A Sanctuary Behind the Oak Tree on South Peninsula
Coronado Community United Methodist Church sits on a barrier island four blocks from the Atlantic Ocean and one block from the Intracoastal Waterway, on a tract of South Peninsula Avenue that has drawn worshipers since 1904. The present campus at 201 S. Peninsula Avenue in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, is anchored by what visitors consistently describe as the tallest building on the property; behind its courtyard oak tree sit the doors of the sanctuary. The mood is easygoing, beachside, and unpretentious: come as you are, wear what makes you comfortable, and expect the laughter that comes with being real about faith.
Sunday worship shifts with the seasons. From October through April, two services are held. The 9:30 a.m. service is a warm-hearted traditional service in the sanctuary, with favorite hymns accompanied by the church organ and piano, with the chancel choir, soloists, and instrumentalists preaching the Word through music all year. At 11:15 a.m., a casual spirit-filled service takes place in the same sanctuary, led year-round by the dynamic praise band. From May through September, the schedule collapses to a single blended service at 10:00 a.m., a joyful gathering with the praise band joined by choir members.
Holy Communion is celebrated on the first Sunday of every month, and the practice is intentionally open. The church uses nut-free, gluten-free matzo for the bread and grape juice instead of wine, making the table accessible to children and to those in recovery. Anyone is welcome to take communion regardless of age, baptism, or church membership.
Where to Park and Where to Go
From the corner of Peninsula and Columbus (Columbus is one block south of Flagler Avenue), paved and grass parking are available on the right; grass and sand parking sit on the left. Mobility drop-off and limited handicap spaces are in the paved lot, and visitors with mobility needs are encouraged to drop off near the main building before parking. Coffee, water, and snacks are available before and after each service in the fellowship hall next to the sanctuary.
Online Worship on YouTube
For those watching from home, the church livestreams its services and keeps recordings of recent weeks on its YouTube channel, with the same seasonal schedule that applies on campus.
Music That Carries the Word
Director of Music Ministries Mike Williams, a magna cum laude Florida State University graduate in Music Education and an accomplished French horn player, oversees a layered music program that serves every service. The Adult Chancel Choir sings at the 9:30 a.m. traditional service and at the 10:00 a.m. summer service, and prepares Christmas and Easter cantatas plus an Americana Concert in the summer. Rehearsals are Wednesday evenings from 4:30 to 5:45 p.m., with extended rehearsals during cantata preparation in October, November, February, and March. The 11:15 Music Team is a vocal and instrumental ensemble that provides music for the Sunday 11:15 a.m. praise service and the summer service. Vocalists meet at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, with instrumentalists joining at 6:00 p.m. The Handbell Choir provides music for selected traditional services and seasonal programs, with rehearsals scheduled seasonally around members' availability. The Children's Choir, for first through fifth graders, sings occasionally at the 11:15 a.m. service during the fall and spring seasons, rehearsing at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday mornings and joining the congregation for the opening music of the 11:15 a.m. service.
Spirit Sprouts, Coronado Kids, and the South East Volusia Youth Group
Worship at Coronado is built around families with children of all ages. The Nursery is open for infants through age two, with blocks, balls, and a livestream of the service running so parents can step in and out. The room is offered as an option for families who need it while all ages remain welcome in Sunday worship. Spirit Sprouts serves preschoolers and kindergartners (ages two through four) in the Chapel, with music, Bible lessons, crafts, and activities. Coronado Kids, for children ages five through fifth grade, meets in Room 121 under the leadership of Tosha Williams and her team, who lead the children through Bible lessons, crafts, games, and activities. Children's choir and Sunday School are part of the morning for elementary-age children, with the Children's Choir singing in worship every four to six weeks.
For students in grades six through twelve, the South East Volusia Youth Group meets Sunday evenings from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at 215 Columbus Avenue, with food, games, and faith-based conversation. Teens explore questions about faith in a fun and inclusive environment, snacks are provided, and parents can feel safe dropping off kids knowing that background-cleared adults are present. Youth Director Emily Edwards oversees the program.
The Coronado Day School at 201 S. Peninsula
Coronado Day School opened in 1970 as a community outreach ministry of the church and now enrolls children ages one through four. The school is a VPK (Voluntary Prekindergarten) provider, with classes running from 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. year-round. Lunch and snacks are included in tuition. Programs cover social skills, Christian values, creative arts, language, math, and science. The Day School Director is Rose Armstrong, with Shannon Schnieder serving as Assistant Day School Director. The school entrance is off Cedar Avenue, and tours can be scheduled by calling 386-427-3561. License number C12V00044.
