Session Seeks discernment for path forward

Earlier this year, Central’s session gathered at the Claggett Center near Frederick for a weekend of prayer and visioning. Elder Janice McWilliams led us in an opening study of Acts chapter 2, focused on the description of the very first Christian church (Acts 2:36-47). As we prayed over and discussed this passage, we identified the powerful ways in which our first forebears lived out the gospel in community with one another. We broadened our scripture study to look at many of the key passages in the New Testament having to do with our community life as the Body of Christ. Our study left us with three clear convictions:

1. 1. God’s design for his people is that of a body with many parts, working in concert together as his Spirit empowers us collectively. In the kingdom, it’s all about “team.”
   2. We, as fellow believers, are not incidental to one another; in fact we are the means by which God shapes us, as iron sharpens iron, into his own image. Discipleship and Christian formation are a byproduct of deep Christian community.
   3. The power of evangelism is found in the witness of a community, living its life together in radically counter-cultural ways under the gospel, so that others are compelled. “Witness” is not a solo endeavor, it’s the effect of true Christian community.

In other words, the quality of our community life is at the center of our own individual growth as disciples, our impact in the world, and our ability to reach others for Christ. This stuff is important!

Then we began to ask about the quality of Central’s community life in the current season. We zeroed in on the first clause of our mission statement: “Moving people toward Christ by being a community of faith…” What is it to be a community of faith? Are we there yet? We reflected on the difficulty of fostering community in our current time and place, and the urgency of that task in an increasingly divided and lonely culture. We experienced a shared excitement as we began to envision ways God might be calling us to pursue deeper community life as our focus in the coming season.

Central’s growing momentum around worship services, special events (i.e. Friendsgiving), classes and gatherings, and even the growth in some of our small groups, suggest that we are in a new place of openness and engagement. We prayed over and discussed some strategic ways to carry this forward. Expect to see a new emphasis on the Bible’s teachings about community, complemented with new opportunities to connect through shared service efforts, mentoring relationships, small groups, medium-sized gatherings, and all-church events.

We discussed our current Sunday morning schedule and whether it helps foster community. We reviewed our worship practices, and dreamed about deeper ways of knowing and celebrating one another in worship. We even reviewed the architecture of our facility with an eye toward gathering spaces and ease of connection.

There are many ways we might pursue a deeper life together, and we agreed that our first priority is to fully staff our ministry team. The remainder of our discussion focused on short- and long-term staffing needs. By God’s grace, we were able to envision a staffing model that will help us carry forward this growing vision. We left grateful for a fruitful time together in which we experienced the very thing we were envisioning: true Christian community.

The session is grateful for Central’s ongoing prayer support as we look to God to provide staff, resources and ongoing vision in the season ahead. Join me in praying for God’s presence among us, to knit us together more deeply as his people.

Gratefully,

Jeremy