April 27, 2023
Dear Central Church,
This Sunday begins a journey! More than a year ago, our church went through a process of reimagining our sanctuary. One of the first things the church board showed me when I was interviewing to be your pastor were those plans. I found it to be a beautiful, necessary, and compelling vision. One of your leaders asked me directly, “Do you think you can help us bring this to fruition?” I responded, “With the Lord helping us, we can.”
The last few months have been filled with many conversations discerning what it looks like to move forward with this vision, and we believe the Lord has made it abundantly clear that it’s time to move forward.
Reimagining church facilities is a process that goes beyond blueprints, materials, screens, and contract negotiations. Because buildings are such an integral tool for ministry in our context, I believe there is a spiritual element to this process. At the heart of what I would call my “theology of buildings” is the reality that important spiritual work is done in these spaces. It’s where we disciple our children, marry our young, encounter the Lord, and memorialize our saints. They are holy spaces God uses to accomplish his mission in the world. As holy spaces, they demand our best.
The book of Hebrews describes the previous generations of God’s people coming together in a “great cloud of witnesses.” Like these heroes of the faith, I think of the legacy of those who have preceded us at Central and made holy investments in holy space so that we today might become a holy people. It’s “our turn now” to make those kinds of investments.
This Sunday, we’ll be sharing the details of this vision and how you can participate in seeing it become a reality. Here are some immediate action items as we begin this journey:
Pray. A 21-day prayer emphasis will begin this Sunday. Prayer guides will be distributed, and daily prayer reminders will be sent to those of you on this mailing list.
Engage. Learn more about the project and how it will enhance our ministry by attending our Vision Luncheon on Sunday, May 7 following the 11am worship service.
Prepare. Begin thinking about how God has blessed you and what he is asking you to contribute to the project. We’ll receive commitments on Sunday, May 21 in the morning worship service. The God-sized goal before us is to raise $700,000 in addition to the original “It’s Our Turn” campaign. Our goal is to begin construction in June.
I am looking forward to the journey ahead. There is a great “cloud of witnesses” that cheer us on, and I’m confident that future generations will be inspired by our faith and generosity in this season.
Until He’s Finished,
Pastor Mark
