Dear Central Family,

Last week I shared with you about our Church Council’s decision to enter into a time of prayer and discernment, a period where we educate and inform the congregation of the current state of the United Methodist Church and seeking to identify Central’s place within the Body of Christ. I told you that you’d be hearing from me soon regarding next steps, and so I wanted to follow up with the details.

We will be holding three identical educational sessions to provide some clarity and to share important information with you. I want to invite you to make plans to attend one of these three sessions that will be held as follows:

•          Thursday, May 12, Genesis Church Sanctuary – 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.

•          Tuesday, May 31, Central’s Activities Center – 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.

•          Sunday, June 5, Central’s Activities Center – 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.

Please note that the session held on June 5 will also be streamed live through the Central UMC website. These sessions will include a video presentation from Arkansas Conference Bishop Gary Mueller, a time of explanation from me regarding our process, a question-and-answer section regarding the material being shared, and a time of prayer. Once these three sessions have concluded, we’ll be releasing a short survey to seek your input.  This will allow you the chance to give the Church Council your input prior to their next meeting in late June, when they will reconvene and consider options, including whether we are ready to take more formal steps and eventually vote as an entire church family regarding these matters.

Please know that we have a dedicated page on our website that will house official correspondence and information related to our process of discernment.  We will add to it over time with updates.  I encourage you to start there if you have any questions or need general information. Of course, you are always welcome to schedule some time with me or any of our pastors as needed – we’d be happy to meet with you as we walk together through this season.

As the year began, I shared with y’all my Scripture verse for the year, the verse that God had placed on my heart to walk with and pray over and carry in my soul for 2022. It is Jeremiah 17:7-8, and I thought it would be a good reminder for all of us in this season:

Blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.

May that be each one of us: Trusting in the Lord, making the Lord our hope and confidence, deeply rooted in God, protected by seasons of heat and drought, staying vibrant and continuing to produce fruit. Take care, God bless, and hope to see you at one of the upcoming sessions!

Together on the Journey,

Carness Vaughan
Senior Pastor