This past Elders meeting was once again started by spending time praying for those who come for prayer, as well as many others in our church who have brought praise and prayer request items to us. We are so thankful to walk along side those hurting in our church and would encourage you to join us for prayer whether your struggles seem large or small. God calls us to “cast your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.” And we love doing that on your behalf before most elder meetings.
After prayer, we start our meetings with a devotion or theological discussion of some variety and this month we studied Chapter 49 on Baptism, in Wayne Grudem’s, Systematic Theology. It is a great resource if you are exploring baptism or wrestling with potentially being baptised as believer when you grew up in a church, such as I did, that practiced infant baptism. While the whole discussion was much too in depth to post here, we believe that God commands us in Scripture to repent, believe and be baptized, and feel that ministry partnership in a local church flows naturally from there. While we appreciate and love the fact that fellow believers can land differently on this, we also believe that we are called to lead faithfully in the commands God gives us in the New Testament regarding baptism. As such, we are excited that 15 people are becoming ministry partners, including 9 who are getting baptized in December at Central! One of the many highlights of being an elder is getting to meet with these individuals in advance to hear their testimony, encourage, and pray for them.
Pastor Matt gave us a ministry update and there is much to be thankful for and so much fruit coming from our ministries that are in full swing, including nine individuals who recently surrendered their lives to Christ! Along with all the usual church ministries there are many unique outreach opportunities such as the Great Pumpkin Carve event that is being held across multiple campuses, including our new Harrison campus. A unique ministry opportunity in Lake Errock is a wood chopping/firewood give away, which is such a practical way to bless that community and build relationships there.
October is Pastor Appreciation Month, and we are so thankful for the great team we have on staff at Central! We are excited as well about our third Foundations class that’s starting up next month. Pastor Chris will be teaching “Faith Formation” in Chilliwack, while Pastor Jonathan Neufeld will teach “Bible Basics” in Harrison for our campuses on the north side of the river. We have had so much positive feedback on these classes, from the great teaching to the wonderful meal we can share together as church family.
The elders are pleased to announce that Kurtus Niessen will be joining the pastoral team as our Community Life Pastor in mid-November. His primary duties will include care in our Chilliwack Campus and oversight of our Life Groups ministry. We praise God for His provision and all those who serve in so many ways at Central.
Niessen Family: Kurtis, Dana, Rory (8), Brock (4).
We also discussed our campus model and our long-term vision. While our goal is to reach the entire Eastern Fraser valley with the gospel, it has never been a goal to have more and more campuses. In fact, we could potentially see one or more campuses eventually being autonomous churches in the future, and we as leadership want to have parameters for deciding if, when, and how that would look. While we feel starting campuses has been God’s leading and such a blessing, despite the many growth challenges, there are many metrics we have, such as strong leadership in a church, which would make it a successful individual church. To that end, the Elders received and approved an evaluative document “Metrics for Effective Ministry,” to serve as an ongoing tool to evaluate ministry effectiveness across our campuses. Ultimately, we want to be led by the Holy spirit and we ask you to pray with us, and for us, as we discern what will be healthy for our church as we grow in the years to come.
As we look back at September, we also want to thank all those that gave so generously and sacrificially to the Above & Beyond Campaign. We are pleased to report that over $122,000 was donated to invest in our Harrison and Lake Errock campuses. There are so many amazing things happening in our church community. I am reminded of that every Thursday night in Chilliwack. I lead Freedom Session with Pastor Eldon at the Chilliwack campus and routinely there is a worship band rehearsal, Men’s Ministry, Young Adults, and personal counselling all going on at the same time. We thank God for the people and place to facilitate it all, but it costs money to continue to do it well as we grow as a church. So, we pray that you give generously as God leads you and your family. The point is this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heat, not reluctantly or under compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:6-7).
Gary Baars
- On behalf of the Elders at Central Community
Finance Update
The Elders celebrate the faithfulness of God’s people as they invest in the ministry of Central. Year to date general donations to the end of September remains strong with an overall 14% increase over the previous year. This does not the donations received in the Above and Beyond Campaign which totalled $122,187 ($106,739 to the end of Sept).
Ministry expenses are well in line with budget projections with our staff team managing resources wisely. Donations from Northview and the BCMB Conference have assisted in funding renovations in our Harrison Campus, and restoration in Lake Errock. The funds received have been fully invested in these projects with Central investing additional funds to ensure repairs and restoration are completed and to address unforeseen costs such as significant plumbing and electrical repairs. There is currently a $223,407 shortfall when income is compared to expenses. The majority of this year to date shortfall, $100,000, can be attributed to renovation costs and an investment in facilities. The Elders were encouraged to note that while the shortfall is significant, it is $46,000 less than the same period last year; a year that did not have the same renovations expenses.
It was noted that there are several significant capital projects that Central will need to consider in the 2023 budget year. These include facilities upkeep in Chilliwack, some additional projects in Harrison, finishing the Lake Errock building, and purchasing needed capital equipment. As the 2023 budget is being prepared these costs will be taken into consideration so as to manage our commitment to ministry and stewarding our finances.
The Elders encourage you to consider your part in helping us meet our ministry goals for this year. Thank you for your faithfulness and for giving to the mission of the church.
Got questions or words of encouragement? We'd love to hear from you!
Please contact The Elders - elders@centralcommunity.ca