Church of the Messiah

09/06/2026

This Sunday at coffee hour, we celebrated Father Austin's first anniversary as rector of Church of the Messiah! 🥰 We're so grateful for you, Austin, Tiffany, Alban, and Wesley!

09/02/2026

Rhinebeck's Episcopal Church of the Messiah launches Great Sacred Music on Sept 27 at 4pm with music of Dering, Mendelssohn, and Faure.

The professional voices of the Choral Scholars of the Church of the Messiah will sing the program. Great Sacred Music celebrates the Anglican choral tradition as it wrestles with dragons and looks at the presence and purpose of angels in our lives.

The repertoire includes music of Richard Dering, who was so Catholic that he left England for Belgium; Felix Mendelssohn, who was pretty much German but couldn’t stay away from England, and Gabriel Faure, who was so French that he may not have known about England.

Each 35-minute Great Sacred Music offering intersperses choral music with spoken prose and poetry, creating a space for calm reflection and a moment to breathe. All are invited to pause, listen, and reset.

Looking ahead, Great Sacred Music will be offered at 4pm on November 1, February 7, and May 9.

Join us for this exciting new cultural offering in Rhinebeck!

07/28/2026

Interesting! Our 1899 church building is anything but modern. Come see for yourself! Services at 8 and 10am Sunday mornings. PS. Church School is on summer recess. Back in September!

Outreach-minded evangelicals have often argued that church buildings need to be less “churchy” to draw in would-be seekers. But that might not actually be true, according to research from Barna Group and Aspen Group asking a representative sample of 2,000 Americans questions about the architecture of sacred spaces.

When Americans close their eyes, they can picture a church. Even if they rarely or never attend one, they have an idea of what a church should look and feel like—and a preference. That preference is quite traditional.

Nearly 90 percent of Americans say a church should be “easily identifiable,” and 8 of 10 say they want the building to “reflect the beauty of God.” There are some, to be sure, who prefer that churches feel modern (38%) and trendy (28%), but most Americans want religious spaces that feel more timeless and transcendent.
https://chrst.today/4iyjUOH

06/17/2026

For all of June, special rainbow lighting on our church celebrates the courage, resilience, and joy of Pride Month! And for this week, the spectrum of colors turns a spotlight on orange — in honor of the New York Knicks first NBA Championship in 53 years. 😁

06/10/2026

Mark your calendar for the new music series coming to Church of the Messiah! In the tradition of St Martin-in-the-Fields, London.

05/25/2026

Happy Pentecost! Selfie Sunday at Church of the Messiah.😁

05/24/2026

Love history and fine architecture? Rhinebeck's Church of the Messiah will be open from 11 until 1 on Memorial Day, May 25, with volunteers on hand to point out its unique interior features. The church, consecrated in 1899, contains fine craftsmanship of the Edwardian period (think Downtown Abbey), with oak wainscoting, Philadelphia pressed brick, and a ceiling made of cypress. The show stoppers are the magnificent stained glass windows, two of them by Tiffany. We hope you'll stop by 6436 Montgomery Street!

05/08/2026

Join us May 21 for the final Third Thursday lunch of this season! 11:30 am to 1 pm.

All proceeds will benefit the English as Second Language Program, a longtime mission at the Church of the Messiah.

The menu will be slightly different as we welcome summer. We'll have a choice of Italian sub sandwich, tuna salad sandwich, or egg salad sandwich. In addition, there will be homemade pasta salad and deviled eggs. As always, the meal is topped off with delicious homemade desserts.

The cost is just $7.00 and takeout is available.

The luncheon is held in the Parish Hall directly behind the Church of the Messiah, 6432 Montgomery Street in Rhinebeck. See you Thursday, May 21!

04/24/2026

The Church School enjoyed a crafty Earth Day last Sunday! The children made wind chimes out of materials found in the closet, and discussed ways we can take care of the planet that God gave us.

04/14/2026

This Thursday, April 16, is Third Thursday! The menu is:

Sandwich Choice - Pulled Pork with Cole Slaw, Tuna Salad, or Egg Salad
Soup - Spring Pea or Tomato
Homemade Desserts
Coffee or Tea

It will be a special event as our beneficiary is the Third Thursday mission. The funding comes from generous donors and from fundraisers such as the Indoor Flea Market.

Third Thursday is a social event for community with an opportunity for people to gather and share a meal. In addition, various social services groups speak at the luncheon. These groups include the Grace Smith House, the Lunchbox in Poughkeepsie, Vets for Vets, River Haven Shelter for youth, and the Clubhouse. In addition, meals are prepared and delivered to Liberty House, transitional housing for homeless veterans.

Please join us! It is the best $7.00 lunch you will ever have! Takeout is available.