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SERVICES
SUNDAYS
9:30 am (CT) In the Sanctuary
Fall is just around the corner! The change in seasons reflects new beginnings, and that is no different for our church! The month of September will be the last months of guest speakers as we welcome our new pastor Carl Palmer in October!
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Schedule of speakers for September:
9/3 Barry Winders
9/10 Daryl Thompson
9/17 Jerry Willer – Zion Gordonville
9/24 Barry Winders
previous Series
For the month of August, we will continue having a single service at 9:30 AM in the sanctuary of the Centenary Church. We will have a different special guest speaker every week, including a Southern Gospel Service on the 13th with the message delivered by Mike Dumey. The schedule will include a fellowship time at 10:45AM with Sunday school to follow at 11:00 AM.
On July 9, we will begin an interim schedule of worship that hosts one service at 9:30 AM in the sanctuary of Centenary church. This service will include worship and musical leadership from both Mike Dumey and Brodrick Twiggs. Guest speakers and pastors will deliver the message throughout this period. The schedule will include a fellowship time at 10:45AM with Sunday school to follow at 11:00 AM.
During the season of Lent (February 26 – April 1) we will be offering a small group experience that is meant to broaden and deepen discussion around our pastor’s Lenten message series. That message series, entitled: “Jesus in the Wild” will take an in depth look at Jesus’ temptation experience in the wilderness, and will explore connections with our own faith and Christian discipleship.
Have the last couple of years rocked your boat? Throughout our world we have felt like we’re in a storm being tossed about, longing for the stability, or at least the predictability we once had. In our first series of the 2024, we’ll look at ways Jesus calms the storms in our lives, our minds, our hearts and our souls. Join us as we study Scripture to see how Jesus can anchor us no matter the storms we experience.
What we practice says a lot about what we actually believe. In fact, it may be said that what we practice IS what we believe and therefore what we practice is supremely important. As followers of Jesus, we want to practice the things Jesus practiced. This October, we will join together in worship and small group study to explore and practice some spiritual disciplines that shape us to be like Christ and help us grow in our relationship with God and others.
“Change is so fun!” said no one ever! Why do we struggle so much with change when we know it is inevitable - and necessary and healthy? When things shift in our world, our life, our surroundings, even our ideas, we so often resist, maybe not so much to the new thing that’s coming but to the thing that we have to leave behind. It’s been said that we don’t resist change so much as we resist loss. We know that God doesn’t change since He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever, but God is persistent in changing us. In our new series, Holy Shift, we’ll listen for God’s voice in the changes we inevitably face and be challenged to let God change us as we learn to surrender and trust God’s leading more and more in our lives. This is a great series to invite your friends and family since we have all been in such a season of change!
The first step you take in any direction is the most important one. But what if you can't see the whole staircase? Our faith is in full swing when we do what's necessary to receive what God has for us. Simply put, our faith moves when we move. This Sunday, Brodrick Twiggs will bring an important message on when faith meets obedience. Join us in-person, or online at 9 AM and 11 AM.
The story of Jonah is not just a big fish tale, familiar to kids in Sunday School or Vacation Bible School. This well-crafted, deeply personal story is about us. In this brief message series, we’ll explore how we respond to holy nudges and promptings from God, how we treat “the other” in our lives, how we should receive and reflect God’s grace in our lives, and how we can always return to the God of second chances
Bumper stickers sure can sum up a big thought in just a few words. Sometimes they make us laugh. Sometimes they make us cringe. Sometimes they are truth bombs that make us think. And sometimes we repeat some “bumper sticker” sayings without really thinking about whether or not they’re true. When we don’t know what else to say we often fall back on common clichés that may actually be hurtful. Throughout this new series, we’re going to take an honest look at some of the most repeated Christian “bumper stickers” and see what the Bible really says.
Lent is a time of reflection in the weeks leading up to Easter. Traditionally, it’s a time of learning and exploring the foundational truths of the faith, a time when new believers would study creeds in preparation for baptism at Easter. These “spiritual study guides” keep us anchored to the core of our faith and give us a plum line for our own beliefs and understanding of God. Creeds not only help us correct our faith, they also challenge us to face our doubts and ask hard questions. This Lent, we will journey through each line of the Apostle’s Creed, aligning and reaffirming our faith in the one true God.
