As you recall, Pastor Chris Lane will be retiring in June of 2023. The Staff Pastor Parish Relations Committee (SPPRC) has been working with our District Superintendent, Jodie Flessner, to provide a description of our church, the Traverse City community, and an overview of the traits and characteristics that Central Church needs in a Lead… Read More »
How Central Church helps us deepen our connection to Community
Rebecca and I lived in bigger cities prior to moving to Traverse City in 2017. Part of the allure [of Central Church] was the opportunity to connect more deeply with our community. One aspect of that connection is sensing the community’s needs – in a smaller town, those needs are laid bare. We see our… Read More »
Inclusion is Impact!
We never spent much time thinking about where our church giving made an impact. Giving to church has always been something our family prioritized. We give out of a sense of gratitude and responsibility. Marinating on this topic made us look back at the history of our church membership and our participation. Before joining Central we were members at a… Read More »
The Emancipatory Work of Interpretation
What does the Bible say about sexuality? A member of our church community, and an internationally known biblical scholar, Walter Brueggemann reflects on conflicting messages in the Bible and what he sees as the unambiguous gospel message of welcome. This blog is reprinted with permission from the author. See the original post and Brueggemann’s other recent… Read More »
Don’t Give to Impact Central: Give Because of Central’s IMPACT!
When Ginna Beckett and her husband John first moved to Traverse City, they were looking for a church with IMPACT, a church where they could invest and make a difference. They didn’t want to invest in church. They wanted to invest in the community THROUGH church. They found their place at Central. Where do you… Read More »
Growing in God’s Grace: A family space
Growing up, I didn’t understand what it meant to be in worship and learn to love Jesus because I was always in Sunday School, or we didn’t go to church. This, along with the family dynamic changes during the Covid pandemic inspired me to make the choice to create a space where children could learn… Read More »
Hope, Determination and Faith – A Story about Our Refugee Family
Dear Central Friends- We are so pleased that our home on Three Mile is now filled with the activities of a family of six from Ukraine. The parents are Mykhailo (Mike) Lymarenko, his wife, Anastasiia, and children Tymofil (age 9), Mark (age 8), Ivanna (age 6), and little Solomiia (age 2). Anastasiia’s parents and three… Read More »
“The Good Dance that Awaits Us” – Comments by Pastor Chris Lane
“This church is where we want to be”, is a sentiment I heard from a young couple who in recent months began attending worship and programming at Central. It’s a work of the Spirit that persons are finding their way to us and our vision, despite the pandemic. Or maybe even because of it. Surveys… Read More »
“Seasons of Discouragement, Restoration and the Mundane” – Comments by Steve Roobol, Director of Adult Christian Education
Seasons of Discouragement, Restoration and the Mundane We welcome Steve Roobol, our new Director of Adult Christian Education at Central Church. Read on to hear more about his journey to Central. He looks forward to helping you walk your spiritual path. As I live and walk through this earth these past 40 years, I have… Read More »
ANNUAL CONFERENCE – How We United Methodists Do Life Together – Comments by Pastor Chris and our Conference Lay Delegates
For as long as Methodists have been a faith group in this country, there have been annual meetings, the “Annual Conference” as it’s called, for the purpose every year of inspiring leaders, setting new vision, and deploying clergy to all the churches. I recall taking our daughter to college in Philadelphia years back and, while… Read More »
