March for Life at Church of the Messiah

This week more than a dozen members of Church of the Messiah will be heading up to Washington, D.C., to join with CEC for Life and participate in the 47th Annual March for Life.  If you cannot make the trek to the frozen north, you can still participate in a series of events planned right here at Church of the Messiah.

On Thursday night, beginning at 7:00, we will have a night of pro-life intercession and prayer at Church of the Messiah.

On Friday morning, starting at 9 o’clock, we will participate in a silent prayer vigil at All Women’s Health Center at 1545 Huffingham Road (click HERE for a map.  Please park in the church parking lot or alongside the road.)

On Saturday morning, starting at 9 o’clock, we will be leading the Liturgy for the Pre-Born in front of All Women’s Health Center.  If you have never attended one of these liturgies, this will be a perfect opportunity to do so.

For more information on any of these services, please contact Casey Harlow or Fr. Scott Melanson.

In light of these scheduled event and our many youth who are traveling to Washington this week to participate in the March for Life, we are cancelling both Youth Group and our Adult Bible Study on Wednesday night, January 22nd.  This events will resume as normal on Wednesday, January 29th.

Major Changes Coming to Wednesday Night Services

Church of the Messiah is excited to announce that there will be major changes coming to our Wednesday night, mid-week services beginning this Wednesday night, November 6th.  The most significant change is that the Youth Group will be taking over Wednesday Nights.  The Youth will have the run of the service from 7 o’clock until 8:30 in the main sanctuary while everyone else attending church in the evening will be attending Bible studies elsewhere in the building.

When Church of the Messiah first relocated to our current location in 2013, we began having Wednesday night services which had previously been impossible while we were worshiping at Jacksonville University.  In 2018, Casey Harlow was appointed as the Youth Pastor of Church of the Messiah and our Youth Group began meeting during our regular mid-week services.  As our Youth Group has grown, however, fitting everything needed for a youth meeting, into the time we had previously allotted for the Youth simply became unmanageable.  After prayer, and in consensus with his Rector’s Council, Fr. Looker made the decision to cede the mid-week services entirely to the Youth Group.  This decision gives them triple the time that they previously had for their meetings and more than enough room to grow and thrive.

Those who are over eighteen are not left out in the cold.  We will be leading a series of Bible studies for those adults who are attending church on Wednesday night.  We will start off with Max Lucado’s Anxious for Nothing in the church conference room this Wednesday at seven o’clock.  It is not necessary to purchase anything to participate in the Bible Study, however, if you would like to do so, you may buy copies of the individual book by clicking this LINK.

We will still have childcare for children who are younger than fifth grade and we will still honor our commitment to be out by 8:30 so that everyone can get home in time to prepare for work and school the following morning.  While this means that Wednesday nights will not regularly be Eucharistic services, we will occasionally join with the youth in having special Eucharistic services.  The first of these services will be November 27th, when we celebrate Thanksgiving.

 

Celebrate the Ascension with a Night of Worship and Intercession

This Wednesday night, May 29th, Church of the Messiah will celebrate the Ascension of Our Lord with a night of praise & worship and intercession.  Forty days after Our Lord rose from the dead, He went out with His disciples to a mountain and ascended into Heaven.  This Wednesday night, Church of the Messiah will commemorate that event with a night of prayer and praise as we prepare our hearts for the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost in ten days (June 9th).  There will be prayer and praise all through the evening, culminating in the Holy Eucharist.  Childcare will be provided and the service will end at approximately 8:30 so that everyone can prepare for school and work the next morning in a timely manner.  For more information contact Fr. Scott Melanson or Cathie Shimp. This service will also be Church of the Messiah’s last Wednesday night service until school resumes in the Fall.  Be sure to attend and send Wednesday nights out with a blast.

Church of the Messiah to Hold Liturgy for the Pre-Born this Wednesday Night

This Wednesday, January 16th, beginning at 7 o’clock, Church of the Messiah will hold a Liturgy for the Pre-Born in place of our usual Wednesday night worship services.  The date for this liturgy was chosen in anticipation of the March for Life and the Feast of Our Lord and Giver of Life, both of which occur later on in the week.  Church of the Messiah has been holding the Liturgy for the Pre-Born on the last Saturday morning of every month since March of 2018, but those services have been outside A Woman’s Choice, one of Jacksonville’s local abortion clinics.  This Wednesday night people have an opportunity to experience the Liturgy for the Pre-Born at Church of the Messiah.  The Liturgy for the Pre-Born was developed by Fr. Terry Gensemer, Executive Director of CEC for Life and longtime friend of Church of the Messiah, who based the service on the service of Last Rites and intended the Liturgy to be both prayers to bring and end to abortion and memorial prayers for those children murdered by abortion who have no one to mourn or pray for them.  The Liturgy for the Pre-Born this Wednesday night will also include a time of praise and worship as well as the Holy Eucharist, two elements which are not logistically possible outside on the sidewalk.  Childcare will be provided although our Youth Group will participate in the Liturgy for the Pre-Born.  We encourage everyone to join us this Wednesday to experience the Liturgy for the Pre-Born and to pray for an end to abortion in America and throughout the world.

