He may be the youngest retiree at Church of the Messiah, but it is true: Ethan Abbott has retired!  After twenty years of service in the United Stated Navy, Ethan retired on Thursday, August 29, 2013.  Ethan joined the Navy in 1993, the same year he graduated high school.  Having trained at Great Lakes, IL, Millington, TN, and Jacksonville, FL, Ethan reported for his first sea tour at Naval Air Station Widbey Island, WA, in 1995.  While stationed there he earned his Enlisted Aviation Warfare Specialist, qualified as a Microminiature Electronic Repair Technician and was advanced to Second Class Petty Officer.

In October of 1999, he reported for overseas duty at Naval Air Station, Puerto Rico. During this tour he served as work center supervisor and Avionics Quality Assurance Representative. He also completed an Associates Degree with Central Texas College.   In October of 2002, he reported for sea duty at Kaneohe Bay, HI. While checking in he learned that he had been advanced to First Class Petty Officer. During this tour he served as work center Leading Petty Officer (LPO) and Quality Assurance Representative (QAR). While attached to that squadron, Ethan made considerable contributions to the War on Terror, deploying multiple times to Iraq, Afghanistan, and other locations around the world.

In November of 2006, he reported to Naval Air Station Patuxent River, MD for his first shore duty. He was the Integrated Logistics Support Project Team Lead for Special Projects Patrol Squadron Platforms. Ethan was responsible for ensuring the fleet had up to date and accurate technical manuals and accomplishing this qualified him as an Acquisition Logistics Specialist.

In July of 2010, he again reported to Jacksonville, FL, for training as a P-3 Systems Organizational Career Maintenance Technician. Ethan then proceeded to his final sea duty tour  serving as the Line Division LPO, Work center LPO, QAR, and Maintenance Admin/Training LPO. During his final tour in the Navy, Ethan was instrumental in the squadron’s transition from the P-3C Orion to the P-8A Poseidon, also completed his Bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering Technology from ECPI University.

We at Church of the Messiah already know that Ethan married his beautiful wife Peggy in 1995, and that together they have two wonderful sons: Orrin and Myles.  Join us all in congratulating Ethan and the Abbott family on a career well served in the United States Navy and thanking God Almighty for Ethan and the countless brave men and women like him who sacrifice of themselves every day so that we can enjoy the blessing of liberty.  Thank you, Ethan, and may God bless you and reward you for your service.

The Ladies from Church of the Messiah Gathering Together to Bless Hollie Soward

First, we received word on Friday that our building permit process for the renovations to the sanctuary space on University Club Blvd is now showing as “under review” and that David Monk is ready to move forward with the demolition portion of our job.  He will be mobilizing his team from ShayCore Enterprises and begin preparing the job on Tuesday.  He currently plans to start the demolition work either Wednesday or Thursday of this week!  Also this week, our resident interior designer, Brooke Shimp, will be helping us with color scheme suggestions.  Things are really beginning to come together in our new home!

Secondly, WE HAVE MOVED! Saturday morning a dozen of our mighty men gathered at our old office building and emptied the place out.  There were five ladies there to help them along, but, when all was said and done, everything from our old offices was moved into our new home on University Club Blvd.  It did take the better part of seven hours, a full moving van, several packed out trucks and vans, and one trip to the emergency room, but by God’s grace, everything was moved and it did not rain until the last box was inside.  May God pour out a special blessing on all those who showed up to help that day and heal them of all their stiff joints and sore muscles (and concussion)!

Thankfully, what we believe is the ONLY picture of “The Great Office Move of August 30th”

Third, while that was going on, ten ladies from Church of the Messiah gathered together to bless Hollie Soward with a baby shower.  Hollie was very blessed to have her church family shower gifts on her and baby Ashton (only a few weeks away now).  There was even something special there for big sister Aliyah as well.  There was amazing food and fellowship and opportunity to gather together as sisters in the body of Christ to anticipate and celebrate the expected gift of a new life into our family and congregation.

Finally, we gathered together to worship Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and to Celebrate His Resurrection on Sunday morning.  The sermon is available in our Sermon Library, by the way.  While many of us capped off the long weekend with an extra day of rest, there were still some stout-hearted volunteers back up at our new offices making ready for the offices to open next week.

All in all, it was an amazing weekend at Church of the Messiah.  By God’s grace, next week should be even more amazing!

Please add Hunter Black, the son of Dean and Kim Black to your prayer list.  After graduating from Robert E. Lee High School, Hunter enlisted in the Air Force.  He was forward deployed to Adana, Turkey and we received word this week that Hunter will be in deployed to Incirlik Air Force Base, which would most likely be “ground zero” in any military  interventions taken against Syria.  Please keep Hunter, the Black family, and all all servicemen and women in your prayers.  We will keep you updated as we receive more information.

