Francis Asbury Moonlit Approach Painting by Richard G. Douglas Courtesy of B.L. Fischer Library, Asbury Theological Seminary Right before Christmas, it was shared that I would be serving two churches starting January 1. This Sunday, January 8, will be my first Sunday to preach both churches. The commute from one to another makes me feel like one of the circuit riders of old.Here's the post I share...  Read More

I hope you receive a Christmas card from me, but if you didn't, then I wanted to share the contents of it here for you:It's hard to believe it's been 6 months since AJ, Abigail, and I moved to Fleming Island UMC. God has blessed our family in so many ways during 2022.AJ has a new job selling digital add spots for SignsOfHope.com. He works from home most weeks and gets to pick up Abigail from schoo...  Read More

I had the pleasure of helping pack our thanksgiving boxes for a bit. (My box is on the left side in the back.   Read More

We have been so grateful for the outpouring of support through our annual Christmas gift card drive. This drive gives us an opportunity to show God’s love through gifts – during both a season in which gift- giving is especially celebrated, and a pandemic in which good news and generosity are desperately needed. If you would like to give gift cards for the Children's Home, it's not too late! You ca...  Read More

The Florida United Methodist Children's Home (UMCH) is a mission that's special to the hearts of many Methodists. Our church's representative is Eddie Coppage. That means Eddie stays connected with the home and how they need support. Val and Eddie take so much joy in going to visit the home and taking our donations.The UM Children's Home has two campuses that includes residential homes, therapeuti...  Read More

Hey, families! Here’s a look at what we’re covering with your kids this month so you can help your kids continue growing at home. Remember when you just couldn’t wait to be tall enough and old enough to ride a roller coaster? It seems like a small thing, but it's actually a significant childhood milestone and every kid is looking to measure up in some way. But . . . we never really outgrow that im...  Read More

Joy…Sadness…Anger…Compassion. God has given each of us the capacity to feel deeply. When we can better process our powerful emotions, we can start to understand how he will use them for His good. In this series, we’ll look at how Jesus processed emotions and how following His example can help us see how our own emotions can be used to fulfill God’s purpose for our lives. I chose this series for Ja...  Read More

Sometimes if can feel like if we could only do more....or that one small act can't change the world. This week, in our reflection on what we've done this year as a church, I'm reflecting on how many "small" acts actually add up to be a large one. That's what we're looking at this week. This a wonderful reminder that no matter what we contribute, every thing makes an impact.The total of all of thes...  Read More

It's been the goal of our missions committee to find ways for us to serve our community, building relationships with others and those within our church at the same time. There were some things that missions took off their list for organizations to support this year, feeling it didn't meet their goal. However, in June, they added the Clay County Kitchen because it hit although the marks.We've had o...  Read More

Sunday is the first week of Advent and the Christian New Year! As we enter the worship space, you'll see all the beautiful decorations placed by the volunteers this past week. (Thank you to everyone who made soup, stayed to eat, and helped decorate the campus.) I hope you'll notice the evergreens all around the room. Evergreens represent new life, renewal, and rebirth. Plants like pine, fir, holly...  Read More

I mentioned in my sermon this past Sunday, that I am having a hard time believing that Advent is almost here.   Read More

October was a busy month, but we have so many things to celebrate. Many know this, but I wasn't in favor of doing the pumpkin patch this year. Why? Because I was worried it would over-tax our congregation's time. Why am I telling you this? Because I was wrong and I'm glad to be wrong.I'm a firm believer in sharing my opinion and then stepping back. The church council rallied together to bring the ...  Read More