In February 2000, a 32 page, black and white, Chapel Hill News & Views was distributed for the first time to 2,000 homes in subdivisions along Chapel Hill Road (hence the name). It is with great thankfulness and appreciation that we celebrate the incredible growth of the magazine since that time.

The past eight years have been an amazing journey for the magazine and me personally, as the magazine has grown to 5,000, then 10,000, then 20,000, then 25,000 copies. In 2005, we expanded to 30,000 copies, and in March 2007 we went to the current circulation of 40,000. We are now printing over 150 pages a month every month. In my wildest imagination I could never have imagined the scope of what the magazine would become.

I can say with certainty that God has truly blessed this endeavor from the very beginning. There is much evidence of His divine hand on this work. For example, when I began to sell ads in the first issue, I sold 25 ads in a row without being turned down. Shortly after I started the magazine, my son, who was a teenager at the time said “It seems like God is supernaturally making people like your magazine”. It was and still is amazing how well received it is. I am humbled each month as people I have never met tell me how much they like the magazine. What is even more amazing is seeing who likes the magazine. There seems to be no age limit, and both men and women tend to like the magazine because there is something for everyone. Little kids ask for copies, senior citizens ask for delivery, and a tattoo and body piercing studio says they go really fast there too. We have been blessed (and I mean blessed) with a huge number of people who write monthly columns in the magazine, and each month when we are finished I am in awe of how everything just falls into place to make a very interesting magazine. But the most gratifying part about publishing the magazine, and one of the most obvious examples to me of how God has had his hand on this magazine has been seeing how it has helped people. More about this in a minute.

Before I go on, I want to take this opportunity to thank YOU - yes YOU! You are reading this magazine. If you are a regular reader, you have probably patronized one, or more than likely, many of our advertisers. Quite a few businesses which advertise with us have told us that Chapel Hill News & Views is their most effective form of advertising. We receive many new advertisers from referrals by our current customers. These referrals come because you support the firms that make the magazine possible. Advertising is our only source of revenue, so we are grateful to all of you who patronize the advertisers.

I also want to thank the advertisers who make this magazine possible. I tell them this regularly in person, but wish to do so publicly as well. I also want to thank the many people who send in columns, because their submissions are interesting, and that’s why people like to read the magazine. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the many people who help make this magazine possible, especially Joe and Cynthia Keith and Jason and Lindsey Robbins who help with sales and layout . We have been blessed with some really good help!

After publishing this magazine for five years, I think the biggest thing that I have realized is that there is no better feeling than to be able to do something to help others. I think this also coincides with personal growth in my relationship with Jesus Christ, because showing love and helping others is the very essence of Christianity. The magazine provides a vehicle to achieve this purpose, and it is having a very positive impact in the community. For example, one man who works with a substance abuse counseling and treatment center told me that in a three month period, he had about 70 people come to his program for treatment as a result of articles they have read about methamphetamine addiction in Chapel Hill News & Views. A few years ago, one local charity was having a coat drive, and after publicizing it in the magazine, they had so many coats that they ended up sending some to Russia. When I hear stories like this, I become very grateful and humbled that the magazine can have such a big effect. Many non-profit groups have told me similar things about the positive impact the magazine has had on them. It also makes me realize also what a great community we live in.

As we look to the future, we remain committed to putting together a quality publication with a positive outlook. We stay away from bad news, and we also avoid subjects that tend to divide - such as politics. We pledge to continue to serve the people of Douglas County to the best of our ability. Once again THANK YOU!