eChimes for
November, 2019
From the Pastor's Mac

Did you know that when a church sanctuary is filled to 80% of comfortable seating (which excludes the front row for reasons I don’t fully understand), it is experienced as “full” by the average church-goer?

This is one of the tidbits of church trivia I learned in seminary that stuck with me throughout the years. When I looked up that factoid recently, “80%=full” is still the widely accepted rule of thumb among the experts who study such things. When parking is difficult and no comfortable seating is available, experts suggest that many newcomers think, “There’s no room for me here,” and they move along to a more accommodating church.

As the snow begins to fall in the northern climes, our beloved snowbirds are returning. We are blessed by the seasonal attendance of those who “winter” with us—snowbirds sing in our choir, serve on committees, participate in missions and outreach endeavors, contribute financial gifts and SO MUCH MORE! Snowbirds fill our pews on Sunday morning, sharing hugs and laughter, singing the great hymns of faith with joy and gusto alongside the year-rounders who sustain the Chapel through the leaner summer months.

What all this means for us at the Chapel is that during the winter months, we’re faced with what I call a “good problem”—our parking and seating maxes out. Yay!

What this indicates to me is that people are looking for something we’re offering at the Chapel. How would you articulate what that “something” is? (Hint: it’s more than music—people have unlimited access to quality recorded music and concerts galore. Hint: it’s more than preaching—people have way better preachers available to them online 24/7.) What is the je ne sais quoi compelling folks to get out of bed and come to the Chapel instead of one of the hundreds of other churches in Pinellas County?

This is one of the questions raised by our Size Transition Task Force (Jared Acuff, Gene Beerens, Bev Mackin, Linda Walter, and Rhonda Blevins ex-officio .) Over the past few months this team has been meeting together to seek answers to the question, “What might we need to change to accommodate the next 50 people God would send our way?” We recognize that people are wanting to join us, and that we will need to make some changes if we are to extend maximum hospitality during our seasonal, peak-attendance months.

Watch for more on this in the coming months. In the meantime, find joy in this—we’ve got a good thing going at the Chapel, and God is blessing us with more fellow travelers on this journey of faith. Thank you, Lord!
____

An update on our music director search:
The music director search team (Jim Abegglen, Adrienne Archer, Flo Bickel, Gail DeVisser, Linda Walter, Linda Pointer ex-officio , and Rhonda Blevins ex-officio ) have been working diligently to find the right person to become our next director of music. We received over a dozen resumes and have narrowed the slate of candidates considerably through phone and in-person interviews. We are excited by the skill-level and experience of our final candidates, and we feel confident that our next director of music will continue to build upon the strong foundation established by Dr. Michael during her 29-year tenure. Please pray for this team in the final stages of the interview and selection process and expect an announcement by the end of this year.

Love and light,

RevBlev

 
You can now listen to my sermons via podcast! Subscribe to my channel on iTunes at The Clergy Chick .







Don't Forget To
FALL BACK
Sunday, November 3rd





















Back for its Second Season!
Second Tuesday of Each Month (Oct-May) | 11:30 am - 1:00 pm
Registration is now open for the 2019-2020 season of Chapel Chicks! Each month will feature a delicious lunch by Chef Ken Hawi, a program facilitated by Pastor Rhonda Blevins, and time to fellowship with other Chapel Chicks. Cost: $15 per person per event (gratuity included).
Click the “register” button below to sign up for one or more of the Chapel Chicks gatherings in 2019-2020!
Upcoming Chapel Chicks Events


November 12, 2019
Pastor Rhonda Blevins will present a program on the power of gratitude (the focus of her doctoral thesis).
Menu: Turkey cranberry spinach wrap & butternut squash soup with cinnamon croutons. Pumpkin pie for dessert.

December 10, 2019
“Mind, Body, Spirit: Integrating Spirituality Into Body/Mind Practices” by Lurane Worth.
Menu: French Dip Roast Beef with Provolone Au-Jus with Lettuce & Tomato. Holiday Cookies.

Click the "register" button to sign up for one or more of the Chapel Chicks gatherings in 2019-2020!

Chapel Champs
Monthly Chapel Champs is back. Meet in the Chapel conference room, November 12 at 9 am.  This group meets the second Tuesday of the month, October—May.     Frequent topics of discussion are economics, politics and sports.
 
Ocean Allies

Chapel By The Sea is Ocean Allie certified. We join a growing number of Clearwater Beach businesses and organizations committed to keeping our oceans safe and reducing plastic.

We are making small changes here at the Chapel and will share frequently in the bulletin ideas how you can help us make small changes that will make a big difference!






