We know going to a new church for the first time can be intimidating—so we want to let you know what to expect to help make your first experience at Central a great one!
Our greatest desire is for all people to be able to worship freely in God’s presence at all of our services!
Worship Center
Get ready to engage in praise songs and worship ballads led by passionate singers, a band, and occasionally an orchestra and choir! The worship experience is full of sound, singing, and creativity!
During the 9AM service we keep the volume a little lower, at 10:45AM we tend to turn it up bit (usually the coffee has kicked in by then).
Central Online
Not able to attend in person? Join us online! Hosts are ready to chat, pray, and connect with you while joining the services in the Worship Center.
WHAT’S THE SERVICE LIKE?
In total, our services are about 75 minutes. Sundays are not always the same, but they often begin with the band leading us in music—song lyrics will be up on the screens so you can sing along, or engage in worship however you feel comfortable. After that, one of our pastors will share an encouraging and hope-filled message from the Bible.
We don’t want things to stop there—after the service be sure to stop by Central Connect in the main lobby. Just look for the big blue signs right next to the Info Desk. There we can answer any questions you have, get you connected to next steps, and get you a free gift!
Gather with some great people in our Legacy Room (near Entrance I off the lobby) to sing traditional well-known hymns and chorus’. Musically this service features an organ, piano, and sometimes a small orchestra joins the experience. The sermon is then piped in from the worship center, so you’ll hear the same message, while being in a space that caters to sensitivity of sound.
PARKING
Worship Center – We recommend parking near our Worship Center East entrance, Entrance A, if you do not plan to have children participating in Central Kids. There, we have guest parking reserved for YOU! Entering through this entrance will take you directly to our main lobby.
Legacy Room – If you are planning to attend Legacy 9:09, you will want to park at Entrance I, (look for the white overhang on the West side of the building).
Families with kids ages birth to 5th grade – If you have children that will be participating in our Central Kids programming, it will be easiest for you to park at Entrance D (just look for the 3 story glass windows) which will lead you directly to our Central Kids check-in lobby.
Valet Parking is available at Entrance I
On Sundays, our Valet Team is ready to bless you by parking your car and will be there after the service to return your car to you! Valet available 8:40-9AM, 10-11A, 12-12:30PM each Sunday near Entrance I which you can find by following the signs to Worship Center West and looking for the large overhead awning.
The Gathering Grounds is our coffee and hangout space. It is the perfect place to grab a snack and a hot or a cold drink and a simple meal. The Gathering Grounds is open during the week with free Wi-Fi, so you can get your work done or catch up with friends.
GATHERING GROUNDS CAFE HOURS
Mon - Thur • 9AM - 2PM
Fri • CLOSED
Sat • 9AM - 2PM
Sun • 8AM - 12:30PM
We know Central has a big church building, but we want to make your experience here a great one!
Here is a list of entrances to a variety of different locations throughout our campus:
Worship Center • Plan to use Entrance A or I
Balcony • Please us Entrance A for easy access to the elevator and stares
Central Kids • Plan to use Entrance D
Legacy 9:09 • Entrance I is best for you!
Note: Valet parking is available at Entrance I
Have questions before you arrive?
Send us an email at hello@centralholland.org
Prefer phone? Leave us a message at 616.392.7083 and one of our team members will get back to you as soon as we can.
FAQ
We are excited about our Christmas At The Movies series in December! You do not need tickets or seat reservations to attend our services. Our December series is all about how the story of Christ’s birth can be seen throughout secular Christmas movies. Favorite holiday movie clips will be played to help give context to each speaker’s message of Christmas hope + life.
We want to continue to share Hope + Life to ALL people, so wearing a mask is not required or discouraged here at Central. Each staff member and volunteer will welcome you whether you choose to wear a mask or not.
Yes! You can find us live online or on Facebook on Sunday mornings during both our 9 & 10:45AM services. If you miss a service, you can also find our archive on our website or Vimeo Channel.
