next IS THIS WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS FOR THE SCOTT CAMPUS? FIND OUT FOR YOURSELF ON PAGE 12 OCTOBER 2013 ISSUE NO. 38

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1 THE LOOP IS A COMMUNICATION PIECE OF CENTRAL COMMUNITY CHURCH next IS THIS WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS FOR THE SCOTT CAMPUS? FIND OUT FOR YOURSELF ON PAGE 12 OCTOBER 2013 ISSUE NO. 38

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4 CONTENTS DEPARTMENTS 06 EDITORIAL by Andrew Plett How It All Fits On The Cover Church On The Move, Tulsa, OK 08 THE LEAD PASTOR'S DESK by Bill Markham You Have An Enemy 10 CAMPUS TALK A look at what is happening at our Campuses Used by permission 40 LIFE GROUPS by Brenda Drost Highlighting a new multicultural group 42 MISSION OPPORTUNITIES by Jonathan Gallo An overview of the local and international mission opportunities for Central this fall Copy Editors FEATURES The Loop is edited by volunteers. Lindsay Morton Susan Gerbes Production The Loop is printed by Bertie Printers in Stevensville, ON bertieprinters.com 12 NEXT: YORK RD BUILDING PROJECT by Bill Markham Observations on what God is doing at Central 14 FUTURE A modified version of the Focus Group presentation about our new land development 38 STATISTICS A celebration of what God has been doing at Central over the last 90 days 44 RED FROGS ON CAMPUS by Kevin Schlechter Amazing stories of the impact of Red Frogs on our college and university campuses INFORMATION 49 CALENDAR October 2013 events across all campuses. 50 CONTACT INFORMATION Central s staff directory.

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6 FROM THE EDITOR How It All Fits A snapshot of the next few months at Central Andrew Pletṯ Communications Pastor Central Community Church Have you ever noticed that it seems like you have to have been born in St. Catharines to know how to get around in this city. I m pretty sure that babies born here have something added to their DNA strand that allows them to make logic out of what appears to be random nonsensical city planning. My parents both grew up in this area, but I didn t. I can vividly remember being so frustrated when I moved here ten years ago as I tried to find my way around St. Catharines and the Niagara Region. My assumptions were that, for the most part, streets would run parallel or perpendicular to each other. So many times I would drive around in circles trying to find my location only to be late and annoyed in the process. I think for some people, that is what their experience can be like with the church. They aren t sure where we are going or how we are going to get there, so they just grin and bear it as they struggle to get the most out the experiences and opportunities available. We ve said it before, but I think it bears repeating. To the very best of our ability, nothing we do at Central is haphazard or random: Everything has a reason and everything is designed to work and fit together. For example, when you step back and look at our sermon series over the fall we are following a very intentional content arc for specific reasons. Our September series (The Church) was a call for us to recommit to living out our faith in every sphere of our lives; to be the church - not just attend a church. In October, our series (Thief) is all about uncovering the subtle tactics of the Devil in our lives. We are spending this whole month exposing the strategies of the enemy, so that we can live in victory over cycles of defeat that he wants to trap us in. Because, in order to be the church that we spent the last month talking about, we are going to need to be wise to the schemes of the enemy in keeping us from being the church God has called us to be. Likewise, as we head into our next series (My Hope) centered around Jesus and a call to evangelism we need to glean from what we learned about the Devil 6 THE LOOP - A MAGAZINE OF CENTRAL COMMUNITY CHURCH in October so that we can respond to his tactics of fear and doubt. Can you see the progression here? We recommit to being the church, then we expose the tactics of the enemy that might keep us from walking out God s call on our lives, then we actively engage others with the Good News! Then, in December, we have a highly invitational series designed to be a perfect opportunity for those people you engaged with in November to come and hear the real truth of the Christmas story. Why do I share all of this? Because if you understand why we are doing what we are doing, you will have a better opportunity to take advantage of everything God is doing through Central this fall. Now that I ve lived in Niagara for ten plus years, I know how to get around fairly well, and that gives me an opportunity to take advantage of all of the great things that this region offers. Because I know where to go and how to find things, I can take my family for awesome adventures, get fruit from all the best (and secret) roadside fruit stands and give our guests amazing tours. In the same way, we want you to take advantage of things like our Light The Night event on Halloween night. Why? Because we ve specifically designed it as a first opportunity to interact with your neighbours on your front lawn, building relationships and softening the ground to be able to invite them into your home for the My Hope night at the end of November. We want you to see that these aren t just random events that we arbitrarily put on a calendar to say we did them, they are intentional opportunities for us to transform the way our region views God. This fall, we want to encourage you to engage in the life of the church like never before. We have LifeGroups, LifeLessons, local mission opportunities and scores of volunteer positions available to you. Just stop by CentralConnect on any given weekend and we'll be happy to help you get involved.

