A Church in the Heart of Satellite Beach
On Lee Avenue, a short walk from the Indian River Lagoon, Satellite Beach United Methodist Church gathers a small coastal city around two Sunday services, a busy weekday preschool, and a long list of ministries that reach well beyond the sanctuary walls. The congregation's motto - "Changing Lives by the Power of Jesus' Love" - sets the tone for everything from the children's Sunday school rooms in Faithland to the food pantry shelves and the partnerships in Cuba.
Located at 450 Lee Avenue, the church serves as a neighborhood anchor for Satellite Beach families, retirees, and visitors who walk, bike, or drive in for worship, preschool drop-off, Scout meetings, and recovery groups that meet throughout the week. With a contemporary service at 9 AM and a traditional service at 11 AM, the church makes a point of meeting people where they are musically and liturgically, and both services are livestreamed so anyone can follow along from home.
Two Sunday Services, Two Styles of Worship
Sunday morning at Satellite Beach UMC follows a steady rhythm. The Contemporary Service begins at 9:00 AM, led by the Praise Team and supported by a full band setup. An hour later, at 10:00 AM, Coffee with the Pastor offers a relaxed hour in the Pastor's Office - a chance for newcomers to ask questions and get to know the clergy outside the sanctuary. The Traditional Service follows at 11:00 AM, with the Chancel Choir and the church organist accompanying the congregation through more familiar liturgical ground.
Children fit into both services rather than being shuttled off to a side program. Children's Church is offered during both the 9 AM and 11 AM services for ages 5 through 11, and Sunday School meets in between at 10:10 AM in Faithland, the children's corner of the church. The schedule - service, Sunday school, service - gives families flexibility and lets siblings of different ages worship together at least once during the morning.
For those who cannot attend in person, both services are livestreamed through the church's Facebook page and made available afterward on the church's YouTube channel. Bulletins are archived online as well, so the order of worship and announcements can be followed at any hour.
A Preschool That Runs the Calendar
One of the defining features of Satellite Beach United Methodist Church is its preschool, the Satellite Beach United Methodist Preschool (SBUMP). The preschool runs on the Brevard County Public Schools calendar and fills the church's classrooms with two-year-olds through VPK students from 9 AM to 12 PM, Monday through Friday. Before Care opens the gate at 8:05 AM, and Lunch Bunch and Extended Day keep students engaged until the early afternoon on most weekdays.
Director Audrey Smith oversees a layered program that begins with a Younger Two-Year-Old class on Thursdays and Fridays and steps up through Middle and Older Twos, Three-Year-Old classes on multiple schedules, and a Florida VPK (Voluntary Prekindergarten) program. Class sizes are intentionally small, with a teacher and an assistant for each group of roughly eight to thirteen children. Weekly chapel time and a music program introduce preschoolers to the rhythms of the church from their earliest school days.
Registration follows a clear, church-friendly timeline that opens to members in January, then existing students and siblings in February, then the wider community on March 1. New families join an online waitlist through the ProCare Parent App, which the school uses for electronic sign-in, parent communication, and authorized-pickup tracking. The preschool office is open Monday through Thursday from 8 AM to 3 PM and Friday from 8 AM to 12 PM, with a dedicated phone line at 321-610-0116.
Children, Youth, and the Rock
After preschool, the church keeps children and teenagers engaged through a series of age-appropriate ministries. The Children's Ministry gathers children ages 5 to 11 in Faithland for Children's Church during both Sunday services and for Sunday School between them. Volunteers lead the children through Bible lessons and fellowship, and snacks are part of the routine - parents are told plainly, "we feed them, too."
The Youth Ministry welcomes students in grades 6 through 12 to The Rock, the white house on the southwest corner of the church property. Sunday afternoons bring praise, games, activities, and a meal; midweek discipleship nights and a Tuesday morning breakfast add additional touchpoints for teens who want to keep growing in their faith. Together with the school's chapel program, the result is a pipeline that carries children from the preschool playground through high school graduation without a gap in spiritual formation.
Music for Both Services
Music is a daily presence at the church, not just on Sundays. The Music Ministry is built around two ensembles: the Praise Team, which leads the 9 AM Contemporary Service, and the Chancel Choir, which sings at the 11 AM Traditional Service. Choir rehearsals are held on Wednesdays, and the Praise Team rehearses in the Sanctuary on Wednesdays as well, so singers and musicians have a clear weekly place to serve. Audrey Smith doubles as Organist and Accompanist for the traditional service, tying the music program together at the keyboard.
