Chapel Hill Baptist Church at 8790 Highway 43 North in Northport, Alabama, has a mission to connect believers to one another and people to God. It is known for relaxed, multigenerational gatherings that focus attention on God's Word while making room for children, students, college adults, families, and older adults. Sunday worship is at 8:30 and 11:00 a.m., with a Wednesday worship gathering at 6:00 p.m.
A Place to Come as You Are
The church's mission is to inspire, equip, and encourage people to live lives that bring glory to God and bless the world. Its gatherings are casual, and the church emphasizes that people should come as they are to the feet of Jesus. Chapel Hill describes itself as real people with dynamic faith, united in covenant love and committed to multicultural, multigenerational ministry. The focus is biblical teaching, worship, fellowship, and service that reaches the surrounding community for Christ. A visit form lets families share when they plan to attend so the church can be prepared to meet them.
Sunday and Wednesday Rhythm
Sunday begins with worship at 8:30 a.m., followed by Sunday School at 9:45 and a second worship gathering at 11:00. The 9:45 groups meet in settings for children, students, college adults, and adults, while the 11:00 service gives families a worship time when children are also meeting at Ocean Floor in the gym. On Wednesday morning, the 10:00 Bible study in the sanctuary moves through Scripture verse by verse, one biblical book at a time. Students gather for Hang Time at 5:15, followed by worship at 6:00, children's activities and Kids Worship, and a student worship gathering. The Gathering for college students begins at 8:00 p.m. at the Annex with worship, Bible study, and fellowship.
The 8:30, 11:00, and 6:00 gatherings are broadcast live on YouTube, with a Facebook option for people who prefer it. The church describes all three as casual, so dress can be relaxed. The worship approach includes congregational singing, choirs, an orchestra, a praise team, and student participation without losing the stated priority of giving God the glory.
Children From Newborns Through Fourth Grade
Chapel Hill gives children a full place in church life. Nursery care is available during every activity and service for children from newborn through Pre-K. Teachers and childcare workers provide age-appropriate classrooms and learning experiences, while parents are encouraged to continue the teaching at home through materials sent home with each child. The preschool ministry also uses a numbered security system: a parent and child receive matching tags at drop-off, and a child is released only when the matching number is presented.
For Kindergarten through fourth grade, Sunday Small Groups meet at 9:45 in the Surf Shop on the second floor. Children then join high-energy worship at Ocean Floor in the gym at 11:00. On Wednesday nights, the same age group takes part in mission studies and a monthly mission project. A four-class course is offered several times a year on either a Sunday morning or Wednesday night for children who have said they want to be saved or have already made that decision. The stated goal of the Children's Ministry is to partner with parents in laying a spiritual foundation and helping children grow in relationship with Christ.
Preteens, Students, and College Adults
Chapel Hill has specific ministries for the in-between and teenage years. Fifth and sixth graders meet in Sunday Small Groups for age-appropriate Bible study and return for a midweek gathering, with activities such as lock-ins, day trips, and a summer retreat designed to build relationships. Students in grades seven through twelve begin Wednesday worship at 6:00. Their time includes worship, fellowship, drama, and study of God's Word. Sunday student Small Groups meet at 9:45 in age-appropriate groups separated by guys and girls, while all ages study the same Scripture and theme so families can discuss what they learned together.
College students have a weekly gathering called The Gathering at 8:00 p.m. Wednesday at the Annex, centered on worship, Bible study, fellowship, and communion with God. A Sunday small group also meets at 9:45, led by Jeff and Krissy Stevenson, giving college students another regular connection to the life of the church.
Women, Older Adults, and the Seasons of Life
Adults can join Sunday groups for every age, with men's, ladies', and co-ed classes. The women's ministry is called LADIES, an acronym for Ladies Aspiring to Disciple, Involve, Encourage, and Serve. Its purpose is to offer discipleship, fellowship, and service to women from ages one to one hundred. Adults over fifty belong to two senior groups: Middle Adult Ministry and God's Active People, connecting with God, His Word, and other people. Their rhythm includes monthly themed events with speakers, afternoon gatherings, catered dinners, restaurant visits, and day trips, along with weekly Wednesday Bible study.
Older adults also take part in service through projects associated with Love, Inc., Wings of Grace, and The Salvation Army Angel Tree, plus ministry inside the church. These activities pair fellowship with practical opportunities to care for people in the community. The senior ministry is led by Dr. Ken Cheek, with Mary Cheek coordinating activities, and includes regular opportunities to travel together at a reasonable cost.
