What to Expect in Worship
Our Sunday morning worship assembly is the largest and most important of our regular church gatherings. This is the time and the place for our entire church family to come together in the presence of God to offer him praise and to encourage one another. Dress any way you’d like and sit anywhere you want. We begin at 10:15 Sunday morning and are almost always finished before 11:30.
Lord's Supper
We share the communion meal every week. Like the very first believers, we celebrate Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection every Sunday. The bread and the cup remind us of his body and blood that were offered for us at Calvary. But we also remember it as a thanksgiving feast. We joyfully celebrate our resurrection lives in Christ at his table. We acknowledge the unity we share in him. And as we eat and drink, we renew our love for one another and for God. Jesus’ invitation to his table is extended to all, so you are more than welcome to join us. For health reasons, we currently take communion that is individually packaged.
Singing
We sing a mix of traditional hymns and contemporary songs because we love to join together in praising God with our voices. One thing you’ll notice immediately is that we don’t use instrumental accompaniment. This is our individual congregation’s choice for several reasons. The early church did not sing with instruments. We believe a cappella singing allows everyone to participate in worship. And it upholds and communicates our “church as body” beliefs as all our unique voices and abilities are brought together to form one complete sound. We don’t make a big deal out of this. It’s our preference. And we’re good with that.
Praying
One of our greatest privileges is to talk directly to God. We believe that God is with us at all times, but he joins us in a special way when we assemble in Jesus’ name. So, we bring him our praise, thanksgiving, expressions of love, and petitions on behalf of others in prayer. We believe that God hears and answers our prayers in powerful and amazing ways. And we would be especially honored to pray for you.
Offering
Each Sunday, we give to God out of the financial resources he has given us. This is another way we express our thanks and love. The gift is sacrificial and from the heart, offered cheerfully as worship and service. The money is used by the church to carry out God’s mission. If you’re our guest, you are not expected to contribute. If you’re a Central member, yes, you’re expected to give.
Scripture Reading and Preaching
Central is a Bible-centered church, so you’re going to hear lots of Scripture during our assemblies: the whole Bible, not just the New Testament. There will also be a sermon that lasts about 25-minutes. Our preacher doesn’t wear any special titles or robes. He’s just the one we’ve commissioned to spend time in prayer and study each week so he might bring us the Word of God. We believe the Scriptures are transformative, giving us life and hope and shaping us into the image of Jesus.
Children
We offer a fully-staffed nursery during our Sunday morning assemblies for babies up to 18-months-old. Any member can point you to the place where a friendly worker will welcome your child. Following the service, you may pick up your child at the same site. For children 18-months through three-years-old, we offer Toddler Worship. And for children four-years-old through second grade we have Children’s Worship. This age-specific time of worship and study is offered every Sunday.