Luana exemplifies the definition of a lifelong church member. She was baptized at Central as an infant in 1951 and has since been a faithful attendee and willing participant. She calls Central, “a community of lifelong friends.” When asked about her motivation to serve through the years she said, “Central makes people feel loved, wanted,… Read More »

Chances are, Wes has welcomed you at Central’s door many Sunday mornings while serving as a greeter. Wes has been actively involved at Central for the past five years after moving to the Grand Traverse area from Lansing, where he retired from a career in medical practices and administration. Wes and his wife, Sue, raised… Read More »

As you recall, Pastor Chris Lane will be retiring in June of 2023. The Staff Pastor Parish Relations Committee (SPPRC) has been working with our District Superintendent, Jodie Flessner, to provide a description of our church, the Traverse City community, and an overview of the traits and characteristics that Central Church needs in a Lead… Read More »

Rebecca and I lived in bigger cities prior to moving to Traverse City in 2017. Part of the allure [of Central Church] was the opportunity to connect more deeply with our community.  One aspect of that connection is sensing the community’s needs – in a smaller town, those needs are laid bare. We see our… Read More »

We never spent much time thinking about where our church giving made an impact. Giving to church has always been something our family prioritized. We give out of a sense of gratitude and responsibility. Marinating on this topic made us look back at the history of our church membership and our participation. Before joining Central we were members at a… Read More »

What does the Bible say about sexuality? A member of our church community, and an internationally known biblical scholar, Walter Brueggemann reflects on conflicting messages in the Bible and what he sees as the unambiguous gospel message of welcome. This blog is reprinted with permission from the author. See the original post and Brueggemann’s other recent… Read More »

This is an important moment for Central Church as many of our families are thinking about the financial impact we are making and will make. Last Sunday in my sermon, I tried to make the point that the ancient Stoics from Greco-Roman times were on to something. For they believed that the really good life… Read More »

When Ginna Beckett and her husband John first moved to Traverse City, they were looking for a church with IMPACT, a church where they could invest and make a difference.  They didn’t want to invest in church. They wanted to invest in the community THROUGH church. They found their place at Central.  Where do you… Read More »

Growing up, I didn’t understand what it meant to be in worship and learn to love Jesus because I was always in Sunday School, or we didn’t go to church. This, along with the family dynamic changes during the Covid pandemic inspired me to make the choice to create a space where children could learn… Read More »

Dear Central Friends- We are so pleased that our home on Three Mile is now filled with the activities of a family of six from Ukraine. The parents are Mykhailo (Mike) Lymarenko, his wife, Anastasiia, and children Tymofil (age 9), Mark (age 8), Ivanna (age 6), and little Solomiia (age 2).  Anastasiia’s parents and three… Read More »