August 7th, 2026 | Rev. Angie Long

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 excitement, along with a little nervousness.

To help ease some of those first-week jitters, we will celebrate the Blessing of the Backpacks during worship this Sunday. The best part is that this blessing is for students of all ages and for teachers as well. Be sure to bring your backpack, book bag, or teacher's tote and join us as we send one another into the new school year with God's peace and love.

We also celebrate the return of our VPK (Voluntary Prekindergarten Program) at Lamb Early Education Center (EEC) on Monday. This unique Florida program provides free early education for four-year-olds, helping prepare them for kindergarten and the years ahead. What a blessing it is to offer this opportunity right here through Lamb!

Though my children are long past those preschool years, I still remember how important early education was in their development. Programs like VPK do more than introduce learning. They help children adjust to the rhythms of school while building confidence and community. What a wonderful opportunity we have to nurture some of God's beloved children. I am grateful for the dedicated staff, teachers, and supporters of Lamb EEC and Memorial who make this ministry possible.

As the new school year begins, please keep all students, teachers, administrators, and parents in your prayers.

This Sunday we will also continue our series on how God shapes us toward hope. Last week, we reflected on the unique gifts God has given each of us, gifts woven into our lives from the very beginning and meant to be used throughout our journey. This week, we will visit the potter's house and discover that, in God's hands, nothing is wasted and nothing is beyond redemption. Every experience and every part of who we are can be used for God's good purposes and for the good of God's kingdom. What good news indeed!

I hope you will join us this Sunday, either in person or online, as together we explore what this promise means for our lives today.

Blessings,

Pastor Angie

#LoveShowsUp: Memorial Provides Free Classroom Supplies for Area Teachers

August 2nd, 2026 - Teachers representing 3 local counties picked up free classroom supplies on Sunday,

during Memorial United Methodist Church’s annual Free Teacher’s Supply Fair. Many area teachers spend their own money on classroom necessities and Memorial wanted to ensure that teachers could focus entirely on teaching & inspiring children without the stress of worrying about missing essentials on the first day of school. The congregation donated thousands of the most requested classroom items and set up the free “shop” on their campus in Maxwell Hall.

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Senior Pastor, Rev. Angie Long, was encouraged by the support provided by the congregation. ”This church felt a call a few years ago to care for our local educators. I have been overwhelmed by the generosity of this grace-filled family at Memorial who have donated all of these school supplies.”

Teachers were each given a large bag of cleaning supplies and then were invited to “shop” for free for other items they may need. This year teachers shopped for reams of white and colored copy paper, pencils, dry erase markers, folders, binders, and more. The local Harris Teeter donated paper shopping bags for the event that Memorial volunteers filled with cleaning supplies like paper towels, hand sanitizers, antibacterial cleaner, cleaning wipes, and magic erasers. The educators were even treated to ice cream on their way out of the fair.

“We value the love, care, and teaching local educators provide our children,” Associate Pastor, Rachel Williams said. “We are happy to offer them a bit of love back each year through school supplies. Many teachers have to purchase these items out of their own funds. The Teacher’s Supply Fair is a way we can help make ‘back-to-school’ easier for them.”

The congregation's donations not only provided supplies for area teachers. Classroom items were also donation to two mission partners of Memorial: The district's McKinney Vento Program, which helps unhoused students in Nassau County, and Yulee Primary School. Along with giving supplies to Yulee Primary, volunteers from Memorial also provided a special brunch for teachers at the school on Friday, July 31^st, as the educators returned to their classrooms for the new school year.  

“We feel strongly that as a local church; we should be partnering with the communities we serve.“ Rev. Long added. “When we see a need in our area, we can work together to help Christ’s ’love show up’ for our neighbors.”

July 31st, 2026 | Rev. Rachel Williams

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 land of Judah and Jerusalem. Throughout the month, you’ll hear themes of calling, repentance, and restoration.

If you’ve never sat down to study the book of Jeremiah, this month would be a great opportunity to do so. There are fifty-two chapters, so if you read two a day you’ll be done before the end of the month! More so, I hope you will hear and read that God calls us to humility in following God’s commands, particularly by worshiping no God but God and through loving our neighbors.

        Additionally, this Sunday we will welcome our area educators to our Teacher Supply Fair. If you are still on campus at noon please be sure to welcome our educators to campus and thank them for all of their hard work. We value the love, care, and teaching they provide our area children, and we are happy to offer them a bit of love back through these supplies. Many of these teachers have to purchase extra supplies out of their own funds, so this is a way we can also help increase their supplies and keep them stocked throughout the year. Thank you to all of you who donated funds or supplies!

With grace and peace,

Pastor Rachel