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Centerville Presbyterian Church Fremont California
Mission Study
Approved at the December 3, 2018 Session Meeting
Centerville Presbyterian Church 4360 Central Avenue Fremont CA 94536
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Table of Contents
Introduction
Part One – Our Church 1. A Concise History of Our Congregation 2. Statement of Church Values [Mission, Vision, Theological Strengths] 3. Church Leadership 4. Congregational Description 5. Membership and Attendance 6. Church Finances 7. Church Facilities
Part Two – Our Community 1. Population 2. Ethnicity 3. Age 4. Income 5. Housing Costs 6. Vision of our City 7. Other Church and Faith Communities 8. Church Engagement with Our Community
Part Three – Our Call 1. Ministry Assessment – Celebrations and Concerns 2. Discoveries and Challenges 3. Ministry Overview – Challenges for the Future A. Share the Good News B. Make Disciples and Baptize C. Live Life Together 4. CPC Affiliated Programs 5. Other Programs on the CPC Campus
Conclusion
Appendixes a. Brief History of Our Congregation b. Facilities Diagrams c. Survey of Congregational diversity d. Profile of Pastoral Leadership We Are Seeking
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Introduction
Centerville Presbyterian Church is well named – we are in the center of Fremont, geographically as well as historically. Our history as a congregation mirrors the history of Alameda County and Fremont itself. This region has long been on the cutting edge of the world economy. We have grown from a Gold Rush economy to a farming economy, to the industrial world, and now we are part of the technology and biotech economy. Like the area around us, our local church has had to adapt to the dynamics of change through the years. This gives us much to celebrate and positions us strategically to bring the gospel to the hearts of those in our area.
With the historic transitions have come related changes in our church congregation. Some years our membership soared. Some years our membership struggled. Some of our members have been baptized, married, and buried in the Centerville church family. Others called this church home for only a part of their journey. We have enrolled over 4,500 members in the life of our church; many of them were nurtured, made disciples, and sent out into the world.
We have been blessed with gifted leadership as well. We have had 37 pastors over the years; 22 Senior pastors, others as assistants and associates. Over 600 elders and deacons have been ordained in the life of this congregation, as well as 25 ministers of Word and Sacrament. With this historic strength, we can be confident about God’s wonderful call upon our lives for the future.
We have been leaders in the community. In addition to the leadership roles our members assume in the life of this community and this region, our church has long been known for its compassionate outreach to the poor. With our community partners, we have served over a million meals to the hungry and homeless. We continue to shower, clothe, counsel, and minister to people in need, welcoming them into the life of our congregation.
We have given ourselves to the world. Over the generations we have consistently worked to give 10-20% of our budget and facilities to global outreach. We have sent 10-15 of our youth to short term mission trips both local and abroad almost every year for twenty years. We have supported nearly a hundred long term Missionaries overseas.
We have endured the transitions of our world as well. We have thrived amidst some of our world’s major conflicts: The Civil War, the First World War, the Second World War, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, two Gulf wars, seven major economic collapses, and five major earthquakes.
This mission study provides a picture of our past and helps us to pause and reframe our future. God has been so faithful to us over the years, and He has a glorious future in store for Centerville Presbyterian Church.
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Part One – Our Church
1. A Concise History of Our Congregation
Centerville Presbyterian Church was founded by Rev. William Wallace Brier on June 4, 1853. Originally known as Alameda Presbyterian Church, the name was changed in 1873 to its current one. A church was constructed on donated land in 1855 and was rebuilt after the earthquake of 1868. The church continues to own the land and cemetery at the original church site.
As the church membership swelled following the urbanization of the region after World War II, the congregation decided to build a larger church on the present site on Central Ave. In the 1990’s, the new education and gymnasium buildings were added.
Currently, Rev. Greg Roth and his wife Rev. Marsha Roth provide church leadership. They have served the congregation for over 24 years. The Roth’s followed Rev. Bruce Giles, who was the senior pastor for over 20 years.
An expanded summary history is available in Appendix A.
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2. Statement of Church Values
Mission Statement comes from Matthew 28: 16-20 Mission Statement
Centerville Presbyterian church is a church committed to:
Authentic Community
Experiencing Jesus
Transforming Lives
What does it mean to be committed to Authentic Community, Experiencing Jesus, and Transforming Lives? We want to be a body that daily seeks out and experiences the saving grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We wish to create a community that loves and serves each other as the Lord first loved and served us. And we seek our lives, the lives of those around us, and across the globe, to be transformed by the overwhelming power of the Holy Spirit. We believe the goals we have developed below bring truth and action to our mission.
Goals
We are a Bible based church that will: 1. Share the Good news in our daily lives, the community at large, and the world Preaching Missions - global, local & personal Worship-type: Vibrant, interactive, and welcoming
2. Make Disciples/Baptize Discipleship, training & mentorship
3. Live Life Together Praying together and for each other Small groups Investing in the lives of others Caring for internal needs of our congregation Training leaders
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Theological Strengths of the Congregation
Centerville has always been a conservative, evangelical congregation which joined the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in 2013 with a 98% vote to leave the PC (USA). Our “exit fee” of $510,000.00 was paid off within two years. Our mortgage on the Center Gymnasium and the Family Education buildings were paid off in 2016. Our staff and elders have been active in the EPC Presbytery of the Pacific Southwest and are well respected for our contributions. We have hosted EPC Presbytery meetings twice, most recently in October 2018.
