Central's Pastoral E-Letter: December 23, 2011

 

Dear Central Family,

 

Christmas is almost here, and I can’t wait! 

 

I am excited to meet with you this weekend as we Party BIG TIME!  Hope you will be able to join us for one of our 4 Worship Services this weekend!

 

Christmas Eve

5:30 and 7:00 pm

Music, Worship, Children’s Story, and a message to encourage our hearts!  Bring the whole family!

 

Christmas Day

9:30 and 11:00 am

Whether you open your gifts early or late, we have a Christmas Day Worship Service for you!  We will provide childcare from newborns to preschool and look forward to worshipping together as a family on this Special Day! We even have a special video Christmas Card!

 

If this past Sunday is a barometer as to how God is going to meet with us this weekend, it is going to be a weekend to remember!  See you Saturday!

 

Because He Came,

Pastor Gay

 

Central's Pastoral E-Letter: December 16, 2011

 

It’s the Sunday before Christmas! 

 

I am really excited to see how God is going to continue to work in our worship of Him this Sunday.  Both our classic service and contemporary services will be filled with music, worship, praise, and a message to challenge all of us. 

 

Jared Alcántara will be speaking in the classic service at 9:30 in Allen Hall.  If you know of folks who enjoy classic Christmas worship, this is the service to invite them to join you in attending.  The handbells will be playing, the choir will be singing, and the candles will be lit in the Advent Wreath.  So take a step today and invite someone to come with you who will connect with God through this special Service.

 

I will be preaching in both contemporary services at 9:30 and 11:00 in the Worship Center, and all I want to tell you is BE SURE TO GET THERE EARLY!  If you are not there at the beginning of the service you are going to miss something special! I will be focusing on the most powerful gift that we can give to each other during this Christmas season.  This is a message you will want to hear and a great one to invite your friends and family to come along with you. We also will be welcoming 11 new members into our congregation in all three services and sending out 29 of our family to minister in Haiti during the Christmas break.  So you can see that God is doing some very exciting things and you will want to be here on Sunday so you can experience it yourself.

 

Just a reminder about next weekend: On Christmas Eve, we will have two services at 5:30 and 7:00 pm for the whole family, including music, worship, special Children’s Story, and lots more.  Then we will all meet as a Church family on Christmas Day during two services at 9:30 and 11:00 am.  Childcare will be provided from newborns to preschool during the Christmas Day services.

 

Let me take this opportunity to wish you and your family a blessed Christmas.  See you on Sunday!

 

Pastor Gay

 

P.S. DON’T BE LATE! J

 

 

Fire Pits Needed: Live Nativity at Central

The Live Nativity starts tonight and we will have over 30 people volunteering outside in 30-degree temperatures.  To keep our volunteers and guests warm, we are in need of fire pits.

 

We know it seems cumbersome to load up your dirty fire pit into your car and drive it over to church, but please reconsider. Last year we welcomed 1342 people through the Live Nativity and they all got to see and hear the story of Jesus' birth. Many of those people now call Central their church home.

 

Please help us make this year's nativity a warm welcome to the community. If you have a fire pit, please bring it to the church today (Friday) by 6:00pm. 

 

Thank you!

 

If you have any questions, please contact Irene Knott at iknott@cbcnj.org. 

 

Central's Pastoral E-Letter: December 9, 2011

 

Dear Central Family,

 

What a weekend this is going to be!  We kick off our Christmas Season and hope you are going to be with us and what great opportunities to invite a friend to come with you!

 

Friday and Saturday, 6-8 pm:  Live Nativity.  Come enjoy the music, the lights, the live actors, the food, the fun kids activities, and the Christmas sweets.  This is a great opportunity for you to invite someone to come with you and experience firsthand the peace and joy of Christmas!  So look for the spotlight in the sky and follow the star to 2015 Pennington Road.  I can’t wait to see what God will do!

 

Sunday,  9:30 and 11:00:  Sunday Services.  At all three services, we will be starting a new Christmas series called When Love Comes to Town! Jared Alcántara will be preaching in the classic service, and I will be preaching in both contemporary services.  We have planned special services that will fill your heart with joy.  So gather the family and plan on celebrating with us!

 

Finally, make sure that you bring your Angel Tree and Christmas store gifts with you this Sunday and drop them off in the Fellowship Mall!  I am so thankful for all of you and the generosity that you have shown to impact the children in our community.  The Love of Jesus is going to be spread deep and wide because of your generous hearts.  You all amaze me over and over again with the way Jesus is flowing through you.

 

See you this weekend!

 

Pastor Gay

 

Reminder:  Christmas Worship Schedule

 

2 Christmas Eve Services for the family  at 5:30 and 7:00 pm

2 Christmas Day Services for the family at 9:30 and 11:00 am with childcare from newborn to age 5

3 New Year’s Day Services at 9:30 and 11:00 with Communion and Baptism 

 

 

Central's Pastoral E-Letter: December 2, 2011

 

 

Happy December!

 

This Sunday is going to be a special one as we celebrate Communion.  Whether you attend our 9:30 Classic Service with Jared Alcántara speaking or the 9:30 or 11:00 Contemporary Services where I will be speaking, we are looking forward to worshiping around the table and celebrating His Grace! 

 

We are counting down the days until our Christmas outreach through the Live Nativity.  Make plans to pick up some invite cards this Sunday to give to your friends, to come and see the Christmas story come to life. You will be able to pick these up at the Welcome Center this Sunday, or you can direct them to our website for more information.  Plan to get the word out, and get ready for what God will do through this exciting outreach!

 

We still need help in getting everything set up for the Live Nativity, so if you can donate some time to help string lights, set up trees, and many other chores either this Saturday or Sunday, we would sure appreciate it!  Here are the times we need help:

 

Saturday (tomorrow), December 3

10:30 am until dark

 

Sunday, December 4

After church

 

As we are thinking about Christmas, let me fill you in on some special pieces of information:

 

Sunday, December 11

Kick off special Christmas message series, “When Love Comes to Town”

 

Saturday, December 24

Two Candlelight Christmas Eve Services for the whole family at 5:30 and 7:00 pm

 

Sunday, December 25

Two Special All-Church Family Christmas Services for the whole family at 9:30 and 11:00 am

Childcare available from newborn to age 5

 

Sunday, January 1

Special New Year’s Morning Services including Communion and Baptism at 9:30 and 11:00 am 

 

Time to go and get our lights hung at our house!

 

See you Sunday!

 

Pastor Gay