Upcoming Events
🧘♀️ Faith + Flow: A Gentle Yoga Practice
Faith + Flow: A Gentle Yoga Practice
Join us for a morning of gentle, faith-centered yoga designed to restore your body, mind, and spirit. This class blends mindful movement and peaceful meditation — all rooted in the belief that caring for our bodies and souls.
When: Saturday November 1, 2025 9:30am-10:30am
Where: The Gathering Place (518K Fentress Blvd Daytona Beach, FL)
Cost: Free (love offerings appreciated)
While admission is free, we invite participants to make a love-offering that will go directly to support Volusia's Domestic Abuse Council. Together, we can nurture both our own healing and the healing of others in our community.
Bring a yoga mat, a water bottle, and an open heart. All levels and all faith backgrounds are welcome — no yoga experience needed!
Let’s move, breathe, and give together in love.
Pet Blessing
On Nov 2nd we are returning to The Foundry for our annual Pet Blessing. Bring your furry, scaly, or feathered friend to receive a prayer. Don’t forget a lawn chair or picnic blanket for this outdoor service (doggy waste bags and water bowls provided).
*No childcare or nursery this Sunday.
From Surviving to Thriving: Parenting Together
DATES: Wednesday Oct 15, 29, Nov 12, & Dec 3
Are you in the trenches of parenting? Looking for connection with other parents? Expecting and terrified?! Interested in learning how to talk about your kids about faith? Susan Miller from The Gathering Place (retired teacher, mother, and grandma extraordinaire) is leading a 4 week course for parents who are hoping to go from surviving to thriving. The emphasis on building trust amongst a community of parents who can be one another’s village. Click the link to sign up or for more information.
Childcare provided AND no homework/reading, parenting is busy enough.
One Big Sunday!
Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Located: First United Methodist Church336 South Halifax Dr. Ormond Beach, FL, 32176
We are part of the First United Family and twice a year we gather together for worship & fellowship! Sign up to be a part of the annual Chili Cook Off, to be a judge, or to bring another item!
From Surviving to Thriving: Parenting Together
DATES: Wednesday Oct 15, 29, Nov 12, & Dec 3
Are you in the trenches of parenting? Looking for connection with other parents? Expecting and terrified?! Interested in learning how to talk about your kids about faith? Susan Miller from The Gathering Place (retired teacher, mother, and grandma extraordinaire) is leading a 4 week course for parents who are hoping to go from surviving to thriving. The emphasis on building trust amongst a community of parents who can be one another’s village. Click the link to sign up or for more information.
Childcare provided AND no homework/reading, parenting is busy enough.
From Surviving to Thriving: Parenting Together
DATES: Wednesday Oct 15, 29, Nov 12, & Dec 3
Are you in the trenches of parenting? Looking for connection with other parents? Expecting and terrified?! Interested in learning how to talk about your kids about faith? Susan Miller from The Gathering Place (retired teacher, mother, and grandma extraordinaire) is leading a 4 week course for parents who are hoping to go from surviving to thriving. The emphasis on building trust amongst a community of parents who can be one another’s village. Click the link to sign up or for more information.
Childcare provided AND no homework/reading, parenting is busy enough.
F.A.I.T.H. House Meetings
F.A.I.T.H. is a county-wide coalition of congregations that works to address social justice issues in Volusia County through local organizing like affordable housing and flooding. The listening sessions are designed so our justice network leaders can hear from the community about issues directly impacting their lives.
Join us at The Gathering Place for one of two listening sessions:
October 8th at 7pm
October 12th after worship
Worship at Ormond Brewing
Just because we have a new building doesn’t mean we’re going to stop being The Gathering Place! At the heart of our church is the mission to gather differently, which is why we’ll be worshipping at Ormond Brewing Company on October 19th from 11am-12pm.
From Surviving to Thriving: Parenting Together
DATES: Wednesday Oct 15, 29, Nov 12, & Dec 3
Are you in the trenches of parenting? Looking for connection with other parents? Expecting and terrified?! Interested in learning how to talk about your kids about faith? Susan Miller from The Gathering Place (retired teacher, mother, and grandma extraordinaire) is leading a 4 week course for parents who are hoping to go from surviving to thriving. The emphasis on building trust amongst a community of parents who can be one another’s village. Click the link to sign up or for more information.
Childcare provided AND no homework/reading, parenting is busy enough.
F.A.I.T.H. House Meetings
F.A.I.T.H. is a county-wide coalition of congregations that works to address social justice issues in Volusia County through local organizing like affordable housing and flooding. The listening sessions are designed so our justice network leaders can hear from the community about issues directly impacting their lives.
Join us at The Gathering Place for one of two listening sessions:
October 8th at 7pm
October 12th after worship
Welcome Home Sunday
✨ Welcome Home Sunday ✨
Looking for a place to belong? On Sunday, October 5th, The Gathering Place is celebrating the grand opening of our new worship center—once a warehouse, now transformed into a place of worship, community, and hope. And there’s a seat waiting for you.
