Join Us for Christmas at Church of the Messiah

The Christmas Season is almost upon us!  On Thursday night, December 24th, we will celebrate Christmas Eve with our traditional Family Service.  This service includes a special presentation from the children and youth of the church, a reading of the Nativity Gospel, the singing of traditional Christmas Carols by candlelight, and other special surprises.  Please note that this year our Christmas Eve Family Service will begin at the special time of 7:30 pm.

On Christmas Day, we will celebrate the Incarnation of Our Lord with our Christmas Day Service.  This service is a brief Said Mass and usually lasts about forty-five minutes.  Our Christmas Day Service will begin at 10 o’clock and is our only service of the holiday season that will be held in Church of the Messiah’s sanctuary (where we met before the pandemic began).

Our Christmas Eve service will be held in the sanctuary of Ft. Caroline Presbyterian Church which allows us to be seated with adequate social distancing.  For more information on our COVID19 precautions, visit our COVID Precautions Page.  For those who cannot join us in person, all of our services will be live streamed via Facebook Live on the church’s Facebook page.

During this season of holidays, we invite everyone to join us, whether in person or virtually, for any or all of our Advent and Christmas service.   “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

 

 

Christmas Services at Church of the Messiah

Church of the Messiah invites you to join us as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior this Christmas season.  Our Christmas services begin at 7 o’clock on Christmas Eve with our Family Service.  This is s special service with all sorts of family fun and traditional Christmas Carols by candlelight.  This year there will be a special presentation of the Christmas Story by our youth and children that was written and produced by one of our own youth.

On Christmas Day, beginning at 10 o’clock, we have our Christmas morning service.  This is a said Mass and generally lasts between forty-five minutes to an hour, but is a wonderful way to help “Keep Christ in Christmas.”

As the season of Christmas is twelve days long and begins on Christmas day (not ends), we also will be celebrating the Christmas season on the First and Second Sundays after Christmas, December 29th and January 5th, at our 10 o’clock services.

We invite you to join us at any or all of our services throughout the entire Christmas Season this year and wish you and all of your loved ones a Merry Christmas and a blessed new year.

For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

 

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.

 

Christmas Card with Service Times Available

ChristmasCardFrontIf you attended either the Men’s Breakfast or the Women’s Christmas Luncheon this month, you saw the Christmas cards we handed out to our neighbors as we went Christmas Caroling this past Sunday.  Now, if you would like to hand those same cards out to your own friends, neighbors, or co-workers, we are making the cards available on the web-site.  Simply click on the Christmas Service Invitation to download the file and print up as many copies as you like.  Fold them appropriately and hand them out to invite anyone to whom you feel led to join us on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Church of the Messiah’s Christmas Service Schedule

Christmas EveChurch of the Messiah cordially invites you to join us as we celebrate Christmas, the birth of the Messiah, the Feast of the Incarnation, this Thursday night, Christmas Eve, beginning at 7 o’clock.  Our Christmas Eve service is our family service and there will be a special presentation from our children, a children’s sermons, and Christmas Carols by candlelight after the Holy Eucharist.

BethlehemSunriseThen, on Christmas Day, we continue the celebration at 10 o’clock in the morning.  It has been a tradition at Church of the Messiah for over ten years now to celebrate the Holy Eucharist on Christmas morning.  Everyone is welcome to join with us in this brief but celebratory said Mass on Christmas Day.

 

Then don’t forget that Christmas is a season that last twelve days long, so we will be celebrating Christmas on December 27th and January 3rd at our 10 o’clock services as well.  Merry Christmas from Church of the Messiah!

Coming Events at Church of the Messiah

December is jam packed with lots to do at Church of the Messiah.  Be sure to mark everything on your calendar so you don’t miss any of the special events.

Men's BreakfastSaturday, December 5th, is the Men’s Fellowship Breakfast at Church of the Messiah.  Join with all of the men of the church as we gather at 8 o’clock in the morning for a manly breakfast and time of sharing.  This month we will also help stuff Christmas cards for our Christmas Caroling outreach event later on this month.  Join us for great food and great fellowship with great men of God.

Advent BannerSunday, December 6th, is the Second Sunday of Advent and a special day for our kids.  The Advent theme of Reaching Out and Reflecting In will continue but there will be an extra surprise in store for the kids this Sunday.

 

 

Women Alive LogMonday, December 8th, Women Alive has is monthly meeting at Church of the Messiah.  Women Alive is a monthly gathering of women from all over the city of Jacksonville and surrounding areas. These meetings are a safe place to encounter Jesus through extended worship, teaching, and prophetic ministry. Every woman is invited to attend as we pursue more of Jesus and discover more of who He is in us!

UltreyaTuesday, December 9th, is the December Ultreya for Northeast Florida.  These are monthly reunion meetings for those who have attended a Tres Arroyos weekend or similar three-day retreat (Cursillo, Walk to Emmaus, etc…).  The night begins at 6:30 with a potluck meal, includes grouping, and concludes with the Holy Eucharist.

 

FusionSaturday, December 12th, is our monthly Fusion Service.  Fusion is our Young Adults Ministry which reaches out to those between 18 and 35(-ish) who are un-churched or whose home churches have no young adults ministry of their own.  This month  we will be addressing self-condemnation and seeing ourselves as God truly sees us, having been created in His image and likeness.  We will begin at 6:30 with light appetizers and the service begins at 7 o’clock.  Everyone is welcome and childcare is provided.  A Facebook event has been created HERE.  Click to join and invite those you know who would be blessed to attend.

ugly sweatersSunday, December 13th, following our service for the Third Sunday of Advent, our ladies will head our to their Christmas Progressive Luncheon and Ugly Sweater Contest.  The ladies will be preparing Christmas Cards for our Christmas Caroling outreach event as well.  By the way, they will be wearing those ugly sweaters to church on Sunday morning!

 

christmas-carolers-1Sunday, December 20th, is the Fourth (and last) Sunday of Advent.  After our service we will have lunch together and then head out into the ice and snow to bring merriment to the local neighborhood with Christmas Carols!  We will sing Christmas songs and invite people from the local neighborhood to join us at our upcoming services on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  Be sure to join us for this incredibly fun outreach event.

Christmas EveThursday, December 24, is Christmas Eve!  We will celebrate the night beginning at 7 o’clock with our family service.  There will be special music and offerings from our Kids’ Church and a special Children’s Sermon.  Join with us as we celebrate the Incarnation of Our Lord Jesus Christ!

 

 

BethlehemSunriseFriday, December 25, is our Christmas Day service.  We gather bright and early at 10 o’clock on Christmas Day to observe the Feast and celebrate the Birth of Christ.  This special service is holy and unique throughout the year and helps to keep the focus on the “Reason for the Season.”

 

Celebrate Christ’s Birth with Church of the Messiah on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

christmas-banner-20121Church of the Messiah extends a warm and heartfelt invitation for everyone to join us in celebrating the birth of Christ this Christmas.  We will have two services to commemorate this most glorious event this year.  On Christmas Eve, beginning at 7 pm we will have our Family Service with a special presentation from the children of our parish, a children’s sermon, and special musical offering.  The family service concludes with singing Christmas Carols by candlelight.

On Christmas morning, beginning at 10 o’clock, we will have the first mass of Christmas day.  This is a special service which allows worshipers to celebrate the birth of Our Lord while getting back to the other obligations of the day quickly.  The service is a said mass with a brief homily so the service itself lasts around 45 minutes ending with Holy Communion.

At Church of the Messiah, we wish everyone a blessed Christmas.  We hope to see everyone tonight and tomorrow morning and pray God’s abundant blessings be upon you all.