The Boutique on the Old Beach Club Corner
The Coronado Boutique and Resale Store has operated since 2004 in the historic Beach Club building at the corner of Flagler Avenue and South Peninsula Avenue, just across from the sanctuary. Open Wednesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., the store is 100 percent volunteer-staffed and offers clothing, housewares, jewelry, books, home decor, select furniture, and many other items. Shoppers can use a $20 Loyalty Card for 20 percent off regular-priced merchandise, or fill a Blue Bargain Basket with up to 20 clothing items for $20. Donations are taken at the receiving building (the white building facing Columbus Avenue) Wednesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., or until full.
All income flows back to the church and supports ministries from Cudas Unhooked to God's Bathhouse to the Salud y Paz Guatemala mission. The Boutique also distributes donated items to local organizations including the families served by referrals from the fire department, families affected by domestic violence, students in local schools, Residing Hope (formerly Florida United Methodist Children's Home), Colors of Hunger, God's Bathhouse, the Salud y Paz Guatemala mission, Dress A Girl Around the World, United Women in Faith, and the Cuba Methodist churches and staff. Boutique Manager Tegie Ramsey leads the team.
A Pet Ministry Unlike Any Other
The Pet Ministry at Coronado Community United Methodist Church is rooted in spiritual formation, bringing people into deeper relationship with God and each other through the healing presence of pets. The team cultivates connection, compassion, and a lived awareness of the Divine through four pillars: support, worship, missions, and visitation.
On the support side, the ministry provides discounted pet medications (with assistance for heartworm, flea, and tick prevention), dog training events, bathing and grooming opportunities, puppy play times, and pet bereavement support with memorials and personal counseling. In worship, pets participate in weekly song services, holy communion services at nursing care facilities, a special outdoor Sunday Pet Worship Area where therapy dogs are welcome indoors, special events, a Blessing of the Animals, and a Service of Commission for Pets in Ministry. On the missions side, the ministry partners with NOMADS, Feeding of the Hungry Ministries, F.A.I.T.H., MLK Day events, Pride Day celebrations, the Boys & Girls Club, the developmentally disabled community, and bi-monthly pet rescue and adoption events hosted at the church. Pets also visit homes, care facilities, hospitals, hospice, and physical therapy appointments to offer companionship in times of need. The Pet Ministry meets on the third Thursday of every month, and visits can be scheduled through the church office.
Justice Ministry and the Reconciling Network
Members of the Justice Ministry commit to the pursuit of social justice, grounded in Biblical truth and in the Social Principles of the United Methodist Church. The ministry educates the congregation and community, speaks to human issues in the contemporary world from a sound biblical and theological foundation, practices love and compassion in places of conflict and confusion, and pursues peace and justice in communities, families, the church, and individual hearts.
Coronado's Justice Ministry is a Reconciling Group within the Reconciling Ministries Network, standing in solidarity with all who are marginalized and oppressed and dedicating itself to becoming fully inclusive and affirming. The church has partnered with F.A.I.T.H. Volusia, the Stetson Wesley Foundation, The Gathering Place (a United Methodist Community in Ormond Beach), Reconciling Ministries, and The Central Florida Pledge. Events include a Theological Forum Series, peace prayer vigils, museum and historical-site field trips with a justice focus, Juneteenth sponsorship, MLK Day celebrations, Black History Month events, Pride Month events, interfaith dinners, and ongoing discussion groups. The Justice Ministry operates within the United Methodist Church's Social Principles, holding that all people are created in the image of God.
Local Partners and Overseas Sister Churches
Local mission work clusters around feeding the hungry, mentoring and tutoring, and serving the wider community. The congregation partners with Colors of Hunger, with team slots for prep, cooking, serving, and cleaning; the New Smyrna Beach chapter of Halifax Urban Ministries, through food donations to the food pantry and gift card donations and volunteering at the pantry; and the church prepares 200 Thanksgiving Food Bags and 200 Christmas Food Bags each year in partnership with New Smyrna Beach Housing, with opportunities to donate, set up, or shop. Mentor and tutor projects include Cudas Unhooked, supporting teens aging out of foster care through meals and life skills teaching; Tutor Time at the Oretha Bell Boys and Girls Club one or two afternoons a week during the school year; and NSB High School Mentoring. The Scholarship Committee also provides ongoing mentoring to eighth graders receiving Gross-Gilbert and Coronado Scholarships.