This Saturday the women of Church of the Messiah are throwing a Baby Shower for Hollie Soward and Baby Ashton.  Hollie is due on September 13th, so Ashton’s arrival is only a few weeks away.  Hollie and Ashton (and Dad Aaron and Big Sis Aliyah) are registered at Target, and have asked especially for 3-6 months baby clothes, diapers and wipes, receiving blankets, bibs, and gift cards to Target and Publix. The party begins at 10:30am at the home of Lizz Looker (Click HERE for a map.  Fr. Scott lives there too, but he won’t be there.)  If you would like to bring a dish to the shower, please contact Lizz at 904-424-8622.  So this Saturday, while the men are working away at moving the offices, join the ladies and Hollie as they celebrate Ashton’s arrival in just a few weeks!

CALLING ALL MIGHTY MEN OF GOD–or anyone else with a truck or a van for that matter!  This Saturday, Church of the Messiah is moving our offices to our New Building.  In order to make the move, we need some folks with good strong backs to show up on Saturday morning at 8:00am and start unloading the old office.  We have rented a small moving van and have dollies and carts.  There is an elevator and a nice ramp outside the office, but we can use all of the help that we can get.  Many hands make light work and many vans and trucks make fewer trips!  We will meet at the OLD office at 8:00am (click HERE for a map). If you cannot make it until later call Fr. David at 904-860-9224 or Fr. Scott at 904-424-8597 to find out where we are and meet up with us.  We will unload at the NEW office (click HERE for a map) where will have lunch provided afterwards! We look forward to seeing all of the men of Church of the Messiah (and any of the friends they can gather together) on Saturday morning.

The Rector’s Council wants to make sure that everyone in the congregation is completely up to date on all of the renovations going on with our new building.  With that in mind we are making these updates available.

Since we signed the lease with Ft. Caroline Presbyterian Church we received bids from two different companies to renovate the sanctuary.  ShayCore Enterprises Inc., a company partly owned by long-time friend of Church of the Messiah David Monk,  was the successful bidder and the Rector’s Council has accepted their proposal to renovate the sanctuary space.

This past Sunday Ft. Caroline Presbyterian Church’s leadership agreed to all of the changes we intend to make to the building and notified us on Monday of their approval.  This week, we began the process of pulling together all of the permits and gathering all of the required signatures.  Friday, August 23, we expect the permits to be submitted to the city.  It should take about one week for the city to officially put the permits “under review.”  Once the plans are under review David Monk and his team from ShayCore can begin the needed demolition within the room prior to renovating the sanctuary space.  If everything goes off with out any problems, we anticipate a six-week construction build-out which will put us into our new sanctuary in late October.  The Rector’s Council remains committed to keeping you informed and we will let you know as soon as we have any new information.  Please pray for favor with the city and that everything goes smoothly and according to plans and projections with the demolition and construction.

With our departure only a few weeks away, Jacksonville University has been gracious enough to allow us to worship in the Gooding Auditorium one last time before we head to our new location.  This Sunday, everything will be exactly the same except that we will be in the Gooding Auditorium instead of the regular chapel (Click HERE for a map.  Park in “Lot A”).  Sunday services still begin at 10:30am.  The Rector’s Council will still gather to pray at 9:30am and the entire congregation is still welcome to join in that prayer time.  This is not an inconvenience.  This is an opportunity sanctify a place at JU and make the Gooding Auditorium a “Thin Place” because it has been a place where Christians have pushed hard towards the Lord.  It’s not an inconvenience; it’s an opportunity!

Also, don’t forget, this Saturday is our TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY Founders’ Day Celebration!

Saturday, August 24, is a major milestone in the life of Church of the Messiah.  It will be our TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY as Church Body and we will take time out and celebrate our Founders’ Day!  The Party will be from 11am until 2:30pm at the Woods Community Clubhouse (Click HERE for a map).  The Church is going to provide Bar-b-Que, all you need to bring is a side or a dessert to share.  We will need a few people to show up early and help set up and some generous souls to help us clean up, of course.  Don’t forget that there is an amazing playground right there by the clubhouse, so it is a great family-friendly environment!  Invite your friends and join us in celebrating TWO DECADES as a church body that God has called to worship Him together!

This Sunday, after Church, the Youth Group will be taking orders for “Pasta Catarina”–stuffed cheese tortellini with meatballs in a creamy rose sauce!  It’s named that because we will be delivering it on August 25, Catherine Looker’s birthday!  This pasta sale has a two-fold purpose: first, the Youth Group is raising funds to pay for our September trip to Night of Joy.  Secondly, we are raising money to decorate and equip the new youth room in our new church!  The cost for each order is $10 and comes with a generous portion of pasta and a piece of garlic bread.  The meals will be delivered after Church on August 25.  We will take orders this Sunday after Church or you can e-mail Fr. Scott Looker by clicking this LINK.  Thank you for supporting Church of the Messiah’s Youth Group!

The August Ultreya is this Tuesday night at the home of Greg and Diane Looker (Click HERE for a map).  Dinner is pot-luck and begins at 6pm with the grouping beginning at 7pm.  We will conclude with the Holy Eucharist.  The Ultreya is open to anyone who has attended Tres Arroyos or any other three-day retreat along the lines of Cursillo, Walk to Emmaus, Awakenings, Lighthouse Via De Christo, etc…  Childcare not will be provided because our babysitter has a real job and it is her birthday.  Happy birthday, Meghan!