Chili Cookoff and Halloween Party

On Saturday, October 24th, Messiah Lutheran Church conducted their annual Chili Cookoff and Halloween Party.



The kids came in costume and paraded through the dining room. There were some great and creative costumes.



The Jr. Youth lead the younger kids in contests and games for prizes. Sonja led them in a bone hunt etc. They had a great time!!



All of the usual Halloween suspects were present including cowboys, space men, princesses and monsters.



Some of the adults even dressed up for the occasion.



Of course the main event of the evening was the chili eating and judging.

• First prize was a tie between Anita de'Jong & William Strand
• 2nd place was William Strand
• 3rd was a tie between Paul Zutter and Anita de'Jong 
• The Hottest Chili Prize went to Sonja Peterson.

The Chili Cookoff and Halloween Party are hosted each year by the fellowship committee of Messiah Lutheran Church. If you would like to see some of the other great fellowship activities that are conducted at Messiah, please visit the Fellowship Page on the Messiah Website.

Older Wiser Lutherans (OWLS)

This month's gathering of the Older Wiser Lutheran's was conducted at Terranova's Italian Restaurant in Huntsville, AL. Approximately 20 members of the OWLs attended the gathering including a few who were there for the first time.  The OWLs enjoyed some fellowship while savoring some tasty Italian dishes including appetizers, soups, salads, chicken, seafood, steaks, pizza, pasta, and of course dessert.



Terranova's, provided the group with a wonderful Italian ambiance in which to enjoy some fellowship. The restaurant is decorated with bona fide Italian antiques, artifacts, and memorabilia, all of which made for a delightful evening for the OWLS.



The OWLS are a loosely knit group of folks (over 50 years of age) who get together once a month for an activity. These activities vary from a potluck at the church, Sunday brunch at a restaurant, miniature golf, a visit to the Botanical Garden, to attending the "Living Christmas Tree" concert. Both men and women are welcome.



If you would like to learn more about the OWLS, contact Jan Murphy or the Messiah Lutheran Church Office at (256) 721-0041. You can also check out the OWLS Page on the Messiah Website.

The A-Maiz-ing Tweens

The Tweens of Messiah Lutheran Church conducted an outing to one of the local corn mazes.  Everyone had a good time and no one was permanently lost in the maze.  It was a great day to be outside with a blue sky and just enough chill to make it feel like fall. 

The Tweens are one of the youth groups at Messiah Lutheran Church.  They are made up of children in the 3d, 4th, and 5th grade.  They usually conduct an activity each month.  If you would like to learn more about the Tweens, please contact the Messiah Lutheran Church Office at (256) 721-0041. 

Handmade Market

 (Click on Picture to Enlarge)

On October 17th and 18th, Messiah Lutheran Church held a Handmade Market.  Twenty Six Artisans and Craftsmen donated over 800 items to the Hand Made Market. 100% of the proceeds from the market will go to support Lunches For Learning.  Lunches for Learning is a non-profit organization that raises funds to purchase food for elementary school children in poverty stricken areas of Honduras.  The program which is only a few years old, has had tremendous success so far.  Children who previously would have spent the day looking for food to eat are now in the classroom learning. One of the key benefits of the program is that it helps break the cycle of poverty in Honduras.  The children come to school because that is where the food is, but they getting something even more important.  An education.

Messiah Lutheran Church has undertaken the mission of sponsoring the Benito Montoya School in Honduras.  Click here to view a slide show of the Benito Montoya School.

So far, the Handmade Market has raised over $3000 in support of the Lunches For Learning Mission.  God is truly working through the volunteers and craftsmen who made this event possible.  The remaining items from the Handmade Market will be available for sale between church services on Oct. 25 and Dec. 6.  Please contact Jackie Myers or the church office at (256) 721-0041 if you would like to help support the Handmade Market and Lunches For Learning.

