August 8th, 2025 | Rev. Rachel Williams

Dear Friends,  

This week I want to celebrate the ways in which you have shown up for the community once more! In the past week, dedicated Memorial folks have provided breakfast for and helped spruce up Yulee Primary. We also hosted over one hundred teachers from four counties and over twenty different schools for our annual Teacher Supply Fair. This is the second fair I’ve experienced since I arrived at Memorial, and I have to say, I think it keeps getting better and better! We made some changes, so everyone who came through our line received a Memorial bag to fill with items as well as a brown paper bag filled with cleaning supplies and other essentials. The cleaning supplies are especially necessary, as so many of the teachers do not receive any of those types of supplies for their classrooms. These are items we might never think make that much of an impact, but if we can fill in the gaps so that teachers do not have to spend their own money to set up their classrooms it is something we can easily do. Thank you for showing up in love to support these teachers!  

I hope you will join us for Back-to-School Sunday this Sunday, as we hear a message from Derrick Scott. Sarah Baldwin will offer a blessing for teachers and students as they go back to school this upcoming week.

We will also celebrate the baptism of baby Charlotte Gilb during the 11 o’clock service. It is sure to be a joyful Sunday! Let’s gather together to send our teachers, students, and parents off with success this year.  

With Grace and Peace,  

Pastor Rachel  

Love Showed Up at The Arc Nassau in July!

The Hands-on Mission opportunity for July was another visit with our friends at The Arc Nassau. A favorite activity for many in the Memorial family, this is a day of sharing lots and lots of games of bingo with the residents there and then providing a grilled lunch of hot dogs and hamburgers.

Nearly 30 members of the church family, including several youth, showed up in their red shirts to be a part of this event. Many in the congregation made monetary donations ton help pay for the food and for the bingo prizes.

Lamar Wildes led the bingo games and our friends were so excited to select an item from the prize table, manned by Kathy Burdg, whenever they won! Max Pigg led the way on the grill to make sure all our friends had a yummy lunch!

Memorials own Kyle Carr was there playing bingo and even won a few games! It was a joy-filled time of laughter, and caring, and connection. And many of the Memorial family said they wanted to come back more often!

Whether you helped with a monetary donation, through your prayers, or came an played bingo and served food, thank you to all that helped #LoveShowUp for The Arc Nassau in July!

Take a look at some photos from the day:

August 1st, 2025 | Rev. Rachel Williams

Dear Beloved Friends,  

This week is the week- the week of back-to-school preparations! Beginning this Sunday, we will welcome dozens of our teachers from across Nassau County to our Teacher Supply Fair where they will find free resources to support their classrooms. This is a small way that we can show love to our teachers who work tirelessly to care for our kids and the kids in our community.

I asked my son Austin what he would say to teachers as they go back to school and he said, “Thank you for taking care of me!” And no matter the age, whether our kids are five, twelve, or seventeen, our educators are present, five days a week, eight hours a day, thirty-six weeks a year, to offer guidance and essential knowledge for our kids to grow into their own identity. It is a gift to have a great teacher, and, though I have been out of school for many years, I still remember and keep in touch with the ones who made the greatest impact on my life.  

The following Sunday, as a way to start the school year off well, we will send off our educators and our students (of all ages) with a Blessing of the Backpacks. Bring your work bag, your laptop case, or your school bag on August 10th to receive a blessing and a little backpack tag to remind you that God is with you always and that God loves you.

Thank you, teachers, for serving our community in such an important way! Let’s show up this week in a big way to offer our thanks for all that they do.  

With Love and Peace,  

 Pastor Rachel