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It is official. On Sunday, June 8, 2025, both Encounter Church and Central Wesleyan Church of Jackson voted to merge our two congregations. We will be known as Encounter Church, and everyone will worship together in their building starting July 13th. The vote was very favorable at both Local Church Conferences (annual business meetings for those who are not familiar with the term). Out of a combined 116 member votes and 60 non-member votes, there were a total of 8 no votes. That is an approval percentage overall of 93% of members and 95% overall.
Our final service at 119 North Webster will be June 29, 2025 with a meal served after church. On July 6th, everyone is invited to Winding Creek Camp in Hastings for a picnic together after the morning service at camp. I know this is an emotional time for many, as we will not be worshipping any longer at our building at Central. But, it is a move we are praying will bring huge benefits to our kingdom work here in Jackson. Central’s building will offer food and clothing more often for those in need, with the goal of offering it daily throughout the week. EC Counseling will move to 119 North Webster Street to better minister to the people living in the city of Jackson, and other recovery ministries will also meet inside the city at Central’s building. The future is bright! And our prayer is this building ministers as a community center for many years to come. Please pray for this transition. It truly has been a process I believe God has led by the Holy Spirit and had His hand on the whole time. We want to continue to see this merger and partnership develop and bring greater good to Jackson. Encounter is a church striving to love God and love people, and that has been Central’s motto and goals for years. We can be and should be better together. My prayer is we quickly realize these strengths and get to work! Pastor Bart I’ll never forget Father’s Day back in 2006. It was my first day preaching at Central Wesleyan Church. I was 32 with two young boys, and we came to this small church I remembered from when I was in college. The only drawback was that hardly anyone I remembered from those college years was attending here anymore. So, with fond feelings and excitement, I started my ministry at Central.
Over the years, Central has become home and family. We’ve seen new people, and that was always energizing. We’ve had people leave, and that was at times frustrating and maybe even depressing to me. We have seen lots of growth, some decline, and many, many improvements. In my almost 19 years, we have experienced life together. I am so thankful for this time. That’s why today’s announcement at church is hard. I have accepted a new pastoral position at Encounter Church in Jackson. My role will be pastor of discipleship and pastoral care, along with being on the teaching team. There are more details about the job, but that is not what I want to focus on in this announcement. There is more. Encounter Church wants to merge with Central Wesleyan Church. They know we are a small congregation with a big heart, and we do quite a bit for the community even with our small numbers. They also know we struggle for volunteers and resources. Yet, we are very strategically located near the heart of the city. Encounter is a growing body of believers working to reach the people of Jackson and Homer in tangible ways. The impact of their growing and effective ministries to Jackson’s inner-city is limited by their location on Robinson Road. Their ministries would be expanded and even more effective with a location closer to downtown, and that is where the Central building comes into the picture. Our building would be used for ministry to those in the city much more than it is today, through counseling, recovery ministries, and an expanded food ministry and love closet. Central’s church board and Encounter’s church board have both unanimously approved this proposal. Prior to a church vote, both pastors with the support of their boards proposed this to the Great Lakes Region (our parent body), and the GLR board unanimously supports it as well. The churches will vote on June 8th on the merger. Personally, I’ve sensed the Holy Spirit’s hand on this decision. I thank Encounter for their vision to work better together, and I believe it opens up many more possibilities for effective ministry. Pastor Bart As many of you have heard, our centenarian Margaret Mills has passed away. She was surrounded by family and passed peacefully at the hospital. We invite you to join us at 11 am on Wednesday, August 21st at the church to celebrate her life. She will be greatly missed, but we rejoice that she lived a long and healthy life. We are thankful for the opportunity to know Margaret.
In anyone in the church would like to bring a dish to pass for the dinner following, please reach out to let us know. We are expecting a good sized crowd. Thank you! Sunday, August 4th, we will not have church in our building. Instead, we will meet for church at 11 am at the pavilion across from the golf course at Ella Sharp Park. It is always a good time to hang out, enjoy some food, and have an outdoor service. Join us! Bring a dish to pass. We will have chicken tenders provided, as well as a few limited drinks (water). We will also have table service at the pavilion. See you then!
Tomorrow is March 1, and that means we are only 4 weeks away from Easter. Easter is a great time to reflect and focus. We reflect on what Jesus has done for us and how we have (or have not) lived for Jesus over the past year. He gave His life years ago for us, and we should be willing to live our lives for Him. That is where our focus needs to be. What does God want from us? What is His Holy Spirit saying to us? I would encourage you this Easter season to ask those questions, spend time in God's word and in prayer, and seek His will.
To help us do that, we are anticipating a great Easter worship season. Here is what is on the schedule: Thursday, March 28 - Maundy Thursday dinner and service at 6:30 pm. Easter Sunday Communion Service at 8:45 am Breakfast at 9:30 am Worship Celebration at 11:00 am Easter Egg Hunt at 12:15 pm We hope to see you there! I cannot tell you how excited I am for the next series. We are going to start a series called "Wesleyan" as we discuss key points and moments from our church's history. We will also discuss how it impacts today and what our mission is and has always been as a church. It is going to be a great series for our church!
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AuthorBart Hall has been pastor at Central since June of 2006. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Wesley Seminary. He is passionate about following Christ and living the life God desires for us to live. He is married to his wife Kristy, and they have two sons. Bart loves sports, reading, golf, and playing games. Bart also serves as a local hospice chaplain. Categories |
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