Other local mission work includes the Bus Ministry, which drives the CCUMC bus on Sundays and other occasions to transport people to services; a Disaster Response Team for hurricane recovery projects; support for God's Bathhouse, a mobile shower unit in Volusia County; fundraising for Residing Hope (formerly Florida United Methodist Children's Home in Enterprise); Safe Seniors, providing maintenance and repairs for local people in need; and a Flower Ministry that brings flowers to residents in local senior care facilities. Apportionment giving supports the wider church.
Overseas, the church supports twelve Methodist sister churches in Cuba with prayers, funds, goods, building projects, and water purification systems, and takes groups to Cuba to visit. In Guatemala, the church partners with AIR (Alliance for International Reforestation), whose programs include training in sustainable farming, nutrition classes, reforestation through community tree nurseries, rural scholarships, and small businesses built around those nurseries. CCUMC members have traveled with AIR's founding president Anne Hallum to build those systems and visit the schools. The church also partners with Salud y Paz, where volunteers spend a week helping in the school and clinic, with sponsorships available to aid children in attending school and receiving two meals a day.
Books, Workshops, and Room to Talk
Whether the topic is memoir writing or Wesleyan theology, Coronado offers a wide slate of interest groups. Memoir Writing meets on the third Monday at 2:00 p.m. at 215 Columbus House. Sewing Group gathers on the first Tuesday at 1:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Card Making meets on the third Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Lunch and Learn, with a guest speaker and a $5 donation, meets on the third Thursday at 11:30 a.m. Chair Yoga with Seat of the Soul meets Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall ($5 donation). Toddler Music Classes with Miss Jeanine meet Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall ($15, with a summer break). The Chancel Choir rehearses Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. in the Music Lecture Suite. A small-group interest survey is available online for newcomers.
Book clubs and study circles are equally plentiful. The Ecumenical Progressive Women's Group meets on the first Monday at 4:00 p.m. at 215 Columbus House for thoughtful, open conversation about church, faith, and community, and is a member of the Reconciling Ministries Network. The Coronado Women's Book Club meets on the second Monday at 4:00 p.m. in Room 116, reading widely across genres. Open Minds Book Discussion gathers Tuesdays at 2:00 p.m. at 215 Columbus House, reading one chapter at a time and is a member of the Reconciling Ministries Network. Lifebridges Spiritual Journey Group meets Tuesdays at 6:00 p.m. in Room 116, using books, essays, and articles as a forum for discussion. The Community Video Discussion Group meets Tuesdays at 4:00 p.m. in the Music Lecture Suite. Feeding the Soul Women's Book Club gathers on the third Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. in the Chapel. The Men's Book Club meets on the third Thursday at 1:00 p.m. at 215 Columbus House. Friendship Class meets Sundays at 10:45 a.m. in Room 109. Journey in Spirituality Book Discussion meets Sundays at 10:15 a.m. in Room 116.
The Foundations of Faith workshop series offers six courses: Foundations of Call, exploring spiritual gifts and vocation; Foundations of Community (a "Coronado 101") covering the church's history, mission, and vision; Foundations of Care, developing skills for empathetic listening and healthy boundaries; Foundations of Scripture, exploring the Old and New Testaments; Foundations of Faith, examining Christian liturgy and creeds; and Foundations of Witness, exploring the power of story to share faith. Foundations of Call and Foundations of Community are offered several times a year, with the others offered as requested.
United Women in Faith, Circles Since 1908
The local United Women in Faith unit was founded in 1908 and remains active today with more than 100 members. The unit gathers twice a year: a Mission Study and Coffee in the spring and a Welcome Back Lunch in the fall. Two active Circles meet from September to May in the Fellowship Hall. Deborah Circle meets on the third Monday of each month at 6:00 p.m.; the ministries it supports include tutoring at the Boys and Girls Club and providing Easter Baskets to Gifts of Love. Priscilla Circle meets on the first Wednesday of each month at 9:30 a.m.; it fills weekend bags of food for Gifts of Love, distributed to children in need, and supports Chisholm and Read-Pattillo Elementary Schools with school supplies and clothing as needed. Both Circles are open to visitors, and membership in the church is not required to participate. The unit's President is Denise Lind, Vice-President is Jane Magrady, and Membership Secretary is Linda Vanis. The unit supports Boys and Girls Club, Chisholm and Read-Pattillo Elementary Schools, Colors of Hunger, Community Hot Meals, Gifts of Love, God's Bathhouse, Halifax Urban Ministries' New Smyrna Beach Food Pantry, Teens at Risk, and Coronado's own ministries.