3 MONTHS-5TH GRADE We believe that kids should have a blast at church every single week, and at Central Kids, we make this a priority. The other thing we make a priority is your child(ren)’s safety. Because of that, we have a detailed check-in process for our Central Kids program the first time you visit. You’ll want to leave yourself an extra ten minutes to get signed in for the Central Kids experience. Central Kids is offered for kids ages 3 months through 5th Grade. All volunteers go through background checks and our classroom leaders are well trained to care for your kids. You can learn more at centralholland.org/kids.
Due to physical distance guidelines, along with additional health and safety precautions, Central Kids programming is currently open for children ages 3 (birthdate before September 1,2017) - 5th grade. You can learn more about our gathering plan at centralholland.org/kids. Our toddler and nursery programming will not be available at this time.
6TH-8TH GRADE IGNITE is the best place to be if you are a middle schooler! IGNITE is an environment specially tailored to help students sort it all out. With a dynamic worship experience—complete with a live band, inspirational speakers, heartfelt small group discussions and the once a month Small group Sunday—students explore their relationship with Jesus and how that can influence every decision they make! Learn more at centralholland.org/ignite
9TH-12TH GRADE FUEL is specifically for high school students that meets Wednesday nights. It's a place for us to gather together and experience God in a fresh and relevant way. Each week we leave room for high energy hang outs, passion filled worship led with FUEL students, receive a Word engaging God and our lives, and then we break out into small groups to free to share what's new, prayer needs, and build genuine community. Learn more at centralholland.org/fuel
We have quite a mixture of people at Central. Our congregation truly spans the ages, from newborns to folks in their 80s. You’ll find just about every type of person here – married, single, divorced, widowed – professionals, workers, retired – life-long Holland residents and those who have just recently moved to the area.
When you walk in on Sunday's, you can probably find someone dressed the way you are. Central is a pretty informal bunch…so if you are comfortable in jeans and a sweatshirt, that's great! If you prefer to "dress up" that is fine too. Whatever works for you!
In total, our services are about 75 minutes in length. Sundays are not always the same, but they often begin with the band leading the church in music—song lyrics will be up on the screens so you can sing along and engage with worship however you feel comfortable. After that one of our pastors will come out to share an encouraging and hope-filled message from the Bible.
Worship Center • Plan to use Entrance A or I
Balcony • Please use Entrance A for easy access to the elevator and stairs
Central Kids • Plan to use Entrance D
Legacy 9:09 • Entrance G is best for you!
Note, valet parking is paused temporarily.
At Central, we exist to Amplify the Hope + Life of Jesus to all people. We do this by being...
WITH GOD
We are committed to developing personal and corporate habits for a dynamic relationship with God. We emphasize prayer and the study of the Scriptures as critical habits that help us discern the plans and purposes of God for our lives.
IN COMMUNITY
We desire to cultivate relationships where care, challenge and celebration occur. We emphasize living life as one faith family in the all together–worship services–and the small together–community groups.
ON MISSION
We pursue opportunities to holistically care for the needs of our world. As a local church, we are called to actively participate in the mission of God. We have been blessed with an incredible facility that welcomes many each week, however we deeply believe God measures His church not by how many we seat rather by how many we send.
We believe in one God, who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and the Savior of all who put their faith in Him alone for eternal life.
We believe that those who are made new in Christ are called to be holy in character and conduct, and can only live this way by being filled with the Lord’s Spirit. We believe in the Bible and its sufficiency to establish our faith and conduct. We believe God wills for people everywhere to know Him and be made new in Christ. We believe that the purpose of the Church is to worship God in spirit and in truth, and to reach a lost and fallen world with the gospel of Jesus Christ through its worship, witness, and loving deeds.
You can read more about our beliefs and core values as a Wesleyan Church at wesleyan.org/about/our-beliefs
There are multiple ways to give, and each option is safe and secure.
