Refreshment
We agree with celebration! The practice of the church for 2,000 years has been to joyously meet and share with each other! We have hope! Our prayer is that you will find the Spirit of Jesus Christ at work "...so that times of refreshing may come from the Lord." (Acts 3:19)
Relevance
We teach and preach the Bible. The goal of all our teaching is allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal the application of His Word to our lives, so our hearts can be changed and we can become more like Jesus Christ. The word of God is living and active, and has relevance to our lives today! (Hebrews 4:12)
Realness
When we meet together, we expect the family to encourage one another, to laugh and cry with one another, to bear with and to grow and support one another. We tend towards less formality and more genuineness and authenticity.
Equipping
Ephesians 4:11-12 tells us that the purpose of leaders is to equip the saints for works of service. You can expect our leaders to help identify your unique spiritual gifting and then challenge and equip you to actively use that gift in service to the Lord.
Shepherding
Leaders are charged with watching out for the people they are accountable for just as a shepherd takes care of the sheep in his flock. Our leadership takes personal responsibility and concern for strengthening the weak, healing the sick, binding up the injured, bringing back the strays and searching for the lost (Ezekiel 34:4). Our leaders are committed to not ruling harshly or brutally, but in love through servant leadership.
What is expected of you?
Purpose
You are expected to actively participate in helping to accomplish the mission of the Central: Bringing In, Building Up and Sending Out. You are expected to actively carry out your individual purpose of loving God and loving others.
Service
You are expected to use your God-given talents and abilities as a servant in service. We are to "submit to one another out of reverence for Christ" (Ephesians 5:21); and submit to God (James 4:7) and to our elders as the spiritual overseers of the church (Hebrews 13:17).
Encouragement through Meeting Together
God has also called for us to grow up! We meet together in large and small groups for the purpose of spiritual growth and encouragement (Hebrews 10:25). You are expected to take an active part in our 2:42 Home Fellowship Groups for fellowship, prayer and study and our Praise Gatherings for large group teaching, shepherding and dynamics.
Lifestyle Worship
Before Jesus, worship was reserved for certain places and times, and this pattern has carried over into the church. The New Testament admonishment for worship, however, is not bound by time and place (Romans 12:1-2, Colossians 3:14-17, Ephesians 5:18-20). We are admonished to live a life of worship and praise through our attitude and actions, in addition to personal Bible study, prayer and corporate praise.
Lifestyle Stewardship
Because the Bible clearly teaches that all we have is from God, we are expected to be a good steward of all our possessions (2 Corinthians 8:1-5, 2 Corinthians 9:6-7, Luke 12:34). Giving to His work is only a part of our responsibility in stewardship. The Lord is concerned about how we use our time, our talents and our resources.
Someone once said that you could tell what's important to a person by looking at their checkbook. This is also part of stewardship, and the leadership at Central encourages families to strive to live free of consumer debt. Central has a ministry called Jubilee to develop wise stewardship practices and help families get free of debt (Romans 13:8). A good measurement of over-extension in personal finances is: 1) Are you practicing the tithe (Malachi 3:10), 2) Are you providing for your family (1 Timothy 5:8), and 3) Do you have enough left over to help others in need (James 2:15-16)?
Become a Healthy Sheep
Our leadership takes its responsibility seriously. We subjectively evaluate each family in our congregation to make sure they are healthy, and to urge and spur them on to maturity. We believe that a healthy sheep is:
- Active in the Praise Gathering
- Active or involved in a time of Bible Study
- Active in fellowship with others, usually through a home fellowship group
- Active in service or ministry using their gifts
- Active in their personal responsibility in carrying out the Great Commission of making disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