The Maundy Thursday service was a re-enactment of the last meal that Jesus shared with his disciples during his time on earth.

Central members portrayed the 12 disciples with Dr. Michael Raines in the role of Jesus..

Senior Co-Pastors Drs. Steve and Debbie Chisolm narrated the drama.

The word “disciple” refers to a learner or follower. The word “apostle” means one who is sent on a mission. According to the gospel, the12 men who followed Jesus were called his disciples while he was on earth. After his resurrection, Jesus sent the 12 followers out to be his witness and they became known as apostles. However, the words “disciple” and “apostle” were used somewhat interchangeably. 

“The 12 disciples were ordinary men who God used in an extraordinary manner,” Dr. Debbie Chisolm said.

“Among the 12 men were fishermen, a tax collector and a revolutionary,” Chisolm said. “And the Gospels record the constant failings, struggles and doubts of the 12 men,” she added.

The 12 disciples’ names were Simon, who is called Peter, his brother Andrew, James (son of Zebedee), his brother John, Phillip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot.

When the day of Passover came, Jesus told Peter and John to prepare the food so he and the disciples could share the meal.

The two men asked Jesus where they should gather to eat. 

Jesus told them to go into the city and look for a man carrying a water jug. Follow him home and speak to the owner of the house, explaining that the teacher wants to use the guest room to eat the Passover meal with his disciples.

The guest room was a spacious, second-story room, swept and ready. Peter and John prepared the meal of lamb, matzoth bread, a salad of bitter herbs and a bowl of vinegar for dipping the leaves. Finally, the men prepared charoseth, a dish of almonds, figs, dates, wine and cinnamon. Red wine was made ready for the feast.

In the dramatic re-enactment of “The Living Last Supper,” Central members and guests were seated in the “upstairs room” and watched as the two disciples prepared the meal.  As the remaining 10 disciples entered the room, they greeted one another. Finally, Jesus entered and the men sat down around the table to share the Passover. 

Following the narrative and communion, the congregation gathered in the church fellowship hall to share a supper of kibbeh, tabbouleh, charoseth, rice with vermicelli, cheeses with herbs and honey, hummus, pita, olives, grapes, figs, and nuts.

Central Christian Church is located at 4711 Westside Dr. just off Mockingbird Lane.  It is home to a day program for adults with disabilities, a community dog park, the DallasSummerMusicalAcademy workshop and it supports many outreach programs within the community.

Worship is at 11 a.m. on Sunday.  There is plenty of seating and plenty of parking.  Join Central Easter Sunday.  All are welcome.

Friends, family and community business leaders gathered in the Meditation Garden at Central Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) yesterday afternoon to dedicate the revitalization of the church’s Meditation Garden.  The garden was in need of some new life. 

Highland Park High School Freshman, Nathan Smith, chose the garden for his Eagle Scout project.  Smith, with the guidance of Troop 70 Eagle Project Advisor John Shipes,  and help from fellow Troop members, cleaned and weeded the garden and installed a raised vegetable garden. They also turned a large bed that lines an atrium of floor to ceiling windows of the church into a nature garden that will attract butterflies.

After all this work, who will tend the garden? 

Connecting Point of Park Cities, a day habilitation program for young adults with disabilities is housed in the educational building of Central.  Known as “teammates,” each day the participants learn life skills such as current events, telling time, shopping and preparing simple meals to enable them to live an independent life.

They will tend and harvest the garden—a new life skill.

Smith’s multi-faceted Eagle Scout Project clearly resulted in meeting the needs of several organizations.

After the ceremony, guests enjoyed a huge cake beautifully decorated with the Connecting Point logo, and donated by Society Bakery, lemonade and seed packets for take-home favors.

Smith thanked everyone who had helped and supported the project and then presented Connecting Point director Jamie Reynolds with a big bucket of garden tools.

“Now let’s have a piece of this ‘ginormous’ cake,” Smith said.  

Central Christian Church is located at 4711 Westside Dr. just off Mockingbird Lane.  

Worship is at 11 a.m. Sunday mornings and all are welcome.  

Nathan Smith, a member of the Boy Scouts of America, headed up the convergence of several organizations to meet the needs of the community for his Eagle Scout project.

Smith, a freshman at Highland Park High School along with other members of Troop 70 gave the meditation garden at Central Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) a spring sprucing and facelift last Saturday in preparation for tending by the teammates of Connecting Point of Park Cities (CPPC).