📍518-K Fentress Blvd Daytona Beach, FL
☕ Coffee & Donuts at 9:45am
🙏 Worship at 10:00am
🍽️ Lunch & Family Friendly Games at 11:30am
It’s more than a new building—it’s a new beginning. Maybe you need one of those too? Come celebrate, find your village, and discover a place where faith feels like family. Whether you’re exploring church for the first time or returning after a while, we’re building a community where you are already home.
Volusia Civil Rights Tour
Get the opportunity to learn about Civil Rights leaders in our own backyard here in Volusia County. We will begin at The Gathering Place at 8:45 visit different sites from Daytona to New Smyrna Beach, FL. Justice matters to God, so justice matters to The Gathering Place.
Howard Thurman home (tour) - Daytona
Mary McLeod Bethune statue at Riverfront Esplanade - Daytona
Jackie Robinson Ballpark - Daytona
Mary Harrell Black Heritage Museum (open 10am-1pm) - New Smyrna Beach
Freemanville Settlement Marker and Mount Moriah Baptist Church - Port Orange
SIGN UP
Read Aloud with Partners Training
The proven way to improve literacy in children is simply reading aloud with them. It’s both easy and effective! We are recruiting volunteers to read with 2nd and 3rd grade students at our partner school, Westside Elementary.
Join us on Wednesday September 17th from 4-6pm in the Westside Media Center for Read Aloud with Partner Training and Child & Youth Protection Training. ALL volunteers connected to First United Methodist Ormond Beach or The Gathering Place are required to be Child & Youth Protection trained and receive a background check.
Email beckypittard@gmail.com to sign up.
Civil Rights Pilgrimage
Civil Rights Pilgrimage
The Gathering Place is leading a Civil Rights Pilgrimage Tour over Labor Day Weekend to Montgomery and Selma, AL. We believe that the work of anti-racism and learning from our past is a spiritual discipline. Click the interest-form link below to learn more information and to sign-up. At this time, we are limiting the trip to 15 people (no age restrictions), but we will have a waitlist. Scholarships will also be available.
Leading up to this trip, we will be in a Sermon Series and encouraging small group to study Bryan Stevenson’s book, Just Mercy. We will also offer a local Civil Rights Pilgrimage for those who can not travel.
TGP Work Day
To make this new unit ready to welcome guests, we need as much help as we can get! Join us on Saturday August 23rd from 9am-2pm for a TGP Work Day. We’ll be moving, painting, assembling furniture, cleaning, reupholstering chairs, etc.
"Just Mercy" Book Club
Thursday August 21st @ 6:30pm located at The Foundry
"Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson is a powerful memoir that explores the injustices of the American legal system, particularly for those who are poor, wrongly convicted, and on death row. The book focuses on the story of Walter McMillian, a black man wrongly convicted of murder and sentenced to death, and Stevenson's fight to free him.
Back to School Sunday!
We are celebrating Back to School Sunday on Sunday August 10th during the service for students and educators. We will say a special prayer and ask kids/teens/college students to come up to the front where they will receive a special gift.
Back to School Breakfast
Email aarmistead@firstunited.org if you’d like to help with the Back-to-School Breakfast for Westside Elementary teachers & staff!
Warren W. Willis Camp
Are you ready to embark on a thrilling and transformative adventure? Our classic overnight camp offers six weeks of high-energy, life-changing experiences that you won’t want to miss!
From rising 4th-grade students to recently graduated seniors, everyone is invited to join us on the beautiful Lake Griffin for an unforgettable week of faith, friendship, and fun.
Our sessions run from Monday afternoon to Saturday morning and are designed to jump-start your faith while creating lifelong memories.
Week 6: July 21-26, 2025
Williamson Property Prayer
Sunday July 13th immediately after worship
As a part of our On the Move Generosity Initiative we will gather at the Williamson Blvd. Property for a time of prayer.
One Big Sunday!
On June 8th, we’ll be celebrating Pentecost as a First United Family followed by a church-wide BBQ.
Join us at 10am at First United Methodist Ormond Beach. It’s also, “Stump the Pastor” so submit a question about faith, church, spirituality, etc. Do you have a question you think will stump Pastor Scott and Pastor Amy? Click the link below!
TGP on Tap
Join us at Ormond Brewing Company for a TGP Social. One round of bingo will start at 6:30pm!
Located: 301 Division Ave UNIT 15, Ormond Beach, FL 32174 (overflow parking is on Division, East of the train tracks, in the parking lot of the old DuvaSawko building)
Kayaks & Communion
9:00 AM until 11:00 AM
What makes The Gathering Place unique is our commitment to gathering differently. We understand that there are many people who would never step foot in a traditional church building, but are still longing for hope and belonging.
