October 30th, 2026 | Rev. Rachel Williams

Beloved Friends,

               Did you know that this upcoming weekend is known in the church as Allhallowtide? Or if you wanted to get really fancy you might call it the Hallowmas Triduum. This all kicks off on Halloween. Yes, Halloween, which you might have been told is just an incredible marathon of a day for children to swim in sweets is actually All Hallow’s Eve, an evening spent in preparation of All Saint’s Day. That’s not to say that you can’t go out and collect candy or partake in some Halloween revelry, but I encourage you to also take some time to say a prayer for a saint in your life (even Saint Dolly Parton) and set your heart for the days to come.

               On Sunday, I hope you will join us in service as we honor all the saints, both known and unknown, who have gone before us into the great cloud of witnesses. We will light candles in prayer and witness to those within our own church family who have departed this Earth, and we will light another candle for all those we hold in our hearts and memories. We also take this time to profess our hope for resurrection and the fullness of new life. Generally, we observe All Saint’s Day in a way that combines practices of All Soul’s Day as well. However, in the Mexican culture, family members will create an ofrenda which is an altar where certain items like food, drink, flowers and pictures are placed to remember deceased loved ones. It may not be an exact tradition you follow, but what if you took some extra time in prayer and remembrance on Monday as well to do something to honor those in your life who you have lost? Gather with loved ones and share memories and stories. Even in the midst of our grief for those who are no longer with us, may we find the inbreaking of joy.

               Be safe this weekend, and I’ll look forward to gathering with you Sunday!

With love and peace,

Pastor Rachel

October 23rd, 2026 | Rev. Angie Long

Memorial Family –

Over the past several weeks, our stewardship journey has centered on one important theme: covenant.

From the beginning, stewardship has never been primarily about budgets, buildings, or even financial commitments. It is about relationship. Throughout Scripture, covenant is God's promise to God's people, a promise marked by faithfulness, grace, and trust. The remarkable truth is that God not only calls us into covenant, but entrusts us with gifts, resources, abilities, and opportunities to participate in God's work in the world.

Stewardship is our response to that trust.

When we give, serve, pray, and share our lives with others, we are not simply checking a box or fulfilling an obligation. We are practicing discipleship. We are acknowledging that all we have comes from God and choosing to place a portion of what God has entrusted to us back into God's hands. Stewardship is a spiritual practice that shapes our hearts and helps us grow in trust, gratitude, and faith.

This Sunday, October 25th, we will conclude our stewardship emphasis and dedicate our commitments for the coming year. During each worship service, you will have an opportunity to bring your pledge card forward as an act of worship and a visible response to God's covenant faithfulness in your life. My hope is that this moment will be more than a financial commitment. May it be a visible expression of our covenant with God and our desire to participate in what God is doing through this church.

If you are unable to be in worship this Sunday, you may drop off your pledge card at the church office at any time or complete your pledge online.

Thank you for the many ways you already live out your faith through your prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness. As we make our commitments for the year ahead, may we do so as a response to God's covenant faithfulness, trusting that every act of generosity is one of the ways Love Shows Up in our church, our community, and the world.

Blessings,

Pastor Angie

The Good News: The Wesley Dinner Club helped members thoughtfully think about their futures

Attorney Manny Moreno addressed the group about wills and estates.

10.15.26 - "Everyone needs a plan. You don't need to be old, you don't need to be rich, or sick...you just need to have someone you love. That's it."

Katie Greenwell, the Children's Ministry Coordinator at Memorial, spoke frankly during the last Wesley Dinner Club about how having plans in place now for her children, her assets, and their health directives has made a big difference in her life. She talked about how her husband, Devon, was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2018.

During the first few years of his diagnosis, Katie realized that because her name was not on their banks account, their mortgage, or their loans, she was unable to manage the finances while he was hospitalized. She worked with her husband to not only put her name on everything but to get health directives and wills put in place so that together they could best manage his diagnosis and the finances. Devon now lives full-time in an assisted living home and has limited mobility and was recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Katie is thankful that they took the effort to get those documents in place when they did.

"You don't have to die to need those documents. We all need them now because you never know where life is going to take you," she told the group.

Katie Greenwell spoke to the group about her personal experience with wills and health directives.

The program for the October Wesley Dinner Club, entitled "What Happens to My Kids, My Stuff, and My Pets When I Die?", was suggested and sponsored by the Chris Bryan Endowment Committee at Memorial. The more that the group learned about endowments and estate planning, the more obvious it was to them that everyone had questions about what happens their family and assets they die. They asked local attorney Manny Mareno to join them and give an overview of what estates and will area and to answer questions about the process. Over 80 people came to learn about how to care for their future, the largest Wesley Dinner Club ever.

Mr. Moreno said, “Everyone HAS an estate plan. The question is whether YOU wrote it or Florida did." He told the group that if they do not have anything in place, in writing with a lawyer, then the State of Florida has set ways to distribute your assets after you pass away. And having it properly in writing in Florida is a must. "Oral instruction are not legally binding," he said.

The differences between will and trust were discussed as well as power of attorney and living will, which "are not the same thing," Mr. Moreno said. "With wills, you 'pay' later and they are public record. Trusts are private and you pay for them upfront."

Pastor Angie introduced the program and shared her thoughts not only as a pastor but as a CPA on the importance of getting your desires recorded in wills and directives.

Mr. Moreno gave a "mile-high overview" of the basics and the process with the hopes that when those gathered at the Wesley Dinner Club go to a lawyer thet will understand better what is going on and know better what questions to ask. And the group had many questions for Mr. Moreno.

Church family members at all stages of life were there asking about starting the process and getting into specifics about Florida laws. One person in attendance said, "I thought I had everything taken care of and he told me things I need to go talk to my lawyer about."

https://youtu.be/XKmHRrFPWCg

During the Dinner Club, the group also heard a video from member Winette Odom who told about how after the death of her son, who had no will, she was determined to make sure that her family all had wills. So she "gave them wills for Christmas." And the idea of the Wesley Dinner club also spurred her to add her cat to her will. She said, "I know who will have my cranky cat, Pricillia, when I am gone." (You can see the video at right.)

After answering the group's questions, Mr. Moreno ended encouraging everyone to either review their wills and trusts or to get stated on one now. You'll rest easier knowing that your family is taken care of the way you want them to be. "It's about leaving instructions instead of confusion, order instead of chaos - a plan instead of 'someone else's problem.' "