May 30, 2024

Dear Central Church,

According to my calendar, love is in the air! I’m officiating 3 weddings this summer and 1 vow renewal ceremony. I’m always honored when couples invite me to be part of their special day. 

The Bible is many things, but above all, it is a love story. God loves his people with a never-ending love. We don’t always reciprocate this love the way we are supposed to, but God’s love for us is never exhausted. 

The book of Ruth is a brief but rich love story. The romance between Ruth and Boaz appears to take centerstage, but there’s more to this story than a torrid love affair. God’s love for humanity is present behind every twist and turn in the story. It points us to a divine love that is deeper, higher, and richer than any human love we will ever experience. This love story is not only “good news” for Ruth, it’s good news for the whole world! 

I hope you’ll join us this Sunday as we begin, “Love Story: The Gospel According to Ruth.” My prayer is that you’ll find your place in this story and experience it like you never have before. 

As many of you are aware, Pastor David Goodwin has accepted a new position as the Lead Pastor of the Pataskala Church of the Nazarene in Ohio. David and Megan are incredible people, and we believe God has great things in store for them. David has served admirably and with great distinction as our youth pastor. Pastor David’s last Sunday at Central will be June 30 at which time we will have a farewell reception in between services to honor them. 

Finally, as the summer begins, that means lots of extra programming for our kids and teens. There will be camps, retreats, a VBS, mission trips, and many other events designed to draw our youngest disciples closer to Jesus. Will you keep our pastors, interns, and volunteers who lead these ministries in your prayers? We have a baptismal service planned for August 11, and I’m believing that we’ll be able to celebrate some of the fruit for their work. 

Until He’s Finished,
Pastor Mark