A blog by Rebecca DeLucia, Next Generation Pastor In January of this year, we launched The Village, a church wide effort “so that every kid would be seen, heard, known, encouraged and prayed for.” It has been amazing to see relationships bloom and be fostered through this initiative. As I was reflecting and thinking about this back-to-school season, I kept returning to those five words: seen, heard, known, encouraged and prayed for.   Please join me in praying this prayer that reflects those 5

The answer to this question might be “0”, but, did any of you read Peter King’s Monday Morning Quarterback column from Sports Illustrated years ago? It’s ok if you didn’t. I don’t think he writes it any longer, but that could be wrong. I used to like reading it…I thought his football insights were pretty interesting, and he’d have some funny anecdotes and stories along the way. If you don’t know who Peter King is, or care at all about

“…it reminds me of Jesus talking outside to the many. It feels easier to join. Just walk in and sit down.” These are the words that someone sent me as they reflected on their experience at the gazebo. And it’s exactly the point of the gazebo services. I’ve said this before – but one of the things I enjoy most about the gazebo services is that they ARE easier to join, easier to check out without the commitment of being stuck

Last Sunday at St. Paul Baptist was such a great morning – wasn’t it? If you missed it, you missed out (but can check it out here)! It was lively, joyful, inspiring, and if I must say so, delicious (that brisket…).  More than anything else, it was good to gather as one body of Christ, with unity in diversity. Towards the end of scripture, Revelation imagines a day where, standing before the throne of God and the Lamb worshipping, there is

Before I (Rebecca) begin this week, I want to take a moment to pause and express my deep gratitude. First and foremost, I am incredibly thankful for this community—one that I first had the privilege of joining three years ago as a guest speaker, and since then, has become a home for Danny, the boys, and I. Central has become a place where I’ve found not just friendship, but a family, where I’ve felt supported, challenged and encouraged. More than

We’ve got a big Sunday coming up: our first service at the harbor gazebo! I don’t know about you, but I’m so excited. I love doing our worship service outdoors, I love getting to meet new people, I love the challenges that we’re always provided with (weather, loud cars, who knows?!?), I love being able to talk about Jesus within earshot of people who might have written him off. So far this month, I’ve asked you to pray for the gazebo services

I’m really grateful for where we are as a church today. There’s a lot to do, a lot to work for, a lot of future to build towards – but for today, there’s a lot to be grateful for. Let me tell you about a few such things, briefly.First, I’m thankful that as a church, we voted to approve of removing the ‘trial’ label from the Next Generation Pastor – so that it’s an ongoing position at Central. I’m thankful

This morning at our men’s bible study, one of the guys said something that I wanted to share with you all: we should pray more. Good advice. Wise. Needed. True.But let me tell you the context…he was talking about it, not just in general (though praying more in general would be a good idea too!), but specifically, in terms of our upcoming summer gazebo worship services down at the harbor.If you don’t know, we’ve got two more Sundays in July (including the

This Sunday, we talked about “spiritual warfare” – about how 'what we're up against' (the ‘spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places’ - Eph. 6:12) are out to destroy Christ’s body on earth (the Church) because it is through the Church that God has decided to fight His battles against evil.  Not our typical topic – or way of typically talking and envisioning things – but important nonetheless!I mentioned how, if you’d like a more personal and individual foray into the

On Sunday during Onwards and Upwards, I mentioned the four spiritual habits from our GROW curriculum and encouraged families to take advantage of the extra time summer offers to lean into these habits together. Below, you’ll find each of the four spiritual habits, along with a definition from GROW that highlights how each one helps deepen discipleship and supports spiritual growth—for both us and our kids. You’ll also see a simple summer example for each habit. Remember: you don’t need big gestures