| Over 50 Years of Worship - By The Sea! |
Our History....by the Sea
Glory be to all God’s creatures.
Brought to you by the members of:
Chapel-By-The-Sea
Brought to you by the members of:
Chapel-By-The-Sea
Chapel By The Sea
Clearwater Beach, Florida
54 Bay Esplanade Clearwater, FL 33767 Tel: 727.446.0430 |
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Norah Atkins, a winter resident of Clearwater Beach from Canada,
had long thought the children who lived on the beach should be
offered religious education. So in 1949 she decided that she would
work with other residents to start a church. With the help of
neighbors and friends, as well as the Clearwater Beach Association,
the Jaycees, and several local businesses and congregations, she
organized the Clearwater Beach Community Church, soon to be
known as Chapel-By-The-Sea. At the inaugural worship service,
120 people attended. A committee was formed, plans were
developed, and, through the generosity of the Skinner family, land
was donated on which a building could be constructed. The Chapel
was designed to be, and became, an interfaith community church in
every sense of the term – a church of the community and for the
community.
The Chapel-By-The-Sea is non-denominational, but belongs to the
International Council of Community Churches and the Florida
Fellowship of Community Churches. It was instrumental in
founding Religious Community Services, an agency consisting of
over 80 Christian and Jewish congregations, which provides food,
clothing and shelter for those in need through its Food Bank, spouse
abuse shelter, and two transitional housing programs. At the Chapel
there has always been a heavy emphasis on outreach, and it is one
of the major supporters of RCS. It also belongs to the Clearwater
Beach Chamber of Commerce and its members are active in many
local charities and civic organizations.
As a community church, the Chapel provides services for all beach
residents and visitors. It is progressive in its theology and places a
heavy emphasis on freedom of thought and belief as it encourages
its members and friends to search and question. Its congregants
come from many different religious backgrounds, or no religious
background, and the strengths of the various traditions come
together as personal growth is sought for and by all who participate
in its programming. The Chapel-By-The-Sea believes in enriched
living, inspired learning, and expanded loving…and invites all who
are interested to join it on its journey.
had long thought the children who lived on the beach should be
offered religious education. So in 1949 she decided that she would
work with other residents to start a church. With the help of
neighbors and friends, as well as the Clearwater Beach Association,
the Jaycees, and several local businesses and congregations, she
organized the Clearwater Beach Community Church, soon to be
known as Chapel-By-The-Sea. At the inaugural worship service,
120 people attended. A committee was formed, plans were
developed, and, through the generosity of the Skinner family, land
was donated on which a building could be constructed. The Chapel
was designed to be, and became, an interfaith community church in
every sense of the term – a church of the community and for the
community.
The Chapel-By-The-Sea is non-denominational, but belongs to the
International Council of Community Churches and the Florida
Fellowship of Community Churches. It was instrumental in
founding Religious Community Services, an agency consisting of
over 80 Christian and Jewish congregations, which provides food,
clothing and shelter for those in need through its Food Bank, spouse
abuse shelter, and two transitional housing programs. At the Chapel
there has always been a heavy emphasis on outreach, and it is one
of the major supporters of RCS. It also belongs to the Clearwater
Beach Chamber of Commerce and its members are active in many
local charities and civic organizations.
As a community church, the Chapel provides services for all beach
residents and visitors. It is progressive in its theology and places a
heavy emphasis on freedom of thought and belief as it encourages
its members and friends to search and question. Its congregants
come from many different religious backgrounds, or no religious
background, and the strengths of the various traditions come
together as personal growth is sought for and by all who participate
in its programming. The Chapel-By-The-Sea believes in enriched
living, inspired learning, and expanded loving…and invites all who
are interested to join it on its journey.
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