“Nathan's grandfather, Tie Davis, who passed away in 2010 was an Eagle Scout with Troop 70 in 1944.  It means a lot to Nathan to follow in his grandfather's footsteps to earn his Eagle rank with Troop 70,” Smith’s mother, Madeleine Smith said 

CPPC is a nonprofit day habilitation program for adults with disabilities.  It opened its door on June 24, 2014 in the educational building of Central Christian Church located at 4711 Westside Dr.

The participants in the habilitation program, known as “teammates,” spend their days learning life skills such as current events, telling time and preparing simple meals to enable them to live an independent life.

Thanks to Smith and Troop 70, the teammates now have a garden to grow and tend. 

The Scouts installed a raised garden and with the help of the teammates, they planted carrots, lettuce and other vegetables.  The teammates will tend the garden, watch it grow and eventually reap its harvest.

Troop 70  also turned a large bed that lines an atrium of floor to ceiling windows of the church  into a butterfly garden, planting  both host and nectar herbs.

The project allows Smith to earn his Eagle Scout rank, the Connecting Point teammates to learn a new life skill and members of Central to meditate and look out upon a beautiful garden.

It was a winning situation for everyone involved.

The community is invited to a dedication ceremony on March 24, 2015 at 4:30 p.m. in the Meditation Garden.

Central is a church that reaches out to the community, offering its members many volunteer opportunities. Besides Connecting Point of Park Cities, it is home to a community dog park and is currently used by a YMCA gymnastic class and The Dallas Summer Musicals drama workshop.  The congregation is warm and welcoming. Sunday worship is at 11 a.m.

For upcoming events and Holy Week worship visit www.cccdt.org and click on Facebook. .

Central Christian Church loves being a part of Dallas’ art community and last Saturday “center stage” at Central was the Dallas Summer Musicals Academy Improv Group. 

Central Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is often known around town as the church with the dog park.  It is also the church with a stage.

 The original church was founded in 1863 and is the oldest continuously operating Protestant church in Dallas.  The “new building” was erected at 4711 Westside Dr. in 1953 and a few years later the addition of the educational building and fellowship hall included a fully operational stage with curtain and lights.

Part of Central’s community outreach was the production of live performances on the stage.  In the mid 1990’s Central member, the late Ed DeLatte, formed “The Westside Players” and the troupe performed numerous plays such as “Our Town,” “On Golden Pond,” “Joyful Noise” and “Annie”: to name a few.   

Prior to Saturday evening’s Improv recital, academy kids rehearsed at the church for their upcoming show “Xanadu Jurnior.”

The show will be performed on May 16 at the Uptown Theater in Grand Prairie, Texas.

For more information about the academy contact Kevin Cook, Director of the Academy at kcook@dallassummermusicals or Production Stage Manager, Ty Lawrence at tlawrence@dallassummermusicals.org.

Central has a long history with theater and this summer, along with the Dallas Summer Musical Academy, the church will host an acting camp for kids.  For information contact the church office at 214-526-7291

Dr. Mary Anne Reed of the Perkins School of Theology held a seminary workshop, “Soul Stages and & Changes” at Central Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) this past Saturday. The workshop, held on Valentine’s Day was a gift to Central members to help them love themselves by loving their soul.

Reed received her Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Therapy from Texas Woman's University and has maintained a private practice as a counselor, consultant and educator in the Dallas area for 20 years. She is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the state of Texas and holds Clinical membership in the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy. She is also a member of The Institute of Noetic Studies and The Association for Transpersonal Psychology. “Noetic” comes from the Greek word “nous,” which means intuitive mind or inner knowing.

Whatever one’s concerns or phase in life, Reed works with individuals to help them discover the resources, capacities and wisdom they already possess. The approach is both practical and deeply challenging using interactive exercises.

At the workshop, small groups of four or five people remembered and shared with each other those individuals who had been their spiritual mentors.  Using simple art supplies they created a life map.  Later in the day, they discussed the stages of faith development and set intentions for future growth.

During a lunch break the group enjoyed homemade tortilla soup, prepared by Central’s Senior Co-Pastor, Dr. Debbie Chisolm

Central Christian Church is located at 4711 Westside Dr., just off Mockingbird Lane.

The church is also home to Connecting Point of Park Cities, a habilitation day program for adults with disabilities and to CentralDogPark, a community dog park. 

Involved in the community, Central currently houses the Park Cities YMCA’s gymnastic and karate classes while their facility undergoes construction, provides space for a Dallas Summer Musical’s workshop and supports charities throughout the city. 

Worship is at 11 a.m. Sunday mornings.  Sermons are broadcast at 9 a.m. Sundays on WRR (101.1 FM).  Visit the website at www.cccdt.org. or better yet, visit the church.  All are welcome!