7 Honest. It's not for us, it's for the kids! This Halloween, we want to shine bright. To do that we need your help, and more specifically, your candy. We are looking for candy donations that we can give away on Halloween night. If you are able to make a candy donation please contact Jonathan Gallo: jonathan@centralcc.ca 7 THE LOOP - A MAGAZINE OF CENTRAL COMMUNITY CHURCH

8 THE LEAD PASTOR'S DESK YOU HAVE AN ENEMY This month we are exposing the subtle and subversive tactics of the enemy in our lives through our October series Bill Markham - Lead Pastor of Central Community Church You have an enemy and he wants to destroy you. He knows your weaknesses. Your vulnerabilities. He understands your tendencies. And he s plotting out ways for you to stumble, to fall and ultimately fail. If you let him, he ll con you out of what s precious and pure and rob you of your inheritance: the Kingdom of God. Contrary to the popular caricature of your enemy, you won t spot him standing before you in a red suit, with horns and a tail and bearing a flaming trident. He s much more subtle. Lurking in the shadows, whispering in your ear. And he has a simple and brilliant strategy to lure you away from a life of walking with God, the kind of life that God has created you for. He s the one orchestrating the lies that tell you you're strong enough on your own, smart enough, and in complete control of your own life. He reels you in, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Like a Venus fly trap, you are slowly seduced until it is too late to escape sin s grasp. The Bible reminds us in James 1:13-15 that 'when tempted, no one should say, God is tempting me. For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it 8 THE LOOP - A MAGAZINE OF CENTRAL COMMUNITY CHURCH gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.' The safest road to hell, wrote C.S. Lewis, is the gradual one the gentle slope, one that is soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts. Sun Tzu, in The Art of War stated, If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle. Jesus tells us that our enemy is a thief who comes to steal and kill and destroy. (John 10:10), but He doesn t just leave us with that. Instead, He gives us His own promises and strategies to overcome every tactic our enemy may try to use against us. This month's series is an opportunity to have our eyes opened to the reality that we are in a spiritual battle. It is a reminder that we do have an enemy, but that we are not defenseless. By picking up the Sword of the Spirit (the Bible), we are going to discover, together, how Jesus empowers us to defeat this enemy. You have a Saviour - and He wants to give you life.