The congregation expects high quality expository teaching and Scripture based preaching. Pastor Greg has used extensive power-point messages weekly, with a great deal of text. This enables non-native English speakers to follow both the Biblical text and the illustrations. They have also responded to guest preachers who do not use PowerPoint but reflect freedom in preaching outside a pulpit and connect with the congregation. We have worked on four twelve-week cycles, studying through Intervarsity booklets and other resources on each book of the Bible, rotating from Old Testament to New Testament. In summers we have done a “reading club” topical book. We have also entertained carefully planned Topical series, in which the congregation can study and reflect on the topic prior to the preaching. We have over 150 people attending Life Group Bible Studies who meet weekly to study the passage of scripture prior to the Sunday sermon.
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3. Church Leadership
We are a healthy and hopeful congregation, and our leadership reflects this. A twelve-member board of Elders/Trustees provides spiritual leadership for the church. Elders are elected by the congregation to three-year terms of service. A maximum of two terms may be served consecutively. The current session has three women elders, -- at one time we had seven. We reflect a variety of cultures. This is a church that takes women in ministry seriously. Over the past twenty-four years, the session has shown concerted teamwork and harmony. Session members further represent the vision and passion of the church as they attend monthly committee meetings for their specific areas of responsibility.
Currently there are 31 Deacons providing care to the members of the church. The Deacons are also elected by the congregation to three-year terms and some serve as couples and share ministry as they fill one slot. Rev. Marsha Roth presently supervises monthly meetings of the Board of Deacons. They are organized into merciful work teams, including teams for those Unemployed/underemployed, Seniors who are shut-in, Hospitalized, those welcoming visitors, and those focused on Internationals. The Deacons provide many loving ministries to the family and friends of Centerville Presbyterian Church. They hand deliver weekly floral bouquets from our altar to those grieving, shut-in, or recovering from illness.
Darryl Guzman has spent over twenty years on CPC’s staff. Darryl is an ordained minister, has served as our children’s ministry director, music director, and currently leads our choral ministries and traditional worship services. He also teaches music and drama at the nearby Fremont Christian School and is Director of the Centerville Community Chorale that rehearses in our sanctuary. Darryl will be retiring June 2019.
Thomas Banuelos serves as our part time Director of Contemporary Worship as well as serving as band director at Fremont Christian School. The service includes musicians with a mix of instruments of varying type music styles in the praise band.
We have a married couple working in Children’s and Youth. - both vibrant Korean American.
Dennis Yim is our full-time Assistant Pastor for Foundry, Families and Youth Ministries. He has an M.Div. from Westminster Seminary in Philadelphia and is under care for ordination in the EPC.
Christy Lee-Yim is half time director of our Children’s Ministry program. She has a master’s degree in theology from Westminster seminary. She teaches English in a local school as well.
David Yim, brother of Dennis, is our full-time Youth Director and Foundry Worship Director. He recently graduated from San Francisco State University with a Bachelor of Music. He plans to start Western Seminary in the Spring of 2019.
Tammy Sawyer is the Office and Facilities Manager, who has joyfully served the Lord at CPC for 14 years.
In addition, we have three full-time administrative assistants, a part-time Finance Manager, a part-time accounting assistant, and two full time custodians.
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4. Congregational Description
Centerville Presbyterian Church is a body of believers committed to authentic community, experiencing Jesus, creating and transforming lives. We strive toward discipleship through studying Scripture and praising God in worship, discipling children and youth, supporting families and individuals, providing opportunities to shape prayer life and develop leadership, and hosting free dining for the homeless and hungry in our community. Many members and regular attenders have developed a sense of family for each other in crises and celebrations through participation in our weekly Life Growth Groups.
Scheduled intergenerational activities and trained greeters help to identify and involve visitors in the life of the congregation. A team of members named “The Good Shepherds” meets every other week to review the digital video of those shaking the pastor’s hands after the service on Sunday morning, and matching names and addresses to these people that we might greet them and welcome them back. 15-25 visitors weekly need to be identified and welcomed.
Centerville is transforming into a multicultural church that reflects our community and tries to bring individuals of all backgrounds into a relationship with Jesus Christ within the fellowship of the church. New members say they join Centerville because they like the worship, the Bible-based preaching and the caring of the people. Current membership is 359, with an average Sunday worship attendance of 317 adults, and 35 children and youth.
The main congregation is largely middle age, and retirees. Mostly middle class, employed in professional positions, and living in homes they own within a few miles of the church. In addition, we have a few homeless families who worship with us every week.
Three Sunday worship services are held each weekend: Our 9:00 contemporary worship service brings an average of 75 worshippers from across the age spectrum for a 65-minute service full of praise and message. Our part- time director of Contemporary Worship Thomas Banuelos leads the service from the keyboard, with a feel that is intentionally informal. The pastor teaches with PowerPoint slides to outline the message.
The 11:00 service is advertised as traditional, but actually highlights a creative blend of choral and praise music, led by choir, organ, and worship band. The Centerian choir has over 50 voices and is ably led by half-time director Darryl Guzman.
The same message is shared at both these services and we have a coffee hour in between services.
Our 10:30 Service was added in March 2017, specifically targeting the Millennial generation. This service, called The Foundry, is from 10:30am – 12:00pm and is held in our Dining Room. This casual, more intimate service has about 20-40 people per week but has expanded beyond just the Millennial generation to include youth and adults of all ages. This service includes traditional worship but will also participate in service to the community on Sundays as well.
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5. Church Membership and Attendance
The congregation has faithfully served and worshipped the Lord for over 165 years. Membership and attendance changes reflect the ongoing changes in the community around us. A summary of recent membership and attendance follows.
