A very happy New Year to all of you. I pray for you what the apostle John hoped for his loved one in 3 John 1:2 Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.

A new year brings with it hopes and aspirations. It is my hope that 2006 brings much in the way of spiritual health to our congregation. To facilitate that, allow me to tell you of a number of things.

As a few of you know, we have a tremendous new prayer meeting, called Upper 40. "Upper" stands for the Upper Room, where Jesus gathered with His disciples for prayer and the Passover. "40" stands for the length of the meeting. For forty minutes, those who attend will be taught from the Scriptures (20 minutes) and have prayer based on specific requests (another 20 minutes). Hence, the meeting is called, "Upper 40." It is hoped that this meeting will facilitate prayer and a closer walk with Christ for all who attend.

This weekly prayer meeting takes place each Tuesday evening beginning at 6:45 in the chapel, adjacent to the sanctuary. All are encouraged to attend. Dr. Tim carries most of the lessons, with Rev. Karen and me filling in from time to time. We are nearing completion of a sectional study in the Psalms. We hope you will join us.

One item of prayer that I would encourage you with is our Catechetical class which starts on Sunday, January 15th and will last for fourteen consecutive weeks. Class attendees are usually those teenagers in the ninth grade, but the class is open to all who are interested.

Our new members class will begin later in the spring, on Sunday, April 23 and will run for six consecutive weeks. I solicit your prayers for those who attend either of the classes. In addition, if you have a ninth grader who is interested in church membership and baptism, please encourage them to sign up or call the church office. Maybe you know of a visitor who may need encouragement to explore church membership at Central. Both are opportunities for our congregation to expand. It is good to be reminded that our church grows as a result of God's sovereign grace, as Acts 2:47 tells of the early church, And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

May the Lord bless you and your family in the New Year, with health and soul prosperity.

Yours In Christ,