Central's Pastoral E-Letter: April 30, 2010

 

I hope you have had a good week and that you are looking forward to worshipping with us at Central this Sunday!  We have seen God work in some great ways through the month of April and are looking forward to what he is going to do this month!  This Sunday we will be observing the Lord’s Table in all three of our worship Services. 

 

I want you to know that we will have a special guest speaker in the contemporary services at 9:30 and 11:15.  Jared Alcántara has been speaking the past three weeks in our 9:45 Classic service, and this Sunday I have asked him to speak at the 9:30 and 11:15 services.  Jared is a graduate of Gordon Conwell Seminary in Massachusetts and has experience serving in ministries in Massachusetts and Oregon.  He and his wife Jen and daughters Maya and Lily have been attending Central as he continues his studies at Princeton Seminary in preaching.  Over the past weeks, those who have heard Jared preach have been ministered to through his preaching and his humble heart for Jesus and His Word.  This week I wanted you who attend the contemporary services to have the same experience.  I know you will be blessed.  I will be preaching in the 9:45 Classic service in Allen Hall and am looking forward to it.

 

See you Sunday!

 

Pastor

 

Central's Pastoral E-Letter: April 26, 2010

 

I just finished going through the prayer requests that were submitted by you this past Sunday during our worship services.  It was a real joy to take each of you before the Father and to ask Him to work in your lives.  Thank you for sharing your burdens with us as a pastoral staff.  We count it a real privilege to pray for you, so please keep sharing your needs with us.

 

With that in mind, I want to invite you to come to LAST WEDNESDAY, our all Church prayer and praise and worship that will be this Wednesday at  7 pm in the Worship Center.  There are many needs before us that we want to take to our King to seek His face and His will.  We will look forward to meeting Him and seeing Him work in our lives.  So please plan to come out and plan to be blessed. 

 

One last thought: I know that for some of you, the idea of praying out loud with someone else may feel a bit intimidating.  I understand.  I also want you to know that I promise you we will do nothing that will make you feel uncomfortable.  You can pray just as earnestly from your heart without saying a word, so don’t let that hold you back from experiencing a night of refreshment, encouragement, and community. That is what LAST WEDNESDAY is all about!

 

See you Wednesday night!

 

Pastor

 

 

 

Prayer Request: Tom Simcox

Tom Simcox, one of our World Impact Associates who serves with Friends of Israel, has been admitted to Capital Health Systems Mercer Campus due to low hemoglobin levels.  He is currently being treated, and if all goes well, hopes to be released Monday or Tuesday.  Please pray for Tom’s health, for his successful treatment, and for peace for him, his wife Lorna, and their entire family. 

Central's Pastoral E-Letter: April 23, 2010

 

It’s a Wrap!

 

This Sunday we will wrap up our 3-part series REEL Faith by looking at the powerful message from the film The Blind Side.  This film has impacted me in many ways and the message of putting the needs of others ahead of our own is powerfully and clearly presented.  We will be using clips from the film to illustrate the point, and the Gospel will be clearly presented for you and your friends.  Thanks for taking the time to invite someone to come with you to either the 9:30 or 11:15 services.  You have faithfully been doing this these past weeks, and praise God, nine people made professions of faith this past Sunday!  I am looking forward to what God is going to do.

 

Jared Alcántara will be finishing his series in Philippians 3 this Sunday at 9:45 in our Classic Service.  God continues to use his messages to impact those who hear them.  So if you want to experience a solid traditional service with a solid biblical message and a relevant application, check this out in Allen Hall.  God is doing some exciting things through this service.

 

Gotta go!  By the way, we are encouraging anyone who is coming to the 9:30 or 11:15 services to feel free to wear their favorite sports jersey (college or professional) to add to the theme of the film.  Go Penn State! 

 

Prayerfully looking forward to how God will meet with us this Sunday.

 

Pastor

 

 

 

 

 

Central's Pastoral E-Letter: April 7, 2010

 

Dear Central Family,

 

What a glorious Easter Sunday we had at Central!  What a great time of worship celebrating Jesus’ resurrection!  Not only did we have 773 people attend our worship services, but we had FIFTEEN people make decisions for Christ! 

