What do you sense God wants you to focus on this Lent? More time in prayer? More time in the Word? Increased devotion to worship? Involvement in a home group? Lent is a time of reflection and repentance, prayer and preparation. Many of us were brought up with the idea of abstinence and fasting, "giving something up" or perhaps adding a special task or discipline to our daily activities. But what happens after Easter -- do we go back to our old routines? What if we approach Lent with the purpose of growing our relationships, with God and each other? Our 2019 Lenten sermon series and "equipping Wednesdays" are designed to help you focus on ways to develop an ever-deepening relationship with Jesus. Let's GO DEEPER with Him and see where He takes us. April 28, 2019 FOR PEOPLE WHO DOUBT Deacon Nile Gomez May 5, 2019 FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE FAILED Pastor Marty O'Rourke Slideshow Presentation May 12, 2019 FOR WOMEN Vivian Hayes Slideshow Presentation May 19, 2019 FOR PEOPLE WANTING TO SERVE Pastor Marty O'Rourke Slideshow Presentation Special Testimony by Joan Cartledge May 26, 2019 FOR PEOPLE IN TRANSITION Pastor Marty O'Rourke Slideshow Presentation June 2, 2019 FOR RELATIONSHIPS The Rev. David Martin Slideshow Presentation Please reload

GET INVOLVED! CHURCH MINISTRIES Church of the Messiah is so much more than Sunday mornings! We have many opportunities for you to plug in and feel part of our family. Whether you're looking for a way to make personal connections, learn more about our faith and Scripture, or make a difference in the community, there is a way to get involved. Click one of the links at right to get started! SERVING THE COMMUNITY CHRISTIAN EDUCATION FELLOWSHIP MISSIONS Check out our calendar to see what's going on at Messiah!

Every human being is “wonderfully made” by our Creator (Psalm 139). God cares deeply and specifically about each of our bodies, and our Savior Jesus became flesh and blood for our body’s redemption. And yet so many struggles relate to our body: appearance, aging, disability, gender, sexuality, race, and the deep need for human connection. Join us beginning September 18 as we explore how the Gospel speaks to these areas in profound, powerful, and often surprising ways. The aim of this series is to encourage each of us in the Bible’s hopeful message, and also to train us to love our neighbors wholly. Sermons will all be recorded and posted online each week. Sunday Sermons September 18, 2022 Wonderfully Made… Why? Pastor Ken Shomo Watch | Listen | Sermon Slides Sunday Sermons September 25, 2022 Glorify God in Your Body Pastor Marty O'Rourke Listen | Sermon Slides Sunday Sermons October 2, 2022 Technology and the Body Pastor Nile Gomez Watch | Listen Sunday Sermons October 9, 2022 Boast in the Lord Pastor Marty O'Rourke Watch | Listen | Sermon Slides Sunday Sermons October 16, 2022 The Gospel and the Whole Person Fr. Dominick Hankle Watch | Listen Sunday Sermons October 23, 2022 Emotions in the Image of God Pastor Ken Shomo Watch | Listen | Sermon Slides Related links: From the John 10:10 Project Skeleton Keys 18 Trillion Feet of You

Advent with Luke Sermon Series “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel!” Luke described those responding to the message of John the Baptist as people “waiting expectantly” for the Messiah. The purpose of Advent is to stir us up to be “waiting expectantly” for His Coming. A young woman, not married, expecting? A stable? A manger? Shepherds? All for the birth of the long-awaited Messiah? When it comes to Our Lord, “Expect the Unexpected!” We know life brings the unexpected as well. There is much we can learn about handling the unexpected by walking through Advent with the Gospel of Luke. December 2, 2018 Expecting His Return at a Time We Do Not Expect Pastor Marty O'Rourke Slideshow Presentation December 9, 2018 How Not to Handle the Unexpected Pastor Marty O'Rourke Slideshow Presentation December 16, 2018 How to Handle the Unexpected Rev. Mark Cartledge Slideshow Presentation December 23, 2018 Expect the Unexpected to Be Lifted Up Pastor Marty O'Rourke Slideshow Presentation December 24, 2018 Christmas: When the Unexpected Exceeds Our Expectations Pastor Marty O'Rourke Slideshow Presentation December 30, 2018 Simeon and Anna Expecting the Unexpected Deacon Nile Gomez January 6, 2019 Epiphany: The Journey of the Expecting, Finding the Unexpected Pastor Marty O'Rourke Slideshow Presentation Please reload

