August 28, 2025

Dear Central Church, 

I love our church board! It is filled with committed and passionate leaders who want to see God’s good and pleasing purposes for our church fulfilled. We gathered this past Tuesday evening and spent some time talking and praying about how the Lord is leading us in the upcoming year. 

Our leaders agree that one of the great joys of following Jesus is that we never stop growing. The Lord is always calling us deeper: closer to Him and further into His mission. As we thought more about this truth, two things emerged that we hope will always be a part of the culture of our church:
 
First, we want to become a people of prayer. Prayer is more than a spiritual activity we check off our list; it is our lifeline to God. Through prayer, we draw near to His heart, align our lives with His will, and invite His power to move in our church and in our community. We want prayer to be the engine that drives everything we do—not an afterthought, but the starting place.

Second, we want to become a people who share our stories. When we pray and encounter God, the natural overflow is to tell others what He has done for us. Every one of us has a story—stories of God’s grace, His faithfulness, His forgiveness, His power at work in our lives. Those stories are not meant to be hidden; they are meant to be shared, because they point others to Jesus.

These two initiatives go hand in hand: prayer connects us to God, and testimony connects others to God through us. My prayer is that as we become a people of prayer, we will be so filled with His presence that we cannot help but share our stories. And as we share, others will be drawn to the One who is writing a greater story in and through us.

One tangible thing we’re going to do to see this vision realized is begin a Thursday evening prayer gathering. This is an informal gathering that is focused on worship, scripture reading, meditating on God’s truths, and intercessory prayer. Those who lead this ministry desire to create a space where people can meet with God and draw near to Him. Our first Thursday Evening Prayer gathering is next week (Sep. 6) at 6:30pm. All are invited to participate! 

I look forward to seeing you Sunday as we continue our “Questions of Jesus” series. This week, we’re looking at a question Jesus asked those who questioned his authority to do miracles, “Why are you thinking these things?” Do our thoughts and perspectives align with who God is and what he is doing in the world? If not, Jesus wants to know why! 

See you Sunday!

Until He’s Finished,
Pastor Mark