Active % Membership Total for increase from previous current or Year FY year Gains % Losses % FY year decrease 08/09 521 23 4% (61.00) 11% 483 -7% 09/10 483 16 3% (14.00) 3% 485 0% 10/11 485 50 10% (16.00) 3% 519 7% 11/12 519 16 3% (161.00) 31% 374 -28% 12/13 374 17 5% (20.00) 5% 371 -0% 13/14 371 37 10% (11.00) 3% 397 7% 14/15 397 28 7% (14.00) 4% 411 3% 15/16 411 32 8% (9.00) 2% 434 6% 16/17 434 7 2% (53.00) 12% 388 -10% 17/18 388 8 2% (37.00) 9% 359 -7%
Yearly Worship Attendance - based on fiscal year Month 08/09 09/10 10/11 11/12 12/13 13/14 14/15 15/16 16/17 17/18 October 1411 1469 1995 1997 1455 1505 1573 1409 1545 1653 November 1591 1799 1674 1680 1497 1664 1891 1903 1410 1289 December 2062 133 1707 1795 2518 2325 1554 1805 1612 1861 January 1532 1845 222 1994 1574 1579 1567 1867 1531 1277 February 1456 1943 1688 1570 1573 1549 1759 1637 1390 1250 March 1799 1633 1597 1472 2550 1914 1876 1726 1477 1339 April 2241 1793 2032 1856 1524 1707 1786 1316 2264 1795 May 1772 1817 1982 1464 1545 1472 1765 1671 1429 1219 June 1368 1444 1613 1688 1911 1829 1330 1379 1427 1171 July 1329 1587 1920 1884 1383 1372 1307 1593 1633 1420 August 1614 1720 1394 1352 1361 1730 1667 1249 1233 1154 September 1334 1659 1685 1528 1927 1519 1483 1308 1212 1438 Average per month 1626 1570 1626 1690 1735 1680 1630 1572 1514 1406 Average per week 375 362 375 390 400 388 376 363 349 324
Local issues that have adversely affected Membership.
In the past twenty years, there have been waves of relocation that have impacted our congregation.
Wave #1 – 1998. Home prices soar at nearly 23% a year, crossing the barrier where it takes both husband and wife who are working in professional jobs to afford a single-family home. Many younger families begin relocating in Pleasanton, Tracy, and the Sacramento Valley.
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Wave #2 - 2000. The dot com bubble bursts, and 75,000 manufacturing and management jobs are lost in a short period of time. Additional families follow the job exodus out of the area.
Wave #3 – 2003. Elderly members of the congregation tire of the long commute to see their children and grandchildren who have moved out of the area to secure affordable housing. They begin to sell their appreciated homes and relocate closer to their families.
Wave # 4- 2016 Fremont changes its General Housing plan to accommodate a burgeoning population. There are currently 4,000 apartments under construction in the community. The rapid density of housing frustrates old timers who remember the different Fremont and desire to leave the area.
Wave #5 -2017 Silicon Valley added over 70,000 jobs, but very few houses. In addition, the cost of housing forces people to commute through Fremont over the hill to the valley in search of affordable housing. Fremont becomes the “pass through” city with frequently snarled traffic. (However, there are still no traffic jams on Sunday morning.)
It is our estimate that CPC lost over 240 families due to these economic and social factors.
Additionally, in the past 10 years, 80 of our members have graduated to their heavenly home.
6. Church Finances
Giving to the General Fund has continued to be nearly $1.2 million. Annual (separate Budget, faith designated) Missions giving has been steady in the $80,000 per year range. The annual special project gift at Christmas typically has receipts between $15,000 and $40,000. The focus of the special gift changes from year to year. One year it is a church facilities project, the next year a global building project, and a third year often a local mission project. Finally, the church has several permanent funds that are invested to provide support to various programs of the church.
The Building Maintenance fund generates income to cover some of the major unexpected capital expenses. The White Church fund provides maintenance and capital improvement resources for the church’s historic cemetery property. This fund has a balance of $60,000. All staff serving five years or more get a free niche in the columbarium.
The Endowment fund is an umbrella for several smaller donations that are available as needed for specific programs (e.g. music worship program). Current balance aggregate is over $800,000. The Yang Scholarship of $1,000 is awarded annually to graduating high school seniors seeking college education. We have awarded scholarships to 50 graduates through the generosity of a refugee family we sponsored for citizenship many years ago. The principal of the fund is still over $80,000.
The Seminarian fund aids seminary students pursuing a career in the ministry or those we employ who have significant Seminary debt prior to employment. Current balance is $120,000.
In addition, the Fremont Charitable Mission Foundation is “the church’s one foundation” with a balance of investments that is over $6,000,000.00. The interest from this account is treated like a classic foundation, and the church must apply for funds with specific objectives and report on the deliverables the following year.
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7. Church Facilities
We are blessed with well-planned and well-maintained facilities. (See Appendix B for map) A four-acre property in the heart of the city, located across from the fire station and the Department of Motor Vehicles, has 195 parking spots, with permitted use of the sixty spots of the DMV on Sundays or special concerts.
The sanctuary has a high-pitched roof in the form of “praying hands”. It was built in the 1960’s and has a seating capacity of 400. Two separate remodeling projects have made the chancel area more flexible for both traditional and contemporary worship.