Lent 2018 Sermon & Equipping Series “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard." Isaiah 58:6-8 February 18, 2018 LOVE THOSE WHO ARE FOREIGNERS (audio not available) Dr. Kurnia Foe February 11, 2018 WHY SHARE YOUR BREAD WITH THE HUNGRY? Pastor Marty O'Rourke Slideshow Presentation February 25, 2018 SHARING THE BREAD OF LIFE Bishop John Guernsey Slideshow Presentation March 4, 2018 TO SET THE OPPRESSED FREE Rev. Mark Cartledge March 11, 2018 SHARING OUR BREAD WITH JEWS Pastor Marty O'Rourke Slideshow Presentation March 18, 2018 HEALING THE WOUNDED Pastor Jim Brown Slideshow Presentation Please reload SUNDAY SERMONS February 21, 2018 How to Show Love to Foreigners Dr. Kurnia Foe Campus Director Global Friendship Ventures February 28, 2018 Suicide Prevention Dr. Paul VanValin Director Eden Counseling Center March 7, 2018 Understanding Addictions Dr. Paul Hardy Director Recovery for Life March 14, 2018 How to Share Our Bread with Jews Rev. Daryl Fenton Director CMJ USA March 21, 2018 How to Heal the Wounded (Click for audio) Rev. Nigel Mumford Founder By His Wounds, Inc. Please reload EQUIPPING WEDNESDAYS SCHEDULE 7:00 P.M. | Fellowship Hall

Anchor 3 Abiding in Christ Through Daily Engagement with the Scriptures Spring 2021 Why are we focusing on scriptural engagement? As I was seeking the Lord about the next sermon series, I came across the research of two pastors who wanted to know how to strengthen the Body of Christ. They did research that included 1000 churches and they came to this conclusion: Nothing has a greater impact on spiritual growth than reflection on Scripture. If churches do only one thing to help people at all levels of spiritual maturity grow in their relationship with Christ, the choice is clear. They would inspire, encourage, and equip their people to read the Bible — specifically, to reflect on Scripture for meaning in their lives. The Bible’s power to advance spiritual growth is unrivaled by anything else we’ve discovered. — Pastor Marty STEP 1: TAKE A SCRIPTURAL SELF-ASSESSMENT SUNDAYS @ 10 AM February 14-May 23 in-person or livestream THURSDAYS @ 7 PM February 25-March 25 on Zoom 2/14 Shaped by God's Word Ken Shomo Watch | Listen | Sermon Slides 2/21 Abiding in the Living Word Vivian Hayes Watch | Listen | Sermon Slides 2/28 How God Reveals Himself to Us in His Word Pastor Marty O'Rourke Watch | Listen | Sermon Slides 3/7 Why a Plan? Pastor Nile Gomez Watch | Listen 3/14 Creation: Why Did God Create Us? Joe Kohm Watch | Listen 3/21 Fall and the Promises of the Word for a Savior Fr. Dominick Hankle Watch | Listen 3/28 The Word Arrives: On a Donkey - For Now Pastor John Dooley Watch | Listen | Sermon Slides 4/4 The Resurrection: The Word Is Proven to be True Pastor Nile Gomez Watch | Listen 4/11 The Church: People Living in the Word Deacon Tom Sweeney Watch | Listen | Sermon Slides 4/18 The Great Ending Pastor Nile Gomez Watch | Listen 4/25 What Does The Bible Say About Itself? Rev. David Martin Watch | Listen 5/2 Trusting the Bible & Living the Gospel Pastor Ken Shomo Watch | Listen | Sermon Slides 5/9 How the Word is Living and Active Vivian Hayes Watch | Listen | Sermon Slides 5/16 How the Holy Spirit Empowers Us to Engage in God’s Word Pastor Nile Gomez Watch | Listen 5/23 Being Filled with the Holy Spirit Pastor Marty O'Rourke Watch | Listen | Sermon Slides EXPLORE DEEPER Join us online on Thursday evenings for deeper explorations of Sunday sermon topics. Zoom Meeting ID: 928 2372 1136 or click here to join 2/25 "Praying Through the Scriptures" Fr. Dominick Hankle Watch | Slides 3/4 Going Deeper Vivian Hayes Watch | Slides 3/11 What Are My Plan Options? Pastor Nile Gomez Watch | Resource Sheet 3/18 The Big Story Ken Shomo Watch 3/25 Prophecy Fulfilled Theresa Newell Watch WEDNESDAYS @ 7 PM February 24-March 31 on Zoom A LENTEN STUDY OF EPHESIANS "A Life Lived in the Spirit" with Dr. John Dooley Zoom Meeting ID: 780 7929 3062 Zoom Passcode: yfP5er or click here to join Weekly Reading Assignments 2/24 Module 1: No Longer Strangers Readings Listen | Slides 3/3 Module 2: Saved and Unified Readings Listen | Slides 3/10 Module 3: Empowered and Strengthened Readings Listen | Slides 3/17 Module 4: Living a Life of Unity Readings Listen | Slides 3/24 Module 5: Spirit Life in the Culture Readings Listen | Slides 3/31 Module 6: Stand Firm Therefore! Readings Listen | Slides SCRIPTURE PLANS Parenting by Design Daily Devotional- 280 Days Experiencing God At Home For Daily Family - 12 Days Daily Office Lectionary Navigators Reading Plan YouVersion Bible App for smartphones, tablets & online Anchor 1 Anchor 2

Ken Shomo Discipleship Pastor I grew up in the church and benefited from my mother's prayers and vibrant faith. At age 18 that faith came fully alive through the work of God's grace and Holy Spirit. I was soon called into vocational ministry and have now served in various ministries for over 30 years. I simply enjoy people and have been privileged to serve all age groups. Along the way I also earned a Master of Divinity (M.Div) degree from Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, and I'm now working on a Doctor of Ministry (D.Min). I serve as a counselor at HopeWell Ministries. I’ve been married 20 years to Cheryl and we have two children, Cullen and Zoey.