I’ve worn glasses since the 4th grade. Who knows how long I needed them before Mrs. McGuire moved me from the front row to the back row in class. I sat in the front row in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade (I’m still a front row person, by the way!). So when she moved me to the back and I kept walking to the front to see the board and started complaining of headaches, I got to get glasses. I didn’t know you could see actual leaves on trees! Often when our spiritual eyes become clearer, like an aspect of Jesus or of scripture, we wonder how we missed it before. How could I have been so blind to that understanding of, say, grace or suffering? Those “a-ha” moments that make God clearer to us happen all throughout our spiritual journey and lead us closer to the heart of God. In this new series, Nearsighted, we’re going to invite Jesus to clear up our vision on some timely and needed topics that were as much a part of Jesus’ world as they are ours today. Join us online or in person as we try on some spiritual glasses!
We strive for so many things, especially at the beginning of the year. We analyze and want to focus on something that will help us be better. We set big goals and hope for big results - by the end of January! The problem is we didn’t get here in a month and we’re not going to get better in a month. There’s two things at stake here: 1) Are we focusing on the right goal? And 2) Are we willing to stick with it even when we don’t see fast results? In our new series “Small Things, Big Difference,” we’ll be challenged to really listen to what God wants us to focus on and hear how God is inviting us to live that out all through the year. It’s not about quick fixes and motivational jargon; it’s about growing in faith, obedience, and love. Invite your friends and let’s start off 2022 with some small things that will make a big difference!
Advent is the season of waiting and many times in waiting we find ourselves wandering, searching for what we hope for - often with impatience. In the waiting, the hope of what is to come can be a time of preparation, exploration, and growth. As we approach Christmas, we will be preparing for the One who is to come - the One who came as a baby and the One who is to come in power. This first Sunday of Advent we will explore our “Wonderful Counselor” which is one of the names that describes Christ in that familiar Christmas passage from Isaiah 9 (look it up!). Why do you think these names are given to the Messiah? What are they really describing? I look forward to learning with you throughout this new series. I’ll see you this Sunday as we unwrap the gift “To: You, From: Wonderful Counselor.”
Have you ever been to a masquerade party? The point is to wear a mask or a disguise that exposes a hint of who you are, but doesn’t give it all away. When it’s all fun and games, it’s great. When it’s our lives or our faith, it’s not. In many ways, we have covered over, buried, or hidden the parts of our lives that are hard or unpleasant or we think others will judge us. But playing in the masquerade, we lose something meaningful, something unique, something holy...we lose ourselves. In this new series, Masquerade, we’ll take a look behind the façade of “religion,” we’ll brave the reality of our grief and loss, we’ll challenge ourselves to look deeper within, and we’ll recognize God’s presence through it all. God is so patient with us as we learn to be authentic in every area of our lives. It’s time to stop the masquerade! See you this Sunday at 9:00, 11:00, or online!
We are SOW excited for our new sermon series that will challenge us to SOW generously for our church, our community, ourselves, and our world. We will discover ways to SOW FAR so we expand the reach of the gospel, SOW GOOD and make a tangible impact for the good of others, SOW DEEP to grow in discipleship, and SOW LONG knowing that it is the future generations that will reap what we sow. We are stewards of God’s great blessings and through our generosity, intentionality, and obedience we are called to share those blessings with others! We are called to SOW GREATLY! Join us each week for worship; invite a friend, neighbor, coworker, or person behind you in line at the grocery store and we’ll see you Sundays at 9am, 11am or online!
Jesus summed up the Old Testament law by saying we’re to love God and love our neighbor. Sounds easy enough. We’ve heard it. We know it. We’ve probably even experienced it and maybe even practiced it. But there’s always more than meets the eye when it comes to Jesus. In this series, we’ll unpacK the truth of what it means to authentically love those around you. We’ll be challenged to be a neighbor in a way that crosses lines, inconveniences our schedules, and invites us to really see those around us. Won’t you be my neighbor? (Also, this would be a great time to invite your neighbor to church - in person or online!)