Wednesday Night Services Resume This Wednesday Night

Now that Christmas Vacation is officially over and the kids are all headed back to school, we are ready to restart Church of the Messiah’s Wednesday Night Services this Wednesday, January 9th.  Our service will begin at 7 o’clock and will include a time of praise and worship, a Biblical teaching, prayer, and Holy Communion.  Additionally, our youth group (6th – 12th grade students) meets during this time and our children have special planned activities as well.  Fr. Looker will be beginning a new teaching series on January 9th entitled: “Prophet, Priest, and King: Jesus and Our Mission.”  Because we are aware that there is a lot to accomplish to get everyone ready for work and school on time, we are committed to have the service end promptly by 8:30.  Please note that, in a change from previous weeknight services, we will not be having a community dinner prior to these services for the time being.  After almost two months on hiatus, we are very excited to resume our mid-week fellowship and can’t wait to see everyone again on Wednesday nights.  Be sure to invite your friends and we will see everyone on January 9th!

Wednesday Night Services Resume This Week

After the Jacksonville Blizzard of 2018, Wednesday Night Services will officially restart this Wednesday night, January 10th.  We will begin the night with our community supper from six o’clock to 6:45 and our service will begin at seven o’clock.  Childcare is provide for those up to fifth grade during the service time and our Youth Group also meets during this time.  Our service consists of praise and worship, readings from Holy Scripture, a homily, and the Holy Eucharist.  The service concludes by 8:30 so that those who have to prepare for work and school the next day may do so in a timely manner.

Wednesday Nights are an amazing time of fellowship and worship and we look forward to having everyone join us as we restart these services after our Winter break.

Celebrate Thanksgiving This Wednesday Night at Church of the Messiah

As everyone prepares for the incredible celebration that is Thanksgiving Day, let us not forget that you cannot just give thanks; you have to give thanks to someone.  Since “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights,” (James 1:17) then let us come together and give thanks where it belongs–to Our Heavenly Father who loves us and has given us all the blessing which we have to be thankful.  Join Church of the Messiah Wednesday night at 7 o’clock and begin the celebration of Thanksgiving by first “entering into His gates with Thanksgiving and coming into His courts with praise.” (Psalm 100.4)

We will have an easy, hassle-free, non-turkey themed fellowship meal from 6:00-6:45 and then our worship time begins at seven o’clock.  The service includes a time of praise and worship, reading of Holy Scriptures, a short homily, a special series of prayers of thankfulness, and the Great Thanksgiving itself, the Holy Eucharist.  Our Youth Group will meet during this time and childcare is provided throughout the service time.  We know that you have a lot of work to do on Thursday morning, so we promise to have you on your way home by 8:30 so that you can get to making pies and brining turkeys.

As we begin what is perhaps the busiest six weeks of the year, let’s not lose sight of the focus of all of the holidays and start this entire season of properly.  Let’s begin the season by taking the time out to give thanks to Our Lord who makes all of our blessings possible.  We look forward to seeing everyone this Wednesday night.

Join Us for a Night of Praise and Worship

This Wednesday night, August 16th, Church of the Messiah will have a night of Praise and Worship to begin the new school year.  After a summer hiatus, we will be restarting our regular Wednesday night services and, beginning with a bang, we will start with a night of extended praise and worship.

Our Wednesday night services begin with a community meal from 6:00-6:45.  Last year, the meal was almost always a variety of soups, but this year we will be having different meal options.  We are beginning this season with a “build-your-own” Taco Night.  We will still always have a “kid-friendly” option for the children.  If you are interested in helping with meals, please contact Janie Ganyard.

The service itself begins at seven o’clock and we will have readings from Holy Scripture, a time of extended Praise and Worship, and finish with Holy Communion.  Childcare is provided for children one year old through fifth grade.  Our youth group, which normally meets on Wednesday night, will remain with us for this service.  The service will end by 8:30 so that everyone who needs time to prepare for work or school the next day may do so in a timely manner.

Our Wednesday night services are back and we would love to have you join us starting this Wednesday at six o’clock!