Announcements

Thanks for the Fun!

Thank you, Tom and Diana Ritter, for the fun time we enjoyed at the wiener roast and hayride that you hosted on Sunday, October 22. You are wonderful and generous hosts – from the “perfect for roasting” fire,  plentiful hotdogs and buns, hot chocolate, all the sides and desserts, s’mores kits, and the bumpy and beautiful hayride under the night sky. Someone even spotted a shooting star! It was a great combination for the more than 60 people who gathered to make lots of memories! Thanks from all of us!

Lower Level – Moving Forward

If you haven’t already, please stop in to see the beautiful Capital Campaign 2022-2024 renovation of the Lower Level that was designed and completed with input from all church members.

In order to make that area a welcoming, modern and usable space for all, a general framework for a two-phased completion is moving forward.  This includes an inexpensive “right now” temporary furnishing of the area and then permanent furnishings during the next Capital Campaign, as  appropriate.  Look for coming updates!

Contact Sandy Garver at with comments and questions.  Sandy is the Décor Committee Chairman and will be available to answer questions in the Lower-Level on Sunday, Nov. 5th at 10:15 a.m.

 (photo is a stock image from Unsplash, by Charles Deluvio)

Thankfulness sermon series

As we enter mid-Fall and move toward the Thanksgiving holiday, our theme for the next five weeks will be, appropriately, Thankfulness.  Our scriptural focus will be Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians. For those who enjoy following the lectionary, I Thessalonians is the lectionary-assigned epistolary reading for these five weeks.  Widely considered to be Paul’s very first letter, I Thessalonians represents the theme of “Thankfulness” in different ways. Paul first came to Thessalonica after having suffered persecution for preaching the Gospel in Philippi.  The Thessalonians took him in, showed him great hospitality and, in turn, became very dear to Paul for the rest of his ministry.  Paul was thankful for them and for his relationship with them.  Throughout the letter, the theme of thankfulness is emphasized.  As we enter our own annual season of Thanksgiving, we hope to learn how Paul can teach us to be thankful for the gifts we have in Christ.  Here is what you can look forward to between now and the end of November.

October 22

I Thessalonians 1:1-10

Pastor Michael

“Thankful for what the Lord has Done for Us in Christ”

October 29

I Thessalonians 2:17-19

Pastor Vicky

“Thankful for the Hospitality we have in Christ”

November 5

I Thessalonians 4:13-18

Pastor Michael

“Thankful for Salvation in Christ”

All Saints Sunday

November 12

I Thessalonians 5:1-11

Pastor Michael

“Thankful for the Encouragement we have in Christ”

November 19 

I Thessalonians 5:12-22

Pastor Michael

“Thankful for the Peace We have in Christ”

When Christmas (Almost) Didn’t Happen…

Our Advent worship theme this year will be “Christmas Un-plugged.”  When it something is “un-plugged” it is stripped of all the extra, fancy stuff and what’s left is the essence – what is most important.  

Don’t worry… we will be still be celebrating Advent and Christmas at Central with all the “fancy” stuff we usually do.  But in worship we will be thinking about Christmas (and the Christian story of salvation) a bit differently.  For now, though, we would like your help!!!  We are interested in collecting your stories of when Christmas almost didn’t happen.  

Tell about a time when Christmas (as you were used to celebrating) didn’t happen – or almost didn’t happen  Or, when was a time something completely out-of-the ordinary happened on Christmas?

And… what did you learn about Christmas in the process?

Feel free to write as much or as little as you want.  But send them to .  We can’t wait to read them!