The Chapeline

“God is on the Move”

As you may have heard, the Chapel’s own Rev. Bill and Bah Friederich will be moving to a new church (Saint Andrew UCC in Sarasota) on November 1. It is extremely rare for a previous pastor to return to the church in which they’ve previously served, so it’s been a great joy for me to get to know my predecessor on both a personal and collegial level. These past six months have been special.

The next foot forward always begins with the last step taken. Rev. Bill’s presence at the Chapel has been a special blessing for me for many reasons, among them his pastoral wisdom and experience. He also has much expertise that has proven to be invaluable to me in my own work at the Chapel. I am not happy to see him go, but this move is important. Both Rev. Bill and I know that this transition is simply the beginning of something much bigger that neither of us can yet see. We are in complete agreement that we don’t need to see the finished product to be joyful. We know that God is on the move at the Chapel, and next month, Rev. Bill will take the electric Chapel DNA with him to infuse another church with life. That’s cool. That’s really cool.

You have also probably heard that the Paradise Center of Longboat Key has officially opened their doors at The Chapel. The Paradise Centers offers classes, activities, discussion groups, games, and social events for area residents. They, too, are beginning a new journey by taking a step forward that has deep roots in the last steps taken. The Paradise Center began at the Chapel many years ago, but that’s not why they are here at the Chapel. They are here because God is on the move, and when people of Faith follow God’s movement, the right stuff happens. Super cool.

Oh, don’t worry. I’m not trying to analyze the world by looking through the bottom of a broken glass bottle. I recognize that Rev. Bill’s blessings for me (and the Chapel) have a lot to do with his character, integrity, and pastoral experience. He and Bah are awesome. I also recognize that the Paradise Center’s presence and blessings at the Chapel originate from specific needs within our local community. The Paradise Center is the bomb diggity.  

However, I can’t deny that God is heavily involved in the blessings we are experiencing at the Chapel. We are witnessing God’s movement firsthand. The Lord’s Warehouse, the Chapel’s Friendship Garden, the Chapel’s outreach efforts, Shifting Sands, Chapel social activities, and Sunday morning worship are a few more examples of big stuff happening at the Chapel. But make no mistake: God is on the move in each of these areas, as anyone involved with them can tell you.

We are seeing some special stuff right now. I hesitate to mention it because I don’t want to toot our own horn. Instead, my intention is to call your attention to God's work. Rev. Bill and I are “trained” to be on the lookout for God’s work, but at times, even we can get a piece of dust in our eye. Right now, God is on the move at the Chapel. If you’re unable to see it, or want to see more, stay connected through the Chapeline weekly newsletter and make an effort to attend Sunday worship (in person or online). You may not be able to see everything that’s happening, but you’ll get a good taste of just a few of the things God is preparing for all of us.

Blessings, Rev. Brock

Worship Service/Holy Communion

Sunday, October 5

10:00 a.m.

Online Worship and in the Sanctuary

Worship service featuring Alyssa Adamson, voice; Brian Gurl, piano and voice;

Bah Hero, voice; CarlAnn Evans, violin; Gordon Govalet, guitar;

Rev. Bill Friederich, percussion; Bruce Schaefer, Liturgist.

"The Vision Awaits"

 Rev. Bill Friederich

Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-3

Watch Sunday Worship LIVE at 10 am (EST) on our website.

Longboatislandchapel.org/Stream

Greetings from Longboat Island Chapel! We have a longer than usual Chapeline today because of SO many activities coming up in the next three months! If you are viewing the Chapeline on your phone, don't forget to scroll down and click on the blue message at the bottom of the screen that says "View entire message" This will assure that you see all the events and information. Don't miss a thing!

Christmas in the Garden - Committee Volunteers needed!

If you would like to be part of the Christmas in the Garden Committee, please come to the first organizational meeting:

TOMMORROW - Wednesday, October 1st at 1:30 p.m.

This group will meet in the sanctuary.

Your friends and neighbors are invited as well!

Be part of one of the best annual events on LBK!

Sign up in Shook Hall or contact Lesley Rife at:

lesleyrife@att.net

Shifting Sands

Thursday, October 2

10:00 a.m. in the Prayer Chapel

This group meets to assist each other in maneuvering through difficult times.

Contact the office at 941-383-6491 for information on this group.

Early Sign up for Upcoming Theater Events

Three great events are coming this season. And you may know, theater tickets do sell

out quickly! Sign up soon! Tickets are selling out.

• December 7 - Sunday - 1:30 p.m. - Asolo Theater - "All is Calm" 2 Tickets left $65.00 ea.
• March 20 - Friday - 1:30 p.m. - Sarasota Opera House - "La boheme"5 Tickets left $73.00 ea.
• May 17 - Sunday - 1:30 p.m. - Asolo Theater - "Fiddler on the Roof" 9 Tickets left $90.00 ea.

Sign up in Shook Hall or:

Contact val.evanko@gmail.com for a seat reservation.

Pictures of the Week

Paradise Center Ribbon Cutting

Amy Steinhauser is with Gale Loefgren from the Paradise Center Board cutting their opening day ribbon on September 29th.

A large, welcoming group came for the

Grand Opening festivities!

One Year Ago-September 27, 2024. Remembering Hurricane Helene.

Shook Hall is looking very soggy. This was after the 18 inches of flood water receded.

The blue arrow shows how high the water level reached that night at the Lord's Warehouse!

Slimy, slippery water and sludge on all the main floors! So many people came to help with cleanup. It was a huge undertaking.

We celebrated Pastor Appreciation Day a little early on Sunday, September 28 instead of in October. Thank you Rev. Bill and Rev. Brock for putting your heart and souls into the care of our Chapel family! You are loved!

A beautiful Red Ginger plant was placed in our garden recently adding to the garden's continuing re-building of lush beauty!

Giving to The Chapel

• VENMO - take a picture of the blue Venmo QR Code below and follow the instruction prompts.

• Checks and/or money orders written out to Longboat Island Chapel.

• Direct withdrawal from your bank to ours. Call the Chapel office at (941) 383-6491 for our routing and account numbers.

• All major credit cards are accepted. Simply contact the Chapel office at (941) 383-6491 to charge your one-time gift.

• Ongoing monthly support via your credit card. Office staff will be happy to debit your card at the beginning of each month in an amount established by you.

• Support the Longboat Island Chapel via the "donate" button, located on our website at www.longboatislandchapel.org. This may be a one time or ongoing contribution, whichever you prefer!



Thank you for your generosity!