Christmas Giving Tree Supports EPS

Church of the Messiah will be supporting Emergency Pregnancy Services throughout the Christmas season this year with a Giving Tree. We have a Christmas tree in the foyer of the parish with ornaments that each have a need for new moms and new babies! You can take an ornament off the tree and we will be collecting the gifts at our Epiphany service in January. Some of the items EPS needs are baby wipes, baby shampoo, baby wash, baby lotion, diaper cream, newborn baby clothes, and maternity clothes size large, XL, XXL. If you are not part of our church and would like to help, just contact Lizz Looker and we will help make arrangements. Also if you are unable to get to a store, you can also donate on-line to Church of the Messiah and we will make sure that EPS receives all of the funds donated to them.
If you have not heard of Emergency Pregnancy Services before, EPS is a local pregnancy crisis center that supports women by providing free services such as pregnancy tests, proof of pregnancy, material goods, counseling, support and so much more. They have been serving the women of our community for over 45 years! Lizz Looker has had a long-standing relationship with EPS for over 13 years and was instrumental in helping open the Arlington branch of EPS when Fr. David was rector of Church of the Messiah.
Thank you for giving of yourself in this Christmas season to support those who are need.

Wednesday Night Services Resume This Week!

After a month-long Christmas vacation, Church of the Messiah will restart its Wednesday night services by observing the Feast of the Epiphany this Wednesday night, January 4th.  The evening begins with a soup supper starting at 6 o’clock.  We will have a variety of soups as well as a kid-friendly option for the younger diners.  The soup supper lasts from 6:00 to 6:45.   Beginning at 7 o’clock we will celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany, the occasion where the Magi from the East came and worshiped Our Lord by giving Him gifts of gold, Frankincense, and myrrh.  As part of the service this year, we are taking up a special offering for Emergency Pregnancy Services of Jacksonville, our local Pro-Life crisis pregnancy center.  To help support EPS, we are collecting size 4 and 5 diapers and any kind of formula.  There will also be a special offertory presentation at this service.  Our annual Epiphany service is always one of the highlights of the year.

As always, childcare is provided throughout the service for children younger than sixth grade.  This is a family-friendly service and we recognize that school starts back up the very next day so we commit to be finished by 8:30 so that everyone can head home and get ready for school and work at an appropriate hour.  Please join us this Wednesday night, beginning at 6 o’clock and be blessed as we worship the Lord.

Church of the Messiah’s Schedule throughout Epiphany

At Church of the Messiah we were incredibly blessed to celebrate Christmas together with the wonderful groups of people that gathered together on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  We are blessed to be part of a faith tradition that recognizes that the Season of Christmas begins–not ends–on Christmas Day and we look forward to celebrating Christmas for several more day until the Feast of the Epiphany on the Twelfth Day of Christmas.  With that in mind, we want to remind you of our Christmas Schedule throughout the Holiday Season.

The week of December 26-30 the parish office will be closed.  We will not be having a service on Wednesday night, January 28th.

We will have a special service Sunday morning, January 1st, at 10 o’clock.  This will be the Eighth Day of Christmas, the day on which Mary and Joseph gave their child His Divine name.  This is a special day in the Church, the Feast of the Holy Name.  On the first day of the week and the first day of the new year, we will hear about what that name means and what God calls us as well.

On Wednesday night, January 4th, we resume our Wednesday Nigh Soup Supper Services by observing the Feast of the Epiphany.  We will begin our soup supper at six o’clock with a variety of soups for the adults and food appropriate for younger children as well.  The service begins at seven o’clock and we will celebrate the Epiphany when the Magi brought their gifts to honor the Christ-Child.  This year we are taking up an offering for Emergency Pregnancy Services of Jacksonville, our local pro-life crisis pregnancy center.  They need size 4-5 diapers and formula of any kind.

Finally, on Friday, January 6th, we will have our Epiphany Fellowship Dinner at Blackfinn Ameripub in the St. John’s Town Center.  The cost is $22 per person as we gather and have our Christmas Fellowship at a time when we can all relax and enjoy each other’s company with the stress of the season almost behind us.  You may purchase your tickets by putting a check in the offering basket or by selecting “Epiphany Fellowship Dinner” when giving on-line.  This dinner will be an adults only event.

We wish you the merriest of Christmases and invite you to join us at all of these events as we celebrate the season together!

Church of the Messiah’s Christmas Schedule–Updated!

Christmas is almost upon us and we are so excited to once again celebrate the birth of our Messiah and Lord throughout the season.  Please join us on any or all of our Christmas services and events that we have scheduled throughout the season.

Christmas Eve, December 24th, at 7 pm We will have our family service with additional special activities and worship from our children and youth, a special children’s sermon as well as Christmas carols by candlelight.  This is a wonderful Church of the Messiah tradition.  Everyone is welcome and it is sure to be a fantastic time for all.  We have created a Facebook event for this service so that you can easily invite friends and loved one.  To find the event, simply click the bold, underlined letters above.

Christmas Day, December 25th, at 10 am We will absolutely gather Sunday morning and celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior on the Lord’s Day. Christmas Day services are also a tradition at Church of the Messiah and have been for many years.  The service is a slightly abbreviated service as we are all aware and mindful of family obligations on this day.  As with Christmas Eve, there is also a Facebook Event for this service.  To invite people to this event, click on the bold, underlined letters above.

The Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus, January 1st, at 10 am In Jewish tradition, children were named eight days after they were born so the “Eighth Day of Christmas” is a special holiday which we get to observe this year because it too falls on a Sunday.  Join us on the first day of the week and the first day of the year as we hear what God calls us and how we are called to live in 2017.

The Epiphany, January 4th, at 6 pm Our Wednesday night services resume with the observance of the Epiphany on Wednesday, January 4th.  The soup supper will begins at six o’clock and lasts until 6:45 and our Epiphany service begins at seven o’clock.  All throughout Advent we are collecting diapers (size 4 and 5) and formula (any type) for Emergency Pregnancy Services of Jacksonville so that, just like the Wise Men, blessed the Baby Jesus, we can bless our local pro-life crisis pregnancy center.  This will be an amazing night to be sure.

Christmas & Epiphany Fellowship Dinner, January 6th, at 6 pm We will be celebrating the close of the holiday season with a fellowship dinner at Blackfinn Ameripub in the St. John’s Town Center.  The cost will be $22 per guest to be paid to Church of the Messiah in advance, either by by giving a check on Sunday or by paying on-line.  Dinner will be served from menu of dinner options beginning at 6 o’clock.  This will be an adults only event.

 

Christmas Schedule for Church of the Messiah

Christmas is almost upon us and we are so excited to once again celebrate the birth of our Messiah and Lord throughout the season.  Please join us on any or all of our Christmas services and events that we have scheduled throughout the season.

Christmas Eve, December 24th, at 7 pm We will have our family service with a special activities and worship for the children as well as Christmas carols by candlelight.  This is a wonderful Church of the Messiah tradition.  Everyone is welcome and it is sure to be a fantastic time for all.

Christmas Day, December 25th, at 10 am We will absolutely gather Sunday morning and celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior on the Lord’s Day. Christmas Day services are also a tradition at Church of the Messiah and have been for many years.  The service is a slightly abbreviated service as we are all aware and mindful of family obligations on this day.

The Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus, January 1st, at 10 am In Jewish tradition, children were named eight days after they were born so the “Eighth Day of Christmas” is a special holiday which we get to observe this year because it too falls on a Sunday.  Join us on the first day of the week and the first day of the year as we hear what God calls us and how we are called to live in 2017.

The Epiphany, January 4th, at 6 pm Our Wednesday night services resume with the observance of the Epiphany on Wednesday, January 4th.  The soup supper will begins at six o’clock and lasts until 6:45 and our Epiphany service begins at seven o’clock.  All throughout Advent we are collecting diapers (size 4 and 5) and formula (any type) for Emergency Pregnancy Services of Jacksonville so that, just like the Wise Men, blessed the Baby Jesus, we can bless our local pro-life crisis pregnancy center.  This will be an amazing night to be sure.

Christmas & Epiphany Fellowship Dinner, January 6th, at 6 pm We will be celebrating the close of the holiday season with a fellowship dinner at Blackfinn Ameripub in the St. John’s Town Center.  The cost will be approximately $25 per guest to be paid to Church of the Messiah in advance.  More information will be available shortly.  This will be an adults only event.

 

Church of the Messiah to Host Baby Shower for Emergency Pregnancy Services

001 invite (1) (1)This Sunday, June 26th, Church of the Messiah’s Women’s Ministry will be hosting a Baby Shower honoring Emergency Pregnancy Services, from 1:30 to 2:30, at Secret Garden Cafe.  Please RSVP to Lizz Looker by Friday, June 24th.  EPS is especially in need of diaper bags, size 4 and 5 diapers, baby wipes, baby wash, diaper cream, and baby clothes sizes newborn through 2T.  Please come out to support this wonderful ministry which has been giving women in Jacksonville a Pro-Life alternative to abortion for over 35 years!

Celebrate Epiphany this Wednesday Night

Church of the Messiah will be celebrating the Feast of the Epiphany this Wednesday night, January 6th.  The Epiphany is the annual celebration which concludes the Twelve Days of Christmas and commemorates the Magi from East coming to adore the child Jesus.  This year, just as the Magi brought gifts for the child Jesus, we will be bringing diapers to support Emergency Pregnancy Services, our local pro-life crisis pregnancy center.  They are in need of diapers of all sizes, but especially sizes 4 and 5.  There will also be a special offertory to celebrate the feast.

There will be a soup-supper beginning at 6:15 and the service itself will begin at 7 o’clock.  There is no charge for the meal.  As school has resumed, we will conclude by 8:30 so that everyone can have plenty of time to prepare for school and work the next morning.  Childcare is provided during this service.  Please join us as we celebrate this incredible event in the life of Christ and the Church.

Loads of Love This Sunday May 4th

Loads of Love AnnouncementThis Sunday, May 4th, we will be bringing in a very special offering to support Emergency Pregnancy Services.  Sunday will be our annual “Loads of Love” offering where we will bring in a laundry basket, a pre-rolled roll of quarters, and a bottle of Dreft laundry detergent.  Dreft is a baby-safe brand of detergent; please do not substitute different brands.  This is a tremendous blessing to EPS for two reasons: first, many mothers have to do their laundry at laundromats and this offering enables them to do so; second, it helps the volunteers at EPS clean and sort the many generous donations of baby clothes which they receive so that they can provide them to needy children and mothers when they come in looking for clothes.  Your offering this weekend will be a excellent way to make sure that Christ is Risen in deed in many lives this Easter as people we may never meet will experience this blessing.