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11 JUSTIN DRIEDGER NIAGARA FALLS CAMPUS [NF] It's an exciting time to be a part of the Niagara Falls campus. This September, we kicked off our year with over 150 people and 66 children in attendance, and I just can't help but be reminded that God has positioned us to be in the Falls so that we can point people towards Jesus. As we do this, we are audacious and unapologetic in our belief that dozens of adults and children will submit their lives to Jesus at our campus this year. Every time the bus pulls up to our campus, I never fail to observe how full of children it is, and I can't shake the feeling that something enormous hangs in the balance for each one of these kids. The truth is, we have reached our capacity in terms of how we can best serve our children. I'm not talking about physical space: I'm talking about volunteers. Make no mistake--we currently have amazing and generous volunteers already working with our children, but we need more, simply because more children are getting off that bus each week. We are unwilling to halt the growth of our children s ministry for lack of volunteers, because we know that for every child who experiences Christ, there is an entire family whose lives might also be changed for eternity. Children are small, but their impact is certainly not. When we invest in our children, we indirectly influence their families, who in turn affect whole communities and alter the course of future generations. This is all because we dedicate a few hours a week building spiritually into the children of our church family. So we need you. If you aren't involved somewhere, will you consider serving our kids during our Saturday night experience at 6pm? This could be once, twice, or even four times a month. Eternity: that s what hangs in the balance for the kids at the Niagara Falls Campus. Contact our Children's Director, Sarah Thibodeau at sarahthibodeau@centralcc.ca if you would like to serve with us. We look forward to meeting you! SHAWN PAUL DOWNTOWN CAMPUS [DT] shawnpaul@centralcc.ca Have you ever experienced that burst of energy once you ve finished punching in the clock at the end of a long work week? Perhaps you have heard the expression, The dead come back to life at quitting time! Ah, yes, many of us can relate to living for that long weekend, and it s amazing how our steps are infused with a little more enthusiasm when that well earned time begins. This example from our working lives bears resemblance to the journey that our downtown campus has recently been on. Each Sunday, we continually discover the depths of something so powerful, yet something which is seemingly mundane and often neglected both in the church and in our own lives: prayer. Let me be brutally honest for a moment. There have been times in my life when attending a prayer meeting was the last place on earth I wanted to be, and I was the pastor! My own life example has led me to ask myself why I am often reluctant to do the one thing which can lead to utter transformation in so many areas of my life? At our campus, we are responding to the Holy Spirit's prompting to pray like never before. Genesis 4:26 says this: at that time, men began to call upon the name of the Lord. This verse has always stood out to me, because there comes a time when the Holy Spirit begins to lead us toward something far deeper and more meaningful than we have experienced in times past. As a campus, we are recommitting ourselves to prayer and asking the Holy Spirit to be the engine that drives our church! Recently, one man at our campus told me that finding this church saved his life. For this we are very grateful, and we know that God will continue to prove that He is indeed moving in miraculous ways. Stories like this make me wonder how many more lives we can impact as we embrace God s agenda and realize the radical potential of prayer.

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13 York Road Building Project BILL MARKHAM LEAD PASTOR, CENTRAL COMMUNITY CHURCH Where we are in the process and what you can expect next There is a buzz around our Scott Campus that is almost palpable. Every day at 8am and 12pm we gather to pray, and through that prayer God seems to be turning the spiritual temperature up. There is an air of expectancy about our future, not because of building plans, but because we feel like we are walking out onto the precipice of a move of God like we've not seen in our lifetime. In the last 90 days we've seen sixty-seven people make decisions for Christ, scores of people want to connect into a LifeGroup and hundreds of kids and youth run through our halls with excitement as their lives intersect with the transforming power of Jesus. At our Scott Campus we've added a third weekend experience and simplified what we do to give extended time for worship and for the proclamation of God's word. God is doing something, and it seems different. If you were one of the 445 people that came out to one of twenty five focus groups we held in September; thank you! I hope that you had the same sense that I did, that we weren't just talking about land and a building, but that we are getting ready together for a season of supernatural growth and harvest. I want you to know that the conversations we had, and the thoughts that you shared with us were highly valued. We've collected every comment and question and will use them to shape the next phase in our process. Over the next few months our process will go silent. What that means is that we are not launching into our public campaign yet. W e are processing your feedback with our teams, making adjustments, meeting with individuals one-on-one and refining what we have. This is a great time for you to continue to pray for us as well as asking God how He wants you to be a part of the next chapter in our church's history.

14 This is a modified version of our focus group presentation pertaining to our new land development. All essential content is represented with minor necessary changes made in the process of converting an on-screen presentation into print. Please note the images and floor plans represented are for discussion purposes and may not be reflected in the final building design. FEEDBACK We welcome your feedback! If you have any feedback related to what you see here we'd love to hear about it. We also need your prayers. Please pray for Central Community Church. Pray for those who will accept a leadership role in the capital campaign to raise the funds to complete the project. Pray for our pastors and other leaders. Pray that God bless us abundantly with energy, enthusiasm, and resources. Pray that God works another miracle for Central Community Church. And pray that God reveals how He would use you in this project. For more information you can stop by our Info Centre on the weekend or stevesiegel@jdklote.com

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16 Our church began as a humble house church in the 1920's. Clarence and Mabel Cunningham began to hold prayer and worship services in their home after the healing of their daughter, Margaret, from black diphtheria. These meetings grew so large that they needed to rent a hall for everyone to meet. One day, Clarence saw 250 theatre seats being taken out of the theatre. He inquired and was told they he could purchase the 250 seats for $1 each (equivalent to two months salary). He did not have the money at the time, but believed that God would provide. That very day, an envelope containing $250 was in their mailbox and our first gathering place was born!

