ABOUT
US
Since
1801, Messiah has served in the Juniata County community as a ministry of
Jesus Christ. It continues this work today by challenging its members to
reach out to the world with God's love. OUR MISSION is To proclaim to our
community and the world God's love revealed in Jesus Christ and his people
called, gathered, enlightened, sanctified and sustained by the Holy Spirit
through Word and Sacrament.
Messiah is a congregation of the Upper Susquehanna Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. We believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God which leads us to the Living Word, Jesus Christ. Our Christian faith is expressed in the the historic creeds of the Church and in the Augsburg Confession. Messiah's membership is a cross-section of the Juniata County community. All people rich or poor, young or old, mature in faith or searching for hope are welcome to join us as we grow in service to God and neighbor. We are not afraid of the difficult questions produced by today's rapidly changing culture and believe that the Bible, as witness to Jesus Christ, God's living Word, continues to guide his people with grace and love. Messiah has a long history of participation and leadership as a member of the Juniata County Ministerium. It has been instrumental in helping to plant the Juniata County Food Pantry, Juniata County Habitat for Humanity and other ministries in our community.
WORSHIP LIFE
Weekly celebration of the Lord's Supper
Sharing
the Lord's Supper together is the center of our congregational life.
Fed
with God's grace and forgiveness we are reconciled with God and neighbor.
Made whole with God's Spirit we move out into the world to serve.
Junior Church
Children
are always welcome in our worship.
To
better provide age related opportunities for children, three Sundays
a month they may go to a special program for them following the reading
of the Gospel.
Children are encouraged to return to join in the Lord's Supper with the full congregation.
Family Sunday
The
first Sunday of each month focuses on our lives as families and the family
of God.
Our
youth read the lessons and help serve communion and our families serve as
ushers.
The Jr. Choir sings.
Choir/Special Music
Messiah's
small, but fine choir directed by Andrea Cameron leads worship each week
throughout the year.
Special
music is used throughout the year with a special summer program, recently
guest performers have included a flutist, harpist and vocalists.
Recent
improvements to our acoustics have greatly enhanced the beauty of our music
and congregational singing.
Messiah has an excellent, fully equipped Allen Organ and a Kurzweil Mark 12 Keyboard which are played skillfully by our organists Robert St. Clair and Carole Nace.
Who is Welcome Here?
We at Messiah Lutheran Church want the following to be known.
WE want it to be of public record that those of different skin and heritage are welcome here.
WE want it to be known that those who suffer from addiction to drugs and alcohol (whether they are recovering or not) and their families are welcome here.
WE want it to be known that women and children are welcome here and that they will not be harassed or abused.
WE want it to be public record that in this congregation you can bring children to worship and even if they cry during the entire service, they are welcome.
WE want it to be known that those who are single by choice, by divorce, or through the death of a spouse are welcome here.
WE want it to be known that if you are promiscuous, have had an abortion, or have fathered children and taken no responsibility for them, you are welcome here.
WE want it known that gossips, cheats, liars, and their families are welcome here.
WE want it to be known that those who are disobedient to their parents and who have family problems are welcome here.
WE want it to be of public record that gays, lesbians and members of their families are welcome here.
Let it be of public knowledge that we at Messiah Lutheran Church take seriously that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) The young and the old, the rich and the poor, all of the broken are welcome here.
WE want it to be of public knowledge that "we are justified by the grace of God, which is a gift through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 3:20)
WE offer welcome here because we believe that "while we were yet sinners, Christ died for the ungodly." (Romans 5:8); that is us. Christ did not die for us after we showed signs of "getting it all together," Christ loved us and still loves us while we are yet sinners.
Sinners are welcome here; sinners like you and me like our neighbors. Let us not condemn the world, but let us proclaim to a broken and hurting world, God’s forgiveness and grace. WE want it to be of public record that since we are a sinful people that we will not always be as quick to welcome as we should. Let us be quick to admit our sin and seek forgiveness.
May God give us the grace to welcome and forgive one another as Christ has welcomed and forgiven us. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son to die for it." (John 3:16)