In addition to gathering weekly for Sunday worship, we encourage all in our church family to participate in our Wednesday evening School of Discipleship offerings throughout the ministry year.
Wednesdays this Year
(All events will take place from 7-8:30 p.m. with the exception of Chamber Series concerts, which will begin at 7:30 p.m., and the Ash Wednesday service, which will begin at 6 p.m.)
January 7 | Film screening of "Heading Home" with Roberta Ahmanson, Jody Hassett, Kieran Dodds, and Street Hymns
After Rome was sacked by the Goths in 410 A.D., Augustine of Hippo wrote a book, "The City of God," that became the template for the Church as it built a new world out of the old. Augustine explained that Christians are citizens both of this world and of the New Jerusalem, our ultimate eternal home, beautiful beyond description. This vision was lived out in two ways: first by creating beautiful spaces and beautiful art for the purpose of worship and to act as living embassies of the New Jerusalem; second by serving the poor, caring for the sick and disabled, and educating people young and old.
In 2022 Roberta Ahmanson and her husband led a group of pilgrims on a 4000-mile, two-week whirlwind tour of some of the churches built from the fourth into the twentieth centuries to embody that vision. Beginning at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and then moving on to Rome, Pisa, Florence, Bologna, Ravenna, Venice, Torcello, and Aachen, the tour concluded at the Temple Church in London, dedicated as a model of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in 1185 A.D.
Photographer Kieran Dodds and filmmaker Jody Hassett Sanchez have made the experience available to others through a series of still photographs and the award-winning film "Heading Home: A 21st Century Pilgrimage." Join us for an exclusive screening of the film as well as a special spoken word performance by fellow pilgrim and poet Street Hymns.
January 14 | Central Chamber Series Concert
Season 9, Concert 3: "Baroque Festival"
January 21 | Central Church Vision Night
We will host our third annual Vision Night to remember our past, celebrate our present, and anticipate our future.
Watch Video
January 28 | "The Letter of Paul to the Philippians: Philippians 1" with Matthew Novenson
This four-week course examines Paul’s short but theologically profound letter to the Philippians. Following some introductory discussion of the life and letters of Paul, we will read closely one chapter of the letter in each of our four sessions. Key themes include Paul’s imprisonments, the place of suffering in Christian experience, early Christology, early Jewish-Christian relations, justification by faith, resurrection and eschatology, church strife, church leadership, almsgiving, and Christian solidarity with suffering brothers and sisters.
Matthew Novenson is the Helen H. P. Manson Professor of New Testament at Princeton Theological Seminary. Before that, he was Professor of Biblical Criticism and Biblical Antiquities at the University of Edinburgh, UK. His books include "Christ among the Messiahs" (Oxford, 2012), "The Grammar of Messianism" (Oxford, 2017), "Paul, Then and Now" (Eerdmans, 2022), and "Paul and Judaism at the End of History" (Cambridge, 2024). A native of Chattanooga, Tennessee, he studied at Covenant College, Covenant Theological Seminary, and Princeton Theological Seminary.
February 4 | "Covenant Theology and Dispensationalism" with Bill Fullilove
The Bible is organized into six covenants God makes with people: Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and the new covenant in Jesus Christ. How do these covenants relate to each other, and how do the earlier ones apply (or not) to followers of Jesus who live in the new covenant? Two great approaches to this question have dominated Protestant thinking, with quite different implications for how we read the Bible and how we engage with our modern world. Does the Old Testament law have anything to do with us today? What should we expect of the end times? How does the Bible engage even modern politics? Understanding Covenant Theology and Dispensationalism will bring clarity to the different approaches Christians take to these and other crucial questions.
Watch Video
The Rev. Dr. William Fullilove is the Executive Pastor at McLean Presbyterian Church in McLean, VA, where he also serves as the Principal and Senior Fellow of The Washington Institute for Faith, Vocation, and Culture. He also serves as the Professor of Old Testament and Dean of Students at Reformed Theological Seminary, New York City and as a Senior Fellow with the Institute for Marketplace Transformation. He is the Old Testament General Editor of the forthcoming 60-volume Reformed Exegetical and Theological Commentary on Scripture series to be published by Crossway. He has earned a Ph.D. in Semitic and Egyptian Languages and Literatures at The Catholic University of America, an M.A. from The Catholic University of America, an M.Div. from Reformed Theological Seminary, and an A.B. from Princeton University. Before entering ministry as a vocation, Dr. Fullilove was a Senior Associate at Mercer Management Consulting (now Oliver Wyman and Company), helping direct large domestic and international strategy consulting projects. Dr. Fullilove is an ordained pastor in the Presbyterian Church in America and a member of the Board of Christianity Explored USA.
February 11 | "The Letter of Paul to the Philippians: Philippians 2" with Matthew Novenson
This four-week course examines Paul’s short but theologically profound letter to the Philippians. Following some introductory discussion of the life and letters of Paul, we will read closely one chapter of the letter in each of our four sessions. Key themes include Paul’s imprisonments, the place of suffering in Christian experience, early Christology, early Jewish-Christian relations, justification by faith, resurrection and eschatology, church strife, church leadership, almsgiving, and Christian solidarity with suffering brothers and sisters.
See January 28 for Matthew Novenson's bio.
February 18 | Ash Wednesday Service
Ash Wednesday marks the first day of the season of Lent, which is the 40 days leading up to Easter Sunday (excluding Sundays). The Church has traditionally used this time as one of fasting, prayer, and reflection. We hope you'll join us at 6 p.m. for worship as we enter into this season of Lent together!
(Note that there will be no Children’s Worship, but nursery will be provided for children ages 6 months to 2 years.)
