Saturday and Sunday are shaping up to be one of the most exciting weekends we have had in a long time at Church of the Messiah.

On Saturday, we will have our annual community Fish Fry!  Beginning at 11:30, Earl Shimp and his highly trained crew of sous chefs will be frying up some of the very best local fish the First Coast has to offer.  Bring either a side dish or a dessert to share and Church of the Messiah will provide the fish, tartar sauce, and appropriate goodies!  Janice Paysinger is coordinating this event and can use some help.  You can e-mail her or call her directly at 904-703-9866.  The Fish Fry will run from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm and will be in Showalter Hall, the fellowship hall of Ft. Caroline Presbyterian Church, the same location where we had our Epiphany Dinner.  We will also be joined this year by the bishop of Florida, Bp. David Simpson.

Then, on Sunday morning, we will have one of the most powerful services of the Summer!  Bishop Simpson will join us on his annual episcopal visit to consecrate and dedicate our new building, preach the anointed word of God, Confirm two new members, and celebrate the Holy Eucharist with us!  Although we have been in our building for close to nine months now, we have yet to have an opportunity for our bishop to come and formally set apart the place to the glory of God and impart an apostolic blessing upon it.  Similarly, the Sacrament of Confirmation is a convergence sacrament wherein the recipients make a mature profession of their faith, receive an impartation of the Holy Spirit, and receive the Bishop’s blessing to minister in the Church.  This will be a very exciting service for everyone involved.  The service begins at 10 o’clock and will begin in the hallway of the church so that we may process in together and begin the process of dedicating the consecrating the building together!