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18 As the church grew, so did the need for more space. In 1927, the church had $103 saved and began looking. Westminster United Church on Queenston was for sale for $45,000. This was during the depression (when the average wage was $1,600 a year, for those who had a job), and so this number seemed astronomical. But, they stepped forward in faith; God provided many miracles along the way, and they were able to buy the building.

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20 The church continued to grow and again there was a need for more space. So, in 1967 the church bought a peach orchard on Scott Street and began to build what you and I are sitting in today. Again, it was a huge step of faith (the project had a final cost of between $3.5 - $4.5M over the next few years) but they believed and God provided.

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22 We want to now tell you a story that hasn't happened yet. The year is years earlier, a group of people in 2014 realized that they needed space and that they were going to do whatever it takes to reach people with the Truth of God's love. So, they sacrificed, just like their forefathers, in order to create a space where their children and grandchildren could hear this amazing message. Due to their faithful sacrifice, the church had grown to 5,000 with multiple campuses impacting 1,000s of people in their communities. Central became a place where the community and church came together under one building. Central became known as a place where people passionately followed Jesus not only in word but in action!

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24 We share these stories with you because we want to remind you that this has always been a church of great faith, and as a result, of supernatural growth. Whenever there was a NEED for more growth the church has responded with an unrelenting trust in God. At our last Annual Business Meeting, we received a 97% vote to purchase new land on York Road. After that exciting night, we assembled a building committee that has been working tirelessly to gather as much information as possible to present our options. We, as a leadership team, went on a 21 day spiritual journey of prayer, fasting, and reading key Bible passages, in order to clearly hear what God had for us next. We established stringent guidelines and criteria to filter all the information that we were collecting and through prayer, brainstorming, and application, we are at the point where we would like to bring you back into the conversation.

25 So, that brings us to today. We are growing, the harvest is ready, and we need more space! We'd like to show you the possibilities that have arisen out of our extensive work. We wanted to include "everything" that we need in order to grow to a church of 5,000. We recognize that this is going to be done in phases, but we do not want to limit our potential with short-sighted compromises. We believe that this is a responsible plan and that we can, with further refinement, develop a workable solution for our next step. We realize that we must do something. This is a conceptual journey of what could be. Initially, we need to create a space where 3,000 people, in two services, can be fully engaged with God and with each other. We wanted a space that reflected our DNA of creatively proclaiming the Truth in grace that leads to repentance. We also wanted a lobby that could accommodate connection points for relationship-building. We have placed a high value on relational experience in this facility.

26 KEY FEATURES: SEATING FOR 1511 TO ACCOMMODATE 3000 IN TWO SERVICES FROM DAY ONE EXPANSION POTENTIAL IS IN THE MIDDLE RING, LOBBY, AND COURTYARD AREAS SEATING LAYOUT DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY TO ADDRESS OUR DNA OF BEING RELATIONALLY DRIVEN WITH CONVERSATION-STYLE COMMUNICATION RATHER THAN LECTURE-STYLE.

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28 We also wanted to honour our DNA of reaching kids and youth. We believe that there IS NO church tomorrow if we don't engage our children and youth TODAY. We, as a community, need to understand that this church was built on reaching children.

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30 We wanted a space that kids and youth could not wait to get to every week. We want them to learn the value of worship, prayer, and the Bible in an environment that is conducive to their emotional and spiritual growth. Whenever I think about our kids I am reminded how much Jesus loved it when children came to Him!

