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Mona Shield Payne / Special to the Sun
Central Christian has merged with the Orchard Valley Baptist church, located on Treeline Drive near Charleston Boulevard, and plans to expand the congregation’s existing building and open the Central Christian Northeast Campus in the near future.
Saturday, June 27, 2009 | 2:02 a.m.
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Henderson megachurch Central Christian is preparing to expand into the northeast part of the valley with its third satellite campus.
Central Christian Church has merged with Orchard Valley Baptist Church, located on Tree Line Drive near Charleston Boulevard, and plans to expand the congregation’s existing building and open the Central Christian Northeast Campus in the near future.
An exact date for the opening has not been determined, said Kurt Ervin, executive pastor of church expansion for Central Christian. He said the campus will offer two Sunday morning services and a Spanish service on Sunday nights.
Ervin said preliminary plans are to renovate the existing building and increase its capacity from 180 to 220 people, bring in modular classrooms for teen and children’s groups and landscape the site.
“It’s a great building,” Ervin said. “It’s not that old, but it needs some paint and some cleaning.”
Orchard Valley Baptist ministers approached Central Christian about the merger earlier this year, Ervin said, and the baptist congregation approved it two weeks ago.
While Central Christian will use its own pastor to oversee the location, Orchard Valley’s ministers will retain an active role with the congregation, he said.
Orchard Valley “wanted access to the experience and resources that Central Christian has to offer to reach out to the surrounding area,” Ervin said.
The support groups and outreach programs that Central Christian operates will be available at the northeast campus, he said.
In addition to its headquarters at U.S. 95 and Russell Road in Henderson, Central Christian operates satellite campuses at high schools in Summerlin and the southwest part of the valley. It also offers an online campus at www.centralchristian.com. The northeast campus marks the first time that Central Christian will expand into a church-owned building.
“It’s an exciting time,” Ervin said.
All of the satellite campuses show recorded teachings given at the main campus, and the plan is the same for the northeast campus, Ervin said.
Ervin said Central Christian shows 4,040 people on its rolls from the 89142 ZIP code, which is where Orchard Valley is located.
Neighbors shouldn’t worry about the site being overwhelmed when it opens, he said, because past experience with the other satellite locations shows that 10 to 15 percent of church members within the surrounding area choose to go to the satellite site, while the rest continue to travel to the main campus in Henderson.
With that in mind, he said, he’s expecting about 500 people to attend the northeast campus’ three services each Sunday.
Growth at the satellite meetings usually comes as church members reach out to non-churchgoing friends and family members, he said.
“If they live in the northeast part of the valley and they’re not plugged into a church and haven’t found a place where they feel comfortable, keep an eye out for us,” Ervin said.
Too bad this "megachurch" only gets bigger, probably because of its watered down gospel message and because "its ok not to be ok". I'm sure the Lord is thrilled with this place, where people come in looking like they just came from the beach in shorts and tank tops, don't even bother to take off their baseball caps while inside and just could not possibly go a whole hour and twenty minute service without drinking coffee and eating doughnuts. I guess if they preached fire and brimstone, the way Christians are supposed to, that would drive attendance way down. Last time I checked the bible says that all who live Godly in Christ Jesus WILL suffer persecution. Sorry, but I don't think this applies here, because Central is more interested in coddling the congregation, and telling them what they want to hear instead of what they need to hear. People please take my advice and steer clear of these megachurches and get involved in a true Christian church where the full gospel is preached.
Fantastic. Central is a great church and the expansion will allow folks in that area to save some time and gas but continue to worship locally.
There are a lot of churches with different approaches and presentations. As long as the Bible is taught and Jesus is centered, they have the same goal.
Do they serve Crispy Creme Donuts? They will have a large ante room near the main entrance foyer so people can check their brains and pick-up their crayons upon entering. The more popular something is, the worse it is. McChurch anyone?
"Jesus says to love ones enemies, so you must love and forgive Osama Bin Ladin." "Hey, where's everyone going?" "Come Back!" "Have another donut!"
just shows that there are A LOT of dumb people out there to still believe in this nonsense.
It's obvious none of you have ever visited one of the campuses, or you would know that the above comments are COMPLETELY untrue. Or if you have, you were too focused on what YOU thought church should be; the fact that Central does not line up with that convinces you that everything they do is wrong. How ridiculous is THAT!?
The reason Central is growing faster than any other church is because they are willing to do things and reach out to the people that most other churches would shun because they don't look like a Christian should, with their "shorts and tank tops and baseball caps". Who are you to decide how God is pleased? From your comments, I assure you because of what the Bible teaches, He is not pleased with your attitudes.
I was invited to Central by a friend and I called Central my home for 2 yrs.
I eccepted Jesus in to my heart at Central.
as my faith grew I had diffrent needs, and found a new church (bible teaching church) where I have learned so much!!!
I got Babtize and 2 of my childern know the Lord.
God will lead you where you should go.
We all need to pray for the pastors at Central that the lord may lead them to preach his word the way GOD wants them to.
Thank you,