A Church That Grew From Seventeen Chairs
Tuskawilla United Methodist Church sits along Red Bug Lake Road in Casselberry, Florida, a few miles east of Orlando. From the outside, the campus reflects a congregation that has spent more than four decades building itself one phase at a time: a fellowship hall from the early 1980s, a two-story education wing finished in 1987, and the stained-glass sanctuary consecrated in February 2000. Inside, the people who fill those rooms describe their life together with three verbs - belong, grow, and serve - and they mean each one of them.
The story began in June 1980, when seventeen worshipers gathered for worship at Harbor School under the founding pastor, the Reverend Barbara Williams Riddle. Three months later the group had grown to forty-five, and by the chartering date of December 14, 1980 there were seventy-one members and fifteen preparatory members. A 6,900-square-foot multi-purpose building - still used as the fellowship hall - was ready in November 1982. The education wing followed in 1987, and the present sanctuary was built after a three-year stewardship campaign launched in 1996 and completed in 2000.
Successive pastors have shaped the church's character: Reverend David Fuller launched age-group ministries in 1988, Dr. Glenn Quam secured adjacent property for expansion in 1992, Reverend Samuel "Skip" Parvin shepherded the building campaign, Reverend Charley Reeb made small groups central, Reverend Dwayne Craig (2008) pushed for racial and socioeconomic inclusion, Reverend Molly Warren (2011) renewed small-group Bible study, Reverend Sarah Miller (2014) welcomed the Arbor School onto the campus, and Reverend Heather Harding (2019) deepened missional outreach and led a partnership with Zoe Empowers. In July 2025, the Reverend Will Kendust became the church's tenth pastor, bringing a stated focus on joy, hospitality, and intergenerational welcome.
Sunday Morning: A Blended Service
Tuskawilla gathers for one Sunday worship service at 11:00 AM, both in person and online. The service is described as blended, weaving together hymns, contemporary praise songs, and gospel music under the leadership of the Worship Choir. The order of worship follows a four-fold pattern: Gathering, Proclamation, Response, and Sending Forth. Holy Communion, an Affirmation of Faith, and an offering are part of the Response each week.
Children are part of the service from the start. They sit with their families in the sanctuary, come forward for a special children's message, and then move to Children's Church with adult leaders. They return to the sanctuary to take Holy Communion with the rest of the congregation. A nursery is provided during the 11:00 service for younger children. Visitors who cannot attend in person can watch the livestream through the church's sermon page or on Facebook and YouTube.
A Music Program With a Grammy Pedigree
Music is the heartbeat of the worship experience at Tuskawilla. The Director of Worship Arts is Dr. Jeffery Redding, the 2019 GRAMMY Music Educator Award recipient, who also directs vocal activities at the University of Central Florida. Under his leadership the Tuskawilla Worship Choir - sometimes called the Chancel Choir - sings a range of styles, from contemporary pieces to hymns, anthems, and gospel, with featured soloists, ensembles, and instrumentalists. Rehearsals are held every Wednesday at 6:30 PM in the Sanctuary Building and are open to all who want to sing.
Contemporary Christian music is led by Alex Lilly, a Tuskawilla-grown worship leader who recently completed a software programming program at UCF. Linda Charlton, the church's Music Assistant, is a collaborative pianist who also plays with the Imperial Symphony Orchestra in Lakeland. The blended approach - traditional hymnody alongside gospel and contemporary songs - is one of the defining marks of a Sunday at Tuskawilla.
Children, Youth, and Family Ministries
Children are a stated priority at Tuskawilla. The children's ministry, called Willa Kids, gathers children in the sanctuary at 11:00 for a weekly children's message from Family Ministries Director Kathryn Halterman before moving to age-appropriate curriculum in Children's Church. The Nursery operates during the 11:00 worship hour, with check-in procedures and parents providing their own supplies - bottles, diapers, wipes, snacks, and changes of clothes.
All nursery staff, Willa Kids volunteers, and youth workers receive annual training in safety and protection procedures and hold Level II background checks. A Child and Youth Protection Policy and a Children's Registration Form are available in PDF form on the church's site, along with a Resource Toolkit for LGBTQ+ Christian Teens.
Youth ministry is led by Emily Wolf, who recently completed a degree in American Sign Language from the University of North Florida and graduated summa cum laude. Emily has coached sports camps for teens and young adults with intellectual disabilities and has served as a swim instructor and family-ministries volunteer. Together, the children's and youth programs are framed by the congregation's baptismal covenant: "to surround all children with a community of love and forgiveness, that they may grow in their trust of God."