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32 KEY FEATURES: SEATING FOR 575 IN KIDS AND YOUTH AUDITORIUM EXTREMELY SAFE FOR CHILDREN WITH FULL PLAN TO PROTECT MEASURES AMPLE RESTROOMS OFFICE AREA

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35 The big question: How much will this cost? We worked hard with experts in all fields to get an accurate picture of what we could do if we all worked together. We knew that we needed to come up with a PRACTICAL RESPONSE to the needs and challenges that we are facing TODAY. So, we hired a consulting firm who have worked with many churches and discovered that you can expect 4-5 times your annual giving in a capital campaign (for us this would mean between $12M - $15M). We are also looking at many supplementary ways for capital funds to be realized and we are confident that this is "do-able". We know it is going to require FAITH, but we believe that God has proven over and over again, in our history, that when we listen to His voice, He provides. With everything that is taken into account the investment into this new space is going to be between $20-23M. When we looked at this figure, we didn't want to limit God in what He wanted to do. We want to continue to reach people in the Niagara Region and so we dreamed BIG and came up with this plan. But we did it in such a way that depending on how God provides, we can do it in stages. We have the opportunity to "value engineer" (finding the best possible construction options for the available funds) certain parts of the new building at the beginning, so that we can do what we need to do without compromising our core values and mission statements, and without limiting ourselves for future growth opportunities.

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38 Statistics 90 DAYS OF GOD AT WORK We unapologetically celebrate numbers at Central for three reasons: 1) It allows us to celebrate God s greatness together and give Him the praise that He alone is due. 2) It allows us to evaluate how successful we are in fulfilling the vision God has given us. 3) It reinforces transparency and accountability. DECISIONS FOR JESUS 16 FIRST TIME DECISIONS 47 RECOMMITTED HEARTS GROWTH STEPS 29 People Are Waiting To Go Public With Their Faith And Be Baptized 27 People Want To Start Using Their Gifts As Volunteers In The Church 29 At People Are Interested In Learning About What It Means To Be A Partner Central ATTENDANCE *September Only SC 1716 average NF 122 average DT 64 average 38 THE LOOP - A MAGAZINE OF CENTRAL COMMUNITY CHURCH

39 $1,764,937 OUR GIVING UP TO SEPTEMBER 30, 2013 MISSION $1,903,200 JANUARY - SEPT 30 BUDGET 92.7% We Are Currently Sitting At 92.7% Of Needed Giving To Make Our 2013 Annual Budget. 39 THE LOOP - A MAGAZINE OF CENTRAL COMMUNITY CHURCH $553,229 As Of September 30th We ve Been Able To Give Over A Half-million Dollars Away To Mission Both Here And Abroad. FINISHING THE YEAR $683,200 WHAT IS REQUIRED BEFORE DECEMBER 31 FOR US TO MEET OUR 2013 BUDGET

40 LIFEGROUPS [HOW WE GROW] Multiculturalism In LifeGroups Brenda Drosṯ LifeGroups Pastor Central Community Church As a LifeGroups Pastor it brings me the most excitement to see people recognize a need in the community around them, and take the initiative to fill that need. When everyone uses their personal passion and gifts to fulfill a specific purpose it actually strengthens what we are able to do as a whole. You may have noticed that the Niagara region is becoming a melting pot of cultures. The truth is, this region is filled with people new to this country who need to see God s love in action, reaching into their situations and providing real help and real hope in the face of life s biggest challenges. You may not know this, but some of our LifeGroups have very unique and specific focuses in what they do. One such group is launching this month, bringing to life a passion for a specific group of people; recent immigrants to Canada. This group has been formed by two couples who understand this need firsthand. Beginning a new life in a new country can be an overwhelming experience and often families in this transition don t know where to turn for help. 40 THE LOOP - A MAGAZINE OF CENTRAL COMMUNITY CHURCH That is where this group steps in, to provide support for newcomers to Canada from those who have walked through the very same process. Paul and Ade Oladipo have been at Central for 10 years after moving here from Nigeria. Their heart is intent on bringing together other families who are new to Canada; to study the Bible together and support others with issues involved with the complexities of integrating into a new culture. Anita and Abid Gill have been attending Central for 2 years and have found this to be a place that has helped to deepen their relationship with God. They have seen their lives changed through the teaching and love they encountered here, and hope to help others experience the same healthy and smooth transition to Canada. Together they desire to see newcomers to the Niagara Region warmly welcomed and finding connection and a sense of community with other Canadians. If you would like to be a part of this group or you know someone who needs to be a part of this type of personal connection, please join us at our first Multicultural LifeGroup meeting on Sunday October 20 at 6pm at our Scott Street Campus.

