Hi Central Family!
This past Tuesday we had our monthly meeting and once again we started off spending time before the meeting praying with many from our congregation. We have much to be thankful for, but also the burdens of many of us in the church are heavy and it is a joy and an honour for us to pray with those that would like to join us before our meetings. We Elders all agree that it is one of the most special parts of leading in our Church.
It has been a busy month at our church as most regular activities are in full swing. Also, we recently wrapped up a four-week Foundations class on doctrine that happened on Sunday nights. It started with eating a meal together as a church family. It was a special time enjoying fellowship and amazing food with each other, as well as great teaching on the core doctrine. There was time for discussion with one another which was great. I was also reminded through these discussions that while many of us disagree on secondary issues, we are united in Jesus and are so thankful we ultimately put all our hope in Him! That is such an encouragement.
Speaking of encouragement, we had our AGM last week and we thank all of you who took the time to attend! While AGMs typically have the label of being a boring business meeting, our goal at Central is to explain the amazing things God has done in our Church and community, and what we believe He is going to do in the coming year. We spent time singing together, praying together, and Pastor Matt along with a few others, gave reports on the different ministries in the church. I did a devotion on Colossians 3 verses 1-17 and a few verses have really stuck with me.
“12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tender-hearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful."
I feel like these verses really summarize how our actions should be especially in the tough season we’ve been through. We realize that over the last two years many have struggled on all sides with decisions we’ve made at Central. We are humbled and grateful for those of you that have been faithful through this time. We realize that we haven’t always communicated well despite our best attempt to, and it is easy to feel disconnected, especially when for some time we weren’t meeting in person at all. We are so thankful for those of you that have prayed for us, encouraged us, and reached out when you’ve had questions or concerns. It is easy to follow leadership when they are doing exactly what you think they should be doing, but it shows true maturity and faith to follow when there are things that are a struggle for you. To those of you who fall into that group and are still worshipping with us, Thank you, and may God bless you.
Our heart has always been to be faithful to God’s Word, and while we are imperfect men trying to lead well by God’s grace, we were so encouraged by the comments we received at the AGM. It was emotional for me after all we've been through the last two years to have ministry partners affirm at the AGM the way they did. We just wanted to echo that back to the congregation and express our gratitude for your faithfulness in giving and serving our church and community through this tough season the last couple years. Our pray is that together we can continue to reach the entire eastern Fraser Valley with the gospel.
Paul Graham
- On behalf of the Elders at Central Community
FINANCE UPDATE
As Central gears up to launch Harrison and continues to remediate the damage caused by the November flood in Lake Errock, the Elders noted that giving is strong this year even as expense are mounting. The Elders are grateful for the faithfulness of God’s people in their support of our vision to reach the Eastern Fraser Valley with the Gospel. General giving is up 24% over the same period last year. Expenses are up too as we begin to outfit the Harrison building and address ongoing maintenance challenges across the campuses. Expenses related to ministries are in check and in keeping with patterns for previous years.
Capital investments for technology and facilities in Chilliwack, Promontory, and other campuses are adding to an overall year-to-date shortfall. Our current expenses exceed our year-to-date income by $60,553 ($70,667 for the same period last year). As we service our current campuses and provide what they need to accomplish our mission, and as we prepare to launch Harrison, the Elders invite you to consider your part in our God-given mission. Overall the Elders are encouraged by God’s provision through the church, and with the anticipated investment of the BCMB Conference and Northview Church in partnership .