- Give online at centralholland.org/give and simply click the set up a new gift, or give as a guest.
- Give in person. Drop your offering into the giving kiosk when you arrive or leave at Entrances A and I.
- Give by mail to Central Wesleyan Church, 446 W. 40th Street, Holland, MI 49423
We are a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and we believe in being transparent about the generous gifts given to us. We list our approved budget and audited financial statements every year at centralholland.org/budget. We are also part of a family of churches called Water's Edge. You can view our most recent Annual Report at watersedge.org/annualreport
The Gathering Grounds is our coffee shop, located between the Worship Center and the Holland Playland—right inside our facility! Warm up with a cup of coffee, tea, or latté and pastry. During the week the Cafe serves wraps, salads, baked goods...and features a kids menu!
Hours:
Sundays • 8AM-12:30PM
Monday • Thursdays, 9AM-2PM
Saturday • 9AM–2PM
FOR HEALTH & SAFTEY THE PLAYLAND IS CURRENTLY PAUSED
The Playland is a 3 story indoor playground located inside of Central's facility. This free resource is a great place to bring your kids to play while you enjoy coffee or a good book in our safe and secure area. Learn more about the Playland at hollandplayland.org.
At Central, we are part of a family of churches committed to amplifying the hope and life of Jesus. We believe all mission is local, so we equip local leaders around the world. Learn more at watersedge.org.
Central will cancel activities for weather or other conditions. If you’re wondering what our policy is, continue reading below. We post any cancelations on our website and through our social media .
Cancelations in the event of inclement weather: All weekday morning activities (from opening to 4PM) at Central Wesleyan Church will automatically be canceled if Holland Public Schools close due to weather-related conditions.
The cancelation team will make the call to cancel afternoon, evening, and weekend activities by 2PM. If there is a travel advisory, all scheduled events will be allowed to take place. The cancelation team will be responsible for monitoring for changing conditions. If there is an Ottawa/Allegan County or a Michigan State Police Travel Ban, all scheduled events will be canceled during the travel ban.
Sunday services will be held regardless of weather and will only be canceled under extreme and unusual conditions. It is imperative that each attendee evaluate if travel is safe for his or her own situation.
Check the following locations for cancelations:
Online at centralholland.org
Call us at 616.392.7083
WOODTV (8), WZZM (13)
Your safety is a high priority for our leadership. We have a security team made up of uniformed security officers as well as unmarked medical and security volunteers. We also have security cameras located throughout our building. You may on occasion also see a uniformed police officer on our grounds. Do not be alarmed if you see an officer, we like to have a regular presence with our local police force.
Two great ways to get connected are by serving and joining a small group!
We have many ways for you to serve right here at Central! No matter how much time you have to give, there's a place for you. Learn more about some of our opportunities at watersedge.org/serve.
Life is not meant to be done alone. You were designed to be a part of a church family, and that’s exactly what Central is intended to be—your family. A healthy family has common beliefs, purposes, and commitment. We'd love want to share with you what we believe, where we’re going, and what we're pursuing. If you're interested in becoming a member, we invite you to attend our next Discover Central.
Nope! We believe in open communion—that means anyone who believes in Jesus Christ is welcome to take communion, whether they are a church member or not.
The absolute best way to stay in the loop is by signing up for our eWeekly email! We jam-pack it full with what is coming up on Sunday (including speaker, worship setlist, and more) as well as what events and opportunities are coming up. We also send major announcements or updates to that list as well. You can sign up at centralholland.org/eWeekly
Another great way to stay in the conversation all week long is by following us on Instagram or Facebook. While you're on our Facebook page, be sure to ask to join our Facebook Group!
We'd love to connect! You can call our offices at 616.392.7083 or email us at hello@centralholland.org.
Another great way to stay in the conversation all week long is by following us on Instagram or Facebook. While you’re on our Facebook page, be sure to ask to join our Facebook Group!
Stay in touch
Sign up to receive the eWeekly