Kent DelHousaye, the teaching pastor for Bethany Bible Church in Phoenix, spoke about love at this morning’s Chapel in the Arena. “If we had a slogan as Christians, what would it be? I think it …

By Jennifer Willis
Communications Staff
Chapel and the Gathering got a burst of energy when they moved into the new arena this fall semester and Dean of Students Pastor Tim Griffin hopes to capitalize on that momentum by …

Central Christian Church takes a different approach from most churches, according to Jeremy Jernigan, its pastor of worship arts, who will speak at Monday’s Chapel in GCU Arena. The 50-year-old church, which has four campuses in metropolitan Phoenix, resists the big, bold marketing pushes that are common with megachurches. Instead, it focuses on the Bible and tries to keep things simple. In his visit to GCU, Jernigan will speak on Matthew 21 and the parable of the tenants. He plans to talk about faith as a verb and what it means to live out faith on a daily basis.

Chapel heard a message about social justice from Palmer Chinchen, lead pastor of The Grove church in Chandler. Chinchen, who was born in Liberia, has written a book (“God Can’t Sleep”) about the need for Christians to wake up to the world’s social concerns. “A lot of people put the name of Jesus Christ on their lives but they don’t live that way, and that’s what bothers me,” Chinchen said, citing Ephesians 5:14. “Justice is the raging heartbeat of the Bible. … If we have a God that can’t sleep, then I hope you can’t, either.”

You wouldn’t expect a church in suburban Chandler to be leading the charge for social justice. In the land of SUVs, strip malls and youth soccer games, who has time for that? Well, Palmer Chinchen does, and he has given his ministry over to it. As lead pastor of The Grove church, he took more than 100 parishioners with him to Africa in the summer of 2010. When he brings a message to Chapel on Monday in GCU Arena, don’t expect him to dance around concerns that he says the evangelical church “has historically been deaf to.”

The U.S. Postal Service stays plenty busy keeping track of Air Force families such as the one Smedly Yates grew up in. The roll call for Yates: Texas (twice), New Mexico, Alaska, Arizona (twice), California (twice), Illinois and Tennessee (twice). After bouncing around so much for so long, it’s no surprise that Yates, 36, seems happily rooted as one of two pastors at Grace Bible Church in Chandler, which began near the Arizona State University campus 10 years ago and now meets at Valley Christian High School. He’s also firmly planted in preaching the Bible.

GCU doctoral learners took a break from the intensity of residency for a taste of campus life on Wednesday. The Kachina Ballroom at the Squaw Peak Pointe Hilton in Phoenix became GCU Arena for an hour as learners were treated to a midweek Chapel. Ryan Maguire, GCU’s online ministry coordinator and staff chaplain, provided the message and a smaller Chapel band — consisting only of Campus Music Minister Gabe Salazar and band members Jeannette Montenegro and Jason Richard — provided the music.

The parable of the workers in the vineyard from Matthew 20 was the focus of Jamie Rasmussen, senior pastor of Scottsdale Bible Church, at this morning’s Chapel. Rasmussen said God gives equal blessing in seven …

Jamie Rasmussen, the senior pastor at Scottsdale Bible Church, has been blessed with the gifts of teaching and leadership and is expected to bring a unique message to Monday’s Chapel in GCU Arena. One of Scottsdale Bible’s members, GCU Alumni Events and Promotions Manager Nick Knudson, says he is impressed with Rasmussen’s teaching style and vision for the church.

Don Wilson, senior pastor at Christ’s Church of the Valley in Peoria, brought the message to this morning’s Chapel from the parable of the talents in Matthew 25. Wilson’s key points: God owns everything and …