by David Docusen | November 26, 2012 | Uncategorized
I am coming out of a monthlong funk.
This month has been a season of wrestling, questioning and struggling. And I’m becoming more and more convinced that it’s not all that bad to be dissatisfied. On the outside, all things have seemed great. Our church has grown. Lots of involvement from our people. Our church is simple, powerful, beautiful and meaningful. But something has been missing. And so the wrestling ensued. Questions. Complaints. Doubts. Insecurities. Lamenting.
Thanksgiving helped me come out of my funk. Taking a couple of days to break away, pray, spend time with my family and a few timely conversations with my wife has really helped clarify things for me.
My journey as a pastor has included a whole lot of wrestling. And the source of my wrestling is that the church (the very thing I am called to lead) can look a whole lot like a really good business plan instead of the beautiful reality of a group of people passionately wrestling, struggling, enjoying and experiencing journey of living out the message of the Gospel.
The call of Christ was never to draw the biggest crowd. It was always to make disciples (Matthew 28:18). It just so happened that when Jesus was spreading the Gospel message, droves of people came. But his motivation wasn’t the biggest crowd. It was giving a pure message of the Gospel.
We are working on some things right now that I believe in deeply. We are working on some things that I believe will shape the future of our community in beautiful, meaningful and powerful ways. The Scriptures clearly show that the charge to pastors is to teach and equip the body (Ephesians 4:12). I’m grateful for our amazing team of pastors, shepherd and leaders. They’ve been wrestling with these same thoughts and I think we just may be on to something.
Pastor Joseph Phillips and our team of leaders are going to be releasing a plan to teach and equip our church family how to engage in the discipleship process. It has everything to do with getting into the habit of regularly reading the Word, journaling thoughts and then gathering once a week with a couple of friends to talk about what was learned that past week. As you read the Word and share the journey with friends, you begin to experience growth that comes from wrestling, struggling and living out the Gospel, both personally and in the context of community.
We will be sharing this plan with our church family at the beginning of 2013. And I’m calling everyone that calls Center City Church their home to dive in with both feet. To experience the fullness of the Gospel, not glimpses of it throughout the week.
I’m learning how to be ok with dissatisfaction. And that dissatisfaction is keeping me from settling for anything less than what God has called us to do at Center City. It’s been a long month of wrestling, but I’m grateful for the journey.
This is powerful. This is life changing. This is the Word of God. This is community. And I can’t wait to see what happens when the Word of God is unleashed across our community.
Let’s do this together.
by David Docusen | November 20, 2012 | Uncategorized
Click the link to view this week’s message from Center City Church. This was one of the most impacting week’s that I’ve had, personally, in the 2.5 years that we’ve been blessed to be in Charlotte. A beautiful word picture of what I see when I pray for our community.
[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/53906440 w=400&h=225] reIMAGINE – Imagery of the Field from Center City Church on Vimeo.
Matthew 13:31-32 paints a beautiful picture of the Kingdom of God as a mustard seed that is planted in a field. We explore this passage and Pastor David then shares the picture of what he sees when he prays for the Center City family: a great field with no borders, deep roots and healthy plants. A poetic interpretation of the health of our church family.
by David Docusen | November 20, 2012 | Uncategorized
Here’s the current ministry positions that I’m praying will rise up for our church family. As a church plant, the challenge is that we are not yet in position to pay our amazing staff, so these positions that I’m praying for would be part-time, unpaid leadership positions within our church family.
If you’re interested, or know somebody who has a passion for the city, you know where to find me. And if you don’t know where to find me, email me: [email protected].
Center City Kids Director
Responsibilities include working with the Center City Kids leadership team to equip, train, and delegate volunteers to teach our children, building teams, and scheduling and communicating with Kids volunteers. The Center City Kids Director has a passion for leading children to learn about Jesus in a fun and engaging way.
Social Media Director
Responsibilities include communicating our Vision and Values creatively. Strong understanding of social media and its ability to reach a vast audience.
Video Director
Ability to support the vision and core values of our church creatively. Flexible and able to coordinate volunteers. Videos for Sunday mornings and web videos.
by David Docusen | October 10, 2012 | Uncategorized
What a day. In less than 24 hours we have seen 25 people come together from Texas, North Carolina, Florida, Missouri, Tanzania and Cambodia to raise the $850 that it costs to file our non-profit with the state. I am so humbled, grateful and encouraged tonight.
We have been working on the dream to bring Ebenezers Coffeehouse to Uptown Charlotte for six years. Today is a reminder that there are so many that stand with us and are willing to invest in the process of seeing this non-profit coffeehouse/venue come to life in the heart of our city.
Thanks to all that gave. You’re shareholders in the dream.
by David Docusen | October 8, 2012 | Uncategorized
We have just hit another exciting step in the process of bringing Ebenezers Coffeehouse to Uptown Charlotte. We will be submitting our non-profit filing Form 1023 (Application for Recognition of Exemption) to the state this week and it will be accompanied by a payment of $850. This is where you come in:
Would you consider contributing to this unforgettable moment in the life of this vision?
All donations are tax deductible and can be given securely online via PayPal (click here). Be sure to make a note on the PayPal contribution that this is for Ebenezers Coffeehouse. You can also send a check to this address:
Center City Church
401 Hawthorne Lane
Suite 110-219
Charlotte, NC 28204
I am believing that we are going to see this money raised by the end of this week so we can continue to pursue this process and see this come to pass. Whether your contribution is $5 or $500, you can play a part in seeing this vision come to life.
My two oldest kids, Max (8) and Mary (7), have gotten the ball rolling by contributing $8 from their piggy banks. Would you join their faith and help us raise the final $842 in the coming days?
by David Docusen | September 23, 2012 | Uncategorized
The following is a list of the upcoming community groups that will be hosted by leaders at Center City Church. We will start the third week of October and go through the end of November. For more information, email Pastor Joseph Phillips: [email protected].
___ ALPHA
A group led by Pastor
David and Hunter Prevatt
that will answer questions for
those exploring matters of faith.
Mondays | 7pm-8:15pm
Kickstand Burgers & Bar
1101 Central Ave | CLT | 28204
___ JUSTICE IN THE GOSPELS
The topic of justice will be explored
through the lens of the Gospel
narrative. Led by Sarah Womack
and Ryan Fawcett.
Wednesdays | 7pm-8:15pm
Elizabeth Neighborhood | Uptown
___ LECTIO DEVINA
Focus will be given to the
integration of scripture and prayer
through the ancient practice of
Lectio Divina. Led by Pastor Joseph.
Thursdays | 6pm-7pm | Location TBD
___ INTERCESSORY PRAYER
An evening of prayer for our church,
our community and the world.
Led by Lauren Mowrer.
Fridays | 7pm-8pm | Location TBD
