults in church to volunteer to pray daily for one of the children of our church. We match up Faith Family prayer partners, and it's exciting to see young people seeking out their "Faith Family" and to greet them each week.


As each adult committed before the Lord to pray daily for one special child, we trusted God to continue to guard, protect, and 'grow' them in Him.



This Sunday at Chapel, we'll extend that concern beyond our walls. It's "Shoebox Sunday," the day we bring in shoeboxes we've filled with gifts for boys and girls around the world, for Operation Christmas Child. This ministry of Samaritan's Purse shares God's love this way around the globe. Last year, 7.6 million shoeboxes were collected and distributed in many different countries. One of those countries was Zimbabwe.

Johnny, a seventh grader at Chapel, received a letter from the boy who received his gift box.


The letter read,

"Hi John. My name is Kida. I am 11 years old. I like to play hockey, cricket and rugby. I am in sixth grade. I really enjoyed the things in the box. I was born on the 25th of September 1995...I also enjoy reading books. Thank you. Please write back and we can be friends or pen pals."

As we send out these boxes, we pray for those who receive them - that they will be introduced to the love of Christ, and that many will come to know Him through the follow-up discipleship program.

This past weekend was the Missions Conference at Chapel. We sat and ate together, listened to presentations from some of our missionary family, and prayed over what we could give in this coming year to support our missionaries and missionary endeavors.



Our focus was on Dick and Kathy Page's ministry to orphans and needy children in Russia (the Pages are seen here speaking to some of the kids at Chapel),


David Virkler's evangelism ministry, the Camp Elim ministry in Haiti, a ministry to People With AIDS in Greenwich Village, Bible translation work in the Philippines, a church plant in the Yukon Territory, ministry to those displaced in the Sudan, and more...

And God is calling us to go even beyond this - especially for the lost children of the world. Pastor Anderson's heart has been moved to action, as he's learned of children in some of the darkest places of the earth. He is writing a book, "Habitations of Cruelty," about young girls trapped in sexual slavery in Cambodia, young boys turned into murderers as child soldiers in Uganda, and children living in the streets in Peru.

Pastor's message from Sunday is here, on Oneplace. His passion is to see these forgotten, invisible children reached with the transforming, rehabilitating power of the Holy Spirit. We look forward as a church family to doing all we can to share the love of Jesus Christ to these young ones trapped in these "Habitations of Cruelty."

Jesus said that the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. We want to be part of seeing that happen, by asking God to use us however He can - through praying for our own children at Chapel, through sending out a simple shoebox gift somewhere in the world, and through setting up a ministry of financial and prayer support for those who are fearlessly and faithfully working in these dark places.

Jesus laid His hands on those little children, way back in Bible times. And He's still doing it today. We want to be His vehicles, His vessels...His hands, for the children's sake.