Central Connection | January 30th, 2025
In This Connection
We Are Listening... Just Slowly
Rise Up: Women's Simulcast | February 1st
A Thought From The Multiplication Office
LIFE 2025 Financial Grant | Central District Scholarship
Upcoming Events & Trainings
Lay Delegate Registration | General Council 2025
Annual Reports
Brotherhood Mutual® Information
We Are Listening… Just Slowly
A brief message from Dennis Turner
(Director of Church Mobilization)
"Congress is so strange. A man gets up to speak and says nothing, nobody listens and then everybody disagrees." — Will Rogers
I’m not sure if District Offices are like Congress, but we did want you to know that we are listening. At District Conference last year, you filled out a survey and offered wonderful feedback on several items, one of which was District communications. We will be implementing some of the ideas you gave.
Over the next few months, look for new features and new formatting in the weekly Central Connection. In addition to announcements about upcoming events, we will also be including stories from the churches, personal updates, prayer prompts, and some practical ministry helps.
Based on your suggestions, we desire to move from mainly information sharing to also vision fulfillment and encouragement. We aim to keep this weekly communique brief and accessible but more responsive to who we are as a collaborative team in West Virginia and eastern Ohio.
Please send us your stories, questions, and prayer requests which will help us in engaging as a Christ-centered Acts 1:8 Family.
THANK YOU for your engagement!
Rise Up: Women’s Simulcast
Join with others in homes to watch the simulcast, discuss, pray, and grow together as you Rise Up in all that God has for you. You’ll hear from women across The Central District share words of challenge and blessing.
Simulcast link will be available this Saturday, February 1st, on our Alliance Women Page!
Suggested time frame ~ 3 hours
Speakers and Topics include
Paige Paugh ~ Rise Up in the Armor of God
Erin Kohl ~ Be Bold Abroad
Panel Discussion ~ Rise Up in your Everyday Life
Joy Trachsel ~ Rise Up in Prayer
Raechelle Scoggins ~ Rise Up in the Word
See our website for additional Frequently Asked Questions
Church Multiplication Office Thought
A brief message from Todd Sovine.
(Director of Church Multiplication)
Multiplication isn’t - something you can assume others are doing.
Assume they are not – be a trend setter!
Multiplication isn’t - someone else’s responsibility because they have… (fill in your preferred word.) Multiplication is everyone’s responsibility because of the King’s word and work!
Let’s talk!
Email Kirsten Tousley, [email protected], to make
an appointment with Todd Sovine.
LIFE 2025 Financial Grant
LIFE is a gathering for the next generation Alliance family to experience God and expand His kingdom locally and globally.
Click here to visit the LIFE event website!
LIFE seeks to:
GLORIFY God in worship, word, and community.
INTRODUCE Jesus Christ into the whole life of each student.
EXPOSE God's heart for the lost.
INSPIRE students to join the global Alliance family.
The Central District would like to support students and leaders in financial need to attend LIFE. We will subsidize up to $300 per student / $500 per leader, with a maximum of $3,000 per church.
Please note: This grant is also available to those who have already applied to the National Office grant.
We will process these as we receive them and award scholarships at the end of each month beginning now until the funds are gone or registration closes.
The deadline to submit an application for this scholarship is April 15th, 2025.
Click here to view the application!
Please complete the attached application and send it
to Mariah Kulton, [email protected].
If you have any questions, please email Mariah Kulton, [email protected]
Upcoming Events & Trainings
Alliance Peacemaking Training: Level 1 - March 1st
Learn how to walk through conflict in a way that honors God and fosters transformation, forgiveness, and reconciliation. This is a one-day seminar for both leaders and laypeople.
Join us Saturday, March 1st from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm at
the Central District Office.
(1231 High St, Wadsworth, OH 44281)
Click here to register now!
Registration deadline is Monday, February 24th, 2025.
Church Mobilization Training - March 15th
God has called his people to be on mission with him in this world. This Church Mobilization Training is designed to equip leaders for greater kingdom advancement. You will learn the seven practices for being a mobilized ministry as well as practical ways to enable the church to seek the transformation of one another and the spiritually lost world around them.
Join us Saturday, March 15th, from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm at
the Central District Office
(1231 High St, Wadsworth, OH 44281).
Click here to register now!
All are welcome! Pastors, Lay Leaders, Elders, Potential Leaders and anyone currently in the Consecration & Ordination Process, as this fulfills one of their requirements.
Deeper Life: Senior Retreat - March 19th-21st
The Deeper Life Retreat is planned with you in mind! We gather each year to learn how God is working in each of our lives. We make new friends, have wonderful times of fellowship, sing the great hymns of the past and enjoy delicious Amish cooking! Jeff Miller District Superintendent of the Ohio Valley District will be our retreat speaker this year.