In 1993 we constructed “The Centre” gymnasium, a two-story building with a 19,000 square foot gymnasium, commercial kitchen, a large meeting room, youth room and five classrooms. In 1996 the second phase of construction built the Family Education Center, with 12,000 square feet of classrooms. Adult classrooms are located upstairs. The four rooms downstairs are designed for nursery and children’s programs.
Following the completion of the buildings, an extensive remodel of the courtyard classrooms converted them into a new staff office complex, with six offices and five cubicles. This enabled most of our staff to work in the same building for the first time in many years.
A 1999 grant from HUD enabled us to remodel the courtyard kitchen and adjacent 1500 square foot dining room, used weekly to feed the homeless and hungry through the ministry of Centerville Free Dining. On the weekends it is used as the location of our 10:30 service, named “The Foundry.”
The elders have seen these buildings as an asset to manage and share with the community. We have allowed hundreds of civic groups to use the church. The fair market rental value of over $50,000.00 in 2015. We currently lease space to Young Life ($700 per month to have their offices on our campus), wireless cell phone towers ($4,000 per month.), a Korean Presbyterian Church for ($1900 per month) and a Hispanic congregation ($1800.00 per month.)
The church also owns and maintains the historic site of our first building, now a closed cemetery from the 1850’s.
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Part Two – Our Community
Community Introduction
The city of Fremont was incorporated in 1956 marking a historic merger of five communities of Mission San Jose, Centerville, Niles, Warm Springs, and Irvington to form a new city. These former townships now form the historic districts of our community. Fremont is an 87.62 square mile community of suburban homes, commercial development, and technology parks. Fremont is home to a broad variety of innovative firms including over 1,200 high tech, life science, and clean technology firms and the manufacturing complex for TESLA Motors.
Fremont provides an exceptional quality of life for residents and businesses, with unrivaled amenities such as award-winning public schools, a large park system, and a low crime rate. Fremont has earned high marks for its schools, safety, “kid friendliness,” fire protection and other municipal services. Fremont citizens can expect first-rate local services, including an array of recreation and leisure activities.
1. Population o The 2010 Census confirmed that Fremont is the fourth largest city in the Bay Area, the 15th largest in California. o Population: 234,962 as of 2017 o Number of Households: 71,000 o Average Household Income: $111,581 o Education: 50% of residents have Bachelors, Graduate, or Professional degrees o • Asian...... 50% o • White...... 33% o •Hispanic...... 14% o • Black/African American...... 3%
The composition of Fremont’s population has evolved since incorporation in 1956 from a predominantly white farming community to a middle-class industrial community in the 1970s and 1980s, to the present, in which Fremont has a high-tech economic focus and is home to an array of international ethnicities. There are more than 70,000 households in Fremont. The cities of Newark, Milpitas, and Union City have an additional 35,000 households, with an additional population of 200,980(as of 2017). Four important demographic trends that will shape the future of the community include ethnicity, age, income, and housing costs.
These statistics were generated from the 2010 Census unless otherwise noted.
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2. Ethnicity
The face of Fremont has changed dramatically. The community has been enriched by a wide spectrum of cultures and is seeking new ways to both celebrate its diversity and unify all segments of the community. In 1990, the population was predominantly white. The census confirmed that Fremont is now a minority-majority community, meaning that no single ethnicity comprises a majority of the population. For example, there are over 172 languages spoken by students in the school district.
In Fremont, 75,494 residents were foreign born and 41,739 residents lack citizenship status. Fremont is home to major concentrations of immigrants from Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Taiwan, and Mainland China, as well as more established immigrant communities from Mexico and the Philippines. The growth in the Asian population and the decrease in the white population represent significant changes in the ethnic makeup of Fremont. In 1990, whites comprised 64% of the population, Asians made up 19%. In 2000, Fremont’s white population had decreased to 42%, while the Asian population had grown to 37%. As of 2005, 56% of the population speaks a language other than English, a 9% jump from 2000.
The most recent rotation has seen many of our Asian families moving out to Dublin, and we have had a significant influx of highly educated biotech engineers from India. There are currently 27 Indian restaurants in town—which gives us an indication of the market!
3. Age Another significant demographic change for the community’s future is the projected senior population. Since Fremont’s incorporation, the percentage of the population represented by seniors has remained relatively constant. Compared with the rest of Alameda County, the southern part of the county has been home to less than 15% of the senior population. Nevertheless, as the Baby Boom generation approaches senior citizenry, the senior share of the Alameda County population is expected to double to approximately one-third of the population, and Fremont can expect to experience a proportional share of the increase. In 2006, the median age within a five-mile radius of the church was 35 years old.
4.Income
As the high-tech sector of Fremont’s economy has blossomed, the average household income of Fremont’s residents has risen. According to the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), Fremont’s average household income grew 19% in the past decade. It increased 14% between 1995 and 2000. Average household income in Fremont is about 10% higher in Fremont than in the Bay Area as a whole, and income is projected to increase at approximately the same rate over the next 20 years. (See the appendix display of the diversity of our congregation)
5. Housing Costs
Driven by the Silicon Valley economy and job growth, land values and housing prices have increased dramatically in recent years. The median cost of a single-family home in 2001 was estimated at $478,000, which was an increase of 53% over two years. The 2018 median home value in Fremont is $1,077,200. Fremont home values have gone up 15.5% over the past year and Zillow predicts they will rise 7.8% within the next year. The median list price per square foot in Fremont is $668, which is higher than the San Francisco Metro average of $491.
