April 25, 2024
Dear Central Church,
Over the last few weeks, we’ve been talking about going “all in” with Jesus. This means we are not only fully committed to living like Jesus, but it also means we are fully committed to his mission in the world. Because God went “all in” for us, we go “all in” with him to make Christ-like disciples IN our community and FOR our community.
At Central Church, we have a vision for what this mission looks like. It means we continue to become a multicultural church, where different ethnicities and nationalities are welcomed and celebrated. This is in alignment with what we see in the book of Revelation as John describes the people of God:
After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:
“Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:10-11)
Through the integration of our Hispanic ministry and Brazilian ministry into the life of our church, we see a little picture of what this looks like every Sunday. We are “all in” in becoming a multicultural church that God uses to make Christ-like disciples.
I’m so excited to share some big news with you that demonstrates our commitment to this vision. We are welcoming two new FULL-TIME pastors to our team. Revs. Jonathan and Daniella Julca Melgarejo have been serving as the Associate Pastors in our Hispanic ministry, and we are now in a position to hire Jonathan in a full-time role! Together, this is a dynamic ministry team that God is using in amazing ways.
We also are welcoming Rev. Mateus Vieira from Campinas, Brazil as our Brazilian Worship Pastor and Director of Technical Arts at Central. Mateus and his wife Raquel are moving here from Brazil, and we hope to have them in time to worship with us at our combined Pentecost service on May 19.
You can read more about both of these couples below, as well as how you can help them in their new ministries.
Thank you for your commitment to seeing the vision of our church become a reality. We would not be in a position to hire these new pastors if it were not for your faithful stewardship and support of our church. Thank you and to God be all the glory!
Until He’s Finished,
Pastor Mark