A Two-Campus Ministry on South Halifax Drive
First United Methodist Church of Ormond Beach sits on the 300 block of South Halifax Drive, a few blocks from the Halifax River in the coastal town of Ormond Beach, Florida. The congregation is built around the tagline "Discover Hope. Deepen Faith. Demonstrate Love," and a parallel statement that has become something of a motto: "God Loves You. Period." Lead Pastor Scott H. Smith has served since July 2013, working alongside a chief operating officer, multiple directors, and a separate pastor who oversees the church's second location.
That second campus is called The Gathering Place, a new worshipping community that meets at 518-K Fentress Boulevard in the LPGA area of Daytona Beach. First United and The Gathering Place are organized as one United Methodist family with two expressions, an arrangement that allows the congregation to reach different parts of Volusia County with different styles of gathering.
Two Sunday Morning Services at the Main Campus
Sundays at the Halifax Drive campus open with a Contemporary service at 9 a.m., followed by a Traditional service at 11 a.m. Both services are offered in person and livestreamed, and recordings are kept in an online archive for re-streaming later in the week.
Worship leadership is shared by Linda Dares, Director of Worship and Arts, who directs the choir, and Jason Bailey, the modern worship band leader. Both the choir and the band are open to new members by audition, and anyone interested can reach the worship office through the church's main number. The musical range on a given Sunday can stretch from a full choir anthem to a contemporary band set.
The Gathering Place in Daytona Beach
The Gathering Place meets Sundays at 10 a.m. at 518-K Fentress Boulevard, inside Liberty Business Park. Its self-description is "Gathering Differently. Welcoming Everybody. Loving Abundantly." Pastor Amy Armistead leads the community, with her husband Macon Armistead serving as Worship Leader and Ministry Coordinator and Emily Seal coordinating GatherKids, the children's ministry for that location.
Worship at The Gathering Place often takes unconventional shapes, including "Kayaks and communion," while small groups from the community meet in backyards, coffee shops, and other neighborhood venues. A Reading Aloud with Partners program extends the church's reach into the surrounding community. Across both campuses, the church describes its overall approach as creating "places and spaces for people to connect with God and each other."
Wave Children's Ministries from Infants through Sixth Grade
Wave Children's Ministries serves children from infancy through sixth grade. The children's wing provides nursery care for the youngest, while Grow Kids programming for preschoolers through sixth graders uses a curriculum that combines video storytelling, hands-on crafts, snacks, and games to bring each week's Bible story to life. The Sunday wave session begins at 9 a.m.
Caitlin Bookwalter, Director of Family Ministries, holds a Master of Christian Practice from Duke Divinity School and has served in ministry since 2008. She oversees children's ministry and plans bigger seasonal events, including Adventure Week, the church's Vacation Bible School equivalent, and Youth Mission Weeks. Every adult volunteer working with children and youth goes through a background check and training, and the church publishes a Child and Youth Protection Policy that families can review at any time.
Student Ministry for Grades Six through Twelve
Student Ministry serves grades six through twelve. Youth Group meets on Sunday evenings from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. and creates space for older students to connect, grow, and serve. Ronin Ravanzo, the Director of Student Ministries, joined the staff after spending time as Summer Camp and Ministry Coordinator at Camp Warren Willis, and he oversees youth ministry across both campuses. The student ministry also plans yearly mission trips that take participants outside the Ormond Beach area, and the team maintains an active social presence under the handle @firstunitedstudentsob.
Caring Ministries for Every Stage of Life
Congregational Care Pastor Frank Johnston, Jr., a former Licensed Local Pastor and Certified Lay Minister from the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference, oversees an unusually broad Caring Ministries portfolio. The following programs run on an ongoing basis for members and the wider community:
- Caregivers Day Out - a monthly senior adult respite program with five hours of activities, snacks, and lunch, also welcoming adults with disabilities.
- Caring Cards - a volunteer group that hand-writes get-well, sympathy, encouragement, and thinking-of-you cards each month.
- Grief Share - a 13-week biblical healing program offered twice a year and open to anyone in the community dealing with the loss of a loved one.
