Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
1 Peter 1: 3-5
What an incredible inheritance is awaiting us. In these days leading up to good Friday and Easter, we commemorate the price Jesus paid on our behalf and how he conquered death by being raised from the grave, so we can inherit this eternal bliss. But even, apart from the future bliss, we already have many blessing to enjoy in the present. Not the least the opportunity to meet and worship with other believers and serve each other within the body of Christ.
We praise God for the evidence of His ongoing work among us. In a society where many churches are closing their doors, Central is facing the challenge of growth to the point that we need to consider ways to increase capacity. Either in space or through an additional worship service. This is especially true at the Chilliwack Campus. But we see the fruits of God’s work at the other campuses as well. We are thankful that Lake Errock has a kid’s ministry up and running every second week. A core Life Group has also been meeting there for almost a year now. The Alpha course in Harrison has been steadily attended by up to 25 people. Some of those attending were new to the Gospel message. The Agassiz campus has seen increasing community engagement, leading to invitations to the Sunday services. The setup of the hall has also been modified to be more inviting to attendees to linger after the service and engage with newcomers, an opportunity many are making use of. In addition, 42 volunteers have accepted the invitation from Seabird Island to assist in providing weekly community dinners on Seabird Island, starting in April. We are thankful the Promontory Campus were able to secure the school building for a Good Friday Service. Let it fill us with humility and acknowledge it as God’s doing. “Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain”. (Psalm 127:1). Chilliwack and Harrison will also be holding Good Friday services.
We look back at the annual AGM on March 4th. as an evening of praise and worship. It was well attended and the opportunity to direct questions to the Elders was well used. A reason for praise was the review of the financial statements and budget. God has created a willingness among us to provide financial support for the ministry of Central, so that we were able to close 2023 with a small surplus. It was a blessed and edifying evening, and we thank God for the evidence of Christian unity within the Church.
At our recent meeting the elders took some time to explore God’s word on the topic of Church Discipline. It is the elders’ desire to be faithful to the words of Jesus, as spoken in Matthew 18 as well as several other scripture passages. We are certain that, following the example of Jesus himself, discipline is not so much punitive in nature as it is restorative. We all have sinned and need his forgiving grace daily. If someone among us falls, we need to seek to correct and restore in love and compassion. The Elders ask for your prayers to receive wisdom, also in this responsibility placed upon them.
And lastly, we thank God for the seven individuals who have expressed their desire to surrender their lives to Jesus and have requested to be baptized on Easter Sunday. Five in Chilliwack and two at the Promontory Campus. Let us rejoice with them and surround these new brothers and sisters with love and support in their Christian walk.
We delight in the goodness of God and look forward to celebrating the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior this weekend with you all. All things the Lord willing.
Jim Devisser
- On behalf of the Elders at Central Community
Finance Update
The Elders received word that giving year to date to the end of February was strong with $347,138.00 received through donations. This amount is up over the same period last year by 24%. We thank God for the faithfulness of his people in providing financially towards our mission. It was noted that expenses across all categories are well below budget targets with two exceptions: Missions and Campus Community. These categories, the Mexico Mission and Marriage retreat, while appearing overspent on the balance sheet are in a slight surplus when ministry income is calculated. We currently are running an overall a year-to-date shortfall of income to expense of $99,015.
The elders discussed the implications of a significant capital expense needed for the Chilliwack campus. Sanctuary lights dating back to the late ’80 that are failing, and faulty control boards due to a lightning strike last year, will require a significant capital investment to update the system to serve us for the next decade. In addition, the need to refit windows in Lake Errock that are leaking will require that we raise funds for these capital investments. Plans are in place to get quotes for these projects and then to determine the best path forward to address these practical needs.
The Elders encourage you to prayerfully consider your part in our mission to see the Eastern Fraser Valley transformed by the Gospel. We celebrate your continued partnership in the work we are doing across our five campuses and look forward to celebrating Holy Week, and the opportunity to share the good news of Jesus.
ELDER'S PRAYER
We believe in the power of prayer. We value prayer. And we believe that God answers prayer and uses it as a means of achieving His purposes in the church and world.
Central's Elders invite you to come and receive prayer in the Chilliwack Campus Sanctuary.
Tuesday, April 16 | 6.30PM - 7.00PM
Chilliwack Campus | 46100 Chilliwack Central Road
You can also submit prayer requests using the link below.
Got questions or words of encouragement? We'd love to hear from you!
Please contact The Elders - elders@centralcommunity.ca