In a culture of rapid response and instant gratification, it's easy to minimize the overarching story of the Scriptures. We have conditioned ourselves to lean on quotable moments instead of narratives that take time to develop.While all Scripture is beneficial, it's also important to remember that all Scripture is interconnected in an overarching story of God's love, grace and mercy. The Old Testament is incredibly relevant because it's a part of the story. The New Testament is easier to digest because it seems to better fit into our current world view. It's easy to dismiss reading the Word...

I remember how excited I was to start learning how to play the guitar when I was 14 years old. I was going to pick up my ax and totally wail. That was the plan. I would write love songs for Lindsay (one of my earliest crushes) and she would marry me on the spot. The reality turned out to be quite a bit different. Contrary to my plans of swooning Lindsay like a mid-90's Dave Matthews love ballad, I sounded more like Animal from the muppets trying to impress her. It was a mess. Turns out I had to practice. A lot. I wanted to just play the thing, but I...

I was reading Luke 8 today in our Life Journal Reading Plan at Center City Church and I found myself full of gratitude for all those that support the ministry of our church through their generosity in tithes and offerings. This is the model that God has set up for us to continue to do ministry.Check this out...I had never noticed this verse before. Even Jesus was supported by the generosity of others, as shown in Luke 8:1-3...it tells the story of the many that were traveling with Jesus and this is said:"...and many others who were contributing to their own resources to support Jesus and his...

Here's a look at a piece that we designed that we are making available to our church family to show the different ways that they can support the mission and vision of Center City Church.

We have just released our biggest, most unified initiative in the history of Center City Church. We are distributing journals to everyone in our church that include reading plans and examples on how to engage the Scriptures through prayer and journaling. We're asking everyone to gather on a consistent basis with a handful of people and talk about what they are learning.After releasing this plan to our community, we are now looking to the future to try to anticipate the needs of our community and the challenges that may arise as we move forward. One of the role of pastors & shepherds...

You were not mass produced. When God created you, he didn't create you on an assembly like to look like every one else and process things like everyone else. He knows you. He cares for you. He designed you. I have been totally enamored by the artisan industry lately. Artisans train for years to become masters at what they are making. They actually care about the product that will make it to the marketplace. Artisans are found in a variety of fields - bread, cheese, wine, clocks, etc. If God is the master craftsman, what does that mean for us? What is our role? We are called to be artisans of...

An entire community, gathered around the Word. That is our aim for 2013 at Center City Church. On top of reading the same Scriptures together all year long, we will also be forming Life Groups all across our city to dig into the journey in the context of community. The following is a list of FAQ's that will help you get a feel for what these groups are and what they are not. If you have any questions, email Pastor Joseph Phillips. LIFE GROUP FAQ'sWhat is a Life Group?A Life Group is simply a group of people that decide to get together once a week and discuss what God is...

Happy new year to our Center City Church family! I'm so excited about the days ahead for our community. Four words sum up our desire for you at Center City Church in 2013: Read. Pray. Gather. Go. Every person at Center City gets a free Moleskine journal.  Included in this journal is a Bible reading plan. Every day there will be a selected reading for you. Read this with the knowledge that God is speaking to you. Read slowly.  Before and after you’ve read, take some time and quiet your heart. Ask God to show you something about Himself and about yourself. If you miss...

Jesus left the message of salvation, freedom, healing, etc. in the hands of imperfect men and women. Those that deal with doubt. Worry. Insecurity. Disappointment. This is an incredible reality. He could have chosen to do this any way he wanted, but he chose people like you and I to pass along this message to all that would hear. We don't get it right all the time. We don't live out what we say we believe every step of the way. We fall. We get up. We disappoint ourselves and others. We are imperfect. And that's exactly why we need each other. We can do more together than we can alone....

The final few weeks of every year are always a great time to make final, tax-deductible contributions to organizations that you believe are doing great work in communities across the world.I would love for you to consider making a year-end contribution to the work we are doing at Center City Church. We are continuing to grow, both numerically and spiritually, as a church family. Any gift, big or small, is appreciated.Would you prayerfully consider making an investment into our community?Click here to easily give safe and secure via PayPal.