John 15:4-5 says, Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
 It is Jeff’s deep conviction and belief that worshiping God in Spirit and in Truth(John 4:23) is only possible through a genuine intimate relationship with God built on abiding in Him by reading His Word, and open, honest communication with Him through prayer.  The desire and calling to encourage his fellow brothers and sisters in Christ in this is often reflected in the songs he writes, the conversations he has in spontaneous discipleship opportunities, teaching (“His Word in the words”) in the ensembles he directs and in his beloved small group that he leads weekly. In 2016 Jeff  joined the Central staff as Minister of Worship and Creative Arts bringing with him over 25 years of music experience including worship leading, ensemble directing, teaching and professional songwriting and production experience.  In January 2020 he transitioned to serve as full time Director of Central Arts Academy. Jeff earned his Mus.B. in Music Education from Five Towns College in Dix Hills, NY. He and his wife Corinne have two sons, David and Ben.  Jeff enjoys time with God, family, playing various instruments, basketball and “Ben & Jerry’s” Chunky Monkey.

Elizabeth Heeren is excited to join the team of teachers here at Central Academy of the Arts! Elizabeth has been teaching music to students of all ages (5-85) for over 30
years. She received a bachelor's degree in music from San Francisco State University, and a
Master's of music from USC. Elizabeth believe’s music is a way for us to connect to the heart of God. God created music to show His beauty, and when we make or listen to music, we have a little taste of heaven! She believes that since He was gracious enough to give her gifts in this area, she is thrilled to be able to pass on knowledge and encouragement to her piano and flute students. Additionally, she has spent many years performing music. This includes eleven years as principal flute for Symphony Pro Musica outside of Boston, second flute for Temple Symphony in Texas for eighteen years, and a current position as principal flute for Raleigh Community Orchestra. Elizabeth has been privileged to share her gifts in numerous churches with orchestra, choir, by leading praise teams and working with children and teens. Her philosophy of teaching is based on instilling the joy of music into each student. She is able to be flexible and gear the lessons to the needs and wishes of the student. Elizabeth makes sure everyone works on the basics, but always includes time spent on music that inspires the student. She is patient with those who have difficulty, but challenges those who can handle it. And a fun fact about her is: She loves being creative with fabric. At any moment you might see her making a little dress for her 2 year old grandchild, making a quilt for a new baby, or making a couture dress for her oldest daughter for a performance.

Eli Erikson has been immersed in the world of music for 13 years. Over the past three, he's had the privilege of sharing his passion as a music instructor. Eli's mission is to spread the joy of Jesus through music education and to help others embrace and cultivate the God-given gift of music within them.
When Eli's not teaching or playing, you'll find him on the NC State campus, where he's pursuing an engineering degree. In those rare moments of leisure, you'll catch him playing volleyball with friends, on a roadtrip with his family, or devouring the worlds’ best Orange Chicken from Golden Dragon