The elder board has worked to provide creative alternatives to this future crisis. By early 2019, the church will break ground on an eight-unit townhouse complex that will provide both income to the church and affordable housing for both church staff and the community. Construction should
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6. The Vision for the City of Fremont
Fittingly, the City of Fremont’s motto is currently, “Fremont: Where Main Street meets the World.” The vision statement of the City Council’s Vision: “Fremont, in the year 2020, will be a globally connected economic center with community pride, strong neighborhoods, engaged citizens from all cultures, and a superb quality of life to a prosperous diverse community while preserving its unique historical character and scenic environmental setting!”
7. Other Church and Faith Communities
There are four nearby Presbyterian congregations: Irvington/Fremont (68 members), Newark First (160), Immanuel Taiwanese/Fremont (107), and First Korean/Fremont (30). There are two ministerial associations in the area, the City-Serve evangelical ministers association, which serves 80-90 Tri City protestant churches, and an inter-faith-based leadership group. Attendance figures for the Tri-Cities show that there are 18,194 Christians worshipping on any given Sunday, amidst a combined population of 356,000 residents, which represents 3.15% of the population.
A measure of our diverse community is the location of a variety of religious centers in our community. Fremont is home to a Reform Jewish Temple, A 3000-member Latter-Day Saints church, five Mosques (Pakistani, Afghan, and mid-eastern nationalities), a Thai Buddhist temple, the Sikh Gudwara (Indian, Punjab), a temple for Jainism (south India), a Japanese Buddhist temple, a Hindu temple, and three Chinese Buddhist societies.
We work amidst an area that is 88% secular.
8. Church Engagement with our Community
Not for profit organizations that utilize CPC facilities We have a long history of supporting like-minded Christian based organizations. Several affiliated and outside groups have found a home on our church campus (descriptions appear in Part Four):
Abode Services (Homeless assistance and housing) Bible Study Fellowship Boy Scouts Centerville Free Dining Young Life Community Ambassadors Program for Seniors Bridges to Jobs And other organizations not listed.
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Part Three – Our Call
One of the indicators of the health of our congregation is our willingness to grapple with change. We have a long history of strong preaching, Biblical teaching for all ages, missionary support and community outreach. But as we look around us, we know that continuing to “do ministry” in the same ways as in the past will only bring stagnation.
Today’s post-Christian, post-modern culture and our community’s changing demographics present significant challenges to ministry endeavors, as well as great opportunities. Worldwide missions have long been a strong part of our ministry, but we find that increasingly, the world is coming to us. Our community has taken on a markedly multiethnic flavor. In some ways, this means returning to our earliest roots as a pioneer church drawing peoples from quite varied ethnic backgrounds.
1. Ministry Assessment – Celebrations and Concerns
The congregation sees CPC as a Christ-centered Church, and themselves as growing Christians who want to further the Gospel in our immediate community as well as in mission fields abroad. We expect to be involved in hands on ministry and have a long history of providing meals, shelter and comfort for the poor of our area as well as sending youth and members to build, teach and share the gospel in various mission fields.
We have a caring pastoral staff and devoted leaders who are available and approachable. Our members have a legacy of faithful, long-term commitment. We have a spiritual hunger as evidenced by individual Bible study, active participation in small groups, and commitment to doctrinal integrity.
We address issues frankly and with compassion.
We have good programs for children, for music, for Bible study and fellowship opportunities. And we have a good reputation in the area as a willing partner in ministry. We do indeed have much to celebrate.
Along with the strengths of our ministry, we also recognize areas of concern. We desire to minister effectively to all those in our family, and yet realize there are generational issues we need to face. We need to be able to care for our aging members while reaching out to young families and singles. A strong core of youth is not making a connection with the congregation. Sometimes generational tensions can hamper progress, particularly regarding worship styles, but we need to address the generational issues and find avenues for healthy transition.
Our area’s rapidly changing demographic creates anxiety for some. We grieve those who’ve moved away but we need to reach out to newcomers in our midst, most of whom represent a broader ethnic background than has traditionally been part of our church. Some of us have a real sense of anxiety about our church’s future in this changing community- we have clearly embraced a diverse congregation but are longing to get more of the community into our church community.
We also have practical concerns. The cost of living and mobile lifestyle of the Bay Area creates a revolving door, as people move in and out more rapidly than in past years. This dynamic makes it difficult to expand both membership and staff. And we see the effects of a secular culture in time constraints on commitment to church activities and programs.
Somewhere between our celebrations and concerns there is an optimistic sense that although there is much left to do in ministry, we have a God that has what it takes to address our concerns and move us into our future. We are excited about discovering the direction the Lord is taking us to carry out His work in our community.
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2. Discoveries and Challenges We now summarize our discoveries and sets out the challenges CPC faces in the years ahead. We’ve arranged the material according to the reflection process we used. In the first section we recount both the areas we celebrate about our ministry, as well as the concerns we have uncovered. The following sections outline the three distinctive goals that give life to our mission statement of:
Authentic Community Experiencing Jesus Transforming Lives
3. Ministry Overview – Challenges for the Future
We have been in prayer over the future of Centerville Presbyterian Church and where the Lord is leading us. We believe the Lord is leading us in three distinct areas that simply follow the teaching of Christ.
A. Share the Good News within our fellowship of believers and the community at large and the world.
Preaching: We believe that Scripture, God's word, is the Truth. The infallible Word of God witnesses God's redemptive acts culminating in the incarnation of the Living Word, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible, uniquely and fully inspired by the Holy Spirit, is the authority on all matters on which it speaks. We are committed to preaching and teaching that supports this Truth.
