The Church of the Messiah

This Sunday, August 20th, Fr. Alan Melanson will preach at Church of the Messiah’s ten o’clock service.

Fr. Alan is a Jacksonville native who graduated from Sandalwood High School and attended the University of North Florida.  In 2004, Fr. Alan moved to New York where he began serving at the Director of Youth and Children’s Ministries at the Church of the Intercessor in Malverne, NY.  Ordained to the priesthood in June of 2012, Fr. Alan currently oversees every ministry in the church that ministers to children from infants to college-age.  Heavily committed to the Pro-Life movement, Fr. Alan and his family are regularly involved in CEC For Life and have traveled internationally to spread the truth that All Life is Sacred.  Fr. Alan and his wife, Katie, married in 2002 and have three beautiful daughers: Jocelyn, Callie and Charlotte.  Fr. Alan is the son of Fr. Scott and Cyndy Melanson.

Please join us this Sunday as Fr. Alan Melanson brings the Gospel to Church of the Messiah.

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!

This Sunday, July 30th, Church of the Messiah is pleased to welcome Fr. Robert Massey as he comes to minister the Gospel with us.

Fr. Robert was ordained to the Priesthood on May 19th of this year after ministering for two years in the Diaconate.  He currently serves as Priest-in-Residence at St. John the Divine Charismatic Episcopal Church in Palatka, Florida.   While he currently teaches the Adult Sunday School Class, his responsibilities range from preaching and celebrating the Holy Eucharist to visiting the homebound and cleaning the parish.  Fr. Robert’s chief ministry, however, is to advance the Kingdom of God through service to those within the church and without.  He often walks the streets of Palatka for hours talking with people and sharing the his own testimony and the love that the Heavenly Father has for His people.  Visiting Church of the Messiah with Fr. Robert will be his wife Lisa.  Though they have only been married for four years (this time), the story of their previous divorce, reconciliation and remarriage is an incredible testimony of how God can restore the broken.

Please join us in welcoming Fr. Robert and Lisa Massey to COM this Sunday morning beginning at 10 o’clock.  Fr. Robert is powerfully anointed and this Sunday is sure to be a service full of God’s wisdom and power.

This Sunday, July 16th, Church of the Messiah is proud to welcome Deacon Adrian Griffis to our Sunday morning service beginning at 10 o’clock.  Dcn. Adrian was ordained to the Diaconate  on November 18th, 2016 and has served since then as the Parish Deacon at Chapel of Divine Mercy in DeLand, Florida.  Dcn. Adrian is a respected counselor and facilitator with Elijah House and Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University.  He has been a leader in the Via de Christo movement and is a member of the Secretariat for Tres Arroyos.  In 2013 Dcn. Adrian co-founded Glorious Living Ministries with his incredible wife Paula.  Dcn. Adrian and Paul have been married since 2000 and are powerful ministry and prayer partners.  We at Church of the Messiah are so pleased to welcome Dcn. Adrian and Paula as we know how powerfully the Lord uses them.  Please join us this Sunday for what is sure to be an amazing encounter with the Living God.

Every year on the Sunday closest to the anniversary of the consecration of our first Bishop, Archbishop Randolph Adler (26 June, 1992) we collect an special offering. While this offering was originally inteded to present Archbishop Adler with funds to help him in his own ministry, Abp. Adler instead insisted that the best use of this money was to provide grants and loans to our churches that were building and expanding their facilities.  The money collected in the Foundation Day offering is dispersed in three ways:

1/3 of the donations received go to provide Grants.  Any funds not used in a given year are rolled over the the next year.

1/3 of the donation received go to provide Loans, plus the previous loans that have been paid back.  Loans are provided at 3% simple interest, with an initial 3 year grace period, in which no interest or fees incur. Funds not used in a given year, are rolled over to the next year.

1/3 of the donations  are Invested into and Vanguard S&P index stock fund.  These funds have been accumulating for many years, and at the present there are no plans to withdrawal or distribute the funds.

An accounting of all the money that has been received is available on-line by clicking HERE. Traditionally, the suggested donation has been $10 per person in their family.  Please prayerfully considering giving to support the long-term development of the Charismatic Episcopal Church through the Foundation Day Offering.

This Tuesday, June 6th, Mayme Kennedy, mother of Janice Paysinger, returned to the loving arms of her Creator.  There will be a viewing Thursday evening from six to eight o’clock at George H. Hewell and Sons Funeral Home (click HERE for a map).  The Funeral will be at the same location Friday morning, at 10:00 am, with a graveside service immediately following.  After the graveside service, there will be a reception at the home of Kevin and Amanda Paysinger (click HERE for a map).  For those interested in providing food for the reception, please contact Lizz Looker as soon as possible.  A full obituary for Mayme can be found by clicking this LINK.

Rest eternal grant to Mayme, O Lord:
And let light perpetual shine upon her.

May her soul, and the souls of the the faithful departed,
Through the mercy of God, rest in peace.  Amen.

This Wednesday, May 31st, Church of the Messiah will host a special service as we prepare for the Outpouring the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.  We will dispense with our regular teaching and preaching for a night and have, instead, a night of worshiping the Lord through an extended time of Praise & Worship.  The service begins at seven o’clock and will include prayer and supplication, a special offertory dance, and the Holy Communion.