Kayaks & Communion is the chance to experience the beauty of God's creation IN God's creation. The church doesn't have to look like a building with steeples and pews. Sometimes it looks like a group of folks wanting to learn more about Jesus on kayaks, paddle boards, and pontoon boats.
IF YOU’D LIKE TO BE BAPTIZED, CLICK HERE
Join us Sunday April 27th, 2025 at 9am at Tomoka Outpost. Kayaks & Canoes available for rental OR ride on a pontoon boat (free, but space is limited). Click the link to sign up and for more info:
Created by God
April 25, 2025 @ 5:00 pm - April 27, 2025 @ 11:00 am
Warren Willis UM Camp and Conference Center
4990 Piccioloa Rd, Fruitland Park, FL 34731
Created By God is a comprehensive, faith-based study of human sexuality for 5th graders and their parents or guardians. Dr. James H. Ritchie developed the Created by God curriculum. Students and adults will attend sessions together and separately, all aimed towards creating opportunities for your child to learn, grow, and open up conversations about the physical changes they are experiencing.
To provide comprehensive and faith-based education on human sexuality for youth.
To create a safe and comfortable space for young people to ask any questions they may have.
To foster better communication skills between parents and preteens.
Our team of ministers for children and families will engage with adults and students through four dynamic learning sessions. Students will participate in the curriculum in small, mixed-gender groups, while adults will attend workshops, forums, and discussions on parenting students in the 5th grade and beyond. The program includes scripture study, worship, and fun games and activities. Some sessions will also enable both adults and students to communicate and share experiences. Families will be accommodated in private rooms, and bedding and towels will be provided.
Easter Sunday at The Gathering Place
Join us at we celebrate the hope found in Jesus’ resurrection!
10am-11:15am
Located inside The Foundry (728 Fentress Blvd Daytona Beach, FL 32114)
Maundy Thursday Dinner Church
Maundy Thursday is when we remember the night in which Jesus gathered his disciples together for a Passover meal and humbled himself to wash his disciple’s feet. Jesus’ mandate to us is to love one another.
On Thursday April 17th we will be hosting a dinner for the residents of Barrack’s of Hope- the local veteran’s shelter in Daytona Beach, FL
5:30-6:30pm
Located: 962 Derbyshire Rd, Daytona Beach, FL 32117
Palm Sunday
This is an opportunity to center your heart on why this week is so important to our faith. Our prayer is that you will find this meaningful and helpful for your spiritual life.
There will still be music, a brief message, and communion. Bring your family or some friends. We hope to see you there!
Community Easter Egg Hunt
Games, Age-Level Egg Hunts, crafts, Easter bunny, snacks, and more!
Saturday April 12th 1-3pm located at Westside Elementary School
Address: 1700 5th St, Daytona Beach, FL 32117
FAITH Justice Network Meeting
Join us for our Justice Network Meeting at The Foundry immediately after church! 30-40 minutes long.
Future dates:
3/11- FAITH Rally at Our Lady of Lourdes (Daytona) at 6:30pm
3/25- Nehemiah Action Assembly at Our Lady of Hope (Port Orange) ay 6:30pm
Please think of 3-5 names of people that you plan to bring to the Action Assembly on 3/25!
Ashes to Go & A Cup of Joe
Come drop by Ormond Beach's Biggby's Coffee Shop from 7-9am to receive ashes and a cup of joe! First 50 people will receive a free cup of coffee or treat on us.
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent, the 40 days leading up to Easter. It is a chance to acknowledge our humanity and bear the mark of love.
Wicked Worship
Join us on March 2nd for a one-time musical revue of the hit Broadway show turned Box-office movie hit, Wicked! As a theater lover and bible nerd, I couldn’t help but notice the biblical themes within the Wicked franchise. The movie begins with the question: “Why does wickedness happen?” as it follows the backstories of the very misunderstood Wicked Witch of the West, named Elphaba and her college-roommate rival turned friend, Glinda the Good.
On Sunday March 2nd, we’ll hear performances from Wicked with biblical reflections on the underlying moral and Christian themes woven throughout! This is a Sunday you won’t want to miss!
Super Serve Sunday
All ages and abilities welcome! The Gathering Place is teaming up with First United Methodist Ormond Beach to serve local community partners across Daytona including:
Westside Elementary School
Homeless Care Bags (located at First United)
Beachside Elementary
Halifax Urban Ministries
Domestic Abuse Council
& more!
To sign up- CLICK HERE
Campfire & Communion
What better way to start a new year than by worshipping by campfire?!
Join us on Sunday January 5 at Tomoka Outpost for Campfire and Communion! This is an evening service starting at 4:30pm.
We’ll bring the s’mores! You bring a friend and a lawn chair!