September 11th, 2026 | Rev. Angie Long

Greetings, friends!

I pray you had a wonderful holiday weekend. What a gift it was for Keith and me to spend Parents' Weekend with our children at college. We enjoyed precious time with them and with so many of their friends. Some of those friendships are new, while others have grown over many years and through several of the places we have served in the United Methodist Church. My heart is full from reconnecting with so many familiar faces and seeing the community and sense of family our children have built throughout their lives.

The weekend also brought to mind our current sermon series on forgiveness. Most of us carry relationships that are complex. Families can experience distance, hurt, and brokenness. Yet time and again, I have seen God create family where it seemed there was none. That is one reason I feel so deeply called to the work of reconciliation. Even when relationships are not restored in the way we hope, God is faithful to bring peace, healing, and grace into those places.

This Sunday, we will continue our journey through the story of the prodigal son. It is a familiar story, yet one that continues to reveal something new about God's extravagant love and mercy. I hope you will join us in worship, whether in person or online.

As you plan your week, I also want to highlight a few opportunities for fellowship and connection. Our Men's Ministry Breakfast will be held this Saturday at 8:30 a.m. in Maxwell Hall. There will certainly be great food, meaningful fellowship, and an opportunity to learn more about our newest mission partner, Hosanna Helpers. You can RSVP by calling the church office or signing up through our website.

Also on Saturday, all lay members are invited to participate in the Florida Conference Fall Laity Gathering, which begins at 10:00 a.m. via Zoom. This gathering is a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the United Methodist Church, explore ways laity can serve, and connect with others from across the conference. Registration information can be found in the Quick Links section of our church website.

As we continue this season together, may you be reminded that God's grace is always at work in our lives, drawing us toward healing, reconciliation, and deeper community with one another. I look forward to worshiping with you this Sunday and seeing how God continues to shape us through these stories of faith.

Blessings,

Pastor Angie

September 4th, 2026 | Rev. Angie Long

Greetings, Friends!

Hopefully you've had a chance to go back and watch last Sunday's sermon if you could not be with us. We have begun a series on forgiveness. As I shared on Sunday, I believe forgiveness is a fundamental value of our faith, perhaps even its foundation. Through Christ, we are a forgiven people. Through Christ, we are redeemed and reconciled to God and to one another. And yet...

Forgiveness is hard. I find that for a forgiven people, we often struggle to accept forgiveness and just as often struggle to offer it.

What is it about the human condition that makes forgiveness so difficult? This series is meant to help us wrestle with that question and seek to hear what God longs for and calls us toward. I do not expect that after four weeks we will suddenly become "good at forgiveness." Yet I do believe that when we open ourselves to God's grace, guidance, and accountability, we can be transformed. The Holy Spirit still heals, reshapes, and changes us.

We began this journey with Jacob wrestling with God at the Jabbok, inviting us to stand in that same place and wrestle honestly with ourselves and with God about who we truly are. It may be that this is where forgiveness begins, in facing ourselves, receiving God's grace, and allowing God to reveal what needs to be healed within us.

My prayer is that you will hear the love and grace woven throughout these Scriptures. I pray they will offer thought-provoking questions, deeper insight into who we are, and renewed hope in God's presence among us. Most of all, I pray they will remind you that God is never finished with us and continues to work in our lives in ways both seen and unseen.

I hope you will join us this week as we continue this journey toward forgiveness.

Blessings and love,

Pastor Angie

August 28th, 2026 | Rev. Rachel Williams

Beloved Friends,

               We closed out our sermon series on Jeremiah with the promise that God is faithful and has written an everlasting covenant on our hearts that is fulfilled through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Now, we will turn to a series on forgiveness. You know, the forgiveness like we seek and pray for in the Lord’s prayer: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

When someone harms us, we might offer forgiveness. When we are harmed, someone else might seek forgiveness. But what exactly is forgiveness? And what does forgiveness look like with God? Join us over the next four weeks as we explore forgiveness through stories of the Old and New Testament.

               On another note completely, I just want to celebrate, once more, the community that gathered this past Saturday for our new member class. We had over thirty people sit in on the class! You might wonder why we require a membership class prior to joining the church, and there are many reasons. First, this gives you a deep understanding of what it means to be United Methodist and what it means to make a commitment to participate in the life of the church. It also allows us to grow your connections with Memorial. We try to ensure that you get to know each other in the class but also leave feeling empowered to participate at Memorial in areas that fit your desires and gifts. I was happy to sit down with someone this week who mentioned a desire for a strong prayer life. That person connected with one of our prayer initiatives. Others decided they wanted to know more about Methodism and will take my Wednesday night class on Methodist roots starting in September.

During this time, we’re walking with folks who desire membership to help give them as much information to become deeply rooted disciples here. Some will say this might not be the right time to join. Many will. I hope you will celebrate them with us in the coming weeks as they enter into membership here. And for those of you who are interested in future membership classes, please reach out to Justin Rimondi at membershim@mumconline.com.

Have a wonderful weekend!

With Grace and love,

Pastor Rachel