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42 Mission Opportunities Jonathan Gallo - Mission Director Central Community Church jonathangallo@centralcc.ca If you've been in church for a while, when you hear the word mission it might spark thoughts of getting on a plane destined for an impoverished country on the other side of the world, to work with kids or assist in a building project. For some of you, the word mission might conjure up images of Robert Deniro as Rodrigo Mendoza in the 1986 film The Mission. By default, we can get caught thinking of mission as something we do somewhere else, but God's desire is to see people on your street, in your school and in the Niagara Region transformed by the good news of His Son as much as people in a different part of our world. We don't need to have the charisma of a televangelist, the answers of an apologist, or the compassion of a disaster relief worker to be effective. We're simply called to allow the grace of Jesus to flow through us as we intentionally connect with people in our community. As we interact with people, the Holy Spirit does His work. When we say mission at Central we are talking about two primary things; international and local. Every year we will provide you with multiple opportunities to step out of your comfort zone and grow in your faith as you experience God's heart for people all over the world and right at our own door. This fall, you have the opportunity to join with others at Central who will be taking advantage of some great opportunities for local mission. In October, we will be serving scores of kids in over ten Halloween community party sites through our Light the Night campaign. This is an amazing opportunity to connect with your neighbours in a casual, non-threatening way. In November, we are encouraging you to get involved in our My Hope campaign. We are partnering with the Billy Graham association to resource you to host an unforgettable night in your home with people who are important to you but might not know Jesus yet. In December, join us as we bring the joy of Christmas to those in our community who wouldn't otherwise have the opportunity to celebrate. We will be sponsoring needy families, serving the children of prisoners, and serving the downtown community through a coat drive. As we have refocused on our calling at Central of being people who proclaim, grow, and serve, we now have the opportunity to intentionally walk that out. Let's walk practically knowing that mission isn't somewhere else - it is here and now. It's not too late to get involved!!!

43 HONDURAS TRIP AN EXCITING OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO EXPERIENCE GLOBAL MISSION RANDY AND JUDY LUNDRIGAN - SCHOOLS OF HOPE In an area of 65% unemployment with people living on $1-$2 a day, where 1 in 9 children can go to school and less than 12% of the population receives education past Grade 6... This couple is serving over 1100 meals twice daily to school children who would otherwise come to school hungry in 3 Public schools, and have helped get over 87 kids get into school through Child Care Plus. There are thousands of children waiting to get into school and several other schools who have invited them to become part of their community. While they are doing a great work, we want to help them do more so we're going to Honduras in February FEBRUARY MISSIONS TRIP TO HONDURAS Join us February 16-23, 2014 as we go to Honduras to work alongside the Lundrigans. We will be involved in building a kindergarten class and an outhouse, and serving over 1200 kids. We need people who are experienced in building / brick laying. The cost of the trip is $1800 which includes travel, food, accommodations, and all insurance. Limited spots are available. Here are the requirements $150 non refundable application fee with application Three payments of $550 (Dec, Jan, Feb) Attend training sessions in Jan / Feb 2014 To get involved, please contact Jonathan Gallo [jonathan@centralcc.ca] by November 30th.

