Holy Trinity Beach Day Brings Together Youth From Brevard Churches

MELBOURNE — Dozens of youth from churches across Brevard gathered at Pelican Beach last month for an evening of games, fellowship and worship at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church’s second annual Student Beach Day.

The event drew 84 students with youth attending from Church at Viera, Church on the Rock, Georgianna Church, Holy Apostles Episcopal Church, St. John the Evangelist Catholic Community and St. John’s Episcopal Church, along with Holy Trinity and two other Episcopal congregations from outside Brevard.

“We want kids to have fun and enjoy themselves, but evangelism, that’s what it’s all about,” said Gabby Acosta, Holy Trinity’s marketing media and materials coordinator. “It’s about equipping other kids to go out and evangelize. We’re hoping that events like this will get the kids in our area fired up about Jesus.”

Students played volleyball and participated in a scavenger hunt before sharing dinner, prayer and a beachside worship service led by the Daniel McCarley, Holy Trinity’s associate rector.

Student Beach Day began in 2025 after Acosta, then serving as Holy Trinity’s youth minister, proposed an evangelistic event to kick off the school year. She worked with McCarley and longtime youth volunteer Jesse Everett to organize the gathering.

Everett, who has volunteered with Holy Trinity’s youth group for a decade, said students responded enthusiastically.

“Overall, the kids said they really liked the event,” Everett said. “We had a small service on the beach, and we did an evening prayer... I think the kids think it’s great to be able to have a place to come out with their friends and really enjoy an evening.”

McCarley said Holy Trinity plans to continue Student Beach Day next August, refining some of the recreational activities while placing an even greater emphasis on giving young people an opportunity to respond to the gospel.

“I would like to be thinking more about how we can provide an opportunity for the kids to respond to the gospel,” McCarley said. “ I think that is the most important aspect of the whole thing... It opens doors to Jesus.”

Holy Trinity has served Melbourne since 1884 and is the city’s oldest congregation. Its longstanding ministry to local families also includes Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy, founded as Holy Trinity Parish Day School in 1957 with 90 students and six classrooms. Today, the academy serves more than 900 students between its original Lower School campus adjoining the church on Fee Avenue in Downtown Melbourne and its Upper School campus off Pineda Causeway, built in 2000.

— Christians of Brevard is a multi-church initiative that seeks to amplify the voices of local churches and ministries for the purpose of encouraging the local body of Christ and advancing the Kingdom of God. Join our Facebook community @ChristiansOfBrevard