The Church of the Messiah

The September Ultreya for North Florida will be Tuesday, September 8th, beginning at 6:30 in the evening with a covered-dish potluck meal.  If you have previously attended a Tres Arroyos weekend you are welcomed and encouraged to attend as part of your “fourth day walk.”  As always, we will conclude the evening with the Holy Eucharist.  The Ultreya will be hosted at Church of the Messiah (click HERE for a map and directions) and is open to anyone who has attended a Tres Arroyos weekend or similar 3-day weekend retreat (Cursillo, Walk to Emmaus, Lighthouse Via de Christo, etc…).  We look forward to seeing everyone Tuesday night.

This Friday night, July 17, Archbishop Chuck Jones will begin an Igniting Revival Conference at Church of the Messiah.  The purpose of the conference is to create an atmosphere for the presence of God to ignite revival in the hearts of God’s people through worship, teaching, prophetic words, and healing prayer.  The conference begins Friday night at 7 pm, continues with two sessions Saturday at 10 am and 2 pm, and concludes on Sunday morning with Abp. Jones celebrating and preaching at Church of the Messiah’s Sunday morning service starting at 10 am.  Childcare is provided at all sessions.  No registration is required.  There is no fee to attend any session, although a love offering will be collected for Abp. Jones and his team.  A Facebook Event has been created so that those wishing to join can do so an receive updates between now and the Igniting Revival Conference Facebook Event.

Archbishop Chuck Jones is the Archbishop of the Southeast, Bishop of the Central Gulf Coast and Pastor of the Cathedral of Christ the King Church in Selma, Alabama, a church in communion with the International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church (ICCEC) and Founder of Aslan Roars, a ministry for igniting sustainable revival on personal, corporate and geographic levels.  For Abp. Jones’ complete biography, click HERE.  In addition, Abp. Jones will bring his wife  Olivia Jones, ministry director and traveling missionary Biography of Karen Welch, revival missionary Biography of Ron Roberts, and Canon Dan and Deborah Whitt, the pastor of The Charismatic Episcopal Church of the Messiah in Charlotte, NC, and his wife.  For more information on conferences, contact Church of the Messiah at 904-721-4199 or visit www.AslanRoars.org.

The weekend of July 17-19, Archbishop Chuck Jones will be leading an Igniting Revival Conference at Church of the Messiah in Jacksonville, FL.  The purpose of the conference is to create an atmosphere for the presence of God to ignite revival in the hearts of God’s people through worship, teaching, prophetic words, and healing prayer.  The conference will include sessions Friday night beginning at 7 pm, Saturday sessions at 10 am and 2 pm, and Abp. Jones will be the celebrant and preacher at the Sunday morning service at 10 am on Sunday morning, July 19th.  Childcare is provided at all sessions.

Archbishop Chuck Jones is the Archbishop of the Southeast, Bishop of the Central Gulf Coast and Pastor of the Cathedral of Christ the King Church in Selma, Alabama, a church in communion with the International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church (ICCEC) and Founder of Aslan Roars, a ministry for igniting sustainable revival on personal, corporate and geographic levels.  For Abp. Jones’ complete biography, click HERE.  For more information on conferences, contact Church of the Messiah at 904-721-4199 or visit www.AslanRoars.org.

Fr. Scott & Lizz Looker with their children, Easter of 2015.

This past Sunday, June 28th, Fr. Scott Looker was selected to be the next rector of Church of the Messiah following the retirement of Fr. David Paysinger this August.  Bishop Simpson notified Fr. Looker and Fr. Paysinger of the decision prior to Sunday service that morning and Fr. Paysinger made the announcement to the congregation following the Holy Eucharist and before the final blessing and dismissal.

Fr. Looker began attending Church of the Messiah during Christmas of 1994, six months before graduating high school.  Although he left Jacksonville to attend college and seminary, he always returned home and attended Church of the Messiah while on vacations and summer breaks.  Fr. Looker graduated Loyola University of New Orleans in 1999 and Nashotah House Theological Seminary in 2002.  In November of 2001, while still in seminary he was ordained to the Diaconate.  Following his graduation from seminary, he was assigned to Church of the Messiah as a Parish Deacon.  In November of 2003, Fr. Looker was ordained to the Priesthood and began serving as one of the priests-in-residence and members of the Rector’s Council.  In his years with Church of the Messiah, Fr. Looker has overseen a variety of ministries from Nursery to Youth Group, Men’s Ministry to Altar Guild, and all sorts of ministries in between.  He has been involved with local and national pro-life outreach movements and marches.  Fr. Looker is an instructor for St. Michael’s Seminary, the on-line seminary for the CEC, and is responsible for clergy development for the Diocese of Florida, conducting a continuing education presentation at the annual Diocesan Clericus.

In 2004, Fr. Scott married his wife Lizz, who also had been attending Church of the Messiah since 1994.  They have five children together.  Lizz is currently the head of the Nursery and Youth Group and in the past has served as parish secretary.  In 2007, Lizz was instrumental in convincing Emergency Pregnancy Services to open their Arlington branch through her extensive counseling work in the area.  In the Fall, Lizz will be home-schooling three of their five children.

A Service of Installation of Fr. Looker as the next rector of Church of the Messiah will take place on Thursday evening, August 27th, beginning at 7 pm.  Frs. Paysinger and Looker are already working together to begin a smooth transition and will continue doing so throughout the next several weeks.  Church of the Messiah covets your prayers for both the Paysinger family as they transition into a new time of their ministry and the Looker family as they begin to take on a new role of leadership in the Church.