Deeper Life will take place March 19th-21st, 2025, at the Carlisle Inn
(1357 Old Route 39, Sugarcreek, OH 44681)
To pay by credit card click the link here.
Select your rooming option, how many people you are paying for and then click the “Add to Cart” button to continue. Fill out the registration form, then make your payment.
If you prefer to mail in your registration, click this link to print off the registration form. Select your rooming option, then make your check payable to Central District CMA, notating Senior Retreat on the memo line. Mail check and registration to: Linda Gray - 107 Northwood Drive, Dover, OH 44622
Register by February 17th, 2025.
For questions, contact Linda Gray at (614) 937-7989.
Alliance Peacemaking Training: Level 2 - April 30th-May 1st
"Conflict is inevitable; how we handle it is not. God expects us to handle our conflicts differently than the world does. Alliance Peacemaking teaches how He wants us to deal with conflict."
If you are a Christian leader (consecrated and ordained or lay), you are already coaching. This two-day live seminar equips you to coach better from a biblical standpoint to help other people see and resolve their conflict from a godly perspective. Certified conflict coaches become resources for their churches.
Please note: You must complete level 1 training to participate in this event.
This training will be held at Riverside Alliance Church, April 30th-May 1st.
( 2433 S Main St, Akron, OH 44319)
The cost to attend is $300.
Click here to register now!
Lay Delegate Registration
General Council will be held May 26th – May 30th, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio. This important event is open to all C&MA members and adherents.
If your church plans to send a lay delegate to Council, the deadline to submit your form(s) to the district office is Friday, March 28th. Be sure to add this to your Governing Board Agenda prior to this date.
Please share the attached information below regarding General Council with your Governing Board Secretary.
Important Note: We ask that you register your delegate through the process prior to Council. This will help alleviate the need for someone to find the district superintendent for his approval and signature during Council.
2025 Council Letter to Official Workers
Lay Delegate Certificate 2025
Lay Delegate #'s for Churches
The completed form can be emailed to [email protected],
or faxed to (330) 334-3702.
Annual Reports
On January 15th all lead pastors and annual report editors should have received an email with a link to sign on to the application and begin filing the 2024 report.
If for some reason you did not receive your link please reach out to our office right away, as to not delay this process.
Please make this a priority, as this is a National Office requirement and not optional. Plan accordingly as this will take some time to gather and input the requested information.
February 14th, 2025, is the deadline to complete and file your church report.
Please contact our office with any questions that you may have.
Phone: 330.336.2911
Email: [email protected]
Brotherhood Mutual® Information
From Brotherhood Mutual®,
"We trust that all is well with your ministries and pray that God continues to bless your efforts as you faithfully serve Him.
We strive to provide materials that equip, inform, and empower your ministry’s leadership team on a wide array of topics including but not limited to property and liability, vehicle, as well as workers’ compensation insurance programs, mission trip protection, and ministry payroll services. We offer an online Safety Library, where you’ll find articles, overviews, checklists, and guides on nearly any risk a congregation could face. You can also use the Working Together tool to do a self-guided review of your employee handbook policies.
Please visit our Brotherhood Mutual® website at https://www.brotherhoodmutual.net/mpp.htm, call us at 888-674-4060 or at any time find our link under the Central District website at www.cdcma.org. (Click on the Resources tab, then Insurance, to explore all we have to offer.)
Because we want to see ministries thrive, we provide free risk management guidance to help all of our congregations avoid incidents that can cause property or financial loss, such as theft or fraud, misconduct, storm and water damage, or work-related injuries. Below is additional information on just a few of the many services we provide.
Mission Protection– Find tips, articles, and checklists that help ministries plan safe and effective mission work, both at home and abroad. Explore medical, foreign property and liability insurance coverage for your organization, as well as medical coverage, travel insurance and trip services for travelers.
Ministry Payroll Services & HR Solutions– Explore a free resource library stocked with information about payroll, tax filing, and employee management issues through MinistryWorks® payroll service.
Employee Health Benefits–Take advantage of strategic alliances Brotherhood Mutual® has formed with health benefits advisors. We can help ministries, large or small, navigate the many options and find individual plans that are typically lower in cost.
LegalAssist℠– Find risk management guidance that’s timely and helpful, through this free service. Brotherhood Mutual's Legal Assist team understands ministry risk management issues because they've been addressing questions from ministry leaders for years. Browse Legal FAQs online, submit questions to their team, or get connected with an attorney from the Christian Legal Society.
It is our sincere hope that you and your ministry team take advantage of these valuable materials."