On the north side of Titusville, just a short drive from Kennedy Space Center and the Indian River, St. Andrew United Methodist Church has been a steady presence since 1967. In those six decades, the church has grown from a mission plant of the Florida Conference into a multi-generational congregation known for its Sunday-morning warmth, its long-running Pumpkin Patch outreach, and a remarkable network of school partnerships that reaches students at Oak Park Elementary and James Madison Middle School. Parishioners and newcomers alike are welcomed each Sunday at 10:00 AM at 3380 Dairy Road.
A Church Born from the Space Race
St. Andrew United Methodist Church was planted in the late 1960s as the Florida Conference responded to the rapid growth of Titusville during the expansion of the space program. The congregation gathering in those early years held to meaningful worship, congregational nurture, missional outreach, and a deep commitment to sharing the love and grace of Jesus Christ with all. The original 1969 photo of the church still anchors the church's history page, a reminder that the community of faith on Dairy Road has been gathering, supporting families, and serving Titusville for 59 years.
Through the decades the church has grown while keeping the feel of a neighborhood congregation. The pastor and staff describe the church as a place where everyone has value and everyone is loved by God - a posture that shapes everything from how greeters welcome visitors to how Communion is shared across ages and backgrounds.
Sundays at 10:00 AM with Pastor Fisher
Sunday mornings at St. Andrew center on a single worship service at 10:00 AM. The service runs about one hour and includes music led by the praise band, prayer, Scripture reading, and a Bible-based message from Pastor Joe Fisher. Visitors are invited to come as they are; some dress casually, others in more traditional attire, and greeters are posted to help newcomers find their way and answer questions. The atmosphere is described as relaxed and welcoming rather than formal.
A nursery is open from 10:00 to 11:30 AM for children three and under, and kids of all ages are welcome to stay in the service. Coffee and refreshments are served before and after the service in the Fellowship Hall, giving visitors a chance to meet others. Guest parking is available close to the main entrance.
Sermons are livestreamed on Facebook each Sunday at 10:00 AM and recordings remain available for those who want to catch up later in the week. Past messages can also be found at the church's online worship page.
Music that Blends Contemporary and Bluegrass
Music ministry is led by Music Director Scotty Cockerham, who works alongside the church's praise band and musicians to shape Sunday worship. The Music Ministry is described as vibrant and joyful, weaving together contemporary and modern worship songs with bluegrass-style music. That blend gives the service an uplifting, full-hearted feel while still leaving room for quiet reflection and sung prayer.
The intention behind the music, the church explains, is to lead the congregation in songs that inspire, encourage, and help people focus on God. Whether someone loves to sing along or simply wants to listen, the music is designed to draw hearts into worship rather than to perform for them.
The School Ministry: Across the Street and Beyond
One of the most distinctive ministries at St. Andrew is its School Ministry, coordinated by Mary Kofil and Laurie Severs in close partnership with two nearby schools: Oak Park Elementary and James Madison Middle School. The work spans the week and includes several named programs that provide both practical help and caring relationships.
On Tuesday mornings, the church hosts Crossover at James Madison Middle School's Bush Hall. Students start the day with a hot breakfast, time with caring adult mentors, and space to play basketball, billiards, or ping pong before classes begin. The Art Club is supported on Tuesdays with chaperones, snacks, and donated supplies. On Fridays, volunteers assist with the Mohawk Market, a student food pantry at the middle school that provides non-perishable food, school supplies, and clothing to students who need them. The Best Buddies Program - which promotes friendship and inclusion - receives twice-monthly snacks and encouragement.
The relationship also extends to Oak Park Elementary. Each fall, the church hosts Pumpkin Patch Story Time for students; in one recent year, 217 students came out for early-morning field trips with stories, treats, and a pumpkin to take home. Throughout the school year the church supports teachers and staff with appreciation breakfasts, snack deliveries, Fill-the-Fridge events, and seasonal treats.
