Let the Sunshine In

Passing By

Thu, March 28, 2013 2 Comments by Worship Team

JoJo Nieves – Worship Leader

It was a packed house—two houses actually—on a beautifully overcast day in downtown Atlanta, GA. There was an infectious spirit of excitement and anticipation in the air as people trickled into the Phillips Arena and Georgia World Congress Center downtown. It was New Year’s Day, and the 2007 Passion Conference was about to kick off with a record 23,000 twenty-somethings making the pilgrimage from all corners of the country to attend that year. I was a freshman in college at the ripe age of 19 and was experiencing for the first time ever the exhilaration of spreading my wings away from the nest. My first year away from home was explosively life changing, as it often is for many young college-bound teenagers. I remember feeling like everything was new—new people, new places, new experiences—and every moment seemed to leave a new impression that built upon the one before it. For me that first year was nothing short of a whirlwind ride, and in many ways the adventure reached its pinnacle at the Passion Conference.

Step Into the Ring

Thu, February 28, 2013 Comments Off by Worship Team

JoJo Nieves – Worship Leader

Have you ever been reading the Bible and came across a passage of Scripture that just stopped you in your tracks? It may have been an age-old verse that suddenly burst with new meaning and insight into a particular aspect of your life, or maybe you glanced over a passage that convicted you in a way that it never has before. My hope is that we all have experienced those moments of epiphany while studying Scripture, and if you haven’t yet my prayer is that you will at some point in your faith journey. Experiences like these are truly amazing; however, something I find equally significant is when I come across a passage that forces me to constantly wrestle with its meaning and the implications it would have in my life. These passages are equally capable of deeply shaping our lives; but unlike the epiphanic moments I had mentioned earlier, these experiences require much more patience, searching, and persevering on our parts.

Seriously, Are Family Dinners Becoming Extinct?

Wed, February 6, 2013 Comments Off by Student Team

Jon Moton - Lead Pastor Students Ministries

Dinosaurs, dial up internet, and video tapes. It seems like everything eventually becomes either extinct or irrelevant. Technology moves us forward but what is it doing to family?

I have three children, two are now teenagers. Technology is in full effect in our home. Something “new and improved” comes out every six months and every six months something else becomes extinct. But what about our family dinner?

Pull Up a Chair

Thu, January 24, 2013 2 Comments by Worship Team

JoJo Nieves – Worship Leader

I always look back at my years in college as a very unique time in my life. Although four years isn’t very long in the grand scheme of things, the experiences I had there have impacted me enormously. One of those areas in particular is my heart for community (or fellowship if you’d prefer that word better). If you lived on campus when you went to college, you might understand what I’m talking about. On-campus housing is a breeding ground for community, especially at a small college like mine. I met people from different denominations, political views, family situations, and interests than me and learned how to live alongside them on a daily basis.

New Places, New Faces

Thu, December 6, 2012 3 Comments by Worship Team

Steve Mass – Worship Leader

My wife and I moved in the beginning of November to a place we wouldn’t have ever thought we’d move to. Northern California is a far cry from the East Valley of Arizona (I think that’s the correct label for where we now live), both in culture and weather. Neither of us have ever lived outside of our hometown, so this is a whole new experience. That being said, I thought it would be fitting to let you know how we felt when we came to Central.

Let the Sunshine In

Thu, October 25, 2012 3 Comments by Worship Team

JoJo Nieves – Worship Leader

A good friend is hard to find. Aside from my wife who will always hold “best friend” status, I’m extremely lucky to have three very good friends in my life. Their names are Matt, Bryce, and Caleb. A great deal of who I am today is because of their influence in my life.

We all met during our first year of college. Matt and Bryce lived across from me, and Caleb and I were the only two music majors in the entire school who chose the bass guitar as our emphasis. Our love for music and the chemistry between our personalities made us inseparable. For the next three years, these guys became as close to me as my own brothers. We celebrated each other during our proudest moments and consoled each other in our lowest valleys. Although we lived together for a pretty short period of time in the grand scheme of life, there are hundreds of memories that I will always remember. However, one memory in particular trumps all the rest.