Central Christian Church(Disciples of Christ)

In Matthew 14:22-33, we find the story of two people walking on water – one successfully and one – not so much. Matthew tells us that immediately after the feeding of the 5000, Jesus sent the disciples off in a boat while he took time to pray. He planned to meet them on the other [...]

Did You Know? If you miss a Sunday, you can listen to last week’s sermon online with the push of a button on our website – www.cccket.org. All you need is a computer with a speaker and an internet connection. Older sermons are also archived on the site. Our youth groups spend part of their [...]

For years, whenever the story of Ananias and Sapphira came up (Acts 5:1-11), I would joke that I was planning to use it as the basis for a stewardship sermon. If you know the story, or take the time to read the text, you’ll understand the implied threat. Let me say – it’s funny how [...]

Life is a journey. That may sound like a cliché – but it doesn’t make it any less true. A poem I often use to begin funeral services describes life’s journey like this: Birth is a beginning and death a destination. But life is a journey – a going – a growing – from stage [...]

I have never been one who particularly enjoys meetings. Obviously, they have their place in the ministry of the church and it is hard to get things done (or communicate with each other) without them. However, last night’s executive board meeting was one of the best in recent memory. It was the first official board [...]

I’m sure I have made the mistake many ministers and church leaders make when trying to encourage people to participate in the life of the church. Instead of talking about the joy and hope that can come from faith, we have placed the emphasis on obligation and duty. Instead of calling people to laughter and [...]

In many churches, the Sunday after Labor Day represents the beginning of a new church year. Children and youth programs, choirs, Bible studies and more all begin with a rush of enthusiasm and energy. A quick look through this week’s newsletter confirms that Kick-Off Sunday has arrived at Central Christian Church, as well. Of course, [...]

In just a little more than one week, we will observe the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11th. I suspect anyone school age or older in 2001 remembers vividly that beautiful Tuesday morning and the shattering blast of violence and death that changed everything. There was a great deal of spiritual reflection [...]

One of the things I love about summer is the chance to change my routine. Already this summer I’ve been the storyteller at VBS, spent a week in Nashville at the General Assembly, traveled to Iowa to celebrate my parent’s 50th anniversary and now I’m preparing for my role as a faculty member at Advance [...]

As I write my Last Word this week, we are hours away from the third night of Vacation Bible School. In order to accommodate the many young families with working parents (and children in summer programs), we moved our VBS to the evening this year and have had wonderful response. Not only do we have [...]