Missions - global, local and personal: We believe that we are called to share the love of Christ with those that do not know Him, which includes reaching those in faraway lands, those within our community, and those that God has placed into our personal everyday lives.
Worship: We believe that worship is an opportunity to praise God together and thank Him as one body. We want to provide a vibrant, interactive, and welcoming worship time that will allow the Holy Spirit to work within the body and glorify the Father.
B. Make Disciples and Baptize
Discipleship, training, and mentoring: The Great Commission was very clear, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20.)
We are called to make disciples, and at Centerville we want to proclaim that for everyone and encourage and train our church to live their lives as disciple makers. We believe that training and mentorship is important to help Christ followers understand their role in being a disciple, but how it looks for each of us could be different. Bringing people to Christ and baptizing them is the first step but continuing that relationship through mentorship is essential to help brothers and sisters grow in Christ.
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C. Live Life Together Praying together: Prayer is the cornerstone of our relationship with Christ. Praying together not only encourages our relationship with God but it also helps us to grow together in God. We believe in emboldening the church to be prayerful, but not just in isolated prayer, but prayer together.
Small groups: Part of living life together involves sharing our lives. Being part of a small group gives us opportunity to share joys and sorrows, and to grow in faith together. We encourage everyone to get involved in some type of small group and to become connected. We also believe that it is important to train and provide support to leaders of our small groups. Group Leaders take on a burden when caring for those in their group. Being prepared to handle this role and be provided respite and support is essential to the health of the groups and the leaders.
Investing in the lives of others: We believe that when Christ taught us to “love our neighbors as ourselves,” He meant for us to invest in the lives of others. We are called to do more than just a ‘friendly hello” on Sunday mornings. Serving those in need and building relationships with them helps to share Christ’s love, whether it be the homeless, those struggling with health or mental health issues, those with financial struggles, or those that are isolated, lonely, or marginalized.
Caring for the internal needs of our congregation: We believe that Christ taught us to care for one another as brother and sisters in Christ. Currently, our congregation is a mostly elderly population with needs specific to their age. We believe that it is essential to provide help and hope for those with needs within our church as well as outside of it.
Our congregation has adapted to the changes in the past. As we’ve developed a new mission statement, we have also started to consider how that new mission statement will change the focus of ministry and outreach. As we have looked at doing ministry and outreach in our changing community, we’ve started to consider what changes will be required in how we structure our committees, how we budget, what things are important. This will include a pruning, where we discontinue some of the activities we currently do that don’t fit into our new mission statement. We’ve started to look at our staffing, our committee structures, our calendar and our checkbook, so we can change our focus to those select areas of ministry and activities that will fulfill our new mission. And while we make this shift, we need to continue to find creative ways to minister to our current congregation.
CPC Affiliated Programs
Centerville Free Dining Room
The stated purpose of Centerville Free Dining Room (CFDR) is to feed the hungry and homeless and provide them with bags of staple foods. In addition to the stated purpose, we let all diners know that we love them and care about them. The diners do not hesitate to express their thanks and their enjoyment of the meals and they say “God Bless You” as they leave the dining room.
CFDR has operated at CPC for over 30 years supported only by donations from churches, businesses, organizations and individuals in the community without any government funds. CFDR provides over 20,000 meals to over 10,000 diners of all ages and all ethnic groups each year. Since its inception, over one million meals have been served. Additionally, The Hope Medical Van has partnered with CFDR to provide medical services and referrals to diners upon request. We also provide clothing and counseling to the diners.
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Other Programs on the CPC Campus
Bible Study Fellowship What began as a desire of a small group of women to deepen their faith through a weekly Bible study more than 50 years ago is now an international movement of people…all with that same desire. Bible Study Fellowship adult and children classes have been held at Centerville Presbyterian Church for 40+ years, currently welcoming 230 women with 15 groups every week.
Boy Scouts Centerville Presbyterian Church has been a charter to Troop 176 since 1959 providing facilities to hold weekly pack meetings for Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts and other special occasions during the year. Both the Pack & Troop benefits from the use of the facilities and in turn help the church in its maintenance and upkeep through service projects. The Pack/Troop and church work together and separately in their respective community outreach programs. The Church through its evangelism and the Pack/Troop through its civic projects such as Scouting for Food to collect donations for the Church to use and by scouts helping to feed the homeless and less fortunate members of our community.
Abode Services Tri City’s Hope Team provides special services to the homeless with the use of their Greater Hope Van that is parked on CPC church site outside the dining room Tuesdays and Thursday during the hours the dining room is serving. The Greater Hope Team provides Mental Health Referrals and Counseling, Medical Services, Drug and Alcohol Referrals and Counseling, Social Service Referrals, Advocacy, and Case Management, and Necessities.
Young Life Young Life seeks to carry the message of Jesus Christ into that tumultuous tide and points teenagers toward life as they were created to live it. Since 1941, the dynamic that has characterized Young Life is its commitment to relationships — Young Life leaders meeting kids on their turf in the interest of friendship. As leaders get to know teenagers, they can share the love of Jesus Christ through platforms like Young Life club, Capernaum and trips to camp. Young Life’s history with Centerville Presbyterian Church goes back more than 40 years. The church has been the site for club meetings and office space and car washes.
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Conclusion
God has been leading us to a new, vibrant, and compelling ministry vision. As we have embraced God's vision, we believe God has called us to action to fulfill His plan for our church within His local and global kingdom. To become a renewed, revived, and growing church requires both an inward and an outward transformation. The Spirit of God is opening us to new challenges.
