Hey Centennial,
Where have you leaned into Holy Spirit curiosity this week?
Take just a second right now (I’m serious—just a moment) and consider:
- Is there any place in your life where you’ve lost hope?
- Where you can’t see a way forward?
- Where you feel stuck, discouraged, or sure that nothing good could possibly come?
If something comes to mind, here’s a simple prayer to foster curiosity about what Holy Spirit is doing, even if you don’t yet see it:
God, help me see what you’re up to. Help me know that your Spirit is present.
This Sunday, Jon Hardin continues our sermon series: Shift: Moving Prayer to the Center. So far, we’ve reflected on three truths: Prayer is Power. Prayer is Curiosity. Prayer is Courage.
This week, we’ll explore how prayer can be a form of righteous protest. Yes—prayer as protest. If you’ve never thought of prayer that way (or if you’ve never considered joining a protest), I hope you’ll come gather with CCC this weekend. It’s going to be a powerful time together.
No matter what season you find yourself in, we try and create space where we can hold the tensions of life together. We don’t rush to quick judgmentalism. We just keep asking, “What is God up to? How is he inviting me to grow? Where might I catch a glimpse of his work? Let’s look together.”
We’d love to share that journey with you.
Grace and peace,
Karl Helvig
P.S. Now that David is on sabbatical, we’re thrilled that our Youth Director, Amelia, is taking point on worship leading this summer! She is leading worship this Sunday and will be organizing worship leaders for the summer. Next time you see her, make sure to give her a thanks for stepping in!
P.P.S. a couple HUGE CELEBRATIONS:
- We recently received this financial update about the goal of full financial funding for our newest Global Mission partner, Kari Taracinska: “This morning ANOTHER $200/month came in for Kari…She’s at 97%!!!!! $990/month of that is from the people of Centennial 🤯🙌” Thank you CCC for generously supporting this transformational ministry!
- Over the past two weeks, our staff and elders spent time intentionally praying and discerning God’s future direction for CCC. Of the many themes and hopes that surfaced, one rose to the top: a desire to more clearly name and celebrate key aspects of our church’s culture.
One phrase came up again and again—both in our leadership meetings and in your feedback from the Prayer & Vision Night:
Centennial is a place that puts Grace First.
That means we lead with welcome, not judgment. We hold space for people who are struggling, searching, or sorting things out. And we trust that God is at work even when life is messy. That’s what it looks like to hold tension with grace. It’s who we are—and that’s worth celebrating! YOU are worth celebrating!
If that resonates with you, or if you’ve experienced it firsthand, I’d love to hear your story. Send me an email if it comes to mind.
P.P.P.S. If you haven’t read our monthly Global Team or Flourish Newsletters, you really should! They are fantastic! This month’s musings from Fran Blomberg, Team Leader for the Global Team, are so good. Check it out here.