Today in the Mission Yearbook - Church destroyed by Hurricane Ian celebrate healing and hope

Special service brings Chapel by the Sea back to its roots

March 25, 2023

Video URL: https://vimeo.com/799929047

The church lost almost everything when Hurricane Ian struck, but a few treasured items were recovered, and no members lost their lives. (Photo courtesy of Chapel by the Sea)

Five months after Hurricane Ian destroyed a seaside Florida church, its members gathered beside the storm-ravaged building on Sunday, Feb. 19, for a service called a Celebration of Healing and Hope.

The congregation of Chapel by the Sea Presbyterian Church hadn’t been back to the site to worship as a group since Ian hit Estero Island in September 2022, destroying the sanctuary and the fellowship hall.

With winds up to 150 mph, the Category 4 storm tied as the fifth-strongest hurricane ever to make landfall in the U.S. and brought with it an 11-foot storm surge that Chapel by the Sea could not withstand.

“The storm surge went right through the building,” said the Rev. Dr. James Berger, the church’s outgoing interim pastor. “Across Estero Boulevard on the Gulf side, all of the buildings were wood — wood frame — so when the surge hit them, it picked them up and used them as a battering ram through our building.”

The church’s fellowship hall also took a beating. “The sanctuary was on the south side of the property, facing the Gulf,” Berger said. “The fellowship hall, Silver Hall, was behind it on the north side, and the surge went through that building,” which also got “hit from above by rain and wind, so we got it from both sides.”

Church Administrator Denise Armstrong was one of the first to see the damage to the church, which is in southwest Florida on an island that is part of the town of Fort Myers Beach. Arriving on foot, she stood aghast at the sheer magnitude of the damage.

“It took your breath away; it was sad,” Armstrong said. “It was just too hard to process.”

She added that “the mound of debris surrounding the church was so high, you couldn’t get near the building because all around it was just all the debris … and then the metal roof had slid down on top of everything,” and “everything was covered with sand.”

Most of Chapel by the Sea’s contents were lost, including chairs, Bibles, hymnals, candelabras, the Communion table and multiple pianos. But the church was able to recover a few treasured items, such as a large clam shell that had been used as a baptismal font, and the original church bell, Armstrong said.

As a Category 4 with 150 mph maximum sustained winds, Hurricane Ian tied for the fifth-strongest hurricane ever to make landfall in the U.S, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (Photo courtesy of NOAA)

Ian has been blamed for at least 144 deaths across the state of Florida. But “our members, thankfully, were safe,” Armstrong said. “Many lost their homes and are rebuilding and trying to move forward, but thankfully, we didn’t have anybody pass away that was a member.”

That was reflected in the tone of the service, Berger said. “God has not forgotten us and God is still present with us, and we are still the people of Chapel by the Sea, so it’s a sense of reassurance, renewal and thankfulness that God watches with us through the storm, and in the sunshine.”

Shortly after the storm, Cypress Lake Presbyterian Church, which is located about six miles away, opened its doors to Chapel by the Sea, which now has an office at the Cypress Lake church and has joint services with them.

“We’ve enjoyed being there,” Means said. “Many of us have participated in their social and fellowship activities and Bible studies since we’ve been there, and we feel very welcomed by the people.”

Means was drawn to her own church, Chapel by the Sea, because it has had a heart for missions, including providing food, clothing and showers for people on the beach who are experiencing homelessness.

People from across the country, including fellow Presbyterian churches, have made gifts to the church and offered their support. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance has made initial grants to Peace River Presbytery and has been in communication with the presbytery about additional grants for long-term recovery throughout the presbytery, where several other churches also sustained damage, said the Rev. Jim Kirk, PDA Associate for National Disaster Response.

“A significant part of the recovery is knowing that you’re not facing it alone, but you have a community and a denomination that is supporting you with prayers and with resources,” Kirk said. “PDA and PMA are committed to walk with Peace River Presbytery for the long term.”

Darla Carter, Communications Strategist, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Judy Walton, Director, Credit Operations, Presbyterian Investment & Loan Program
Laura Wampler, Operations & Accounting Associate, Presbyterian Publishing Corporation

Let us pray

Merciful God, we give thanks to you for our day-to-day blessings. Give us faith and strength to help the people who are suffering. We pray for God’s kingdom and his glory. We also pray for bearing fruit through mission works that you have given to us. Amen.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - A big mission for a tiny church

Prayer and study undergirds feeding others

August 27, 2021

The Chapel by the Sea Hunger Action Team (HAT) made and delivered Coronavirus Safety Kits with hand sanitizer, mask and information about food and emergency resources to area residents. Courtesy of Chapel by the Sea Presbyterian Church

Chapel by the Sea Presbyterian Church is where wedding dreams come true. Nestled among knotty pine trees on the rocky Washington coastline, the chapel, however, provides more than just nuptial photo ops. It provides a snapshot of hope for residents living in the hamlet of Moclips who struggle to put food on the table.

Since 2015, the “tiny, but mighty” church — as the congregants lovingly call themselves — has been focused on living out Matthew 25 by feeding the hungry. It was then that member Phyllis Shaughnessy founded The Green Lantern Lunch Program to help children have nutritious meals during the summer. The program soon expanded to provide weekend lunches during the school year.

Chapel by the Sea has also been assembling COVID-19 safety kits. When the pandemic hit a year ago, the Hunger Action Team of Chapel by the Sea — yes, the “tiny, but mighty” church even has an action team — saw a need for better safety precautions and began assembling kits with masks, hand sanitizer and information sheets with food and emergency resources listed. And when member Cindy Stearns applied for and was awarded a CARES Act Grant to help churches during the pandemic, Chapel by the Sea did what they always do. They didn’t look inward, but rather used that money to buy meals for others from local restaurants.

The pastor-in-residence, the Rev. Dr. Linda Flatley, who came to the church in 2018, has seen this commitment to helping others keep the congregation energized and vital.

She tells them that with now 22 members on the roll, up from 15, Chapel by the Sea might soon have to stop referring to itself as “tiny.” How does the congregation, though, keep its focus when many small congregations falter?

Becoming a Matthew 25 congregation has helped, Flatley says. While already doing the work of eradicating systemic poverty — one of the three focuses churches may choose to address as a Matthew 25 congregation — it was the prayer and Bible study resources that were offered by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) that grounded the congregation. “We had the signed certificate showing we were a Matthew 25 congregation, but what now?” said Flatley. Rather than jumping into “doing,” the congregation spent time “being” submerged in the Matthew text, thus providing a stronger foundation for the church to build its dual mission of revitalization and feeding the hungry upon.

This focus on prayer was second nature to Chapel by the Sea’s pastor. Flatley is a native of Scotland and did her doctoral work in Celtic spirituality. Since the beginning of 2021, Flatley has offered Celtic spirituality studies via Zoom, which has garnered attention from the community. New faces have joined Flatley on the Celtic spirituality Zoom gatherings. And, even at the height of the pandemic, when sheltering in place was the norm, Flatley made sure the chapel doors remained open for prayer and that there was always a light on to shine out into the community.

“I felt the strong need to do this. We are on a state route, and it is important for those passing by to see the doors open and the lights on,” she said.

Donna Frischknecht Jackson, Editor, Presbyterians Today

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff

Roger Spalding, Prospect Research Analyst, Relationship & Development Operations, Mission Engagement & Support, Presbyterian Mission Agency
Frank Spencer, President, Board of Pensions

Let us pray

Lord, we thank you for loving volunteers who feel they cannot do enough to help their neighbors and serve those in need. We thank you for donors who bring their items so that they may continue to serve your children. Amen.