We believe that God's love and blessings translate into a clear set of ministry opportunities and imperatives for those who are members and friends of the church. We have embarked on a ministry strategy based upon investing the time, talent, and treasure given by members and friends in response to God's purposes. To persevere in this work, we need to grab hold of the identity that God has chosen for us – to be a congregation of influence in this community, for the sake of his Kingdom.
. Centerville Presbyterian Church is a church committed to:
Authentic Community Experiencing Jesus Transforming Lives
We will share the Good News in our daily lives, the community at large, and those we encounter in our daily lives, and the world.
We will make disciples and baptize as Jesus called us to do in the Great Commission.
We will live life together by caring, serving, and loving each other and our neighbors.
As our church continues to evolve and change, we are thankful that some things remain unshakably the same, most notably our passionate love for Jesus. Our fundamental purpose has not changed. We are a church seeking to become more like Jesus Christ in everything we do. We preach and teach the love and saving grace of Jesus. We are committed to all of us becoming fully devoted disciples of Jesus. We are committed to becoming a church that has strong small groups where the love of Christ, care, comfort, genuine growth, and transformation can occur among Christian believers.
To God be the glory!
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Appendix A – History of Centerville Presbyterian Church
The History of our Congregation
The sale of the one of the largest Mexican ranches in the valley, the Pacheco tract of land in late 1852 brought pioneer families swarming into the fertile valley beneath the Mission San Jose. Presbyterian pastor and missionary, the Rev. William Wallace Brier, had just founded a church in Marysville, but the heat broke his health and he came to Mission San Jose to stay with his friend, E. L. Beard. While resting there with his wife and daughter, he was invited to teach an elementary school by his friend John Horner, and soon thereafter began leading Presbyterian services on Sunday afternoons.
Centerville Presbyterian Church has the distinction of being the first organized Protestant work known to have been in existence on the East Bay. After the congregation had met together for over a year, they were chartered as the Alameda Presbyterian Church on June 4, 1853. The name change came in 1873, as the village of Centerville prompted the current name. Forming a church was not easy. Sometimes there would be enough historic Presbyterians from the East Coast to form the nucleus of a strong congregation; other times it was a mixed bag of traditions that came together. Three Presbyterian families joined with several other families to form this church. Charles Howard Shinn recalls,
“When there was talk of a Presbyterian Church, Mrs. Breyfogle, who was a Methodist, Mrs. Coombs, who was a Baptist, Mrs. Henion, who was Episcopalian, Captain Richardson, who lived below Sam Marston’s Old farm and was a Baptist, Charles Hilton, Captain Bond, and a few others got together. Captain Richardson said that he was, “The very hardest shell Baptist, and yet he was willing to have any kind of Christian Church to take his family to.” I go with the Majority,” the bluff old pioneer reiterated. At that was nucleus, of the old brick (Presbyterian) church.”
Once founded, keeping the church alive in a struggling farming community was a challenge. Two years after it was founded, the church was given a parcel of land in what is now the Centerville District of the city of Fremont. In 1855, the congregation decided to build a church building on this site. The congregation still did not have enough money to build the church but was gaining some momentum and wanted to step out in faith to complete the building. They borrowed $500.00 from the wealthy farmer, G.W. Patterson, whose wife attended the church, at 2% interest.
Other members provided their support in donated goods and services. Church records recount, “Mr. Hawthorn donated fruit trees. Coal and candles were provided by the local blacksmith, Charles Hilton, Mr. Durant provided the seedling trees for around the church. Two cords of firewood were delivered to William Wallace Brier. Mr. E. L. Beard provided 2 tons of hay and 1 mattress. Mr. Eggers delivered sundries to the Brier family and the church to fulfill his pledge. Mr. Shinn paid ten dollars, cash.”
During these years, the Rev W.W. Brier was the founding pastor, construction supervisor, Sunday School teacher, and community pioneer. The congregation gathered $3,200 dollars to construct a brick church at the crossroads of the area. This structure was significantly damaged in the 1868 earthquake, but the building was repaired with white siding to form the quaint “Old White Church”, which graced the mission valley until it was destroyed in an arson fire in 1994.
In addition to becoming one of the first Presbyterian churches in the East Bay, it also had other significant milestones. Surrounding the old white church was the first church cemetery in the county; it has become known as a pioneer cemetery. The first women were elected as financial trustees, with the appointment of Clara Hawley Patterson in 1876.
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Continuing…..
By 1890 the church membership was at 29. The church struggled for many years, and the Elder board considered closing the church in 1914 for lack of enthusiastic support. Membership was still in the low 20’s but the congregation began to grow again. Late that year Rev. James McElhinney became pastor and served for the next 17 years.
In 1935, Roe Lewis served as pastor. He was the first Native American (Pima, Arizona) to graduate from San Francisco Theological seminary. The first women were elected elders in 1936. The first choir was organized in 1949, while under the leadership of the seminary student pastor, Mr. Howard Steward, and through his efforts the membership grew to 36.
In 1953 Centerville Presbyterian Church celebrated its centennial. The membership was then 170. In 1955, four acres of land on Central Avenue, our current site, was purchased for $21,500 for the purpose of building a Fellowship Hall and eventual relocation of the church facilities.
The Rev. Tom Fuhr was the pastor for twelve years, through the 1950’s and guided the congregation through the master plan for the new property. He supervised the construction of the fellowship hall and the courtyard classrooms, assisted in moving the pastor’s manse to the new church property, and raised funds for the building program. His wife, Ruth Fuhr, worked hard to establish the Nursery school of our church that celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2006.