Available Now.....
$10.00 each

Environmentally friendly Chapel By The Sea tote/grocery bags. Come by the Church office Monday through Thursday 9-5 or Sundays after service to purchase!





YouTube


Every Sunday our Media Technician, Leon Tomlinson, records the Sunday  service. Livestreaming is now available! Simply go to YouTube and search for Chapel By The Sea Clearwater. There will be a picture of the chapel. Click there and watch it live.

The service will still be made available to watch at a later time. G o to our website - www.chapelbythesea.net:

·   click sermons
·   select a date
·   click “click here for video” to watch
 
You may also  click “read more” which allows you to read the sermon from a recent weekly service.

You can now subscribe to our Pastor's Podcast,
The Clergy Chick, on iTunes...
October Attendance & Contributions

October 6......................154...........$5,262.00
October 13......................162..........$7,965.00
October 20......................164..........$4,432.00
October 27.....................178..........$2,937.00

TOTAL October Attendance..........658

TOTAL October Contributions...........$20,596.00

Calendar for November

Every Week:
Sunday
9:00 am - Adult Sunday School - The Great Divorce - October 6 - November 24
10:00 am - Worship Service, Sanctuary followed by Orange Juice Fellowship
9:15 am thru 11:15 am - Nursery is available for children infant through 4's in Nursery/Toddler Rm.
10:00 am - Children's Sunday School start in church
6:00 pm - Alcoholics Anonymous - Meeting Room 3
Monday
9:30 am - Al-Anon, Meeting Room 3
7:00 pm - New Class Starts - (11/4 - 1/20) The Foundations of Christianity
Tuesday
6:00 pm - Alcoholics Anonymous - Meeting Room 3
Wednesday
6:00 pm - Sunset Beach Walking Club, Chapel parking lot
7:00 pm - Choir Practice - Sanctuary
Thursday
10:30 am - Bible Fellowship - Conference Room
6:00 pm - Alcoholics Anonymous - Meeting Room 3

November 2 - 2:00 pm - Memorial & Reception - Joe Eaddy, Jr. - Sanctuary/Chapel Hall
November 3 - Daylight Saving Time Ends
November 5 - 6:30 pm - CBA Meeting - Chapel Hall
November 6 - 9:00 am - Marketing Meeting
November 6 - 10:30 am - Beach Walk/Walk Meeting - Conference Room
November 6 - 7:00 pm - Finance Committee Meeting
November 11 - Veterans Day
November 12 - 9:00 am - Chapel Champs - Conference Room
November 12 - 11:30 am - Chapel Chicks
November 12 - 5:00 pm - Lewis/Stabile Wedding - Sanctuary
November 12 - 7:00 pm - Property Committee Meeting
November 14 - 2:30 pm - Gladfelter/Tanninen Rehearsal - Sanctuary
November 15 - 3:30 pm - Gladfelter/Tanninen Wedding - Sanctuary
November 16 - 2:00 pm - Lydia Nader - Memorial
November 17 - 11:00 am - Parish Nurse Blood Pressure & Q/A
November 18 - 7:00 pm - The Foundations of Christianity - Conference Room (New Class)
November 20 - 6:00 pm - Size Transition Task Force - Conference Room
November 20 - 7:00 pm - Church Board Meeting - Conference Room
November 21 - 2:00 pm - Peace Cafe Cooking - Peace Memorial Church
November 22 - 7:00 pm - Movie Night - Castaway - Chapel Hall
November 24 - 11:00 am - Decorate the Chapel for Christmas
November 28 - Thanksgiving


Save These Dates:

November 9 - Rise Against Hunger
November 24 - Decorate CBTS for Christmas
December 1 - Christmas Shell Ornament Sale
December 1 - 22 @ 9 am Adult Sunday School (Advent Study) Rev. Blevins
December 11 - Carols By Candlelight
December 15 - Cookie Sale
December 15 - Parish Nurse Program - Healthy Holiday Tips & Recipes
December 17 - Service of Hope & Remembrance
December 24 - Christmas Eve Services - 4:30 & 7:30
February 1, 2020 - Beach Walk/Walk



Beach Walking Group on Wednesdays - 6:00 PM (New Time)
 There is an evening walking group that meets every Wednesday at 6 pm for fun, fitness, and friendship. Please come out and join the sunset group which meets in the church parking lot. What a great way to get healthy and make new friends! All are welcome. Free to park. Free to walk. Free to talk.

