“I like sleeping in. That’s my jam” said Michelle Lummus. So, giving up sleeping in on a Sunday morning or missing family time for church never really seemed worth it to Michelle. She grew up going to church, but it always felt forced. Attending but never really participating.

As part of our 20th anniversary celebration, we’re reflecting on our church’s values through the stories and experiences of our Chets family. In this post Natasha Jordan shares about how her family became part of the Chets family.

“It’s exciting to work with internationals. I think the best word is fulfilling. You learn about their customs and their cultures. You just have to try it,” said Kathie Ross about serving in the English as a Second Language (ESL) ministry at Chets. Kathie never pictured herself as an English teacher or being so involved in ESL, but now she says, “I can’t stop.”

As part of our 20th anniversary celebration, we’re reflecting on our church’s values through the stories and experiences of our Chets family. In this post Kristen Pepe shares about the love that we have for all people.

We are sad but excited to share that our Chets family will be sending the Garcia family to serve the people of Maui, Hawaii. Their family is moving to Hawaii in response to God's leading them to live as missionaries and begin to develop missional communities there. Here’s their story of how they’ve trusted God to lead them in this new adventure.

As part of our 20th anniversary celebration, we’re reflecting on our church’s values through the stories and experiences of our Chets family. In this post Glenn Reese shares about the Bible as the foundation of his life and our church.

After receiving a Bible on Back to School Sunday at Chets, six-year-old Logan told his mom Kristin Krancer, “Mommy we have so many Bibles that we read all the time, I wanna give this one to someone who doesn’t have a Bible and tell them about Jesus!” Kristin was blown away that her son had such a desire to share the gospel with others.

“Like always, church was awesome. Before I came back to Jesus, I was lonely, broken, and feeling worthless, but through Jesus, I found grace, mercy, and compassion. Now I am filled with love, joy, and hope.”

This year our Chets Students went on mission to the Florida Keys to help with hurricane relief and marine cleanup. Kaya Getz says going on a mission trip within the United States really opened her eyes and showed her she doesn’t have to go across the world to serve.

“I was baptized for the first time 30 years ago, but I wasn’t the one who made that choice. It has been on my heart for a while to make the choice for myself to become baptized… today, I participated in the outward symbol of the change God has made in me, and publicly professed my belief in Jesus Christ.”

We are sad but excited to share that our Chets family will be sending the Sullivan family to serve in New England. Darren, our Pastor of Multiplication and Missions, will begin serving as a Church Planting Catalyst with the North American Mission Board and the Baptist Convention of New England on August 1.

Sometimes life is interrupted by the unexpected. One never knows what tomorrow will bring. In March 2015 I went to the doctor for a mid-year physical exam. I got the results of my biopsy and found I had stage three prostate cancer. I was worried about taking care of my family, the pain, feeling sick or being different because of treatment, keeping my job, paying my bills, even dying.

203 of our Chets Students and their leaders participated in a Fuge summer camp at Ridgecrest, North Carolina. Students spent time worshiping, studying scripture, building relationships, having fun, and discovering how to live out the mission of sharing Jesus with the world. They heard God speaking to them this week and shared their stories…

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength… Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31 At Chets we take the call to love God and love others seriously but sometimes that love is shown in unexpected ways.

Last summer, a family invited their unchurched neighbors to attend VBS at the Nocatee Campus. Those neighbors had a son who invited his friend, Leah Noren, to come with him. After 5-year-old Leah heard how much fun it was, she really wanted to check it out.

Many of us can relate to going through different seasons of faith. There are times you may feel incredibly close to God and other times where you just feel spiritually drained. That’s how Allie Buchanan described her faith journey.

Sometimes loving your neighbor means just as much to you as it does to them. At least that’s been Deirdre Dwyer’s experience.

“I expected to get something out of it spiritually. I don’t think I expected to get something out of it emotionally,” said Patrick Rascoe of his first mission trip. But after spending a week in Mzamomhle, South Africa, Pat said the relationships he built led to emotional attachments that he won’t soon forget.

More than 200 women gathered across our four campuses last weekend for a time of refreshing, refocusing, and renewing at IF:Gathering 2018. This year’s theme was Fanning the Flame based on 2 Timothy 1:6-7.

Four and a half years ago as we were walking out of LifeGroup, Chris and Theresa Imbach excitingly talked to my husband, Art, and I about the Roatan mission trip. They looked at us and said, "You guys should come!" For several years at our other church, we had talked about going on mission, but it never happened. Now that we were settling into Chets, it seemed right and we replied "Okay." I wish I could say that there was intense prayer and spiritual reflection, but it was a simple moment of an invitation extended and accepted.