The book of Acts presents a fascinating glimpse into the life of the early church. As we read, we see a group of scattered, scared disciples transformed into apostles who declared the good news of Jesus with great power and authority, fearlessness and courage, and who established the most influential organization in the history of the world, the Christian Church.

As we begin our new series, Acts: Chronicles of the Church, the history written in these pages comes to life. We'll be starting with the first verse and work our way through the book, letting the truth of God's Word feed our hearts and minds.

To augment the series, we are also planning a number of special podcasts in which we'll dig deeper into certain passages and discuss issues and ideas presented. We're also going to begin blogging about the teaching and inviting you to post your own thoughts and comments.

Finally, we encourage your questions. Throughout the series, you'll have the opportunity to submit questions which we'll do our best to answer. As we embark on this journey through the book of Acts, we invite you to join us.

Bring your Bibles to worship and be ready to use them. Make the worship service a priority and open your heart to what God is teaching.

The Christmas Candlelight & Jazz celebration that was canceled in December due to hazardous weather has rescheduled! Join us in Merriam Hall for a night of jazz and fellowship on Friday, April 18 at 7 p.m. Coffee and desserts will be available.

As you may guess, the theme will no longer be Christmas songs, but we will still enjoy an evening of jazz. Jazz artists will include Central's own Selden Bernauer on the piano. Guest artists will include Matthew Karr on trombone, Tim Fuqua on trumpet, and John Fuqua on clarinet and saxophone.

There is no charge to enjoy the evening and the event is open to the public. Invite your co-workers, neighbors, friends and family to come and enjoy.

If you would like to help by bringing a dessert, please contact Andy Fuqua (andy@CBCspringfield.org or 523-3639 x 12). We hope to see you there!

This Friday, March 21, is Good Friday. Join us as we gather on the night He died. The service will begin at 7 p.m. in Merriam Hall. We invite you to join us in remembering the death of our Lord and Savior. This will be a solemn occasion, if you are comfortable dressing in muted colors, or even in black, please do so.

We end the Holy Week, and kick-start the rest of the year with a joyful celebration on Easter Sunday, March 23. We are combining both the Classic and Contemporary services into one exciting worship experience at 11:00 a.m. The theme for Easter Sunday is "Alive Forever, Amen!"

Thank you for partnering in ministry with us in 2007! Together we are making a difference for the cause of Christ. God is working in Springfield through your financial support and giving of yourselves through volunteering. We look forward to your continued partnership in the Gospel until the day of His returning. Watch the videos below to see some of the lives God has touched through you this year.

The Arts are among the things that set humanity apart from the animals. We have the ability to artistically express powerful emotions in a variety of ways. God gave this creativity to us so that we could use it to bring glory to Him. Throughout history, the Church has been the foundation for artistic creativity. It is time once again for the Church to take back the Arts; we are the generation of David, and we will reclaim the Arts and use them again for the glory of the Uncreated One.

Learning new songs isn't always easy. On Sunday morning, we want you to be engaged in worship, not distracted by a new song. To that end, I created an iMix in iTunes of some of the worship songs we sing at Central. There are also songs on this list we haven't learned yet, but will soon!

Drama is coming soon to CBC! Our feet are on the ground as we begin to rebuild the drama program. CBC has a long history of dramatic talent, and I am excited to be part of this new opportunity. If you are interested in being part of the drama team, please contact me, Andy Fuqua, at andy@cbcspringfield.org. Thanks!

Click on the banner above to subscribe to "Worship Notes," the weekly worship team Bible study at Central. You can also access our podcast page here.

Worship is one of the most broadly used words in the Christian faith. Typically, when someone in today's society thinks of the word "worship," they think of music. For some, that may mean a traditional choir and pipe organ; for others, guitars and drums. But the first thing most of us associate with worship is music. Other common links to worship are preaching/teaching, church services, acts of kindness, giving, and the list goes on and on. But what is worship, really? What is it all about, and how does it apply to our lives?

Join us for Sunday worship at Central

8:30 a.m. - Classic Worship
11:00 a.m. - Contemporary Worship