About Us
Central Avenue Church is a vital congregation of people who are seeking a deeper relationship with God through Jesus Christ. We are a part of the United Methodist Church, but our style may be different than the typical Methodist (or other denomination) church you might have experienced. Take a moment and get to know a little bit about us.
Contemporary
Music
One of the most obvious differences in is in our
choice of music. We begin every worship celebration with 15 to 20 minutes
of contemporary, band-led praise and worship music. There's nothing inherently
more or less spiritual about contemporary music; we choose that style
because it is relevant to our community—and to the population we
want to reach.
Life-Changing
Teaching
The centerpiece of Central’s
worship celebrations is relevant, life-changing, scripturally based teaching.
We are convinced that Jesus Christ is the one hope of the entire world
and that the Bible is the Word of God. Therefore we are committed to studying
the Bible, applying it to our lives, sharing the good news with others
and helping them grow in their faith.
What
We Believe
Central desires to know and follow Jesus Christ, and to help others do
the same, in the context of biblically functioning community. Learn more
about what we believe by reading our Statement
of Faith.
What
to Wear?
You won’t find a dress code, spoken or unspoken,
at Central. If you walk in wearing jeans and a T-shirt, you’ll fit
right in. If you show up in a suit and tie, you’ll
be just as welcome! We want to be
the same people on Sunday as we are during the rest of the week, and our
attire reflects that value.
A
Word About Money
Like
many churches, we collect tithes and offerings as part of our Sunday worship
celebration. However, we emphasize that this part of the service is for
those of us who are committed to Central as our church home. If you're
a visitor, we don't expect you to contribute, and we don’t want you
to feel pressured in any way to give.
Worship
Celebration Times
On Sunday mornings we hold two identical contemporary worship celebrations, at 9:15 and 11:00
AM. During the academic year, we also have a Saturday-evening service at 6 PM. Not sure which schedule to follow? Check the Central home
page for updates. Or, call the church office at 592-2389; the current
schedule will be announced on the answering machine.
Adverse
Weather Planning
Should weather conditions force the cancellation of services, information
will be announced on WXTQ (105.5 FM) and WATH (970 AM) by 7 AM. A Level
3 Advisory will lead to automatic cancellation. If a Level 2 or Level 1
advisory is issued, listen to the radio, and use caution and your own
best judgment.
Nursery
services are provided for children from birth
through three years old. The nursery provides a safe and fun environment
for small children during the Sunday worship celebration. Parents can
participate fully in the service, confident that their little ones are
in capable hands. For
more information, email info@centralavenue.net
or call the church office at 592-2389.
Children's Celebration
Every
Sunday after both the 9:15 and 11 AM Song Celebrations, we also provide
a Children's Celebration for ages 4-12 in the Children's room downstairs.
This time is designed to give children age-appropriate Biblical instruction,
worship time and opportunities for service during the message time of
the Sunday worship celebration.
If
You're a Central Alum...
If you're a Central alum who has graduated and moved
out into the working world, we ask that you consider joining other former
students who are now "tithing back" for the time they spent
here at Central, back when they were living on student loans and stale
pizza! This idea actually came from former students who wanted a way to
return a blessing to Central for the spiritual home they found here during
their time in Athens. For more details about this not-so-crazy idea, please
email info@centralavenue.net
or call the church office at 592-2389.