The Elders met once again this past Tuesday, and as we do with every meeting we began on our knees in prayer for our church. We brought before the Lord many items of praise and the many burdens that people in our congregation carry. Congregation members are welcomed and encouraged to come so that we can pray with and for them as well. We also welcomed two new elders, Travis and Leonard, who were commissioned this summer. Please lift these two men in prayer as they serve Central in this new capacity. God has provided us with tremendous leaders and we praise Him for that!
This summer was full of ministry as we had kids camps throughout our campuses. We celebrated as a church together as 33 people were baptized at Harrison Lake. I was amazed at how many people from Central came to support and celebrate with those getting baptized! We also had 13 individuals become ministry partners in addition to those getting baptized. The elders also had a retreat day together at the end of summer for a time of prayer and connection as we head into the new ministry year. We kicked off the new ministry year with the start of the School of Ministry, where over 150 individuals have registered. We also have our Equipped to Counsel course starting up with 27 individuals participating. We praise God! We also saw the Promontory Campus move to autonomy and become Promontory Community Church as of September 1. We celebrate what God has been doing through Promontory and pray with them as they seek to make disciples who know, live, and share the good news of Jesus.
We spent some time at the beginning of our meeting reviewing an article on the topic of Youth and Church Membership. At Central, we believe that when we bring people forward for baptism, that they also become a part of the church body as ministry partners, even the youth of our church (Youth and Church Membership – Or, Stop Baptizing Children into the Ether by Alex Duke).
As our church continues to grow, we continue to look for ways to make space on Sunday mornings. This summer we completed a small renovation of the main sanctuary which allowed us to add 70 more seats. We thank all those involved in completing the work in such a short amount of time. It is such a blessing to see those in the congregation using their skills and talents for the glory of God. At our kickoff Sunday, we saw nearly 1,600 people attend services throughout our campuses with nearly 1300 attending the three services at the Chilliwack Campus alone. We praise God for drawing people to hear the gospel. This also creates challenges as we are limited in the space on a Sunday morning, even with the small renovations done over the summer. We continue to seek God’s wisdom on what our next steps are as we continue to grow. Please be in prayer with us as we seek God’s direction.
We look forward to continue to serve you as elders and are excited about what God has for us this coming ministry year.
Walt Schroeder
- On behalf of the Elders at Central Community
Finance Update
As a part of their regular practice, the Elders reviewed the finances of the church receiving a report to the end of August. This summer several essential projects were completed that had an impact on the finances. These projects included retooling the Chilliwack sanctuary to add additional seats, completing the Let There Be Light project, replacing the roof on one of our buildings, and providing equipment for Promontory church, the School Ministry, and our Care and Counselling ministry. These projects resulted in a $90,000 investment in capital items and infrastructure and were a one-time necessary expense.
It was noted that giving for the year to date (YTD) to end end of August, was up 8% over the previous year at $1,666,196. Once again, Central experienced a summer where our expenses outpaced our income. While ministry expenditure are well within or below budget parameters, Central currently has YTD shortfall of $293,012. This follows our historical financial trends, and despite the additional expenses note above, is only marginally higher than the same period last year.
This September Promontory Community Church became independent. While final details related to society status, and other administrative nuances are being worked out, they are effectively their own entity. This has implications for our budget with their income and expenses being tracked separately as of September 2025. The Elders anticipate the next finance report will look slightly different as we take into consideration this shift to independence.
Our benevolent fund continues to be supported well with over $84,000 being invested into the lives of people and providing for practical needs. One significant benevolent endeavour is the dinner provided every Monday evening at Seabird Island. This project is currently funded through a gracious legacy donation to benevolent and is amazing in terms of its Gospel effectiveness. Each week between 50-70 people receive a wholesome meal in the context of community. Another key benevolent endeavour is our commitment to the Food Bank run out of our Lake Errock campus. This too is proving effective to provide for practical needs, reaching into the community, and for the Gospel.
The Elders encourage you to consider your part in supporting the mission and vision of the church to reach the Eastern Fraser Valley. Traditionally, the last quarter of the year is our strongest in terms of donations to the church. It is our hope, in light of starting two new ministries, and with Promontory’s departure, to meet or exceed our budget. Pray with the Elders seeking God’s provision to this end.
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, October 21 | 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