The School Ministry also supports weekend food bags for students in need and collects items such as sponges, Ziploc bags, socks, underwear, sneakers, and lightweight blankets for Oak Park families. Anyone who wants to help can drop donations at the elementary school or contact the church office.
The Pumpkin Patch: Thirty-One Years of Fall Tradition
Long before October arrives each year, the church begins setting up what is now its 31st Annual Pumpkin Patch, one of the signature ways St. Andrew opens its doors to the wider Titusville community. The Pumpkin Patch is more than a place to buy pumpkins - it has grown into a multi-day gathering with a car show, a kiddie carnival, food, face painting, a bounce house, and activities that draw families from across the area.
The Pumpkin Patch also serves as the setting for School Ministry field trips and Story Time mornings, and the proceeds from the event fund the church's outreach and mission work. For many Titusville families, the Pumpkin Patch has become an annual ritual - a marker of the season and a way to connect with the church without stepping through its sanctuary doors.
Community Dinner on the Third Thursday
On the third Thursday of every month from 5:00 to 7:00 PM, the church kitchen turns out a home-cooked Community Dinner. Menus rotate through favorites like meatloaf, fried chicken, tri-tip, lasagna, and BBQ. The dinners are open to dine in or take out, with prices of $10 for ages 12 and older, $5 for ages 4-11, and free for children three and under. Cash and credit cards are accepted.
The Community Dinner draws church members, neighbors, school families, and anyone looking for a warm meal and easy conversation. Greeters welcome every guest, and the gathering regularly turns an ordinary weeknight into a moment of connection in a busy part of Titusville.
Congregational Care and Prayer Ministry
St. Andrew takes seriously the conviction that no one in the church family walks alone. The Congregational Care Ministry - led by Laurie Severs, with Carol Iseman as lay leader and Ann Austin handling devotionals - extends care through prayer, home and hospital visits, cards and calls, meal support during illness or recovery, and gentle accompaniment through grief and other life transitions. The team also organizes fellowships like the Elderberries group that bring connection and joy.
The Prayer Ministry complements this work by keeping a prayer list of requests from the church, the community, and the world. A prayer room is open each Monday morning for anyone who wants a quiet place to pray, reflect, and spend time with God. Prayer requests can be submitted through the church office by phone or online.
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Ministry
The Deaf and Hard of Hearing Ministry works to make worship and fellowship accessible and to build meaningful connections within the local deaf community. In addition to its advocacy and accessibility work, the ministry offers sign language classes for those who want to learn, helping bridge communication between hearing and deaf members of the broader Titusville area.
Elderberries, Men's Breakfast, and Crafting Together
Fellowship is a centerpiece of life at St. Andrew. Three ongoing groups carry much of that work.
Elderberries is the church's fellowship ministry for older adults - retirees, semi-retirees, and anyone young at heart. The group meets every other month at 11:30 AM in the Fellowship Hall for potluck meals, devotions, crafts, games, and themed programs. Past gatherings have included a birdhouse-building project tied to the Creation Care Ministry and an afternoon spent making Christmas cards for military service members.
Men's Breakfast gathers the men of the church on the first Saturday of each month at 8:00 AM for a hearty breakfast, casual conversation, and an optional short devotional. Alan Watson organizes the gathering, which welcomes first-timers and longtime members alike.
A&W Crafting (sometimes called A&W Craft Ministry) meets twice a week - Wednesday mornings at 10:30 AM and Thursday evenings at 7:00 PM. Led by Annette Watson, the group makes cards, seasonal and holiday crafts, home décor, and church decorations, and takes on community service projects. No experience is required, and the time together is as much about the conversation and prayer as it is about the craft itself. Bits & Pieces Scrapbooking, which meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays at 10:00 AM, is a related scrapbooking fellowship.
