About Church of the Messiah
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Since 1950, the Church of the Messiah has served God and the people of West Orange County, Florida.
We're a parish family: loving God, loving our neighbors, and loving one another.
We're a family with all sorts of people at every age and stage of life who come in a variety of sizes, colors, and and shapes.
Since most of us here in Central Florida are "immigrants" from some other part of the country, Church of the Messiah offers to be a family for those whose families live far away, and to be an extended family for those with blood relatives close by.
Being a family means we don't always agree with each other, but we seek to disagree without being disagreeable. It means some of us annoy others of us from time to time, but even when that happens, we choose to stick together as family. But most of all it means we get to share life together -- both the joys of births, baptisms, graduations, weddings, and successes AND the sorrows of sickness, disappointment, divorce, and death.
Please click around the website and discover more of who we are, and, as you do, please listen to God. He may be calling you to become part of the Messiah family.
Our Mission Statement: Who we are, and who we aren't.
We are a Parish Family of all ages and stages and kinds and colors of people committed to Jesus, the Parish Family, and each other with the love of Jesus the Messiah.
If someone is not willing to be with people different from him/herself or to be flexible for the benefit of the family, this may not be the place for that person.
Loving God:
Together in a rich buffet of opportunities for worship, prayer, and Bible study; adjusting the menu as the needs and numbers of people determine
Individually through personal prayer, Bible study, and living our faith
If someone wants a church that is spiritually comforting and emotionally supportive without also challenging and encouraging people to change and grow in their own faith, hope, and love, this may not be the place for that person.
Loving Our Neighbors by serving people in our community and beyond in ever-widening circles, meeting their needs AND inviting them to come be part of God's family.
If someone feels the church exists primarily for the benefit of her members and is not interested in helping hungry and hurting people outside the church, or inviting them into the church, this may not be the place for that person.
Loving One Another in casual friendships and deliberate small groups to equip, encourage, and care for each other.
If someone prefers privacy over friendship and would rather not be involved in people's lives, and doesn't want others involved in his/her life, this may not be the place for that person.
Vision
To change the world with Jesus: one child, one person, one family, one community at a time. To that end we pray, work, and seek unchurched people who are spiritually hungry and committed Christians ready to serve.
To change the world - No smaller goal is acceptable! We will not quit until "God's will is done on earth as it is in heaven."
With Jesus - Jesus said, "Without me you can do nothing," so we do nothing without Jesus.
One child - Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me." We welcome children of all ages and commit to raising them "to know and love the Lord."
One person - People are our priority. Therefore we will "equip each person for the work of ministry" and help each person find his/her role in the family of God.
One family - We offer to be a family for those without family or whose family lives far away, and to be an extended family for those with blood relatives close by.
One community - We will serve our community and seek to grow our parish to about 700 so we can make a significant impact here. Every time we grow to that size, we will send out leaders with 200 people to plant new churches in surrounding communities.
At a time - Because time is short, we continually "press on toward the goal" God gives us each year, while looking ahead to our next step in faith, hope, and love.
To that end we pray, first and foremost, without ceasing, in spirit and in truth, fervently. All of God's actions and ours begin with prayer. Prayer is the force that overcomes inertia, the tool that smoothes the way, and the fuel and lubrication that keeps us going.
Work - Though our mission begins with prayer, it continues as we "offer our bodies as living sacrifices" to do the "good works God has prepared beforehand for us to do."
And seek - We design our ministries and message for two specific kinds of people:
Unchurched people who are spiritually hungry - God is already at work in those who are not yet in his family, whetting their appetites and inviting them to the bounteous banquet he offers. We specifically seek those who are ready to take their place at God's family table as we "go into all the world making disciples."
And committed Christians ready to serve - Jesus said, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray for the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into the field." We seek those laborers and strive to provide tools and opportunities for them to utilize their gifts and talents to the fullest in God's field.
Strategy
To be a Roundabout with lots of ways in and lots of ways out.
Our parish family is like a traffic roundabout, where we are traveling together as a family, with everything we do revolving around our Mission (being A Parish Family: Loving God, Loving our Neighbors, Loving One Another).
We are building lots of ways for children, individuals, families, and the community to come in to the roundabout.
We are building lots of ways for every child, person, family, and the whole parish family to travel out into the community and world to serve people and invite them back into the roundabout to travel with us.
Our "Target Audience" is unchurched hungry people (in response to Jesus' Great Commission) and Committed Christians ready to serve (in response to Jesus' prayer for "Laborers for the harvest"). To the former, we offer soft tasty spiritual food. To the latter we offer opportunities and permission to utilize their gifts to the fullest for the Lord of the Harvest.