Rev John Sorensen is Preacher and Celebrant

this Sunday October 29, 2023

BBQ Lunch and Parish Visioning after Church-2pm

In our Old Testament Story Line, we've moved to the Book of Deuteronomy. Moses and God are on a high mountain, viewing all of the Promised Land that the Children of Israel are to inherit. However, Moses is told that it is not his calling to lead the Children of Israel There. It's his time to move off the stage. Another leader, Joshua, will take over now.

In First Thessalonians 2, The Apostle Paul is fond of the Church of Thessalonica. He says that he was "gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children." Its an intimmate, tender portrait of a man who loves and cares for the Church his is ministering to, but now has to write to them (if he'd had had Facetime, what a world it would have Been)!

And in the Gospel, Jesus in Matthew's gospel is asked what is the most important commandment. He answers, "He said to him, “’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

You Can read this Sunday's lessons at this link.

Whether brand new or been her for a decade, you're welcome to attend!

Messiah Visioning Retreat II This Sunday and Monday

Sunday, Oct 29, 11:30 to 2pm, BBQ Lunch and Visioning Report Updates

Monday, October 30, Noon to 5pm, Discussion and reports. Lunch included

The Steering Committee has been hard at work, working with the various teams preparing reports (see article at the end of this enews for a description of the teams) for our Second Visioning Retreat with Ann Fleming of the Episcopal Church Building Fund. Our /Sunday session will begin right after Church this Sunday, October 29. A BBQ lunch will be served. We will work through some of the committee reports and lay the groundwork for continued discussion and discerning on Monday. We'll be finished around 2 pm on Sunday.

On Monday, October 30, our Retreat will continue from noon to 5pm. A Dagwoods lunch is included. Monday’s time will be used to debrief what we heard and observed on Sunday, then do some work as leaders and teams to process that information, learn some important tools to help with congregational change issues, and organize for the next phase. In between sessions during her visit, Ann will be meeting with Steering Committee Members and visiting a couple of properties that we are considering.

Our Ultimate goal is to vision, plan and design our future ministry as The Church of the Messiah in Myrtle Beach. Our Ministry Plan will inform the kind of property we will eventually acquire and move into.

Please Let Kristi know you are planning to attend, either or both days, by text 843.241.3524, email k3burch@gmail.com, or leave a message at 843-241-3524.

And, be in prayer for us and our retreat. This is Holy Work!

Messiah Sunday Children's Program

Our regular worshippers include at least three families with young children who have difficulty attending the entire worship service. Most churches consider it a part of their ministry to all their members to provide a childcare opportunity during Sunday worship. Our Fall Childcare program began September 10.

Chelsea, our new childcare person has enjoyed working with our children and will continue to do so. With your support and encouragement, Messiah will develop a quality, predictable Sunday Children's Program. This is an important component to church growth! We are can report that Chelsea will offer childcare for our 7pm Christmas Eve Service!

A Short History of Episcopal Church of the Messiah

Messiah was founded as a congregation on Sunday August 4, 2013. The church rented classrooms on 79th avenue to hold our first worship services. We had to move our furnishings in and out each Sunday. Fr. Wilmot Merchant, Rector of Saint Stephen's, North Myrtle Beach, helped us connect with the Methodists, who gave us space for over a year at their 65th avenue school property near the ByPass. In the fall of 2014 we found temporary space with the Saint Philip Lutheran Church, and in November of 2014 we were recognized by the Diocese of South Carolina as a mission Congregation, Messiah. In 2019, we moved to our current location where we have full use of our own rental property. Our next step is to partner with the Episcopal Church Building Fund and the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina to find ourselves a new home! No one wants to be a refuge forever! That process is underway!

Messiah's Future Discussions were Held

October 15-17

We thank you for joining our planning committee members for informal discussions in October. These discussions will inform our Visioning Retreat October 29 & 30, 2023.

Four Planning Teams Formed,

Planning Process is Underway

Friday and Saturday, July 13 and 14, over 40 parishioners joined us for one or both days of our two-day retreat. About 35 people were with us for some or all of Friday, and over 27 finished the work with us on Saturday (photo above). I’m excited that our Visioning Retreat with Ann Fleming of the Episcopal Church Building Fund is now complete. Now, the planning work begins.

At a meeting with the Vestry and other church leaders, after church on Sunday, July 15, Ann outlined the planning process whose goal is the creation of a new Church of the Messiah at a new location in Myrtle Beach. We imagined 4 Teams and a Steering Committee that will lead this research and planning.

The Steering Committee organizes the work of the four teams, and assembles an application to the Episcopal Church Building Fund and the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina for the re-establishment of Messiah at a new Location in Myrtle Beach. Kristi Burch and Peggy Kovacs are the Co-Chairs of the Steering Committee that will coordinate the tasks of the 4 teams. The Steering Committee Leadership Team, which is Kristi and Peggy joined by Vicar Fr. John, Charlie Jordan and Warden Rick Stall, has been working for two weeks to clarify the team tasks, goals and a time-line. We now have four teams and a leader.

The Data Team, led by Monica Orosz will assemble demographic, national church and parochial data, civic numbers and research to guide us in church placement, mission goals and to help us understand the larger community which is Myrtle Beach. Data helps us discern who we are and where we live and who God has called us to be in Myrtle Beach. What justifies the our and our partners' anticipated financial support for Messiah Church in Myrtle Beach? Members: Maggie Burch, Allen Jeffcoat, Skip Williams & George Welles.

The Finance Team, led by Al Wiggins will assemble our historical financial data, our operating budget, and create a church-planting budget to help us grow and own property at a new location. This includes funding requirements, capital resources, fundraising goals, are all part of this team's work. How do we pay for this venture? Members: Pat Patterson, David Martin, Skip Williams.

The Parish Ministries Team, led by Charles Evans, will begin to dream what our core ministry is as Church of the Messiah. What parish Life aspects are central to our existence? What is our vision for a church in Myrtle Beach? What is our spiritual core that will capture the imagination of our members and donors for an Episcopal Church in Myrtle Beach? What spiritual practices do we need to sustain ourselves as a congregation? What building facility will we need? Members: John Manley, David Hardin, Sharon Williams.

The Interim Site Selection Team. Led by David Martin, with Mary Jeffcoat & Fr. John, this group will begin the relocation process by exploring a temporary location for Messiah during the transition. This team's work will become the Site Selection Team that looks to find our "final" location, but we may find ourselves in a temporary location during the interim.

These teams have begun their work. Monica and the Data Team will soon be handing off information to the Site Selection and Ministry Team for the next phases of the work.. The Goal is to have a report and a proposal ready in draft form by the end of September to present to the Diocese of South Carolina and our potential supporters and collaborators. When this stage of the work concludes, Ann will visit us again, perhaps in October to review that work and the application and plan our next steps.

This is an exciting time for the Episcopal Church of the Messiah in Myrtle Beach. As your Vicar, I deeply appreciate the dedication of the forty or more people who spent many hours on the two-day retreat, beginning a Visioning Process for Messiah. I'm equally grateful for those who volunteered for the four teams, and for those who are waiting for an opportunity to participate. Our future is bright!

What's going on? The work is underway, in various committees, and in time applications and conversations will be made with the Diocese of South Carolina, The Episcopal Church Building Fund, and other sources. It's difficult to report to the congregation when we're in the middle of the work, so please be patient. When we have something to report, we'll do so!

Many Blessings,

Fr. John Sorensen

Vicar