Central's Pastoral E-Letter: October 28, 2011

 

Dear Central Family,

 

I hope that as a result of kicking off our Joy Genome series this past Sunday, that this week you were choosing joy in your response to what has come at you.  I know that I have been challenged every day to think through what God challenged us with last Sunday.  I also  hope that you are going to be with us this Sunday morning in one of our three services. We will continue our Joy Genome series and be focusing in on Joy in Life and Death.  The Apostle Paul gives us some great challenges to consider as we ask what does it mean, "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain”?  What does it look like if Christ is living in me? How does all that work?  These are questions we will answer this Sunday!  Jared will be preaching in the 9:30 classic, and I will be bringing it in the two contemporary services. 

 

I wanted to remind you that this Sunday we will also be taking a special offering for the December Haiti project.  This special offering will be used to help purchase materials for the building of an addition to The King Center orphanage in Fort Liberté, Haiti.  Thank you for considering all that you have and have been blessed with and giving in response to meet the needs of these orphans.  I recently heard a message by Andy Stanley where he challenged me with this thought: "Do for one what you wish you could do for all!"  We cannot help everyone, but we can help one, and this is an opportunity to help the orphans in Haiti. Just mark your check Haiti and put it in the offering plate with your regular giving; we will do the rest.  I look forward to what God is going to do this Sunday through your generosity.

 

Just a reminder... Christmas is coming!  We are getting very excited about the upcoming community outreach through our Live Nativity on December 9, 10, 16, and 17.  We will need an army of volunteers to impact our community, and many of you have signed up already.  So plan to stop by the Live Nativity Table in the Fellowship Mall this Sunday to sign up, and we will have a training meeting after the 11:00 am service on Sunday, November 6.  Come see what part you can play; it is going to be MAGICAL!

 

Finally, I want to invite you to come to Allen Hall this Sunday night for a Night of Worship, Drama, and Prayer.  Elizabeth Goida, our Director of Classic Worship, has had a vision for a night of worship for the whole church that causes us to all step back and just enjoy the presence of God.  We will be meeting at 7 pm in Allen Hall for a special night meant to touch our souls with His presence.  I hope you will join us.  Nursery is provided from birth to preschool age.

 

ENJOY  the weekend, come Sunday ready to be CHANGED...I will!

 

Pastor Gay

 

Central's Pastoral E-Letter: October 21, 2011

 

Dear Central Family,

 

I am very excited about the new series that Jared and I will be kicking off this Sunday, called The Joy Genome!  We are going to be studying the book of Philippians over the next 5 weeks as we all learn what it means to live with the joy of Christ at the foundation of our lives regardless of our circumstances.  I hope that you will take time to read Philippians 1 this week in prep for this series.  I will be speaking in the contemporary services and Jared will be preaching in the classic service.

 

Thank you for praying for our baptism services last Sunday.  For the first time, we opened up the opportunity for people to just share their salvation story and then step out and get baptized right on the spot.  We had planned to baptize 8 people, and we ended up baptizing 18!  It was a powerful morning of God’s presence, and a couple of adults who trusted Christ Sunday morning, then stepped out and followed the Lord in believers baptism right away.  We are continuing to thank God for how He showed up this past Sunday.  Please pray that we will all experience the power of the Holy Spirit this Sunday as we meet to worship the King!  Pray also for our men who will be away at a retreat this weekend at Sandy Cove Bible Conference Center in North East, MD.  Pray that God will use this to stir our hearts as men to be the men He wants us to be.

 

Finally, I want to let you know of a special night of worship that is being put together by Elizabeth Goida, our Director of Classic Worship for Sunday evening, October 30.  Elizabeth has a passion for an all-church night of worship that brings us together as a body to worship the Lord in spirit and truth through music lead by a worship choir, drama, and prayer.  I have seen the program and know that the choir has been working very hard.  So I hope that you will plan to be with us in Allen Hall at 7 pm.  Nursery will be provided from birth to preschool.

 

See you Sunday!

 

Pastor Gay

Central's Phone System: October 17, 2011

Dear Central Family,

 

Please note that the phones at the offices of Central: A Christ-Centered Church are currently being serviced and we are not able to take any calls at this time.  We hope to resolve the problem by late this afternoon or tomorrow morning.

 

Thank you for your patience and we apologize for the inconvenience.

 

The Staff of Central: A Christ-Centered Church

Central's Pastoral E-Letter Addendum: October 14, 2011

 

I also want to mention that Jared is back! 