February 25 | "The Letter of Paul to the Philippians: Philippians 3" with Matthew Novenson
This four-week course examines Paul’s short but theologically profound letter to the Philippians. Following some introductory discussion of the life and letters of Paul, we will read closely one chapter of the letter in each of our four sessions. Key themes include Paul’s imprisonments, the place of suffering in Christian experience, early Christology, early Jewish-Christian relations, justification by faith, resurrection and eschatology, church strife, church leadership, almsgiving, and Christian solidarity with suffering brothers and sisters.
See January 28 for Matthew Novenson's bio.
March 4 | "Why We Need the Lord's Prayer" with Jay Harvey – Part 1
Rev. Dr. Jay Harvey will lead a two-part series exploring the profound implications of the Lord's Prayer for addressing modern concerns of identity, resentment, and mortality. Special attention will be given to how this prayer can be incorporated practically into our daily lives.
Watch Video
Rev. Dr. Jay Harvey is the church planting pastor at City On A Hill NYC, a new congregation in midtown. He has over two decades of ministry experience as a pastor, seminary professor, and developer of leaders. From August 2018 through May 2024, Jay was the Assistant Professor of Pastoral Theology and Executive Director at Reformed Theological Seminary in New York City where he taught courses in communication, leadership & discipleship, sanctification, and the image of God in ministry. Jay is a graduate of Princeton University (A.B.), Reformed Theological Seminary (M.Div.), and Erskine Theological Seminary (D.Min.). Jay and his wife Melody live in Manhattan with two college aged daughters and their Havanese, Leo.
March 11 | "The Letter of Paul to the Philippians: Philippians 4" with Matthew Novenson
This four-week course examines Paul’s short but theologically profound letter to the Philippians. Following some introductory discussion of the life and letters of Paul, we will read closely one chapter of the letter in each of our four sessions. Key themes include Paul’s imprisonments, the place of suffering in Christian experience, early Christology, early Jewish-Christian relations, justification by faith, resurrection and eschatology, church strife, church leadership, almsgiving, and Christian solidarity with suffering brothers and sisters.
See January 28 for Matthew Novenson's bio.
March 18 | "Why We Need the Lord's Prayer" with Jay Harvey – Part 2
Rev. Dr. Jay Harvey will lead a two-part series exploring the profound implications of the Lord's Prayer for addressing modern concerns of identity, resentment, and mortality. Special attention will be given to how this prayer can be incorporated practically into our daily lives.
Register Now
See March 4 for Rev. Dr. Harvey's bio.
March 25 | Central Chamber Series Concert
Season 9, Concert 4: "Echoes of Elegance"
Purchase Tickets
April 1 | No meeting due to Holy Week
April 8 | "Equipping for Evangelism: Helping People Meet Jesus in the Pages of Scripture" with Lorianne Merritt
Talking about Jesus is sometimes intimidating, and “evangelism” can feel difficult. We believe the best way for people to discover answers about the good news of Jesus is by opening the Bible together. In this one-night class, receive practical guidance and grow your confidence in everyday conversations where you live, work, and play to help people encounter Jesus in the pages of Scripture. Learn about who is at work in evangelism, what stops us, tools to resource you, and how our church can foster a culture where evangelism becomes normal and joyful.
Christianity Explored Ministries, developed out of John Stott’s church in London, has spent decades a) helping Christians overcome the fear of evangelism, and b) helping churches create environments where people can explore the claims of Jesus. Their “Explored Series” resources help people open the Bible together and are used in 140 countries and 70 translations.
Join us as Christianity Explored's Executive Director, Lorianne Merritt, leads a time together that will encourage you to take meaningful steps in helping others explore who Jesus is, why he came, and what it means for us.
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Trained as an industrial engineer, Lorianne Merritt transitioned in her career to serve churches and faith-based non-profits. With a Masters in Theology from Covenant Theological Seminary and a heart for hospitality, she has a passion to equip churches and to help people grow more in love with Jesus and Scripture. Lorianne is excited to have recently relocated to NYC with her husband, Chuck, who is the new Executive Director on staff here at Central!
April 15 | An Evening of Prayer and Praise
Join us for an evening of prayer and praise in the sanctuary led by Jason Harris. This evening event will not only enable us to pray for our church and our mission to the city, but also provide us with an opportunity to connect with one another across our corporate worship services and Community Groups. Children are welcome to participate!
April 22 | "The Ministry of the Pew: Six Steps to Loving your Church" with Andrew Smith
It's not uncommon for Christians to regard church as a passive, personal, or receptive experience — as being about "what I can get out of it." However, church by its very nature is not a personal experience; it's a corporate one. And according to the New Testament, the key attitude we are to bring with us to church is love — that consistent determination to serve, build up, and encourage others. Please join us as Andrew Smith helps us think about how to love our church, whether we're feeling enthusiastic about that or not. We'll consider together how such love can be expressed in a multitude of ways, big and small, Sunday by Sunday, through the ministry that that belongs to all of us: the ministry of the pew.
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Originally from Belfast, Northern Ireland, Andrew graduated from Middlebury College, Vermont and trained for ministry at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Massachusetts. Since then he has pastored churches in Massachusetts, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland. Prior to coming on staff at Central as the Emerging Leaders Program Director for Resound Project, Andrew served as the pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Kennett Square in Pennsylvania for 14 years. He is an avid fan of Manchester United and the Ireland rugby team, and loves kayaking. Andrew is married to Tara and they have two grown children, Fiona (married to Randall; mother of their grandchildren, Nathan and Marcus; living in Boston) and Duncan (living in Scotland).