Senior Pastor, the Chapel Scott Chapman

The past year has truly been a truly amazing time at The Chapel. God has done truly wonderful things in so many people’s lives. As I look over this past season of ministry, I am grateful for everyone who has served God in our church and helped to make it such a remarkable place. I find that at times it’s helpful to slow down and take stock of life and reflect on what God is doing in our lives. In that spirit of gratitude to God and wonder at His ability to empower ordinary people like us, I want to briefly share with you some of what He has done through His servants at The Chapel since the beginning of the year…

If you were to go to a mall or park, stop passers-by and ask them what is most important in life, most would answer – ‘to be happy.’ Happiness is one of the most fundamental of human needs. We all want to experience joy, we all love to laugh. We want to surround ourselves with things that increase our happiness – or at least decrease our sorrow. And why not? It feels better to be happy than sad…

As a pastor, I have spent a good deal of time visiting people in the hospital. Sometimes it’s a happy occasion – like the birth of a child. Most of the time it’s a difficult season for someone enduring moments of pain, fear and possibly death. I always find it hard to have words to say in those moments, words that don’t sound like a time-worn cliche. I want to make everything better. I want it all to just go away. I want to promise them that they will be healed – but I can’t. I’m not God. I don’t get to make these decisions.

Earlier this week I participated in a conference for churches attempting to break through the barriers that are holding them back. My first message, “Church Unstoppable”, centered around three important questions. These were questions that our church asked itself during ...more

In the fall of 1839, a handful of Christians gathered at the old red brick Presbyterian church in downtown Chicago to pray about the issue of slavery. It was a largely forgettable evening by almost anyone’s standards. Yet somehow, the ...more

There have been times in my life where I have gazed up at the night sky and pondered the vastness of the universe or looked at a globe and been overwhelmed by the sheer number of people living in every ...more

Several months ago, I had an epiphany. These are few and far between for me – so I paid close attention. I was studying ancient cultures in preparation for a weekend message when I made an interesting observation.
The vast majority ...more