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Talking About on Sundays
Off the Map
Finding Jesus in Unexpected Places
If you had to guess, where do you imagine you might find Jesus hanging out? Perhaps among nice, good, up-standing people. Maybe in old buildings with stained glass. Possibly with people who look and act just like him. When we open up the stories of his life, however, we find Jesus in some of the most unexpected places with the most unexpected people for the most unexpected reasons. Join us at the harbor gazebo this August as we follow Jesus “Off the Map” to find him in these unexpected places.
Our Most Recent Sermons
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September 6, 2026
Series: Off the Map
Speaker: Matt Agresti
Topic: Gazebo Service, God's Love, Jesus, Known by Love, Mission, Voice of Hope
Book: Luke
As we wrap up on “Off the Map” series, we see that Jesus meets us on the road of disillusionment,… read more
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August 30, 2026
Series: Off the Map
Speaker: Matt Agresti
Topic: Following Jesus, Forgiveness, Gazebo Service, God's Love, Redemption, Sin, The Cross
Book: Matthew
In today’s message, we find Jesus dying the death of a condemned criminal, in place of a condemned criminal, and… read more
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August 23, 2026
Series: Off the Map
Jesus seemed to make it a regular habit to spend meaningful time with his enemies. Who does that? Jesus does…. read more
Read the Bible With Us!
When Jesus opened up the scriptures to the disciples - and explained how it all pointed to him, their hearts 'burned within' them. That's what we hope happens for you in our 2026 bible reading plan. We know that reading the bible can be pretty tough, so why not do it with us, and stick to a plan?!? We'd love for you to join us, as we hope that - just like those disciples, Jesus meets us on this journey and sets our hearts 'on fire' as well. Check out the plan, insights, resources, and more at the link below.
A bit about us
Who are we?
Central Baptist Church is an intergenerational congregation in the heart of Atlantic Highlands, NJ – that has been here for over 125 years. We are not a perfect people, but we’re a warm, kind, and generous community. We’d love for you to join us and ‘come and see’ for yourself.
We blend contemporary and traditional elements of worship into our services; preserving our faith history while embracing new traditions in worship. We love kids, and are excited to be growing our kids programs. We are affiliated with the American Baptist Churches – New Jersey and the American Baptist Churches – USA.
What matters here?
What is ‘central’ at Central? Jesus. He is our center, as we seek to live our lives by faith in him, to be known by the way we love like him, and to echo him by being a voice of hope in the world. This is what matters here at Central.
Why are we here?
We are here because we believe that Jesus Christ is the hope of the world – a world that God so deeply and profoundly loves – and through churches like ours, God shares his love with the world. So we are here to share his love, to bear witness to his amazing grace, and as he calls us to, to love our neighbors.
CENTRAL LEARNS
Central Learns is an after school program that we are excited to launch, providing space for kids K-12 to come and get homework help, tutoring, and enrichment by former educators and other skilled volunteers. It is currently running every Wednesday from 3:00-4:30PM, and is free for all. Register and find out more details using the link below.
Upcoming Events
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09 Sep. 2026 -
13 Sep. 2026 -
16 Sep. 2026
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16 Sep. 2026 -
20 Sep. 2026 -
22 Sep. 2026
Central Happenings
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A New Prayer for a New School Year
A blog by Next Generation Pastor, Rebecca DeLucia. It is hard to believe I am already writing this
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A Chilling Reading
I didn't get a chance to get this week's weekly email to you this morning because I
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The Transfiguration
In yesterday’s bible reading, we read Matthew 17 – which has the story of the Transfiguration. If you’re not familiar
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Beside the Sea
Today’s bible reading, Matthew 13, begins in a way that *kind of* reminds me of what we
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Authority & Allegiance
By Rebecca DeLucia, Next Generation Pastor Today’s Bible reading, Matthew 8, reads more like a comic book than
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Pray For…
This Sunday is our final Sunday before we venture outside for the summer gazebo services (it’s also
