Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting,“Clear the way through the wilderness    for the Lord!Make a straight highway through the wasteland    for our God!Fill in the valleys,    and level the mountains and hills.Straighten the curves,    and smooth out the rough places.Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed,    and all people will see it together.    The Lord has spoken!” Today’s scriptur...  Read More

A 5-Week Series from the Gospels on Christmas Grab your sandals, sunblock, and swim gear because it’s time for a Christmas Vacation! We’ll be making sand angels and roasting chestnuts around an open bonfire on our tropical getaway. You’ve never experienced Christmas like this! In this five-week series, we’ll focus on the birth of Jesus and the way God had been planning things from the very beginni...  Read More

During this season of thankfulness, I want to say thank you to everyone who make it possible for us to to serve our community.The Yard Sale and Pumpkin Patch at first glance is a fundraiser. They did both raise the church money but they did more. The Pumpkin Patch allowed us to connect with the community and support a Cub Scout Troop. We also donated all the unsold items to:Veterans of AmericaThe ...  Read More

Rosalie Waller Moore: One of the great blessings of working at the Children's Home is the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people. We were contacted this summer by Rosalie Moore who told us she was born and raised at the Children's Home.She was the youngest child of Dr. Harry H. Waller who served as a Field Agent (now known as Director of Development) from 1930 to 1935. He also served as the ...  Read More

In 1989, Heather is believed to be the youngest Floridian to receive a heart transplant at the time. She was 2 years old when she received her new heart at Shands. She contracted a live virus and gave her (cardiomyopathy) her heart was to big and it  was failing. She was the 61st person to receive a transplant by the University of Florida doctors, but one they would always remember because of her ...  Read More

Have you returned home from a vacation, and felt like you needed another vacation? We make plans, but 9 times out of 10, things don't end up like we expect. This holiday season, we're going tropical and thinking about all the unexpected things that happened to the characters the first Christmas. Grab your Hawaiian shirts, Santa hats, and get ready for a Christmas Vacation! This is a loving God ser...  Read More

I commented Sunday, but being the focus of everyone's attention isn't something I love. I know that seems strange for a preacher to say. I cannot say enough how much I love receiving note cards from you with words of encouragement. Some weeks take more mental work; others take more emotional effort. This week, I was tired from every direction. Sitting at my desk and reading card after card, I felt ...  Read More

Our inaugural Preteen Ice Cream Olympics was a success Our Preteens passionately worked to complete each event, from searching for a rubber duck with their mouth in a bowl of ice cream to playing catch with a ball of ice cream.  They tackled every challenge as a team. And who knew they would be so vibrant when answering their trivia questions. I may have surprised them with my ability to answer on...  Read More

We had October 16 marked on the calendar for a few weeks. When I got up that morning, the weather had become chilly, but that wouldn't stop me from baptizing Michael at his home. His family and friends had been waiting for this day. I'll admit I wasn't sad he decided not to get fully into the pool. The following Sunday, October 22, we welcomed the entire family into our church. But one person was m...  Read More

A 4-Week Series from the Old Testament on Joshua Racers, start your engines In a race, you might need to navigate obstacles, pit stops, and tight turns in order to stay on the right track. As you’re zooming through the track, there’s so much to think about and it can be hard to stay focused on what’s most important In this four-week series, we’ll learn some important stories from Joshua about ho...  Read More

We're 4 Sundays from Advent; it's hard to believe we're at that time again. Advent is the beginning of the church year for Christians. During Advent, we prepare for and anticipate the coming of Christ. One of the ways is through a tradition called the Advent Wreath. Starting November 26th, we'll start worship by lighting a candle and sharing in a reading. Families or groups are invited to participat...  Read More

This month is a month with 5 Sundays, which means we're collecting for the Florida United Methodist Children's Home. In light of that, I wanted to share two stories from the Children's Home so you can see what impact your gifts make. Emily (pictured) is 12 years old and has been living at the Madison Youth Ranch for the past two years after multiple failed foster placements. She had to be removed f...  Read More