404-633-4505 | Join Us On Sundays at 11AM!
404-633-4505 | Join Us On Sundays at 11AM!
Read the latest news for our church.
My time in Vancouver is nearing its end. I’ve enjoyed this week gathering with a little more than a dozen other clergy at the Guder Pastoral Retreat, which is being hosted at the University of British Columbia. I’m used to being the only UCCer in some clergy spaces, but not the only American! All the other participants in the retreat are Canadian clergy serving in the United Church of Canada or The Presbyterian Church in Canada.
I’ll be away this Sunday, but I hope that you’ll still be in worship. Rev. Cassandra Henderson, the Executive Director of the Interfaith Children’s Movement. Prior to this role, Rev. Cassandra, an ordained Baptist minister, served as an Assistant Pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church. She has preached at Central before, and I’m so glad that she said “yes!” to the invitation to preach here again. Please offer her the warm and wonderful welcome that we’re becoming known for.
With you in spirit,
Thomas
I’ve Been Meaning to Ask: Where Do We Go From Here?
That’s a wide open question for the future! As our Summer worship series comes to a close, it’s important to understand that that question doesn’t mark the end of this journey. It simply welcomes in the next chapter. I’m sure that folks are tired of hearing the words “in discernment” or “in transition,” but I think that part of that is the fault of how denominations often use that language! In the UCC, we say that a church without its pastoral roles filled by settled ministers is a church that’s “in transition.” The honest reality is that the church should always be in discernment… in transition. How else can we be attentive and responsive to the Still-Speaking Voice of God?
So, again, I ask: Where Do We Go From Here?
On Sunday, we’ll close out this worship series, celebrate our 4th Annual Blessing of the Backpacks, and share communion. If you worship online, please have bread and a fruit of the vine ready. And, if you’re someone who would like to receive communion at home, in a care facility, or elsewhere, please email Rev. Thomas to set that up.
Homework this week: Bring a friend on Sunday!
See you Sunday,
Thomas
P.S. I’ll be in Vancouver from Aug 4 – 9, participating in the Guder Pastoral Retreat.
Jul 29, 2026
We are excited to present to you “The Monthly” for August 2026.
Check out this month’s newsletter for:
Click here to download “The Monthly”! There are also paper copies in The Commons, in The Sanctuary, and in the Church office. Be sure to add events and gatherings that you‘re interested in to your calendar.
Enjoy “The Monthly” and all the events and gatherings you are going to attend!
Jul 22, 2026
Join us for our 4th annual celebration and blessing of the start of the new school year.
ALL students and teachers from preK – grad school are invited to bring their backpack, basket, tote bag, etc to church for a special blessing and moment of celebration during the 11AM worship service.
Jul 17, 2026
The road of life is long and weird and winding. Along the way, I think that all of us spend some time putting on a “brave face,” trying to mask pain(s) that we have long carried. In many cases, the pain that we carry is physical. But many of us are also carrying emotional and spiritual pain too. Regardless of the pain that we have, our society really doesn’t like talking about it.
Our cultural signals suggest that pain is something we should hold in silence, or that we should only share in “appropriate” settings. Think about the settings that we’ve decided are “appropriate.” There aren’t many. They typically aren’t free. And, they often include person(s) who would not otherwise be part of our communities, but for their presence in the setting we’ve decided is appropriate for one to lay their burdens down.
You may be thinking, “but what about church!” Does church really make space for your pain? Does it really provide space for the pain that everyone might be carrying? We’d all love for the answer to be “yes!” But, I’m not sure that the present answer actually is “yes.” Indeed, there are plenty of folks who have found their churches to be sources of pain, even when they proclaim an extravagant welcome.
We’ve all heard the refrain “God loves [us] as we are, and loves us too much to let us stay that way.” One day, maybe that’ll apply to the church as an institution too. You’ll find throughout this worship series that I believe all of its questions are, at their core, about belonging and being a part of. I believe that these questions also invite us into a an intentional kind of curiosity that might help us anchor ourselves in who we are(and who we might like to one day be).
Perhaps we’ll also be open to whatever the responses may be. Below are a few things have been in my head over the past few weeks, in addition to the usual commentaries I consult:
Music: “Messy” by Lola Young
Film: “Inside Out” by Disney-Pixar, “Wreck It Ralph” by Disney
Writings: “Sorrow Turned To Song” in The Book of Belonging: Bible Stories for Kind and Contemplative Kids by Mariko Clark and Rachel Eleanor, “Fat Church: Claiming a Gospel of Fat Liberation” by Rev. Dr. Anastasia Kidd, and “After Whiteness: An Education in Belonging” by Rev. Dr. Willie James Jennings
Dear Siblings,
Can I brag on the youngest among us for a moment? Last week in worship, we talked about our common origin in the “dust of the earth and the stars of the sky.” After worship, one of the kids was so excited to share with me, Linda, and Josie that he made a person out of the clay and stardust from the Story for All Ages. A+ for listening to the story!