44 BEING JESUS ON OUR CAMPUSES Red Frogs Kevin Schlechteṟ Red Frogs National I need to get right with God. These were the arresting words Nicole spoke to me at one of our hydration stations last October. We were at the Niagara College campus pub, surrounded by 200 students who were drinking, dancing, and shouting. Yet for Nicole, it didn't matter what was going on around us. With tears in her eyes, Nicole rededicated her life to Jesus that night. Meet Jessica. Jessica came to one of our tables stationed outside, asking for help after she had wiped out while riding her bike. She was bleeding, so we called in first aid and stayed with her the whole time they were tending to her wound. Hurt and bandaged, she couldn't ride her bike back home, so we put her bike in our car, drove her home, and shared the love of Jesus. We later learned that Jessica is attending a church! Now meet Tony. Tony reads his new Life Application Study Bible to himself before bed as well as to his Chinese friends once a week. He attends church every Sunday and is even tithing! But Tony is an atheist who wants intellectual proof that Jesus is real. Slowly, Tony has been discovering more of Christianity. Tony s journey started last November when he began visiting us at our hydration stations. As an international student from China, Tony was forced to confront the challenges of living in a foreign country while attending a brand new school. He was looking for a place to belong. Tony, you love our Bible, you love our church, you seem to like us Christians and you even tithe. But what do you think about Jesus? This was the conversation I had with him as we enjoyed breakfast together at a local diner one Saturday morning last year. Today, he and I are great friends--i even had him over for Christmas! Tony and I continue to discuss matters of faith, and I trust that one day he will come to know the greatest of all friends, Jesus. This is the heart of Red Frogs: making Jesus famous on college and university campuses by serving students and building relationships with them. 44 THE LOOP - A MAGAZINE OF CENTRAL COMMUNITY CHURCH What is Red Frogs, you re probably asking yourself. It s a support network consisting of volunteers who position themselves on college or university campuses in order to reach generations of young adults. Our aim is to empower them to make positive life choices and to become a voice of change within their culture. We exist to encourage the students during some of the most challenging, yet crucial years of their lives. On any given night, you can find the crew hosting nonalcoholic events like cafe crawls, dinner parties, dorm attacks, random acts of coffee, pizza parties and pancake breakfasts. We also run hydration stations on the campus pub, a chillout zone where we give students water to make sure they stay hydrated while they drink alcohol. It s also a safe haven for students wishing to step out of the party crowd and escape peer pressure, which often leads to alcohol abuse. It s in these settings where we meet students and build lasting relationships. Found in seven countries around the world, the Red Frogs Crews are influencing thousands of students globally; just this past September during Orientation Week, Red Frogs was running on 10 campuses across Canada and impacted over 30, 000 Canadian and International students. Why? Jesus is the ultimate example of what it means to pursue people and meet them at the point of their need. That's what we do. Consider it missions. Evangelism. Outreach. Call it what you want, but we've made it our mission to reach this generation with the message of Jesus, making him famous on our college and university campuses. We need people just like you! Dare to be challenged? To find out more about what we do or to join the Red Frogs Crew, please check out our webpage at and click on the Canada link or kevin.s@redfrogs.com.

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46 3 4 S H O % ) :! 2 # R /U W YET O N P RA C T I C A L M O D E S T Y FA S H I O N & T R U E B EA Z, S /52 4 D3 and be rl to be boy-crazy t s normal for a gi t those ion and beauty, bu obsessed with fash, let s oices have risks. So crowd-pleasing ch ir Ha y az Cr et Keeper Girl Pre-show get crazy! The Secr y God-craz te va lti cu s om m s CONCERT Tour help r beauty, ne in e ac br em ho w daughters BY d vibrant purity. biblical modesty, an I pergirl.com e e K t e r S ec UTY

47 2013 SUMMER KIDS CAMP Between August our CentralKids team put on another amazing camp week with 120 campers and 50 staff. Over that week we had crazy amounts of fun, moments of profound worship and late nights fostering deep relational connection. Thank you to everyone who contributed with their time, energy and finances! We can't wait for KidsCamp 2014! 47 THE LOOP - A MAGAZINE OF CENTRAL COMMUNITY CHURCH

