Service of Testimony

Everything you need to know about our Joint Service of Testimony with St. Matthew's:

When is it? The service is October 20th, at 11:00 AM.

Will there still be a service held at our Messiah church building? No. As we do every Sunday, we will be one congregation worshipping in unity at one service, but this time, in a different location.

Why are we doing this? For several reasons. First, this is a helpful spiritual exercise that reminds us that the Church is not our building at 907 Washington Dr., but is in fact our community of believers wherever we may be. Second, this provides us an opportunity to connect with another ELCA congregation that is both closest to us in geography and values. It is important for congregations to have a connection to other congregations that can be our peers and partners in ministry. Third, the service that day will be a Service of Testimony and Renewal that is sure to energize you.  

Where is St. Matthew’s? St. Matthew’s is located at 5709 Wedgwood Dr., Ft. Worth. It is near Hulen Mall, and it is about a 25 minute drive from Messiah.

Will we be carpooling? If you would like to carpool, please do so. You can either make arrangements with your friends or, you can gather at Messiah no later than 10:15. At 10:15, any folks at Messiah will need to sort themselves into vehicles and make their way to Ft. Worth.

What if someone still shows up at Messiah? We will use every means possible to communicate our location change for October 20th. As a fail-safe, we will have a pair of Messiah leaders stay behind at Messiah to greet anyone who may have missed the message and to offer a carpool to St. Matthew’s. In the meantime, please keep reminding your Messiah friends about the 20th and encouraging them to join us at St. Matthew’s.

Will the service be livestreamed? Yes, the livestream from St. Matthew’s will be shared on our Messiah Facebook page. Of course, if you can be there in-person, you are encouraged to do so.

Will we be taking up an offering? During the service, we will be taking up an offering for Lutheran Disaster Response. If you want to make your regular offering for Messiah, you can bring your offering to St. Matthew’s and we will have collection boxes labelled in the narthex for both Messiah and St. Matthew’s. Otherwise, you can make your weekly offering via mail or online.

Will we have an Adult Forum that morning? No, we will not have Adult Forum at Messiah so that you have plenty of travel time. If you want to arrive at St. Matthew’s early, you are welcome to participate in the St. Matthew’s Adult Forum which begins at 9:15 in the fellowship hall.

Will there be lunch afterwards? Yes, we are planning to have a joint potluck immediately following the service. This will be a time to get to know one another and there will be a presentation about the Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest and  legacy giving. St. Matthew’s members are providing pizzas and desserts, so if Messiah members would like to bring a salad or side dish to share you are welcome to do so. Either way, just bring yourselves and stay for lunch!

Why a Service of Testimony? Both St. Matthew’s and Messiah are congregations that are either growing or interested in growth. That means we need to be thinking about evangelism. Testimony is a powerful tool of evangelism, and this Sunday will give us a chance to witness the spiritual power that storytelling can have on us personally and as a community. During the service, some members from each congregation will be invited to share a brief testimony about how they’ve experienced God in their lives. If you feel called to share a story of faith with our community, get in touch with Vicar Trent who can talk with you more and help you prepare.