How Do I Join The Church of the Messiah?
Church membership can take place through baptism, confirmation, reception or membership transfer from another Episcopal Church. Please speak with our Rector Jim Reed if you are interested in church membership.
How can I receive Christ as my Savior and Lord?
The New Testament tells us in Romans 3:23, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Regardless of who we are, or how good we might think we are, compared to God's laws, we all fall short and therefore do not have the closeness with God that we all naturally long for. God become a man, Jesus Christ. Since we fall short of God, God decided to come to us.
Jesus was a historical person and lived on this earth about two thousand years ago. He lived a perfect life. He loved God perfectly. He loved others and gave his life for the sins of the whole world. Three days after Jesus was crucified on the cross, he rose from the dead. He ascended to heaven and now sits ruling with God the Father.
The Bible teaches us that if we accept Jesus' sacrifice on the cross for our sins, God does not hold them against us. We accept Jesus' death on the cross by faith. Romans 5:1, 2 says, "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand." There is nothing we can do to earn God's love. We can only accept it by responding to Jesus' claims and invitation to salvation.
He said, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25, 26). The most important decision any of us will ever make in our lives is our response to Jesus' question. This is a question we can only make after prayer and examining what the Bible says about Jesus. If you would like to explore more deeply the claims of Jesus Christ, we invite you to call COM (Church of the Messiah) and arrange a meeting with our pastor; Fr. Reed. He will be glad to talk with you.
If you been thinking about taking the step of faith to become a child of God and a member of Jesus' Church, then all you need do is bow your head and pray a simple little prayer like this:
Heavenly Father, Thank you that you love me and sent Jesus Christ into the world that I would have real and eternal life. I believe that you have a purpose for my life and that Jesus' death on the cross cancels any judgment upon my life due to my sins. I turn from any life-style that is wrong in your eyes, and I give my life to you so that I might become Jesus' disciple. Fill me with your Holy Spirit. Make me a new creation. By your grace and love I now commit myself to your will and your ways. Understanding that I cannot take this sacred journey by myself, I will seek out a community of believers to live my life with. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.