Recreation With a Christ-Centered Purpose
Chapel Hill's recreation ministry seeks physical and spiritual fitness for members and guests of all ages. Its fall soccer league invites children from four years old through sixth grade, with a ten-week practice season and eight games that teach soccer skills while introducing children to Jesus. An annual 3rd and 17 Football Camp for children who have completed kindergarten through eighth grade is hosted by former University of Alabama quarterback Jonathan Richey with other former Alabama players and local coaches. Participants learn football fundamentals alongside the fundamentals of a Christ-centered life. On the first Wednesday of each month, people also meet after the 10:00 Bible study for dominoes, checkers, Scrabble, and card games.
Music for Every Generation
Music ministry has several ways to participate. The Celebration Choir rehearses on Sunday at 5:00 p.m., while the band, orchestra, and praise team rehearse at 4:15. A student drama team practices at 6:00 Sunday evening, and the Student Praise Band rehearses at 4:30 Wednesday afternoon before helping lead student worship. Sunshine Singers for K4 and K5 and Tiny Tunes for three-year-olds meet during Sunday School. The church welcomes new singers and instrumentalists throughout the year, giving families several ways to worship together.
Serving Beyond the Hill
Service is built into the church's life. Teams volunteer regularly in preschool and children's ministry. The church supports local schools by providing meals or refreshments for activities, and the congregation serves the Tuscaloosa County High School football team on Thursdays during football season. The phrase Off the Hill and into the Community captures the aim of moving beyond the church's own gathering to reach the surrounding community. Members are encouraged to give financially, give time, and offer their gifts and talents, with generosity intended to advance God's purpose.
The People Behind the Ministries
Dr. Shannon Moses serves as pastor. Rob Livingston is the full-time Minister of Children, Recreation and Administration. Casey Speigner serves as Minister of Education and leads the Wednesday in the Word study. Dr. Ken Cheek is Associate Pastor and Minister to Senior Adults, with Mary Cheek coordinating senior activities. Stacey Johnson directs Chapel Hill Child Development Center. Ryan and Meredith Greene serve as directors of Chapel Hill's summer camp, while Jeff and Krissy Stevenson lead the college small group. Their work spans biblical teaching, care for children and older adults, worship, college connection, recreation, and community service.
The Little Preschool on the Hill
Chapel Hill Child Development Center, also described as the little preschool on the Hill, serves children from eight weeks through five years old. Its weekday program runs from 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and follows the Tuscaloosa County school calendar. Teachers receive ongoing training in developmentally appropriate practice, and classrooms are arranged by age or developmental ability. The play-based curriculum gives even infants daily exposure to science, math, reading and writing, dramatic play, art, and music. Optional programs add basic computer skills through CompuChild for children age two and older and soccer fundamentals through Soccer Shots for children age two and older. Soccer Shots visits twice a month, and the center is an exempt Alabama program that seeks to meet or exceed state performance standards.
Learning and Giving Beyond the Gatherings
Chapel Hill extends its teaching beyond scheduled gatherings. The Journey from the Hill is a weekly podcast in which Dr. Shannon Moses explores God's Word and challenges listeners to live what they hear. Recordings of Wednesday in the Word follow the same verse-by-verse approach, and the church's YouTube channel carries worship services and sermon videos. Online giving provides another way to participate, while serving can also be expressed through time, gifts, and talents.
What Chapel Hill Believes
Chapel Hill's beliefs center on the authority of Scripture and salvation in Christ. The church holds that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, without error, and is sufficient in matters of faith, doctrine, and Christian living. It believes in one God eternally existing as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus is affirmed as true God and true man, born of a virgin, crucified for sins, bodily raised from the dead, and seated at the Father's right hand as High Priest and Advocate.
Because humanity was created in God's image but fell into sin, salvation and spiritual life come only through regeneration by the work of the Holy Spirit. Eternal salvation is God's free gift, entirely apart from works, for those who have faith in and receive Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior. Church membership involves people old enough to understand their need for Christ who freely accept Him. Baptism is by immersion, and the Lord's Supper is a memorial of Christ's suffering and death. Both are observed as ordinances, not as means of salvation. The church also believes in the bodily resurrection of the dead, everlasting blessing in heaven, everlasting punishment in hell, and the personal, bodily, imminent, and glorious return of Christ.
Chapel Hill's identity is found in the combination visible throughout its week: biblical teaching, casual worship, a secure place for children, specific groups for every stage of adulthood, music-led praise, and active care for the community. For Chapel Hill in Northport, that mix of belonging, biblical conviction, and service shapes the life of the church.