Rev. Dr. Lorin Ridings was elected as pastor in 1960, and he served for ten years. Dr. Ridings is remembered for his hard work at pastoral calling in the community as many new families moved into the newly built housing developments in Fremont. During that time, the congregation swelled to 1250 members. It was obvious that facility expansion was needed to accommodate this ministry. The final plans for our present sanctuary were completed, and it was dedicated on February 10, 1963.
Rev. Bruce Giles was called in 1972 to become the next Senior Pastor, and he served for 23 years, the longest of any senior pastor. During his years of ministry, the congregation continued to be known as a place of Biblical preaching and teaching. The establishment of our free dining ministry in 1986 exemplified the congregation’s outreach to the community. Many of our members were involved in supporting the youth of our community through our own youth ministry, and as leaders in Young Life.
In 1986 the long-range Planning Committee formed plans to look at the future of the church, voting to expand the church facilities to include our Centre Gymnasium and the Family Life Education Building. Both these buildings were dedicated September 8, 1996.
Rev. Dr. Greg Roth was called as the Senior Pastor in 1995 and his wife, Rev. Marsha Roth, was called as Associate Pastor. The Rev. Gordon Westlind retired after serving as Associate Pastor, the longest serving associate pastor at 34 years—and retired at age 90!
The congregation continues to play a vital role in the life of the Fremont Community, and has a vibrant Mission involvement in the world.
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Appendix B – Facilities Diagrams
Map of Church Campus
The Centre/ Education Gymnasium Building
18,824 sq. ft. 12,600 sq. ft.
Lawn Area Preschool Classrooms 2,386 sq ft. Church Office 2 , 148 S Sanctuary Preschool Play yard q . ft.
13,362 sq. ft
Young Life 1,431 sq. ft. Dining Room
1,670 sq. ft.
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Sanctuary
Sunday Services Choir Concerts Memorial Services Wedding Services BSF Meeting Ohlone College Choir Rehearsals Annual ACSI Speech Meet Awards Assembly Piano Recitals
Sanctuary – view from balcony
Sanctuary – view from Lobby
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The Centre
Lower Level: Gymnasium Westminster Meeting Room Office Restrooms with showers Storage Kitchen
Upper Level Teacher's Resource Room 1 Youth Room 2 Children’s Rooms 2 Adult Classrooms Office Space Restrooms
Gymnasium Westminster Room
Kitchen - view 1 kitchen – view 2
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The Centre usage:
Sunday School Bible Study Committee Meetings Youth activities Children's Ministry events All church social events Special Celebrations Memorial Service Receptions Community events/dinners Boy Scouts Teacher Resource Room Cub Scouts Annual ACSI Speech Meet Annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner CPC Men's Basketball Christian Basketball groups Community Basketball groups Bible Study Fellowship Site area for Emergency Shelter
Youth Room
Children’s Classroom Adult Classroom
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Family Education Building
Lower Level 1 Nursery room with crib room attached and Restroom 3 preschool rooms each with a restroom 2 hallway restrooms Outside sand play yard
Upper Level 2 full Adult Classrooms 2 full Adult Classrooms that divide in half to make 4. Restrooms
Entry Area – Child Check-in Children’s Classroom
Nursery Room Children’s Classroom
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Family Education Building uses: Nursery & Pre-K classes Babysitting Food Addicts Anonymous Adult Education Classes Growth Groups Bible Study Fellowship Classes Community meetings Korean Church Worship Session, Deacon and Committee Meetings
History cabinet
Hall of History Adult Classroom
Adult Classrooms
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Dining Room & Kitchen
Free Dining Program Fellowship for Guest Churches Sunday “Foundry Meetings” Smaller Receptions Meeting Room Special Celebrations
Inside Dining Room
Dining Room Kitchen Fireside Room
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Appendix C: An analysis of the Congregational diversity.
CPC Ethnicity Statistics July 2, 2018 ETHNICITY Number of CPC Attenders African 14 African American 6 Assyrian 0 Brazilian 1 Canadian 3 Chinese 23
Chinese Singapore 1 Chinese Aussie born 1 Chinese Canada born 1 Chinese Puerto Rico born 1 Chinese US born 9 E. Indian 17 Fuji 2 Filipino 37 Filipino US born 6 Hispanic/Latina 19 Hong Kong 0 Indonesian 2 Italian 1 Japanese 4 Japanese Canadian born 1 Japanese US born 4 Korean 4 Malaysian 2 Middle East 2 Russian 0 Sri Lanka 3 Taiwanese 7 Taiwanese US born 1 Vietnamese 2 TOTAL 173
Out of a TOTAL of 569 attenders 30% percent are non-Caucasian.
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Appendix D: Profile of the Pastoral leadership we are seeking.
Have a strong and vibrant commitment to Jesus Christ.
Ordained in the EPC; or committed to being ordained within two years of assuming position.
A warm Evangelical heart—devotional, evangelistic, authentic and practical.
Proven gifts in teaching and preaching in Biblical books, expository, or carefully planned topical studies that the congregation can study alongside of.
Leadership experience in a church with Multiple Staff.
Participatory and collaborative management style.
Culturally Competent—must show a heart and strategy to reach the Nations in our Neighborhoods and around the world.
Passion and love for people to come to Christ
A merciful leader with a servant heart and a sense of humor.
Innovative, flexible, great humility and boldness and tenacity.
Wise beyond their years, and dynamic leadership that others will follow.
Completed 10-25-18