Support Groups, Care, and Prayer
Three recovery-focused support groups meet at the 215 Columbus House location: Co-Dependents Anonymous on Mondays at 7:00 p.m., Al-Anon on Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m., and Narcotics Anonymous on Wednesdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m.
Care Ministries run wider and deeper. Congregational Care Ministers (CCMs) are trained and certified laypersons called to serve in Prayer, Visitation, Craft, Support, and Hospitality, and they meet twice a month with the Minister of Congregational Care for continuing education and ministry development. The Covenant Prayer Team and Prayer Path Team gather and pray over concerns. Eucharistic Ministers bring communion to those unable to attend church; visitation teams walk with people who are grieving, help newcomers get connected, and serve as an encouraging presence to those who may be isolated. The Craft Ministry includes the Sewing Ministry (first and third Tuesdays at 1:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall, with Dress A Girl Around the World kits), the Shawl Ministry (knit and crochet prayer shawls for shut-ins and those ill or grieving), and Card Making. Hospitality Ministries cover Ushers and Greeters, the Sunday Connect Center, Sunday Refreshments, the Follow-Up Team, Meal Ministries, Funeral Receptions, and Special Church Events.
Offsite Worship at Beachside, Lexington, and Seashore
For fifty years, Coronado has offered a weekly worship service at Beachside Center for Rehabilitation and Healthcare on Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. (2810 S. Atlantic Avenue). On the first Wednesday of every month, communion visits include the Pet Ministry, with pets joining residents for the service, familiar hymns, and the Lord's Prayer. On the first Wednesday at 1:30 p.m., worship moves to Lexington Place (301 S. Myrtle Avenue); on the second Wednesday at 2:00 p.m., to Seashore Senior Living (699 N. Dixie Freeway).
Scholarships and the Endowment Fund
Thanks to the generosity of donors to the endowment over the years, Coronado provides over $30,000 in scholarships annually. The Bernice Gross-Gilbert and Katherine Gilbert Scholarship is awarded to an outstanding eighth-grade student based on financial need, with funds distributed over four years of college. The Carl and Eldred Holcomb Scholarship goes to an outstanding NSB High School student with an active IEP. The Coronado Scholar is awarded to an outstanding eighth-grade African American student, with funds distributed over four years. The Howell and Vera Ray Cudas Unhooked Scholarship is awarded to an outstanding at-risk or homeless senior at NSB High School. The Howell and Vera Ray Academy Scholarships are awarded to outstanding NSB High School seniors enrolled in the Medical Academy, Culinary Academy, and Childcare Academy. The Myhre-Burt Music Scholarship supports an area senior with a major in music or music education, drawn from endowments honoring Elva Burt, James Flores, Velma Myhre, and Dale E. Rush. The Longstreet Lifelong Learning scholarship supports a graduate student active at Coronado. The Paxton Scholarship is awarded to an active senior who is a Coronado partner. Students apply through their school counseling offices.
The Endowment Fund is divided into Missions, Scholarships, Day School Operations and Scholarships, Perpetual Pledge (supporting the General Operating Budget), and Capital (supporting major repairs and improvements at the request of the Administrative Team). Planned giving options include bequests through a will, charitable gift annuities or remainder trusts, gifts of stock or property, donor-advised funds, and IRA rollovers.
A Mission of Love, Service, and Courage
Coronado Community United Methodist Church sums up its calling in three lines: Love Boldly. Serve Joyfully. Lead Courageously. The core values and practices that shape congregational life are Love, Serve, Pray, Forgive, Accept, and Encourage, each grounded in a specific passage of Scripture. Senior Pastor Rev. Heather Harding, a graduate of the University of Miami, the University of Central Florida, and Duke Divinity School, serves as the Anti-Racism Coordinator for the East Central District and on the Congregational Vitality Committee for the Florida Conference. She is supported by a deep staff of retired pastors who continue in ministry at the church, and a congregation that fills its beachside campus each Sunday morning and its offsite classrooms, hospice visits, sister churches in Cuba, and community partners throughout the year with the steady rhythm of the gospel lived out.