VISION AND PRIORITIES

Near the end of 2020, we outlined our priorities for 2021: formation, multi-ethnic community, and continuing to pursue our Become Initiative. We believe that formation is an essential part of the Christian life. We believe that expressing ourselves in the world should result from a deeply rooted life with Jesus Christ. In 2021, we relaunched traditional City Groups and continued smaller gatherings called Huddles from the prior year. These groups met throughout the pandemic and enabled their participants to maintain a sense of Christian community in isolating times. We also launched our Women’s Bible Study and Men’s Small Groups in the fall, which were rich, intimate times. Our Central Kids and Youth also continued to meet safely during the pandemic, growing in grace through age-appropriate teaching – Central Kids on Sunday mornings and Central Youth at the Jungle on Wednesday nights. One of our churches core values is to embrace one another. We believe all people are created in God’s image. God created us--every tongue, tribe, and nation--to be a reflection of Himself, so we can celebrate our similarities and embrace our differences as complementary aspects of the same God. In 2021 we prioritized fostering multiethnic community through church staff and leadership equipping around cultural intelligence, staff hiring practices, and welcoming a diverse selection of guest speakers on Sunday mornings over the summer.

In 2021 we finished the fundraising portion of our Become Initiative, a priority for the year. We are so thankful for all who gave and made this initiative possible. Become is all about us becoming the church God has called us to be for His glory and the good of Durham. We believe that this is accomplished best through four priorities – a longterm home, church planting, leadership development, and mercy & justice. You can learn more about our Become Initiative on page six.

The priorities we laid out for the end of 2021 through mid-2022 were: Become, Formation, and Community Development.