Outreach Beyond the Church Walls
Satellite Beach UMC carries an unusually wide community footprint for a single congregation. Three named outreach efforts anchor the work:
- Daily Bread partners with Family Promise to shelter families experiencing homelessness, with church members providing meals, hospitality, and overnight hosting at the church.
- The Food Pantry stocks shelves for neighbors in need, supported by Stephen Ministry volunteers who walk alongside individuals and families in difficult seasons.
- Unhoused Community Ministry extends the church's care further into the surrounding community, reaching people who are sleeping outside or moving between temporary arrangements.
The Cuba Missions program carries the church's outreach across the Florida Straits. Satellite Beach UMC was one of the first Florida Conference churches to answer "yes" when, in 1997, the Methodist Church in Cuba and the Florida Conference asked congregations to consider sister-church relationships. The church entered into partnership with Iglesia Metodista Mir in Cuba, and the relationship is still maintained through letters and shared prayer.
Scouts and Community Groups
The church's Community Outreach Center (C.O.C.) and other buildings are in constant use by Scouting units. Cub Scouts 309, Boy Scouts, and Girl Scouts all meet on the church campus, and Scout Troop 309 holds its regular Monday evening meetings in the C.O.C. The relationship is deep enough that the church hosts Lock-in Events, Eagle workshops, and Court of Honor ceremonies in the same space used for worship. For many families, Scouting is the front door into the congregation.
That same C.O.C.O.C. hosts a slate of recovery and support groups that meet throughout the week. Al-Anon meets on Friday mornings, Parent Focused Al-Anon on Saturday mornings, and a Support/Grief Group gathers on Wednesday afternoons. A long-running Wednesday evening Bible study on the Book of Revelation, led by Monty Felix, draws a smaller but devoted crowd. Afternoon Tea and the Prayer, Share, and Quilt Group offer space for slower rhythms and intergenerational friendship.
Beyond 50: Senior Adults at the Center
The church's Senior Ministry - branded "Beyond 50" - exists to keep older members gathering, learning, and laughing together. Monthly luncheons at local restaurants, social afternoons with trivia and a salad bar, and a steady schedule of small outings give senior adults a reason to leave the house and a community to share a table with. The "YAH" (Young At Heart) social and luncheon series anchors the calendar with predictable monthly touchpoints.
Meet the Pastor: Rev. Richard A. Jones
The church is led by Rev. Richard A. Jones, who was appointed as the senior pastor after ten years of living in Satellite Beach with his family. Pastor Richard was born in Peru to missionary parents and grew up in Miami, where his father's church brought together Anglo, Hispanic, and African American congregations under one roof. That early exposure shaped his conviction that the church is meant to reflect the diverse love of God across cultural lines.
He earned his Master of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky, in 2000, the same year he married Terri, his wife of more than two decades. The two have three daughters - Eliana, Jadyn, and Adriel - and have settled into the Satellite Beach community that Pastor Richard says he felt called back to serve. His pastoral vision centers on a unified mission, an impactful local presence, and a willingness to work alongside other churches and community partners to share the love of Jesus with the surrounding area.
Core Values, in the Church's Own Words
Three core values guide the congregation's decisions and ministry focus:
- Meeting needs in the community with love and generosity.
- Growing a relationship with God, through Christ, by the Holy Spirit, with inspiring worship, enlightened study, and humble service.
- Introducing Christ's welcoming love to all in the community with intentional preparedness.
Joining In
Visitors can find a Sunday morning seat in either the 9 AM Contemporary Service or the 11 AM Traditional Service, with Children's Church and nursery care available at both hours. Coffee with the Pastor fills the gap between services, and families with elementary-age children can drop into Sunday School at 10:10 AM in Faithland. Teens head to The Rock at 5 PM on Sunday, preschoolers can be enrolled through the SBUMP office, and anyone looking to serve can talk with the church office about music, scouting, missions, or outreach opportunities. Giving is available online through the church's Pushpay page, and the full calendar of weekly events is kept up to date on the church's online calendar.