Rev. Dr. Galen E. Russell, III, Pastor

701 Poplar Church Road

In late September 2000, Rev. Dr. Galen E. Russell III was called to Chapel Hill UCC as its new pastor.  The son and grandson of pastors, Pastor Galen came to Chapel Hill with sixteen years of ordained ministry experience behind him and several additional years of working with youth and young adults prior to his ordination.  He brought with him the gift of music and has composed and recorded several songs for worship and other celebrations on two compact discs.  Pastor Galen, and the Praise! Worship team, are frequently called to perform at other venues where they bring a more contemporary and enthusiastic form of worship to the young and young-at-heart.  We at Chapel Hill are pleased to stand behind Pastor Galen as he continues to further his education in pursuit of a doctorate degree from Lancaster Theological Seminary. 

Sharing the Journey . . .

In our worship coming up on July 13th, we will have once again an extraordinary opportunity to express our faith, hope, and trust in God.  Of course, we do that every Sunday, probably every day, too.  But, the 13th’s a little different.  In our worship we will say these words: “We who witness and celebrate this sacrament promise, on behalf of the worldwide Christian church, our love, support, and blessings to Hanna Grace Gurchik, about to be baptized, as she lives and grows in Christ.”

That’s huge!  What are we promising again?  To love… to support… to bless…?  That’s quite a responsibility!  No matter what Hanna experiences in life, no matter what decisions she makes, no matter how she grows up, she and her parents will know that we will be there for her, loving, supporting, and blessing her.  It’s our solemn promise and vow, and it’s for every child growing in Christ.

This promise is made known in countless ways.  Every Sunday, we have people who will show our children the ropes of faith.  They are willing to teach, love, guide, even hug our kids.  Every summer we have a VBS program that enriches our kids’ Christian understandings, their love for each other, the church, but most importantly, they know that they are loved by a holy God.

As they get older, our children and youth can experience God in the rich experiences of summer camp.  This year, we have two of our youth attending Hartman Center, our very excellent outdoor ministry program.  Also this summer, four youth connected to our church are attending the National Youth Event featuring the theme “Living the Life.”  The faith of our children is growing because of the ongoing fulfillment of our promises.  Oh, by the way… stay tuned for another Confirmation group this fall!

This is our solemn vow—to train our children in faith.  They stand a chance know God throughout their lives!  Amen!!!

by Rev. Dr. Galen E. Russell III

May, June and July 2008

May 4  -  We are Given; We have Received

May 18  -  Earthly Responsibilities

May 25  -  First Priorities Strike a Balance

June 1  -  God is Still Speaking, So Be Still

June 8  -  Service of Recognition

June 22  -  Rising to the Challenges

June 29  -  Walking Testimonials

July 6  - 

July 13  -  Sprouts in the Mission Field