Prior to the service, from 6:00-6:45, in lieu of our usual soup supper, we will have a cook out with hamburgers and hotdogs.  Instead of signing up to bring a soup, just bring your favorite side to share with others.  If you don’t have time to get a side ready, don’t worry about it at all.  There will be plenty for everyone.

We will still have childcare provided for those under younger than sixth grade.  We will structure the service so that attendees will be able to leave by 8:30 in order to prepare for work and school the next day, but we may stick around longer and linger in what the Lord does.

As we live in the “in between” times between the Ascension and Pentecost, we would love for you to join us this Wednesday for a night of fellowship and worshiping Our Lord.

Forty days after His Resurrection, Our Lord Jesus Christ ascended into Heaven.  Ten days later the Holy Spirit descended on the Feast of Pentecost.  Join with Church of the Messiah as we celebrate these momentous events in the life of Christ and His Church.

The celebration begins on Wednesday, May 24th, when we commemorate Our Lord’s return to Heaven on the Feast of the Ascension.  From six o’clock til 6:45, we will have a Soup Supper Fellowship Meal.  At seven o’clock our service for The Ascension begins.  There will be praise and worship, readings from Holy Scripture, a teaching about this rarely discussed moment in the life of Christ and His Church, as well as Holy Communion.  In addition, Church of the Messiah’s Youth Group will meet this evening and childcare is provided for those up to 5th grade.  The service will end in time for everyone to be home to prepare for school and work the next day.

Then we join with the Apostles and Disciples in a powerful time of prayerful waiting on the Lord.  Sunday morning, May 28th, we will have our “in between times” service beginning at ten o’clock in the morning.  This powerful service reflects the time in between the Ascension and Pentecost when Jesus’ followers “all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication” (Acts 1:14), awaiting the coming of the Holy Spirit.  Our Sunday morning service, includes praise and worship, readings from Holy Scripture and a Bible-based teaching, as well and children’s Sunday School, and Communion.

On Wednesday, May 31st, we break from our normal Wednesday night routine and host a special service where we will be waiting on the Presence of the Lord.  We will still gather from 6:00-6:45, but on this night we will have a grilled cook out with hot dogs, hamburgers, and all the sides.  At seven o’clock our service begins but instead of a teaching we will have an extended time of praise and worship throughout our service.  We will still have childcare provided during the service and our service will still end in time for everyone to be home to prepare for school and work on Thursday morning.

Finally, on Sunday, June 4th, join with us beginning at 10 o’clock as we celebrate the Descent of the Holy Spirit and the Birth of the Church on the Feast of Pentecost.  This is one of the most powerful days in the whole history of the Church and we would love for you to join us as we commemorate this miraculous morning when three thousand believers came into the Kingdom of God.

For more information, please visit our website, e-mail us, or call us directly at 904-721-4199.  To God be all the glory for these amazing moments in the life of Christ and the Church.  Please join us as we celebrate them all!

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is just too amazing to only celebrate one day.  That’s why we celebrate Easter for fifty days and we want you to join us!

At Church of Messiah, throughout the Season of Easter, from Easter Sunday through June 4th, we will keep on celebrating Our Lord’s victory over death and the grave.  Every Sunday morning we will celebrate His triumph over the last enemy and His ministry here on Earth after He rose from the dead.  We will have special sermons and worship dedicated to this incredible time in the life of Christ.  This season reaches its climax on June 4th when we celebrate Pentecost, the descent of the Holy Spirit and birth of the Church!  Even our children will be a part of these celebrations as they will have special teachings and ministry that goes along with our sermons and worship.

The celebration is not limited to Sunday mornings alone.  Every Wednesday night from April 26th through May 31st, we will be living out Our Lord’s command to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19) by focusing on Discipleship Training.  Our Wednesday night teaching series will be dedicated to improving those aspects of our lives that allow us to be better disciples: prayer, fasting, worship, meditation on Holy Scripture, and much more.  We know how hectic weeknight worship can be and we want to make everyone’s life easier, so prior to the service we have a free soup supper from 6 o’clock to 6:45.  The service begins at seven o’clock and lasts until 8:30 so everyone can have time to get home in time to get ready for school and work the next day.  Church of the Messiah’s Youth Group also meets on Wednesday nights and childcare is provided for ages 2 through fifth grade.

It’s not about bunnies and candy, it’s about Our Savior’s victory over all enemies, even death and the grave.  Because He lives, we can have life everlasting.  This is just too much Good News to only celebrate for one day.  We would love for you to join us as we celebrate Jesus’ ultimate victory every Sunday and Wednesday until June 4th.

Alleluia!  Christ is risen!

The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Fr. Looker’s Lenten Bible study on Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist by Brant Pitre is now available on-line.  If you missed any of the sessions of this eye-opening Bible study, you may listen to the audio recordings and download the PowerPoint slides by clicking below.

Part 1-Jesus & the New Exodus [Download PowerPoint]

Part 2-The Manna & the Showbread [Download PowerPoint]

Part 3-Jesus, the Passover, & the Last Supper [Download PowerPoint]