Our Parish Nurse                                    Carla Creegan, RN, MSN

October was the first of every other month formal education classes on the topics the focus group selected. Each class will  offer a light, healthy lunch and of course handout materials. There will be sign up sheets in Friendship Foyer for all these events.
 
·  November 17 —Blood Pressure Screening & Talk to the Nurse
·  December 15 —Healthful Holiday Tips and Recipes
 
I am available before church between 8-9 am for personal consultation. In addition to health for the geriatric population, I can provide resources for addiction issues. This is confidential assistance to you or a loved one in need of help. You will find me at a table near the Parish Nurse bulletin board in Friendship Foyer.  If you need to contact me during the week call or text me at (727) 439-8119 or carlacreegan@empathhealth.org
 
********************************************************
  CORRECTION to November Chapel Chimes Article
Chapel members, please note that I incorrectly stated the “common name for cannabidiol”. CBD is the correct term or common name
for this supplement. The letters were reversed
consistently throughout the article!
*********************************************************

Month of November
We show our thanks ….Please bring non-perishable food any or every Sunday during November. Leave it in the Narthex and it will be brought forward during the service and added to the seasonal display on the Chancel. Turkeys can be brought on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, November 24. The food will go to the RCS Food Bank for distribution.
Christmas Shell Ornament Sale - December 1

Sunday, December 1st, after worship, the Clearwater Beach Shell Crafters Club will be displaying their Florida handmade Christmas ornaments and creations. They will be available for sale at a nominal donation.

All the proceeds will be donated to the Friends of Clearwater Beach Library/Recreation Center which sponsors many programs for the Center. Here is a chance for some Christmas shopping!

In advance you donations are very much appreciated. Thank you!
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Christmas Cookie Sale - December 15

Do you have a burning desire to bake holiday cookies but don't want all those yummy calories in your kitchen? Or maybe you don't bake but would love some homemade Christmas goodies for your table? Help us share the joy of our Chapel Christmas with others in our town!

Join us in baking and buying Christmas treats! Following the December 15 service, we'll be having a bake sale to help pay for the Christmas dinner at Peace Cafe.

Bakers: We need you to bake your favorite holiday cookies and package them in plastic bags of 12 cookies each. You can label each bag, or bring a paper with the name of the cookie. Other individually wrapped baked goodies are also great. Please indicate if your cookies or goodies contain nuts! Then just bake and bag your best treats, drop them in the narthex on December 15 before the service, and we'll do the rest.

Buyers: Bring lots of $5 bills on December 15th and stop after the service to choose your favorite Christmas goodies!

Questions? Email or call Nancy: gardiniernancy@gmail.com or 727-280-7868

Rise Against Hunger

Join us on November 9, 2019, to again package meals to support this worthy cause. It’s a fun event; all ages are welcome and we will have jobs for all volunteers!
Following packaging everyone is welcome to gather across the street at the Palm Pavilion for lunch.

Christian Education Programs

Children & Youth Programs    
Sunday School

Our youth Sunday School program offers curriculums attending to nursery, grade school, pre-teen, and teenage students specific to their interests and learning abilities.
 
The “ Deep Blue ” At Home With God series presents a Full Faith Experience for toddlers and children 5-9. Pre-teens and teens are stimulated by the highly interactive “re-form” series that cleverly engages students to ponder life’s big questions like, Does God Still Create Stuff Today? Or, Who wrote the Bible? And, of course, we indulge in some healthy snacks to keep our energy high! 
 
This program starts when the children come out of the 10:00 worship service on Sunday mornings. 

The Nursery is open for those 4 and under.



Adult Sunday School—Sundays @ 9 am

The Great Divorce—October 6—November 24
Facilitator: Rev. Scott Moncrieff
An extraordinary meditation upon good and evil, grace and judgment, C.S. Lewis’s revolutionary idea in The Great Divorce is that the gates of Hell are locked from the inside.


Advent Study - December 1 - December 22
Facilitator: Rev. Rhonda Blevins
With help from Dr. Amy Jill-Levine, "Light of the World" is a 4-week dive into the biblical texts that surround and inform Advant.


Adult Christian Education Class - Mondays @ 7 pm

The Foundations of Christianity - November18- February 3
Facilitators: Joe Creegan & Greg Grice
Christianity 33 AD: what was it like after Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection? How did it form? How did it grow? What were the major influences in what it was, is, and will become?

Thursday Morning Bible Fellowship continues: You are invited to join the THURSDAY MORNING BIBLE FELLOWSHIP which is currently studying the many interpretations of the life and teachings of Jesus. The Fellowship meets at 10:30 am in the Conference Room for informal study and discussion on the subject of living our faith. Our group is multi-age, multi-gender, multi-denominational.

parkinglot
Parking

Parking is available in the church parking lot, and the entire City lot across the street. The parking charges on Sunday don’t start until 12:30 p.m. so that parking for church is free.