On Trinity Sunday, May 31, while on his annual visit, Bp. David Simpson informed the congregation that he had reluctantly accepted Fr. David Paysinger’s resignation as Rector of Church of the Messiah.  Bp. Simpson admitted that this had been a matter of prayer between himself and Fr. David for many months, and that they had both been diligent to affirm that this was, indeed, the will of God.  The exact date of Fr. Paysinger’s retirement is not set, although it will occur sometime this August and coincide roughly with Fr. Paysinger’s seventieth birthday.  While Fr. Paysinger will be retiring as rector of Church of the Messiah, he will continue to serve as the Archdeacon for the Diocese of Florida and as one of the members of the Bishop’s Council, serving Bp. Simpson as one of his senior priests and advisors.

David Paysinger was one of the founding members of Church of the Messiah who transitioned from St. David’s Episcopal Church in the Fall of 1992.  He was ordained to the Diaconate in December of 1993,  appointed Archdeacon for the Diocese of Florida and the Southeastern Province in May of 1995, and ordained to the Sacred Order of Priests in November of 1995.  During his many years of ministry, Fr. Paysinger has traveled extensively throughout the Southeast Province–and even internationally–for the sake of ministry.  Fr. Paysinger has served on both the Provincial Council for the Southeastern Province as well as on the Bishop’s Council of the Diocese of Florida.  On May 28, 2006, Fr. Paysinger was installed as the Rector of Church of the Messiah.  The announcement of his retirement comes nine years almost to the day of his installation as Rector.

Throughout his 23 years of ministry, his wife Janice has been ever-present by his side.  Janice has served in countless roles in Church of the Messiah including working in the Nursery and Kids’ Church, chairing the Women’s Ministry, heading up Care and Comfort and Hospitality ministries, and recently filling in as parish secretary while serving as the parish bookkeeper. In the Fall, Janice will likewise retire from her position at Church of the Messiah so that she can remain ever-present with her husband as they travel and enjoy their retirement together.

Church of the Messiah and the Paysinger family covet your prayers as Fr. David and Janice begin to transition into this new phase of their life and ministry.

In Acts of the Apostles, St. Luke tells us that, while they were awaiting the promised power of the coming Holy Spirit, the Apostles “all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.” (1:14)  Join with Church of the Messiah tonight as we observe the “in between” time in the midst of the Ascension last Thursday and Pentecost this coming Sunday.  We will likewise be in one accord in prayer and supplication for the Church, the city, and the world, and we will, in the words of St. Paul, “proclaim the Lord’s death (and resurrection) til He comes again” (I Corinthians 11:26) when we celebrate the Holy Eucharist tonight.  Please join us for the special service.  Childcare is provided.  The service ends by 8:30 so that everyone may prepare for work and school on the following morning.

This Wednesday night, at 7 o’clock, Church of the Messiah will celebrate and commemorate an incredible event in the life of Christ.  Forty days after Our Lord rose from the dead on Easter morning, Jesus gathered together with the Disciples and “while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.” (Acts 1:9)  With His Ascension into Heaven, Jesus left behind His incarnate earthly ministry and took His place at the right hand of the Father.

Join with Church of the Messiah as we gather to remember Christ rejoining His Father in Heaven and continuously interceding on our behalf.  We will celebrate this Feast with praise and worship, Biblical teaching, intercessory prayer and anointing, and the Holy Eucharist.  Childcare will be provided.  Celebrate the Ascension of Our Lord this Wednesday night beginning at 7 o’clock.

This week Church of the Messiah will take a few moments out of our Mid-Week Worship to honor St. Mark the Evangelist, the Patron Saint of Egypt (whose feast day is this Friday).  In doing so, we will also take time to commemorate and honor the lives of 30 Coptic Christians who were martyred by ISIS terrorists over the past weekend.  This commemoration of the faithful departed will be part of our regular weekly service which includes readings from the Holy Scriptures and a brief homily; times of prayer, intercession, anointing, and ministry; and praise and worship as well as Holy Communion.  Our previous services were wonderfully powerful and the worship will continue again this week beginning at 7 o’clock.  Childcare is provided during this service (though children are welcome for worship and communion), and the service ends by 8:30 for those needing to get home to prepare for work or school on the following morning.  We invite everyone to join us this Wednesday and Wednesdays throughout the Easter season as we celebrate the Resurrection of Our Lord in this powerful way.

This Saturday morning, April 18, starting at 8 o’clock, Church of the Messiah’s Men’s Ministry will host a Men’s Breakfast.  There will be amazing, fresh-cooked food, fellowship with men of God, and a time of discussion.  We will also discuss upcoming events and ministry opportunities and fellowship events through the summer and into the Fall.  Donations to cover the cost are welcome but not required.  Any leftover money will go to future Men’s Ministry events.  Join us this Saturday morning at Church of the Messiah’s Men’s Ministry Breakfast!

Last Wednesday Church of the Messiah began a new format for our Wednesday night worship services throughout the Easter season.  This format is modeled loosely on the tremendous success of Fusion and more fully incorporates all three streams of Convergence Worship into our mid-week service, something which has been lacking in the past.  The services include readings from the Holy Scriptures and a brief homily; times of prayer, intercession, anointing, and ministry; and praise and worship as well as Holy Communion.  Our first service was wonderfully powerful and the worship will continue again this week beginning at 7 o’clock.  Childcare is provided during this service (though children are welcome for worship and communion), and the service ends by 8:30 for those needing to get home to prepare for work or school on the following morning.  We invite everyone to join us this Wednesday and Wednesdays throughout the Easter season as we celebrate the Resurrection of Our Lord in this powerful way.