 

I hope you can join us this Sunday as we start two new message series.

 

Here is what’s coming up:

 

9:30 and 11:15 Contemporary Services

BRAND NEW SERIES: REEL FAITH!

We will look at three popular movies through the lens of Scripture.

This Sunday, we will be looking at the Pixar animated movie Up. 

 

9:45 Traditional Service

Guest Speaker Pastor Jared Alcántara will be bringing a series from Philippians 3 entitled Passionate Surrender.  Pastor Alcántara has served in churches in Oregon and Massachusetts and is currently a PhD student at Princeton Seminary.  Jared delivered a powerful message on Palm Sunday that touched many hearts and I am convinced he will be used during this series.

 

As I mentioned above, this Sunday we will begin a new sermon series entitled Reel Faith, taking a look at the interaction of faith and the world of Hollywood movies.  This seeker-oriented series will be a great opportunity to invite your friends, neighbors and relatives to hear a message that will challenge them regarding their faith in God. We're going to introduce a new component to the worship services that guests and friends will find engaging. . . the opportunity to participate in a live web event! Our first "event" will begin at 9:00 am Sunday morning and will conclude at 11:15 am, just prior to the start of the Currents service. This event will be a simple poll that asks the question, “What is the greatest Hollywood movie ever made about the Bible?”  The poll is already online on our website at www.cbcnj.org.  However, individuals can vote from their web-enabled mobile devices or phones that morning, and we will watch the live results appear on the screen!

 

To participate in this live event, please follow the instructions below.  It only takes a minute or two, and you will be able to participate in a variety of live events that we will sponsor. 

 

Thanks and we look forward to your participation in this live event on Sunday morning!  See you then!

 

Pastor Gay

 

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How to Participate in Live Web Event

1.       Go to www.youversion.com to set up a user account.  All you need is  a username, email address and password.

2.       Once you have signed up on the website, you will receive an email with the subject "Let's Get Started with YouVersion!"  In this email you will find an activation link to activate your account.

3.       Once you've activated your account and you are logged in, click the "COMMUNITY" tab at the top of the page, then click on the "groups" link at the top of the next page.  

4.       On the Groups page you will need to search for our group in the search box on the right-hand side. Search for the group "central-ewing".  

5.       Join the group, and you're ready to participate!

 

How to Vote With Your Mobile Device

1.       Download and install the youversion mobile app for your particular phone's operating system.  (If you've used mobile apps before, you'll know how to do this with your particular phone.)

2.       However, you can always simply open a browser window on your phone, go to www.cbcnj.org and vote from our site as well!

 

We encourage you to set up your account and your mobile device so that it is ready for future events that will be held. 

 

 

 

Central's Pastoral E-Letter: April 2, 2010

 

 

He's Alive!

 

I love this time of year!  I love to celebrate what we as followers of Christ know is true all year long, but to do so in such an exciting, celebratory way!  I am looking forward to what God is going to do this Sunday, and I hope you are praying with me that we will see Him work in powerful ways! 

 

You will have three services to choose from:

 

9:30 and 11:15 Contemporary Services

Worship Center

Two contemporary services where we will worship with celebratory, energetic music that exalts our risen Lord!  The services will also feature a special drama written to help us think about who Christ really is and how that impacts our lives.  I will be preaching in both of these services and giving people an opportunity to put their trust in Christ.  I can't wait to see what God will do.

 

9:45 Classic Service

Allen Hall

If you enjoy the traditional hymns and music of Easter, this is a service for you and your friends and family.  We have been so thankful for how God continues to bless this service with His presence and the way that lives are being touched.  We have worked the schedule out so that I will be able to preach live in this service as well. Once again, we will examine the reasons that Easter is not just important but MISSION CRITICAL, and we will be giving people an opportunity to trust Christ as their Savior and Lord.  I am so encouraged to see what God is doing through this service, and if traditions of Easter touch your heart, this is the venue for you.

 

So enjoy your weekend, and then come early and plan to welcome and reach out to those around you who may be our guests.

 

I will see you on Resurrection Sunday! 

 

HE IS RISEN! 

 

Thankful for the empty tomb,

 

Pastor Gay