Memorial Family, As we continue our stewardship journey together, I invite you to begin praying now about your 2027 pledge commitment. Stewardship is about much more than finances. It is about faithfully responding to all that God has entrusted to us. On Commitment Sunday, October 25th, we will have the opportunity to dedicate our pledges and recommit ourselves to God's work through Memorial. Stewardship touches every part of life. We can be good stewards of our financial res

Beloved Friends, What’s the most unusual way you have taken communion? Perhaps you were in a distinct place. Maybe you had a very memorable experience. The elements might have been something different than what you expected. I once took communion in Guatemala where the body of Christ was a tortilla, and the blood of Christ was grape soda. And we used those elements because that is what was readily available to us in that context. As good United Methodists, we

Greetings, friends! Growing up can be hard. Although it's been a while, I still remember what it was like trying to figure out who I was. I was developing my identity while also longing not to stand out too much. Like most young people, I wanted to belong, to be part of a group, and to have trusted friends with whom I could navigate life. Looking back, I realize how valuable it would have been to have that kind of community rooted in faith. Having friends who are supported an

Beloved Friends, Every Sunday we gather together. We worship as one through communal song, prayer and Scripture. If you attend 8AM worship, you’ll partake in the sacrament of Holy Communion, and, even so, we’ll join together one the first Sunday of the month to partake together at all our services. These are all means of grace, outward signs of God’s inward love. Perhaps you experience a bodily change when you hear a familiar tune. You are transported back to another place

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

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 accep

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 f

Over the month of August, we have journeyed alongside Jeremiah exploring the many ways God continues to shape us. Jeremiah ministered during one of the darkest seasons in Israel’s history. Even as he delivered warnings of judgment, his message continually pointed God’s people toward hope, restoration, and a renewed covenant relationship with God. My prayer is that throughout this series, we have heard God’s call to us, and have been reminded that God is still shaping, guiding

Dear Beloved Friends, In the book of Matthew, Jesus has some very clear instructions for his disciples: “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you…” (Matthew 28:19-20). This is the Great Commission, and one of the core imperatives for the disciples is that they make other disciples, by baptizing them and teachi

This is the first year I won't be preparing, moving, or planning for one of our children to start school. While they are both getting ready for college classes, they are already settled into their housing and continuing studies they've already begun. It is an exciting season in their lives, but I find myself missing the anticipation of a new school year. Gathering supplies, packing backpacks, meeting teachers, and discovering new classrooms always brought a sense of excitemen

Beloved Friends, As we count down the final days of summer and look toward the fall I wanted to share my excitement around our next sermon series. For the month of August, we will take a look at some of the pivotal texts within the book of the prophet Jeremiah. The prophet Jeremiah lived at the end of the Davidic monarchy and into the reign of some very corrupt kings. At their hands, Jeremiah witnessed an immense amount of suffering for those living in the lan

What a great week it has been in the life of Memorial! Many of you came to help move furniture, shelves, and more back into the Lamb Building after the updates were completed. It is true that many hands make light work, but it also reveals Christ among us. As a mom, I know how important it is to have both a space and people you trust to care for your children. This was one more step in helping us continue to build bridges and share the love of Jesus with all.

What a wonderful beginning we have experienced in these first few weeks together. I am grateful for all the warm welcomes, cards, calls, and for you wearing your name tags! Please bear with me as I learn each of your names. As a way for us to continue getting to know one another, you are invited to schedule a “Welcome Chat” with me. Twenty-minute sessions are available on Mondays and Wednesdays from 1:00PM – 3:00PM. Just call the church office if you would like to plan a visi

Dear Beloved Friends, You have heard the word “transition” used over and over and over in the last few months as we prepare for Pastor Angie’s arrival. Being good United Methodists who follow the liturgical calendar (the cyclical church calendar that we follow each year), we are well-prepared for preparation. Every Advent, we prepare our hearts and spaces for Christ’s coming to Earth in human form. Every Lent, we meditate on our mortality and prepare to walk

I come to you this week with deep gratitude for the blessings of your grace and hospitality. The basic definition of hospitality is "the friendly reception and treatment of strangers." Seen through the lens of our faith, however, it becomes something much broader and deeper. It is a way of revealing Christ to those we do not yet know. Friends, you have shown Keith and me the love of Christ over these last few weeks. Even amid change—which brings all sorts of emotions and g

Beloved Friends, We come upon one of the most exciting events in our church calendar next week- Vacation Bible School! From Monday through Thursday, we will welcome more than ninety kids to our campus for mornings of worship, art, science, drama, recreation, and snacks! I always say that this week is incredibly important for these children because, for some, this will be the first time that they will hear about God and that God loves them. This might be the very first seed

Dear Friends, When I was a kid, my parents made it a point that whenever we were traveling on a Sunday for summer vacation, we always made our way to the local United Methodist Church. And this was back in the day when you entered in a church, and the pastor would ask any first-time visitors to stand and tell you where they were from. You never did that? Oh, well then, you avoided the awkward feeling of dozens or hundreds of eyes tur

Well...this is it - my final Pastor's Note to the Grace-filled family of Memorial United Methodist Church. As I mentioned a couple of times recently, since announcement Sunday at the end of April, it has been a long goodbye for us all. As I sit here thinking about what to write to you all as I sign off, I am struggling to know what to say that has not been said already. The Scripture tells us that when we can't find words of prayer and/or devotion to bring to God, the S

Beloved Friends, I am writing this after the opening Wednesday night worship service of Florida United Methodist Annual Conference. During that time, our young people from multiple campus ministries across the state led worship and shared their testimonies as to how ministry to and for young people made an impact and planted a seed for the growth of the Kingdom of God. I sat next to Jessica Scott (Memorial member and our district lay leader) and behind Heather Pancoast (the

Beloved Friends, I know I sang the praises of our missions team in the midweek reflection this week, and I will continue to do it now. They did a wonderful job coordinating the hygiene kit assembly at our Memorial at Memorial gathering this past Sunday! I love the collective work of the assembly line. As we are one body with many parts, so, too, do we work together to make light work of what could otherwise be a tedious endeavor. Each washcloth, bar of soap, toothbr