Creation Care on the Space Coast
Bill Young leads the Creation Care Ministry, which frames environmental stewardship as an act of worship and discipleship. Activities throughout the year include nature outings to places like Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Orlando Wetlands Park, Black Point Wildlife Drive, and local parks. Back at the church, members tend native plant and pollinator gardens, host a Take a Book/Leave a Book community library, run recycling projects, and lead hands-on activities like birdhouse-building and solar cooking demonstrations.
The ministry's signature verse - The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it (Psalm 24:1) - captures how Creation Care fits into the wider life of the church: as a hands-on way to honor the Creator by caring for the world entrusted to the congregation.
Missions Near and Far
St. Andrew's mission strategy rests on three named partnerships alongside its local outreach. The church supports UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) and its disaster response, refugee and migration support, and global humanitarian aid work. Locally, the church partners with the Children's Hunger Project, which provides weekend food bags to elementary students identified by teachers as in need of meals outside of school. The church also supports Residing Hope, a Central Florida children's home that provides safe residential care, counseling, education, and faith-centered support for children and youth who cannot safely live with their families.
Together, these partnerships extend the congregation's care from Titusville into disaster zones and family crisis settings around the world. Combined with the school partnerships, community dinners, prayer ministry, and Pumpkin Patch, they give the church a deeply outward-facing identity rooted in the simple conviction that faith expresses itself in practical acts of love.
Faith and Beliefs
St. Andrew describes itself as a Protestant Christian church that holds to traditional Wesleyan theology. The congregation affirms the Apostles' Creed, including belief in one God as Creator and sustainer of the universe, in the Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and in the full divinity and full humanity of Jesus Christ.
United Methodism's long commitment to an open Communion table shapes the church's practice here. Everyone is welcome at the Table, regardless of age or background, because everyone is believed to be loved by God and to have value in God's sight. The church points visitors who want to read further to the United Methodist Church's beliefs resources and to the Florida Conference.
Leadership and Staff
The senior pastor is Joseph (Joe) Fisher, who grew up in Buckhannon, West Virginia, and first served in the U.S. Air Force before attending West Virginia Wesleyan College, where he met his wife Laura. He entered pastoral ministry in 1987, earned a B.A. in Christian Education and Religion, and later completed a Master of Divinity at Emory's Candler School of Theology. After serving Methodist churches in West Virginia and Florida, he spent 16 years as a military chaplain and officer, retiring in November 2020 with 22 years of active duty service before returning to pastoral ministry at St. Andrew.
The staff supporting the church's ministry includes:
- Pastor Laura Fisher - pictured alongside Pastor Joe as part of the pastoral team.
- Scotty Cockerham - Music Director.
- Bill Young - Creation Care Ministry Leader.
- Laurie Severs - Congregational Care Leader and School Ministry co-coordinator.
- Annette Watson - A&W Crafting Ministry Leader.
- Mary Kofil - School Ministry co-coordinator.
- Ann Austin - Devotional Leader (Congregational Care).
- Carol Iseman - Lay Leader (Congregational Care).
- Alan Watson - Men's Breakfast contact.
- Dianne Patterson - Office Administrator (since 2022).
- Dawn Ackerman - Finance Manager (involved with church finances since 1993).
Plan Your Visit
St. Andrew United Methodist Church sits at 3380 Dairy Road, Titusville, Florida 32796. The church office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM and can be reached at (321) 269-7321 or officestandrew3380@gmail.com. Worship is held each Sunday at 10:00 AM and lasts about an hour. Come as you are. Children are welcome in the service, and a nursery is available for children three and under from 10:00 to 11:30 AM. Guest parking is near the main entrance, and greeters will help visitors find their way in.
For those who want to give, online giving is available through a secure giving portal. Prayer requests can be submitted online or by phone, and visitors who want to learn more about specific ministries - from the Pumpkin Patch to the School Ministry to the Creation Care outings - can find details on each ministry's page.
Whether someone is exploring faith for the first time, returning to church after time away, or looking for a new church home, the greeters, the music, and the people of St. Andrew United Methodist Church are ready to make that first Sunday an easy one.