And, after the Celebration of Life for Lennie Vaux, a few of the great-grandchildren were sitting in Kids Space waiting for the reception to end. The youngest in the group, S., looked up and said:
S: Who are you?
T: I’m Thomas! Who are you?
S: I’m S!
S: Wait, where do you live?
T: I live in Downtown Decatur. Where do you live?
S: I live in Ellijay! It’s kind of far from here…
He wasn’t even in worship, and yet the questions we asked each other were born out of real curiosity and led to genuine connection. In worship this week, we’ll continue in our I’ve Been Meaning to Ask series. On Sunday, we’ll sit with the question: Where Does It Hurt?
If you’re curious about what’s been bouncing around my head as I’ve prepared this Sunday’s sermon, check out the “Sermon Sandbox” later this evening. You can find the sandbox on our website or on our facebook page. Speaking of our facebook page, please interact with us there! Our street sign needs a repair, so, for right now, Facebook is the best way to share a bit about who we are at Central.
Aside from worship, opportunities abound for community and connection! Check those out below.
See you Sunday(or sometime soon),
Thomas
Jul 16, 2026
Our summer break is almost over and the New Perspectives class will meet on Sunday, August 2nd for a planning session to determine where we go next.
The class was started four and a half years ago to look at Scripture from a different perspective: bringing a historical background to Scripture.
Our studies have covered a wide range of topics from series about the New Testament to Violence in Religion, the Gnostics and the Christian Nationalist movement among others.
If you have not joined us previously, or if there is a topic you would like to explore, please join us downstairs in Room 103 at 9:45 a.m. on August 2nd. All are welcome!
Please contact Nancy W. for more information.
Madeline Reamy is offering 20 percent off on her wall paintings for the last two weeks of her art show in the Commons. All paintings are ready to hang and make great additions to your home or as gifts for friends and family. The smaller tabletop paintings are still available for sale as marked and not discounted.
Twenty percent of all sales go to Central to support our many programs.
Madeline’s message for you: “Thank you for your support, and please contact me with any questions or if you are interested in art classes and future opportunities to see or purchase my paintings: [email protected]”.
Hey Siblings!
I’m SO EXCITED to launch our July(and smidge of August) worship series: I’ve Been Meaning to Ask. This series invites into a season of curiosity, intentionality, and community. My prayer is that it will help all of us set the stage for the kind of radically collaborative ministry that is possible with co-pastors and partners in ministry.
On Sunday, we’ll start with: Where Are You From? Think about how you might answer that question? Think about what you’re expecting to hear when you ask someone that question.
In our scripture readings on Sunday, we’ll sit with the question, laden with bias: Can anything good come from Nazareth? Maybe. Maybe not. Let’s find out together. Come to worship ready to get your hands dirty! Okay, not really dirty. But, you will use them on Sunday. There’s no Sermon Sandbox for this week, but I encourage you to check out last week’s! Some of those things might pop up in this week’s sermon too.
This Sunday, we’ll also celebrate the life of Lennie Vaux at 2pm. I hope that you’ll be able to join us in this celebration and memorial of Lennie.
May love be our song and our prayer! See you Sunday,
Thomas
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Dear Siblings, Our worship series for the next few weeks is called I’ve Been Meaning to Ask. As we begin our transition into a new model of pastoral leadership, this series invites us into a few weeks of curiosity, courage, and deeper connection. Sometimes, we get so caught up in the business of church that we substitute meetings and email conversations for more intentional time to connect and focus on the people part of church. I’m guilty of that too. It’s far easier to say “I’m a bit busy today… too many emails” or “here’s the agenda, let’s move through this quickly.” A question that I’ve asked myself often over the past few months has been: What if I structured my days and my week, such that the “things that have to be done” list wasn’t just emails and meetings? What if my time with family, friends, and even strangers included a greater openness to being surprised or unprepared? What if I were more curious, more courageous in my questions, and demonstrated a real desire for deeper connection? What if? If any of that sounds like something you’ve been thinking about for a bit, then this series is for you. If none of that sounds like something you’ve been pondering, well, I think this series is still for you… you might just be surprised. So, come to church! Not because you must, but because you may. And, at Central, we’ll always be glad to see you and welcome you with joy. See you soon, |
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Thomas Co- Senior Minister |
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