 

We are excited to let you know that this Sunday, Jared Alcántara will be back preaching at the 9:30 Classic Service.  So if you enjoy classic worship, please plan to attend the Classic Service at 9:30 in the Allen Hall gym, then join us for a special baptism service at 11:00 in the Worship Center.

 

See you Sunday!

 

Pastor Gay

 

 

 

From: Richard Gay [mailto:pastorgay@cbcnj.org]
Sent: Friday, October 14, 2011 9:55 AM
To: Weekly Pastoral Email
Subject: Central's Pastoral E-Letter: October 14, 2011

 

Dear Central Family,

 

I hope that you are planning on attending Central this Sunday!  We are going to finish our Dangerous Church series with a SPLASH!   

 

In both contemporary services we will be focusing on the challenge that Christ has given all of us to show the world around us that we are His followers by being baptized.  Already we have 7 people planning to get baptized, but here is the most exciting part.  After I preach on Sunday I am going to challenge anyone who wants to get baptized to come to the church office, share their testimony of how they met Christ with a pastor or elder, and then step out and get baptized!  This is a perfect illustration of what happened in the early church, as we read over and over again in the book of Acts, “they believed and were baptized!”  So here is what I am asking you to do:

 

1.       Start praying now that God’s spirit will work to challenge and convict hearts to trust Him as their Savior

2.       Pray that those who have not been baptized will take the plunge and show everyone they love Jesus

3.       If you have not been baptized that you will choose to come and take the next step of obedience to our Master’s Call on your life

 

If you desire to be baptized, just bring a pair of shorts and t-shirt to change into, and we will take it from there.  Don’t worry if you forget; we will have extra sets of clothing here on site.

 

We have all been challenged to be a Dangerous Church, and a Dangerous Church is filled with Dangerous Christians who have chosen to be fully devoted followers of Christ.

 

Don’t miss Sunday, it is going to be AWESOME!!!  Looking forward to what God is going to do!

 

Pastor Gay

 

Central's Pastoral E-Letter: October 14, 2011

 

Dear Central Family,

 

I hope that you are planning on attending Central this Sunday!  We are going to finish our Dangerous Church series with a SPLASH!   

 

In both contemporary services we will be focusing on the challenge that Christ has given all of us to show the world around us that we are His followers by being baptized.  Already we have 7 people planning to get baptized, but here is the most exciting part.  After I preach on Sunday I am going to challenge anyone who wants to get baptized to come to the church office, share their testimony of how they met Christ with a pastor or elder, and then step out and get baptized!  This is a perfect illustration of what happened in the early church, as we read over and over again in the book of Acts, “they believed and were baptized!”  So here is what I am asking you to do:

 

1.       Start praying now that God’s spirit will work to challenge and convict hearts to trust Him as their Savior

2.       Pray that those who have not been baptized will take the plunge and show everyone they love Jesus

3.       If you have not been baptized that you will choose to come and take the next step of obedience to our Master’s Call on your life

 

If you desire to be baptized, just bring a pair of shorts and t-shirt to change into, and we will take it from there.  Don’t worry if you forget; we will have extra sets of clothing here on site.

 

We have all been challenged to be a Dangerous Church, and a Dangerous Church is filled with Dangerous Christians who have chosen to be fully devoted followers of Christ.

 

Don’t miss Sunday, it is going to be AWESOME!!!  Looking forward to what God is going to do!

 

Pastor Gay

 

Central's Pastoral E-Letter: October 7, 2011

 

Dear Central Family,

 

I hope that you are continuing to pray that we will become the Dangerous Church that God has designed us to be. 

 

We have learned that for that to be a reality we need to Connect with God and Connect in Community, and this Sunday we will focus on Connecting with God’s Mission.  I have asked Tucker Brown, our Overseeing Elder Chair to finish up this series by bringing the messages this Sunday at all three services.  God has designed us for a mission, and I am looking forward to how God will speak through Tucker this Sunday. 

 

I also want to remind you to continue to pray about what God would have you contribute in our special impact offering on October 30 for the Haiti mission trip in December.  We are looking to provide the needed materials to build an addition to The King Center orphanage in Fort Liberté, Haiti.  I am looking forward to how God is going to work through all of us.

 

See you on Sunday!  We will be back from our vacation and look forward to worshipping with all of you! 

 

Pastor Gay