April 18, 2024
Dear Central Church,
Do you know what a “God-sighting” is? My friend used to talk to me all the time about things that appeared random to most, but in his eyes, they were a “God-sighting.” I think what he was trying to describe was some event or conversation that happened in his day that revealed God’s presence and his purpose for the world.
In my opinion, my friend used to go overboard on his “God-sightings.” I had to tell him that acquiring the best parking spot at Walmart was not orchestrated by divine fiat. In fact, I invited him to consider the possibility that God may want you to park in the back of the parking lot to get some exercise. Nevertheless, I would rather err on the side of too many God-sightings than miss a chance to see God’s presence and purpose in a world that often seems so chaotic and cruel.
I see God at work at Central Church. He is doing things that only he can do. Let me share a few “God-sightings” with you:
Young Adult Ministry. We have an active and vibrant ministry to young adults led by Pastor Jonathan Acre. In addition to Bible studies and fellowship opportunities, they are intentionally making space for new people, modeling for us what relational evangelism looks like. Recently, a young person accepted Christ for the first time and is considering baptism. I can’t wait to tell you the full story, but for now, just know that God is at work in our college and young adult ministry.
Multicultural Ministries. Pastors Howie and Joyce Tempel and Pastors David and Tabita Gonzalez lead our Brazilian and Hispanic ministries. Together, they are reaching more people than ever as attendance numbers are up and people in their congregations are requesting to be baptized and join the church. We have more than 30 countries represented in the congregations at Central Church! This will be on full display on Pentecost Sunday, May 19, and you will not want to miss this move of the Holy Spirit.
Our Turn Now. As we near the finish line of the Our Turn Now campaign (June 30), Let me share a report of what God has done through the generosity of his people:
$1,314,000 has been received out of $1,512,000 committed to the project.
Because of the overall generosity of our church, our budget surplus was used this year to complete the project free of debt. Essentially, we were able to borrow money from ourselves.
This leaves us with $198,000 yet to be received for the project. As this comes in, we will “pay ourselves back” and divert those funds toward future capital projects, which include a remodel of our upstairs children’s area.
If you have an outstanding commitment to Our Turn Now, let’s finish strong and put ourselves in a position to invest in spaces for ministry. Ideally, we will receive those gifts by June 30, as the Children’s area remodel is tentatively scheduled to begin in July.
These are just a few of the many “God-sightings” at Central. Do you have one you’d like to share? Please let me know (mark@centralchurchonline.com). See you Sunday!
Until He’s Finished,
Pastor Mark