I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds.
Psalm 77:11-12
I have been thinking about the Psalmist's words as the rhythms of the year brings us back to the seasons of Lent and annual general meeting. The dissonance between the deeply spiritual discipline of fasting and the pragmatic nature of financial statements makes the previous sentence rather odd. Yet both Lent and AGM drive us towards intentional reflection on what God has done and will continue to do.
Lent provides us the opportunity to intentionally put aside what is good to remember what is great. We deprive ourselves of good gifts (food, music, entertainment) in order to bring awareness to the coming darkness of Good Friday and in so doing, we remind ourselves of the miraculous gift of grace God extended to us. As the Psalmist would say, I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds.
While Lent drives us towards remembering the mighty works of God in the past, the rhythm of gathering for an annual general meeting drives us to remember what God continues to do, through us, this very year. We have the opportunity to join the cadence of Scripture and intentionally remember and celebrate what God has done through Central and joyfully praise Him for His faithfulness. We can celebrate things like:
- 1 year of ministry in Harrison
- 10 years of ministry in Agassiz
- A vibrant youth ministry
- A kids ministry focussed on teaching big theological truths
- Theologically rich teaching
- Faithful volunteers
- Meaningful community impact
- Life changing benevolent intervention
- A gifted and passionate pastoral team
- And yes…even balanced books and amending by-laws.
When we take the time to reflect on what God has done, we cannot help but be driven towards anticipation of what He will continue to do. We begin to get excited about the year ahead and ponder “If God did such wonderful things last year…what might he do this year?” I hope that question excites you as much as it does us, because with God nothing is impossible.
Jayeson Wall
- On behalf of the Elders at Central Community
Finance Update
The Elders received an update of the financial activities for January 2024. Giving for the first month was strong trending 7% up over the previous year. Also higher than the previous year, Ministry Income saw a significant increase due to the Marriage Retreat and the upcoming Youth Mexico mission. While expenses were in line with our budget, except for a 2023 payment for insurance, significant pre-payment of expenses for the marriage retreat and youth Mexico mission (airline tickets and a deposit), left us with an overall monthly shortfall of $93,802.
The Elders were encouraged by the strong year end giving for 2023 and grateful for the stewardship of funds given by our ministry team. It was noted that our overall budget for this coming year reflects ministry in five locations and includes significant rentals in two campuses and the maintenance and upkeep of three buildings. As we press into another ministry year you are encouraged to consider your part in helping Central fulfill its vision of reaching the Eastern Fraser Valley with the Gospel. Thank you for your faithful and continued support of our ministries. We trust God for provision according to his plans.
ELDER'S PRAYER
We believe in the power of prayer. We value prayer. And we believe that God answers prayer and uses it as a means of achieving His purposes in the church and world.
Central's Elders invite you to come and receive prayer in the Chilliwack Campus Sanctuary.
Tuesday, March 19 | 6.30PM - 7.00PM
Chilliwack Campus | 46100 Chilliwack Central Road
You can also submit prayer requests using the link below.
Got questions or words of encouragement? We'd love to hear from you!
Please contact The Elders - elders@centralcommunity.ca