- Hospital Visitations - trained volunteers who provide comfort, prayer, communion, and anointing at local hospitals.
- Mary & Martha Ministry - volunteers who deliver simple meals to families recovering from hospital stays, illness, or the arrival of a new baby.
- Memorial Receptions - a hospitality team that hosts receptions after funeral or memorial services held at the church.
- Warm Spirits - a knitting and crocheting group that produces hat and scarf sets for the Red Bird Methodist Mission in Appalachia, prayer shawls for hospital and home visits, and baby items for Advent Hospital, with all skill levels welcome.
- Prayer Team - a weekly team that prays for every concern submitted on a prayer card or by email.
The 26,000 Hours Service Goal
One of the church's most distinctive commitments is its 26,000 Hours initiative, a yearly volunteer goal for the entire congregation. Members are invited to log their hours through a form, and a community-wide dashboard tracks the total.
Service happens both inside and outside the church. First United partners with outside organizations such as Halifax Urban Ministries, Inua, and New Start. A Quarterly Community Serve Team gathers four times a year, including once on Super Bowl Sunday, to take on projects in Ormond Beach and Daytona Beach. Inside the church, additional slots include greeters, guest services, the coffee team, and hospitality for special events.
J.E.L.L.O.: A Parent-and-Tot Program at The Casements
J.E.L.L.O., led by Maria F. Silveira, the Director of Pre-School Education, is an interactive parent-and-tot ministry for infants through preschoolers. The program meets at The Casements, 25 Riverside Drive in Ormond Beach, with sessions that include circle time, storytelling, music and movement, crafts, sensory play, and faith-based learning. Children attend alongside a parent or caregiver for the entire session, and the program is open to community families who do not attend the church. A modest registration fee covers craft supplies and snacks, with scholarships available.
University of First United and Financial Peace
Adult education happens through two main channels. The University of First United offers multi-session classes on topics that have included Advent, the theology of evil, basic Bible literacy, daily devotional practices, and a series called "Church of the Apocalypse." Sessions are designed for in-depth study and discussion.
Financial Peace University, Dave Ramsey's nine-session debt-reduction and budgeting course, runs every other Sunday at The Gathering Place. Memberships are per household, scholarships are available for those who need them, and the class is open to anyone in the wider community, not just church members.
Growth Groups and Becoming a Member
The church maintains a network of Growth Groups, small groups that meet in homes and coffee shops for study, service, or simply fellowship. Some focus on learning, while others focus on serving. Anyone interested in leading a group can reach out to Next Steps Leader Terri Kraft.
Membership requires only baptism, and baptisms are scheduled throughout the year after registration through a form. New members are asked to complete a spiritual gifts inventory and to commit to one of five faith disciplines: attending consistently, growing relationally, serving passionately, giving generously, and sharing faith fearlessly.
What First United Believes
The church summarizes its core commitments in seven short statements. Members and attendees are encouraged to take the next step in faith, develop authentic relationships, find the place where their gifts meet a need, act boldly for God's Kingdom, celebrate God's work, embrace change, and share unconditional love with others.
By 2027, First United has set numerical goals for itself: giving away more than is spent internally, sending ten people into ordained ministry over ten years, establishing multiple community venues, contributing 26,000 hours of annual service, celebrating 100 professions of faith, baptisms, or commitments to Christ each year, and inspiring every person to share God's love within their own sphere of influence.
Online Worship, the Podcast, and the App
Both Sunday services at the main campus are livestreamed and archived. Pastor Scott hosts the God Loves You Period podcast, which is available through major podcast platforms. The church also maintains a mobile app for iOS and Android, an active presence on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, and a digital resources library with materials on faith in a digital age and Christian apps for spiritual growth.
Giving is supported in three ways. Contributors can give online, mail an envelope or check to 336 South Halifax Drive, or text a dollar amount to 386-643-0155 to complete a short form. The administrative assistant on staff, Mildred "Milly" Kitchell, is bilingual in Spanish and English. Office hours run Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday from 9:15 a.m. to noon.