The Chapel currently contracts with Florida Parking Co. to  manage our lot outside of Sunday service hours. There is a solar  kiosk along with an attendant on duty during peak parking times.  Church members and guests can park free for events and meetings at the church. If you come for a meeting or event when an attendant is on duty, simply tell them you are here for church business and that will suffice. You may also place a church bulletin on your dashboard to ensure the attendant knows you are a Chapel By The Sea member.


November Birthdays

  Dave DeVisser November 02
Bryn Muller November 03
Jenneane Pelon November 03
Lew Sibert November 03
Harold Hultman November 04
Lee Ann Snyder November 04
Sissy Casto November 06
Lorraine Freitag November 06
Sarah Wells November 06
Holland Downey November 07
Scott Fernald November 10
Terri Hidu November 11
Linda Motzenbecker November 11
Cheryl Twining November 11
Cecilia Pell November 12
Horace Bell November 13
Niles Bullis-Caballos November 13
Olivia Eastman November 13
Jim Forsberg November 13
Susanne MacNamee November 13
Ry Menke November 15
Hannah Hawi November 16
Barbara Edwards November 17
Mike Wilson November 17
Jean Hattenhauer November 18
Nettie Tallon November 18
Kyleigh Long November 19
Brad Lyons November 19
Brandon Crawford November 23
Tucker Toenjes November 24
Judith Gillespie November 25
Adrian Ortega November 29
Linda Owens November 30
Douglas Penix November 30


Peace Café – The Chapel participates in feeding the homeless at the Peace Memorial Church “Peace Café” on the third Thursday of every month. 12-15 individuals are needed each time to serve food, carry trays and clean up afterward. The next date is November 21. Please contact Teddi McCune if you can help - teddi@me.com or 727-481-1855.
 

"HAVEN ORANGE SUITCASE PROJECT” For November
 
PLEASE READ CURRENT GUIDELINES for the “HAVEN ORANGE SUITCASE PROJECT” (including some recent changes):
 
Chapel-By-The-Sea's  “Haven Orange Suitcase Project” collects the items listed below for the Safe House of “The Haven of RCS” Domestic Violence Center - which provides a temporary Safe House and other  services for victims of domestic violence in our community and their dependent   children.
The Haven Safe House residents are now in need of NEW REGULAR-SIZE TOILETRIES ( Shampoo, Soap & Body Wash, Lotions, Dental items, Cosmetics, Hair & Grooming Care)   as well as Towels, Washcloths, Single-bed Linens, Socks, Undergarments, C anvas & Duffel Bags, and Luggage .
Please note that at their request and due to storage limitations and other resources at the Safe House, we now collect and deliver only  the very much needed  donations listed above . All items listed are collected at the "Orange Suitcase" table in Friendship Foyer from which they are sorted and distributed to The Haven.
 
Two Important Changes :
1) Clothing is no longer received at the Safe House. (Thrift stores welcome them.)
2) Mini-toiletry hotel-type donations are now collected by Maureen Friday in a separate container NEXT TO the Orange Suitcase for the RCS Food Bank.
 
Thank you for adjusting as needs change at The Haven and for your continued support!! (Questions?  Contact Lorraine Freitag).
Orange Suitcase
Amazon Smil e Program
Chapel by the Sea is enrolled in the Amazon Smile program. When you next go to Amazon to shop, instead go to  smile.amazon.com and choose us as your charity. Amazon will donate to Clearwater Beach Community Church dba Chapel-By-The-Sea. 0.5% of the purchase price from your eligible AmazonSmile purchases. It is a simple and automatic way for you to  support the Chapel every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at  smile.amazon.com , you’ll find the exact same low prices, selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to us.
 
Thank you for your support.

RCS Food Donation Barrel

The RCS food donation barrel is located in the south corner of Friendship Foyer. The RCS truck picks up Chapel By the Sea donations on the 2nd Tuesday each month. November 12 is the next pickup date. Thank you in advance for your continued generous contributions of food for this worthwhile organization!


green_leaf_water_drop.jpg

Water Coolers

There are now water coolers in the Narthex and Church Office. Eliminating single serve plastic bottles is another small step the Chapel is making since becoming Ocean Allies.

Prayer Chain - To place someone on the prayer Chain or to join the group, contact Jan Burke at 418-5736 or jan933@gmail.com .

Condolences to the Nader Family upon the loss of Lydia Nader