Central News

Sep 2024  | Vol. 33, No. 1
Join Us Gathering Sunday, Sep. 8, at 10:30 am!

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A Good Word From Patrick

Ours is a communal faith. To be Christian means to honor the simple notion that all of creation knit together forms the body of Christ. Each person is inherently unique and gifted to support the thriving of creation around them. You and I are essential to one another. When we are fully embodied and rooted in the trust that God is doing something through us, we become the Body of Christ.… [Read More]

Central News

August 2024 | Vol. 32, No. 11

Join Us for Summer Worship at 10 am!

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A Good Word From Patrick

Hello, friends! When I got to Central, I was warned that no one attends church over the summer. I was told Providence slows down, the city quiets, and everyone makes their way to the beaches or the mountains. So, I prepared myself for empty pews, streets, and an empty calendar. Well, I’ve been so pleasantly surprised to see so much life for these first several weeks of summer.… [Read More]

Central News

June / July 2024 | Vol. 32, No. 11

Summer Worship Begins June 16 at 10 am!

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A Good Word From Patrick

Hey folks, For the last few months, a thoughtful team of representatives from our Board of Deacons, Prudential Committee, Religious Education Committee, families, and volunteers have been diligently reviewing a broad assortment of candidates to join our staff as the Director of Religious Education. This role is crucial as it will be responsible for organizing and directing our ministries with children, teens, and families.… [Read More]

Central News

May 2024   |   Vol. 32, No. 10

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A Good Word From Patrick

Hey folks, I missed my first worship service at Central on April 21 so I could participate in an endurance race set in the beautiful Masennutten range of mountains on the north end of the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. In 22.5 hours, some friends and I traveled 60 miles, navigating between 30 checkpoints hidden deep in the woods – atop stunning ridge lines and along the river’s edge. In order to navigate between checkpoints, we waded through mountain laurel and rhododendron, pushed bikes up steep and rocky trails, and canoed through sections of rapids on the Shenandoah River.… [Read More]

Central News

April 2024  | Vol. 32 | No. 9

Join Us For Sunday Worship at 10:30 am!

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A Good Word From Patrick

The Christian narrative is a simple, elegant illustration of the best and worst aspects of our life in community. The same God who set the rhythms of the universe and established the laws of nature meets us in our simple, small lives to push back against the popular narrative that you must be remarkable to be valuable. And, this simple message of God’s love for the unremarkable makes the remarkable feel threatened, so they use the power they’ve gained to dismantle the message and crucify the messenger.… [Read More]

Central News

February 2024 | Vol. 32, No. 8

Holy Week Begins March 24 – Come Worship With Us!

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A Good Word from Patrick

Hello, friends! I encourage you to pay attention today. Notice the way your body responds to boredom or anxiety. Notice how your body responds when you drive through traffic or relax into your bed. Notice how your breath changes as you settle into a project you love or begin something you’ve been dreading. Notice. Pay attention.

So much of our lives happens automatically.… [Read More]

Central News

January 2024 | Vol. 32, No. 5

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Join us for Sunday Worship at 10:30 am

A Good Word from Patrick

This year, Ash Wednesday falls on Valentine’s Day. Both of these days, separate from one another, are worth exploring. Together, they highlight a beautiful tension in our lives – the pursuit of love, joy, and connection, and the reminder that our lives and the foundations we build them on are fleeting.

Valentine’s Day, as we know it, has a complicated and mysterious history.… [Read More]

Central News

January 2024 –  Vol. 32, No. 5

Happy New Year!

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Join us for Sunday Worship at 10:30 am

From Your New Senior Minister!

Hello, friends! As I write this, I find myself surrounded by boxes in a small ranch-style house just outside of Atlanta, GA. Earlier today, I introduced the incoming pastor to North Decatur United Methodist Church to the staff. Afterward, I spent most of the day assembling boxes, filling them with books, and strategically stacking them to create some semblance of order.… [Read More]

Central News

December 2023 Vol. 32, No. 4

Join us for Sunday Worship at 10:30 am!

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From Rebecca

Dear members and friends, I begin and end with Thanksgiving. Thanks for each of you with whom I have celebrated the joys of life, shared in its sorrows and remembered its hope. Thanks for this remarkable place called Central, which, as Tom and Ezra reminded us on November 19, has always been an exceptional congregation, offering a sense of belonging to all. This church has always been ready to explore what it means to be a faithful Christian, what it means to truly live in and through the promises of Jesus’ Gospel.… [Read More]