January 11, 2024

Dear Central Church, 

Do you have a word for the year? I have a friend who will spend time thinking about a word or a phrase that will be a theme for them in the upcoming year. His word last year was “present.” He wanted to think about all the ways that he needed to be present in the most significant relationships in his life. 

I have never tried this practice for my personal life, but the new year has me thinking about our church. If there was one word to describe 2023 at Central Church, it would be “transition.” I transitioned as the new lead pastor, and we also welcomed a new worship leader, young adult pastor, and kids pastor. If you haven’t noticed yet, we transitioned our worship space a little too! It was a year full of transitions, and God was faithful in them all. 

I do think the Lord is giving me a word for this new year: planting. I wish the word was “harvest,” but there’s the work of planting to be done first. Planting requires that you survey your land, evaluate your soil, take inventory of your supplies, and determine what to put in the ground. Planting is hard work as soil has to be tilled, seed has to be placed in the ground, and care must be given for young plants. 

The Lord is calling us to use the resources we have to plant new ministries and new partnerships. He is calling us to plant ourselves in close proximity to those who need to know Jesus. It’s a year of planting.

Next weekend, your church board and leadership team are having a weekend retreat to think and dream about the future. We’ll think about what God is doing at Central and what new ministries and initiatives he is calling us to plant. Will you be in prayer for this time? Pray for a move of the Holy Spirit and for clarity as to what outreach ministries God is calling us to plant. 

It’s a year of planting. It’s hard work, but remember: there is no harvesting without planting. 

Until He’s Finished,
Pastor Mark