It’s Back to School time - the time to get our supplies, prepare for a new start, anticipate learning new things. But it is also a time of anxiety and uncertainty and questions and difficult circumstances. As our kids and grandkids head into this next school year, what are things we need to pack in their backpacks? What are the tools they will need to maneuver through the things life hands them this fall? We’ll hear from experts in the field who will also help us see what Jesus has to say about it. We will be encouraged as we see the ways our faith impacts the way we handle the issues facing kids (and us!) today. While kids, parents and grandparents will find this series timely, all of us are facing similar circumstances and could use some guidance from God’s Word to lead us through. Throughout August, we’ll explore biblical, practical tools to help our kids and ourselves deal with the things that have been most challenging over the last year.
With traveling becoming more of an option for more people, many of us are heading out on road trips this summer. And every good road trip needs a good playlist, right? What if the songs we listen to while we're on the journey are the ones that not only bring us joy, but also help us uncover and express the things we keep locked in our heart? What if our songs let us be real about our human experience and realize we’re not alone? And what if singing those songs actually brings us closer to God? The Israelite people had songs that did all of this - while they were on a journey. Join us this summer as we discover the Songs of Ascent - a collection of psalms (Psalms 120-134) sung by the Israelites while they journeyed with one another toward God.
“If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands!” Some days we clap a little more readily than others, right? Regardless of who you are or your station in life, happiness is something we all pursue in one way or another and we would welcome more of it in our life. “Happy” is one of those things we all care about and want for ourselves and those we love. So what does the Bible say about being happy? Interestingly enough (but not surprisingly) it says what researchers have only recently begun to discover about what makes us truly happy. This series is a great opportunity for you to invite someone to church since “Happy” speaks to all of us. It can be as simple as sharing our services on Facebook or Instagram and as personal as inviting someone to sit with you on Sundays in May! So join us each week as we take a deeper look at “Happy!”
Can you imagine what the disciples must have felt after Jesus’ death on the cross? They probably sat in the Upper Room, looked at each other and said, “Now what?!” And after Jesus ascended into heaven, they probably thought, “Um, okay, now what?!” As we emerge out of a pandemic, many of us are wondering, “Well, now what? What’s a new normal look like?” And as a church, with new opportunities and anticipation of what’s next for us, we are wondering, “Now what?” Join us for our new series, “Now What?!” as we look ahead to what God has for each of us and learn to trust Him as we step into what’s next.
We “accept” or “decline” Terms and Conditions or Terms of Service just about every day. When we use our smartphones, we are bound by the terms of service, billing, and privacy. When we visit a website, we are bound by the terms of use and “cookies.” When we make a purchase, we are bound by the terms of returns or exchanges. We either accept the terms and conditions or we don’t. Yes or no. Accept or decline. No “kind of.”
What does it mean, then, for us to be bound by the Terms and Conditions of being a disciple of Jesus? When we “signed on,” did we look at the fine print? Did we know what we were getting into? Or did we just nonchalantly press “accept” at our Baptism or Confirmation? Are we willing to abide by the “terms and conditions” that God has established? They are His to determine and ours to accept or decline. Join us as we take a deeper look at what it means to follow Jesus in our new series “Terms and Conditions.”
In our services January 24 – February 7, we will explore some “dangerous” prayers – those prayers that God wants to answer and we may not always be ready for what’s in store. These prayers are for people who are willing to step out of the boat, take a leap of faith, and trust that not only does God answer, but God answers in powerful ways! We will learn together how to dive deep into prayer that moves the heart of God, but, more importantly, moves us!
We all are on a journey toward God whether we are aware of it or not. We search for meaning, for significance, for love. For those of us who follow Jesus, we know that it is our relationship with God that fulfills those longings, but all of us at times try to fill those longings with things that lead us away from God. Life can be really hard sometimes and how we think about God during those times can make all the difference. We can blame God, beg God, push God away. Sometimes our shame and guilt keep us from believing that God really wants us or that we have to earn our way back into His “good graces.” But no matter how far we wander, there is always a way back to God.
There are many ways we can be faithful in following Christ. Faithfully reading scripture, praying, worshiping in spirit and truth, serving others. These are foundational to our faith. But there are some other aspects of our faith that we often don’t concentrate on that are certainly worthy of our attention.
In this series we will look at how we can be more faithful in our words, humility, grief, citizenship, unity and our commitment to the miracle of the gospel. With all that is swirling around in our culture right now, these practices will help us clear out the noise and focus in on how we can faithfully represent Jesus to a watching world.
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