Holy Week at Church of the Messiah Palm Sunday - March 29 Worship | 10 am Together we will commemorate the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem with a palm branch procession, then turn our focus to the events leading up to the Crucifixion with a special reading. Maundy Thursday - April 2 Maundy Thursday Service | 7 pm This modified instructional Eucharist commemorates the institution of Holy Communion at the Last Supper. The service includes the “stripping of the altar,” Eucharist and foot washing. Good Friday - April 3 Meditation Service | 12 pm - 3 pm Come for all or part of this time of reflection and prayer, which features brief meditations every 30 minutes. Good Friday Service | 7 pm This solemn service features readings, music and the nailing of the cross to help us appreciate Christ’s ultimate sacrifice. Easter Sunday - April 5 Resurrection Sunday Celebration | 10 am Don't miss this joyful celebration of our Lord's resurrection, which includes a special procession by our children and “Flowering of the Cross.” The children will have a special celebration with an Easter message, activities and egg hunt.

< Back 2022 This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. Want to view and manage all your collections? Click on the Content Manager button in the Add panel on the left. Here, you can make changes to your content, add new fields, create dynamic pages and more. You can create as many collections as you need. Your collection is already set up for you with fields and content. Add your own, or import content from a CSV file. Add fields for any type of content you want to display, such as rich text, images, videos and more. You can also collect and store information from your site visitors using input elements like custom forms and fields. Be sure to click Sync after making changes in a collection, so visitors can see your newest content on your live site. Preview your site to check that all your elements are displaying content from the right collection fields. Previous Next

Lent: A Time for Breakthrough (Based on Mark 2: 1-12) Lent starts on Ash Wednesday with a call to self-examination and the imposition of ashes as a tangible reminder that our life on earth is temporary. Show me, LORD, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is (Psalm 39:4). Lent ends with Good Friday, then Resurrection Sunday - a celebration of the victory over sin and death we share in Christ. Remembering the shortness of life on earth, Lent is an opportunity for us to seek our Lord about where He is calling us to contend for a breakthrough - by repentance, fasting, receiving help, and perseverance in seeking a deeper relationship with Christ. Our purpose is that we may use our remaining time on earth to make tangible the life-transforming power of God's love so that all may come to know Christ. February 14 Where is Christ Calling Me to Contend for a Breakthrough? Pastor Marty O'Rourke February 21 Why Is It Hard To Accept Help? Pastor Jim Brown February 28 How to Persevere In Seeking Christ Pastor John Dooley March 6 The Power of Christ's Forgiveness Ashley Plunkett March 13 Living Without My "Mat" Pastor Jim Brown March 20 The Return of the King Reverend Mark Cartledge March 27 Resurrection Breakthrough Pastor Marty O'Rourke

JANUARY 3-10 · JOIN THE CAST! The Chesapeake Area Shelter Team (CAST) is a compassionate community of faith that provides overnight winter shelter for those experiencing homelessness in Chesapeake. Every year from November to April, Chesapeake churches, synagogues, mosques, and organizations open their doors for one week, providing safe and warm shelter, as well as breakfast, lunch, and dinner, to up to 50 homeless individuals and families. Church of the Messiah has participated in the CAST program since 2014. In addition to shelter and meals, Messiah volunteers provide fellowship, prayer and the love of Christ to these homeless brothers and sisters. Volunteers of all ages and skill sets are needed – that means YOU! There are a number of volunteer roles to participate in, as well as helping with donations of food, supplies, and funds. Regardless of how much time or money you have, there are many ways to participate. Explore the links here to learn about these different volunteer opportunities. Sign up sheets will be in the foyer. Watch this video to learn more about CAST. QUESTIONS? Please fill out the form below, and we will get you the information you need as soon as possible. Your message was sent successfully! Send NEEDED DONATIONS If you are able, please bring donations to the church by Sunday, December 10. Click the r oles below to learn about different volunteer opportunities. Volunteers can serve individually or in a group. Sign up sheets are in the foyer. BUS/INTA KE TEAM REGISTRA TION TEAM HALL MON ITORS DINNE R ACTIVITI ES OVERNIG HT TEAM BREAKFA ST MORNING CLEANUP BAG LU NCHES LAUNDRY TEAM VOLUNTEER! And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”