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49 OCT 2013 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday OCTOBER RECURRING EVENTS These are ministries that take place every week at the same time in the same location. Please note the campus reference beside the event MONDAYS 8am Prayer (Scott) 12pm Prayer (Scott) OCTOBER UNIQUE EVENTS These are unique events for the month of October. They are indicated on the above calendar with a grey circle around the date. Please note the campus reference beside the event to confirm which campus you need to go to. TUESDAY, OCT 01 MONDAY, OCT 14 SATURDAY, OCT 19 SUNDAY, OCT 20 SUNDAY, OCT s Plus Luncheon Thanksgiving Create OneDay Event 9:00 am (Scott) Hymn Sing 6pm (Scott) Encounter Worship Service 6pm (Scott) TUESDAYS Drop-In (9am - Downtown) Women/Men LifeGroup (7pm - Downtown) LifeLessons (7pm - Scott) 8am Prayer (Scott) 12pm Prayer (Scott) WEDNESDAYS Morning Prayer (7:15am - Scott) Drop-In (9am - Downtown) Mom s Time Out (9:30am - Scott) 8am Prayer (Scott) 12pm Prayer (Scott) THURSDAYS Noon Prayer (12pm - Scott) Downtown Prayer (6:30pm - Downtown) 8am Prayer (Scott) 12pm Prayer (Scott) WEDNESDAY, OCT 30 THURSDAY, OCT 31 Central 101 (7pm - Scott) Light The Night FRIDAYS Drop-In (9am - Downtown) 8am Prayer (Scott) 12pm Prayer (Scott) 49 THE LOOP - A MAGAZINE OF CENTRAL COMMUNITY CHURCH

50 STAFF CONTACT CENTRAL COMMUNITY CHURCH 240 Scott St. St. Catharines, ON L2N 1H Lead Team Lead Pastor BILL MARKHAM Ext. 243 Associate Pastor ADAM FRY Ext. 245 Operations & Human Resource MIKE HICKS Ext. 224 Communications Pastor ANDREW PLETT Ext. 258 Mission+Campus Director Campus Pastor, Niagara Falls JUSTIN DRIEDGER Pastoral Team LifeGroups Pastor BRENDA DROST Ext. 249 Pastoral Care DAVID TOPPING Ext. 244 Campus Pastor, Downtown SHAWN PAUL Professional Counselor AGNES VRIEZE MSW, RSW Ext. 241 Local & Global Mission JONATHAN GALLO Ext. 248 Red Frogs KEVIN SCHLECHTER Ext. 250 Family Ministries Team Family Ministries Pastor GIANPAOLO GALESSIERE Ext. 252 CentralKids Director, Scott St. COURTNEY DICK Ext. 255 Youth Pastor ALEX SMETHURST Ext. 251 CentralKids Director, NF SARAH THIBODEAU Family Assimilation Director JESSICA SMETHURST Ext. 253 CentralKids Director, Downtown CATHARINE KRUITBOSCH THE LOOP - A MAGAZINE OF CENTRAL COMMUNITY CHURCH

51 Support Team Admin Assistant JOLENE HARDER Ext. 243 Assimilation Director EMILY SLUYS Ext. 223 Director Of Accounting MONTE MILLAR Ext. 228 Assistant To Lead Pastor ASHLY BERTI Ext. 243 Building Superintendent GREG BURNS Ext. 227 Volunteer Coordinator KARLENE MARKHAM Ext. 257 Central Catering IRIS REGIER Ext. 230 Building Coordinator CORINNE DURKSEN Ext. 231 Creative & Production Team Production Director DEREK ELLIOTSON Ext. 233 Worship Leader GREG SYKES Ext. 240 Worship Leader MELANIE DRIEDGER Live Video Director DARRICK VANDERWIER Ext. 233 Worship Leader BECCA ROWAN Communication Designer TARYN PLUGERS Ext. 267 Our Board SCOTT SCHULTZ FRANK HAUCK JOE CARUSO JAMIE IDZENGA BARRY WILLS PAUL OLADIPO JOHN SCHROEDER QUINN HOFLAND RICK RIKKERINK 51 THE LOOP - A MAGAZINE OF CENTRAL COMMUNITY CHURCH

52 SCOTT ST. CAMPUS 240 Scott St. St. Catharines, ON L2N 1H1 P: SERVICE TIMES Sunday Morning [9:00am & 10:30AM & 12pm] DOWNTOWN CAMPUS 203 Church Street, St. Catharines, ON P: SERVICE TIME Sunday Morning [10AM] NIAGARA FALLS CAMPUS 6970 Mountain Rd. Niagara Falls, ON P: SERVICE TIME Saturday Evening [6PM]