Annual Student Beach Day at Holy Trinity, Melbourne, Opens Doors for Evangelism

Leaders at Holy Trinity, Melbourne, are constantly searching for an “aha” moment for Jesus for youth not only within their congregation but for others in their area. Whether through the church’s annual Student Beach Day – which turned out to be a huge success this August – or any other event that will spark the youth to excitement for God, Holy Trinity is determined to partner alongside the Rt. Rev. Dr. Justin S. Holcomb and the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida to help spread the gospel of Christ and ignite a movement that will impact the nation.

This year, Holy Trinity invited youth groups from area churches and from throughout the diocese to attend. Participating were youth from Church at Viera, Melbourne; Church on the Rock, Melbourne; Church of the Messiah, Winter Garden; Georgianna Church, Merritt Island; Holy Apostles, Satellite Beach; St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, Melbourne; St. John’s, Melbourne; and St. Michael’s, Orlando.

“We had our worship service and Father Daniel [McCarley] preached on the gospel, and I believe that went really well,” said Gabby Acosta, marketing media and materials coordinator for Holy Trinity. “Our goals are pretty simple. We want kids to have fun and enjoy themselves, but evangelism, that’s what it’s all about. 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. It’s a great kickoff to the school year.”

McCarley, the church’s resident associate rector, said Bishop Holcomb’s dedication to spread the gospel has been a huge inspiration for him, and it’s one of the reasons he chose to come to Holy Trinity.

“His vision for the gospel is the good news of grace for sinners,” he said. “It’s God’s favor toward the people, and that’s the message we’re dropping. With Student Beach Day, it’s the kids that get the benefit of that message, and we’re only too happy to bring it to them. With events like this one and more, we’re doing the Great Commission in bringing it to the younger people of our area.”

Coordinated by a committee including McCarley, Acosta and other volunteers, the event attracted 84 area youth, 20 more than the inaugural event in 2025.

“We had a wonderful turnout,” McCarley said. “Not only did we have a lot of kids come out for the Student Beach Day, but we had a tremendous amount of volunteers, maybe 15 to 20, who were excited to help make the event such a big success, which it was.”

The evening consisted of games, a dinner, prayer and a worship service he conducted. The timing gave the youth an opportunity to enjoy another one of God’s creations: a fantastic sunset.

McCarley said Acosta, while serving as youth minister at Holy Trinity, came up with the idea for the Student Beach Day in 2025. She pitched the idea to him, and he loved it, encouraging her and volunteer Jesse Everett to move forward with the plans.

“For the kids in our parish, we were looking for a way to kick off the school year in a particular way that would be evangelistic,” McCarley said. “We started to sketch it out, and then Gabby and other people got it all together. They worked really hard to make it happen. This year, they and the church got a little bit more behind it.”

Everett, who has worked as a volunteer in the youth group at Holy Trinity for a decade, said the attendees showed a great deal of enthusiasm not only for the games portion of the evening – which included a scavenger hunt and volleyball games, among other activities – but also for the worship service.

“Overall, the kids said they really liked the event,” he said. “We had a small service on the beach, and we did an evening prayer. I’m in charge of the games, and 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 there is little doubt Holy Trinity will continue Student Beach Day next August and in the years ahead.

“We’re just going to keep doing it, but I know it’s going to keep getting better and better,” he said. “We’re going to change the way we executed some of the games, get better organized with some things. We had a lifeguard this year, and we’ll bring that back next year. We’ll double down and have a swim zone next year, trying to refine that.

“But moreover, I would like to be thinking more about how we can provide an opportunity for the kids to respond to the gospel,” he continued. “After that, I think that is the most important aspect of the whole thing. We’ll try to figure out the logistics of letting a person respond. It opens doors to Jesus.”