SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICES:
Services at 9 & 11 AM in the Sanctuary & Available Online
65 Needle Boulevard
In the Heart of Merritt Island, FL

Both of Grace UMC’s pastors share information via blogging. Pastor Steve Hart shares a message each week in the blog listing below, with his message also emailed out in our weekly Gracevine Newsletter. Associate Pastor Beth Burton also blogs, sharing thoughtful insights on faith and everyday life. Click here to visit Pastor Beth’s blog and see the latest messages from Pastor Steve below.

Embracing Change

Dear Grace Family: Now that daylight savings time has arrived, spring and summer are coming soon! It is an exciting time in our community because we can anticipate the announcement of a new pastor for Grace, and that information will be available to everyone on April 14, 2024. Personally, I have tried to embrace change as part of life’s journey, and I…

2nd Annual Car and Truck!

Dear Grace Family: Last spring Grace UMC hosted our first annual classic car show. At the time, I had no idea what to expect because we had not hosted a car show before. The event was a big hit for the Merritt Island community, and we at Grace enjoyed hosting many people who had not previously visited our campus. The team of…

Movement, Energy, Commitment

Dear Grace Family: The word “sloth” refers to one of the seven deadly sins as well as what one writer describes as the “sleepy, tree-dwelling species that has the slowest metabolism rate of any nonhibernating mammal in the world.” The connection between these references implies to me that what is sinful is a lack of movement, energy, commitment and enthusiasm. During Lent,…

the real triumph of resurrection

Dear Grace Family: Have you ever noticed that people use many euphemisms to avoid saying someone has died? We may hear that they “passed on”, or they “bought the farm” or they “joined the church triumphant.” I have often been bothered by this reluctance to speak directly about death, but I could never articulate exactly why this bothered me. Rachel Mann is…

The Season of Lent

Dear Grace Family: Many of you attended previous performances of the Triumphant Quartet here at Grace. Those who did attend can attest that the group offers an uplifting, encouraging and faith-filled message. They have quite a following and the crowd’s enthusiasm adds to the whole experience. I mention this because we have the Triumphant Quartet performing in the Grace sanctuary starting at…

Healthy Spiritual Habits

Dear Grace Family: One of our big goals at Grace UMC this year is to promote and grow our ministries to youth and children. This is so very important because sharing our faith with the next generation is essential to our mission. In furtherance of this goal, Ms. Niki has planned a family movie night for tonight, February 9, starting at 5:30pm…

In God’s Image

Dear Grace Family: I am currently reading Adam Hamilton’s latest book, entitled “Wrestling With Doubt, Finding Faith.” Many of you know that I consider Adam Hamilton’s writing very consistent with my personal theology, and I appreciate his ability to simplify complex ideas. In his current book, Hamilton writes, “Christian Faith does not see God as a human-like being. It sees humans as…

Being Connected

Dear Grace Family: I have mentioned before that I enjoy the daily devotional writings of Fr. Richard Rohr. Recently, he wrote the following: “Having faith doesn’t have to do with being perfect. It has to do with staying in relationship, hanging in there, holding on to union as tightly as God holds on to us. It’s not a matter of being correct…

Growing Deeper

Dear Grace Family: Peter Marty, the editor of The Christian Century magazine, is one of my favorites. Recently, he wrote an article about the practices of faith. He said, “Faith is a way of life that acquires its layers and contours incrementally, often imperceptibly.” His point was that our faith grows deeper over time as we encounter relationships with people from all…

The 80/20 Rule

Recently, I read an article entitled, “The 80/20 Rule is a Problem for churches.” The author, an experienced pastor, explains that even though it is a common observation that 20% of the people in a church do 80% of the work, this is not good for churches. This is because the gospel message, and the life of the early church in Acts,…