Dear Central Family

Dear Central Family, June 27, 2008

I have accepted a position with the Midland Free Methodist Church. I will begin serving in Midland on August 1st. I am thankful to have had the opportunity to serve in ministry with Pastor Sue and Pastor Shawn and Pastor Bruce. I am very thankful that Pastor Bruce partnered with me in prayer in this decision and allowed me the freedom to talk with him about anything during the process. I have learned a great deal from Pastor Bruce, in class as my instructor and in staff as my lead pastor. I have enjoyed working with the pastoral team and the support staff at Central, we will continue to serve as friends even as we serve from different locations. I am sad to leave friends, and I am excited to serve God in this new position. The prayerful pursuit for God's guidance in making this decision has been a significant endeavor, often walking Susie and I through times of disappointment and periods of hopeful expectation. God has been faithful, and has lead us in this new direction for our family.

We love the people of Central Free Methodist Church. We have gained the dearest friends that we have ever been blessed with in our adult lives. As God has walked us through this time He has been preparing us for this transition. Leaving friends will be a difficult portion of this decision. Leaving our worship ministry team will be the hardest part of this move. The worship team at Central knows what worship is and what worship is not. I have been blessed again and again as this team of people continues to grow musically, technically and spiritually as they have become wonderful worship leaders. We will miss you, but we are encouraged that friendships will endure even when we are apart.

Susie and I are grateful for all of the friendships and the many blessings the people of Central have showered upon us. We have been leading worship at Central for almost six years. When we came to Central we were in transition from our ministry with World Vision and we immediately found a home and a church family here at Central. We came to Central when our first daughter, Katie, was just two weeks old, and in the next year our second daughter, Jolie, was born. The people of Central have always loved our family and cared for us, blessing us and helping us in times of need, and celebrating God's faithful goodness with us. We are grateful for times when Susie and the girls got rides to church when we needed help with transportation. We are grateful for the times over the past years when individuals fixed cars for us when we were unable to do so. We are grateful for the many times that you blessed our family with food and fellowship, and gifts for the girls during Christmas. We are grateful for the anonymous help we received when we could not pay our water bill and our water was shut off. We are grateful for the tremendous blessing of many who have become moms and dads to us and grandmas and grandpas to our girls. Individuals in the church have blessed us over and over again. I am blessed to play a beautiful guitar that was a gift from an anonymous friend in the church. I have wanted to play on the golf league, and this year I am because of three wonderful friends in the church that have blessed me by buying me clubs, and paying for league fees. I am grateful for the tuition that individuals from Central have paid to allow me to pursue classes toward my ordination. I could go on and on as I recall all of the abundant blessings we have received, I trust God has used us to bless His church during this time, also. As a couple, Susie and I are immeasurably grateful for how much you have loved us and our two little girls.

We have been blessed to share our lives with you over the past years, sharing together times of triumph and times of great struggle. We have worshipped the unchanging God together even through changing times. Though this decision has been hard, I am very excited about Midland. Because of the love and friendship we have with the people of Central, I know you will be happy for us, also. Midland is a great fit for our family, and we are excited about the opportunity to partner with Pastor Dave Kessler. We will remember you in prayer, and will trust that God has great plans for us as well as for all of you at Central. Thank you for the privilege of serving as your worship leader during these past years. We will look forward to times when we are able to worship together again. May God bless us all as we submit to His authority and to the power of His grace.

"Love must be without hypocrisy. Detest evil; cling to what is good. Show family affection to one another with brotherly love. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lack diligence; be fervent in spirit; serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer. Share with the saints in their needs; pursue hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. Be in agreement with one another. Do not be proud; instead, associate with the humble. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Try to do what is honorable in everyone's eyes. If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone," - Romans 12:9-18

Pastor Eric & Susie Wing
Katie Louise & Jolie Mae

Willow Arts Conference

I am very grateful that Pastor Bruce sent me to the Willow Creek Arts Conference last week, it was a wonderful and challenging event. I was very blessed to be able to attend. The conference was very confirming and encouraging, some of the sessions fit perfectly with the core of our worship sabbatical study. There where other sessions that where much more personal. As I return to work I am struggling to see how to implement some challenging thoughts. I have felt this way before after a great conference, when you come home and the "real" world replaces the conference world. This time I need the "real" world to change a bit, I need to intentionally spend time to create, to wait on God and listen, to look for God in everyone and everything, to do what God has called me to do even in disappointing circumstances. I do not want to let go of this complicated struggle. The friction of wrestling with this conflict of ideas will, I believe, help me become the worship leader, the artist as intercessor, God wants me to be.