A Lighthouse Church: Inclusion and Justice
Tuskawilla identifies as a Lighthouse Church, partnering with UMs Connected to provide a spiritual home for anyone searching for a supportive, Christ-centered community - especially those who may have felt unwelcome in other church settings. The church affirms the sacred worth of every person and strives to be a place where all are truly welcome, including people of all sexualities, gender identities, backgrounds, and theological perspectives.
That conviction shapes the church's Justice Ministries. A group called Bridge Builders meets by Zoom at 4:00 PM every second Sunday to do the work of dismantling racism, beginning with the belief that all persons are created in the image of God and seeking to name and heal injustices within the Florida Conference of The United Methodist Church. The church has studied books and videos from both progressive and conservative compatibilist perspectives on human sexuality, including Faithful and Inclusive (a video by Pastor Rob Fuquay), Holy Love by Dr. Steve Harper, Changing Our Mind by David Gushee, and People to Be Loved by Preston Sprinkle.
Sunday School and Small Groups
Three adult Sunday School classes meet at 9:30 AM each Sunday in the Sanctuary Building. Faith Matters works through Scripture-based book studies with out-of-class reading and lively discussion. Journey, led by Pastor Bonnie Lattimer, focuses on contemporary texts that trace the Christian journey from the early church to today. Quest, led by Pastor Kate Ling, explores faith-based and Scripture-based questions in a discussion format where participants research and share answers.
Beyond Sunday morning, small groups gather throughout the week. Prayer Groups meet on Saturday mornings at 8:00 AM in the Faith Room and on Sundays at 12:15 PM in the Sanctuary, following the worship service. Prayer requests submitted online are kept confidential and read only by the prayer ministry team.
Women, Men, and Seniors
The Women's Ministry at Tuskawilla includes three expressions. A weekly Women's Bible Study meets Fridays from 9:00 to 11:30 AM in the Faith Room, using book- and video-driven curriculum. The Mary Martha Group, active for more than two decades, meets Tuesdays at 9:30 AM to quilt, crochet, knit, and craft blankets, prayer shawls, prayer squares, and hats for people in the church and community; the group enjoys a monthly lunch out and shares desserts each meeting. A Monthly Women's Circle meets at members' homes on the second Friday from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM for intergenerational fellowship.
Men of TUMC gathers monthly on Saturdays at 9:00 AM in the Faith Room for Bible study, fellowship, and service projects. The group supports the Children's and Youth Ministries through events like Scouts Sunday, outdoor clean-ups, the Pumpkin Patch, Trunk or Treat, Santa's Workshop, and Solar Bears Youth Night.
For seniors, Fifty Plus gathers on the first Thursday of each month from noon to 2:00 PM in the Faith Room for a potluck, fellowship, and guest presenters. The Mary Martha craft group also welcomes senior members.
Reaching Out Locally and Around the World
Outreach at Tuskawilla flows in two directions - into the Casselberry community and across the globe. Locally, the church partners with Hope Helps Oviedo, whose mission is to prevent and reduce homelessness in Central Florida through housing, outreach, prevention, and education. Tuskawilla collects food on the first Sunday of each month to stock the Hope Helps food pantry and participates in the HENS delivery program that brings food to homebound neighbors. The church also supports the Florida United Methodist Children's Home, whose mission is to empower children and families through holistic, Christ-centered care.
Internationally, the church partners with Zoe Empowers, a United Methodist mission transforming the lives of orphans and vulnerable children in six African countries and India. The three-year program equips young people in food security, secure housing, health and hygiene, education, income generation, child rights, community connection, and spiritual strength. The church has also named La Lima as its sister church in Cuba.
Community Life on Campus
Two long-running community activities fill the campus during the week. Yoga Faith meets every Monday at 6:00 PM in the courtyard when weather permits and in the Narthex otherwise. An Art Workshop meets every Saturday at 9:30 AM in Studio 36, where participants work in acrylics, ceramics, watercolors, and oil painting and help refurbish and create church banners alongside the Mary Martha Circle.
The office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to noon. For pastoral emergencies, a separate phone line is staffed. The church's building is also available for rental, coordinated through the office.
A Wesleyan Welcome
Tuskawilla's teaching follows the broad Wesleyan tradition of the United Methodist Church. The congregation describes its mission in three movements - belonging to Christ and his community of believers, growing in the knowledge and love of Christ, and serving Christ and neighbors for the transformation of the world. Beliefs are summarized in the language of prevenient grace (God reaching out before we are aware), justifying grace (the new creation that comes with accepting God's grace), and sanctifying grace (the lifelong work of growing in holiness).
That theological rhythm - grace, growth, and service - runs through everything Tuskawilla does, from the stained-glass sanctuary consecrated in 2000 to the food collected on the first Sunday of each month to the children who come forward each week for their own message before heading off to Willa Kids.