Senior Youth Canoe Trip

On Sunday, 11 October, the Senior Youth and several adult leaders of Messiah Lutheran Church traveled to the Elk River in Kelso Tennessee to take part in a water adventure.


The first stop of the journey was the canoe outfitter where we made arrangements to rent the required equipment for our expedition.



After everyone had been properly outfitted with life vests and paddles, we loaded into vans for the trip up the river to the entry point.



We then paired everyone up in canoes.  This was the first time that some members of our group had been canoeing.  There was a little bit of a learning curve at the beginning of the trip, but by the end of our adventure, everyone had mastered the basics of paddling a canoe.



Our entire journey was about 7.5 miles and took about 3 hours.  The weather was perfect.  It was a great opportunity to reflect on our lives and witness the beauty of God's creation.



About half way through our journey, we took a break and ate the picnic lunches that we brought with us.  It was a great chance for fellowship and a rare opportunity to break bread together as a group while enjoying the great outdoors.



Sadly the trip finally came to an end, but some members of the group could not resist a few more antics in the frigid water while waiting for our transportation.  Everyone in the group said that they really enjoyed the trip and couldn't wait for the next event.  If you would like to learn more about the Messiah Lutheran Church Senior Youth Group, please visit their page on the website, or speak with John Shriver.

Blessing of the Animals

On Saturday, October 3rd, Messiah Lutheran Church conducted a Blessing of the Animals Service. At Messiah Lutheran Church, along with many other churches, it has become the custom to bless pets on St. Francis day.

St. Francis enjoyed a legendary relationship with animals, and stories about his experiences with them abound. It is said that St. Francis loved animals so much that he regularly bought captured birds and freed them.

Perhaps the best story about St. Francis concerns a wolf that was terrorizing an Italian town. St. Francis convinced the townsfolk to feed the animal regularly in exchange for its friendship. Though there were no wolves at Messiah's Blessing of the Animals Service, there were 11 dogs and 2 cats.  All of the animals were on their best behavior.



Do you give special thanks for the animals who share your home? Do you count them among the blessings of this life?

Gracious Lord, thank you for the gift of animals.  Thank you for making these dear creatures which have become blessings in our lives.  May we see in them your unfailing love, and may we share with them your boundless compassion.  Amen.

Older Wiser Lutherans (OWLS)

The Older Wiser Lutheran's (OWLS) of Messiah Lutheran Church are a loosely knit group of folks age 50 or better who get together once a month for an activity.

The OWLS activities vary from a potluck at the church, Sunday brunch at a restaurant, miniature golf, a visit to the Botanical Garden, to attending the "Living Christmas Tree" concert. Both men and women are welcome. And don’t let their name fool you.  They may call themselves the “Older” Wiser Lutherans, but they know they’re young at heart.

For their first get together after the summer break, the OWLS attended a gathering hosted by Mary Ann and Ed Stasiak.  The OWLS had a wonderful time spending time together in fellowship and learning to play dominoes.

The group shared some wonderful Hors d'œuvres brought by members of the group.

The Event was a smashing success! If you would like to learn more about the OWLS please visit the OWLs Page of the Messiah Lutheran Church Website.

Messiah Mugs

Messiah Mugs is a service provided by the Senior Youth of Messiah Lutheran Church.  Join the Mugs every Sunday morning between services for a tasty cup of "fair-trade" coffee and fellowship as you support the senior youth in this fundraising effort. Proceeds from coffee sales support youth activities, the new facility fund, and the fund for the next National Youth Gathering.

Fair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries and promote sustainability. The movement advocates the payment of a higher price to producers as well as social and environmental standards in areas related to the production of a wide variety of goods. It focuses in particular on exports from developing countries to developed countries, most notably handicrafts, coffee, cocoa, sugar, tea, bananas, honey, cotton, wine, fresh fruit, chocolate and flowers.

Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity in El Salvador

Messiah Lutheran Church members Virgil and Susan Burrer recently returned from a Thrivent Builds with Habitat For Humanity mission to Santa Ana, El Salvador.  During the  10 days they spent in Santa Ana, Virgil, Susan and other volunteers from Thrivent Builds helped construct three new houses for families in need. All of the construction was accomplished using manual labor. 

The houses which are only 350 square feet, are small by United States standards but represent a vast improvement to the typical living conditions in El Salvador. Each home has 2 bedrooms, a living area and a bathroom which is outside. All cooking is done outside as well.


Even though the work was hard, the weather was hot and humid, and the volunteers were fed Chicken, Rice and Corn at every meal, the experience was a very rewarding one.  One Thrivent volunteer in El Salvador Stated, "This was so different from a normal vacation. On a vacation, you go somewhere to be entertained ... to be distracted. You pay others to serve you. On this trip, we went to serve. We connected with other people. We became part of a new family. We came together, sharing our cultures, united as God's children."



If you would like to participate in a Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity project, but are not yet ready to travel to El Salvador, there is a solution for you. Each year Messiah Lutheran Church participates in a Habitat for Humanity project in the local community. Click on the Messiah Habitat For Humanity Page for additional information.


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Incarnation Lutheran Church Inaugural Service

Messiah Lutheran Church congratulates Incarnation Lutheran Church on their inaugural church service which was celebrated on Sunday, September 15th. Incarnation is a new congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America forming in the Harvest, Alabama community.


Incarnation Lutheran Church is excited to be a place where you will experience the loving, transforming presence of Jesus and discover how you are called and gifted to bring that loving, transforming presence into your daily life. One member of Messiah Lutheran Church in attendance during Incarnation's inaugural service stated that, "I believe that Incarnation is a blessing and a wonderful haven to uplift and renew the spirit!"  If you would like to learn more about Incarnation Lutheran Church, please visit their website. 

Contemporary Band Rehearsal

On Saturday, the Messiah Lutheran Web team stopped by the Church to watch a rehearsal of the Contemporary Band as they prepared for an upcoming contemporary service.  The Contemporary Band is led by Music Director Lois Graff and performs popular and inspirational praise songs that you have probably heard on the radio. The music is a blending of acoustic and electric instruments provided by a team of worship musicians from our congregation.

The next contemporary church service will be conducted at 11:00 AM on September 20th. Our worship service schedule can be found on our Worship Page.  Directions to Messiah Lutheran can be found on our Visitor Page.  We look forward to seeing you here.  Please call our Church office at (256) 721-0041 if you require any additional information.

There are many different opportunities to participate in music ministries at Messiah Lutheran Church both as a performer and as a member of the technical crew. Performance opportunities include Solo Performances, Ensembles, Choirs for all ages, and Bell Ringers. If you would like to learn more about ways you can share your musical talents at Messiah Lutheran, please speak with Lois Graff or visit our Music Ministries Page.

Property Committee Painting Day

Well, the work isn't as flashy as performing in a musical or teaching Sunday school, but the members of the Property Committee perform vital behind the scenes work for the congregation.  On Saturday, the Property Committee spent the day painting the siding of the Church.  Some of the siding had been deteriorating and had recently been replaced.  The property committee painted the new siding to match the old color.  Great Job Property Committee!  If you would like to learn more about the property committee or would like to volunteer your talents to help them out, Please Click Here.

Welcome To The New Messiah Lutheran Blog

Welcome to the New Messiah Lutheran Blog. Messiah Lutheran Church is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).  Messiah Lutheran is located in Madison, Alabama.  "God's People, Reaching Out,"  is a synopsis of our mission statement. God's People emphasizes our gracious Lord's initiative in acting to claim us as His people.  In matters of faith God always comes first.

The Webmaster team at Messiah will be using this blog as another means of publicizing all of the fantastic events, programs, activities, and ministries taking place at Messiah Lutheran Church. If you have any comments or would like to suggest an article for the blog, please send an email with text and pictures to Webmaster@mlutheran.org.