Spring is just around the corner! It will arrive on Friday, March 20, 2026, at 10:46AM to be exact! Do you know how I know this? I found it on Google.Technology is remarkable and has become a permanent part of our lives.
The Chapel’s Board recently committed to a plan to “advertise” Emma Anderson Memorial Chapel. For 75 years we have served the Topsail Island community by offering a peaceful sanctuary just steps from the water. We want more people to know we are here. We believe now is the time to take advantage of technology to engage with our community, reach new audiences, and spread our message.
In the coming weeks, you will begin to see ads in local printed publications. These should be effective in getting the information and invitation to a larger group of area residents and seasonal visitors. However, there is another method that we are exploring that can be a very powerful digital marketing strategy and that is Facebook and Instagram. Some of our younger affiliates are creating these platforms for the Chapel as I write this article. These platforms, Facebook and Instagram, can be great engagement tools and an effective way to share the gospel. They will provide helpful information about the Chapel such as our history, where we are located, when we gather, Sunday service highlights, programs for adults and youth, special music, specific dates and times, upcoming events and photos of recent activities. It is all about exposure, information, and fostering closer connections so we can share the good news of Jesus Christ and help disciple believers.
So, get ready to engage. We will need you to “like us” on Facebook and follow us on Instagram…maybe at…#ChapelByTheSea, #SeasideWorship, #Faith, #God, #EmmaAndersonChapel or others. Coming soon!
Submitted by:Julia Sherron, Chairman, Board of Governors
REFLECTIONS
Lent: A Time for Repentance
As you read this, we are already into the season we call, “Lent”. It is that 40-day period (not counting the six Sundays) prior to Easter morning when Jesus arose from the dead. This year it began on February 15 (Ash Wednesday) and will end on April 4 (known as ‘Silent Saturday’). Some observe this period as a time of self-denial and self-sacrifice. While many others (including myself) observe this as a time of self-reflection and self-renewal. It is a time to repent. A time to turn away from a life of sin and turn to a life of right living. It’s a time to acknowledge one’s sin before God and receive the newness of life through the His Holy Spirit.
Quite frankly, this can be a very humbling experience. We all tend to think we are more righteous than we truly are. We don’t like to think of ourselves as still desperately in need of God’s rescuing grace. The reality is that we need to look into the mirror each morning and say to our reflection, “I am not a grace graduate!” According to Paul David Tripp in his devotional,New Morning Mercies“grace is only attractive to sinners. The riches of God’s goodness are only ever sought by the poor (in spirit). The spiritual healing of the Great Physician is only ever esteemed by those who acknowledge that they still suffer from the spiritual disease of sin. It’s a tragedy when we praise God for His grace on Sunday (morning) and deny our need for that grace the rest of the week.”
I believe one of the best ways to celebrate the grace that God has given us is by admitting how much we need it every day. As the Apostle John tells us,“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteous”(1 John 1:8-9).
As I said in the beginning, Lent has a two-fold purpose – reflection and renewal. We should not only be sorry for our sins, but we should also renew our relationship with God. The Psalms are a great resource to use for this. I would suggest a good one to start with, which was one of Corrie Ten Boom’s favorites, isPsalm 32. See if you can discover why. Hint: She entitled her book about her interment in a Nazi concentration because of this Psalm. Have a blessed time of reflection and renewal this Lenten season.
Are you using your old directory link ending in “ctrn.co” on your website or as a bookmark? If so, you may see a warning indicating that “your connection is not private.”
To remedy this, please update any website links and bookmarks from your old directory address ending in “ctrn.co” to our new universal login page.
Regarding Security Warnings: If you or your members see the “connection is not private” message, please don’t worry—this is simply a direct result of using the outdated ctrn.co link.
Rest assured:
Your data is not compromised.
There are no attackers attempting to steal information.
Please update as soon as possible to ensure a smooth experience.
Submitted by:Karen Roberts, Online Directory
SHARE THE TABLE
A group from EAMC cooksand serves atShare the Tablethe First Sunday of each month. If you would like to volunteer to help, please visit the Share the Table website on our Chapel webpage by clickinghere.
EAMC LIBRARY
The EAMC Library is conducting a full inventory to organize resources, update the catalog, and make room for new materials.As part of this refresh, we created a special place for our devotional books. Stop by the library to check out a devotional book for prayer and reflection.
We anticipate that all library updates and collection changes will be completed by this spring. In the meantime, we invite you to stop by, browse the devotional selection, and check out some of these and other titles for yourself or your family members.
Located on the second floor of the EAMC Fellowship House, our self-service library is open Sundays 8:50–9:30 a.m. and whenever the Fellowship House is accessible. The collection includes books for all ages; checkout instructions are at the desk.
Submitted byKaren Gavigan, Librarian
SOCIAL COMMITTEE
We will have a short story time and offer prizes and light refreshments. You don’t want to miss this special time of fellowship!
Submitted by:Rucker Eggleston, Social Committee Chair
COLUMBARIUM AND MEMORIAL PRAYER GARDEN
The Memorial Wall Plaques arrived a few weeks ago and we were hoping to have them up by the end of January but the weather didn’t cooperate. We now have two plaques of 38 faceplates each located below the windows on either side of the columbarium wall section. They will be lighted similar to the columbarium. Each faceplate will be 3” x 6” and will be granite very similar to the granite faceplates on the columbarium niches. Thanks to Joan Ebert and Lee McGahey with the grounds committee, we now have some beautiful flowers at the entrance and thanks to Ginny Barnett for the two lovely palms.
AnApplicationfor the Wall Plaque packet is included here for you to review if you have interest in purchasing a plaque to honor a loved one or someone dear to you that has passed and is interred somewhere else. The packet contains the Columbarium and Memorial Prayer Garden Policies and Procedures, a Columbarium Memorial Plaque Application, a photo of the Columbarium showing where the plaques will be located, Memorial Wall Plaque Assignment Sketches, and some information on the Memorial Wall Systems.
If you’ve been contemplating the purchase of one of our Columbarium Niches, a link to the Niche Application/Purchase Agreement and a Niche Assignment Sketch, which shows the remaining available niches, is includedhere.
We plan to have a link for the Columbarium on the Chapel webpage soon.
For the month of March, the Benevolence Committee will be collecting food items for Share the Table. We are asking for breakfast items (cereal, pancake mix, syrup, oatmeal, or grits), canned tuna or canned chicken, and granola bars. Any other nonperishable items will be accepted. Please leave the items in the north wing. We appreciate the generosity of our church members!
Sunday School:Adult Christian Life Class.8:50-9:45 a.m.
Fellowship House – Top Floor
Missionary Apartment Respite:If you know of a missionary who is on assignment abroad and will be coming stateside on furlough then returning to his or her assignment, please let him or her know about our Missionary Ministry. A family of six (max.) can enjoy a respite for six nights at no charge in ourMissionary Apartment.We especially welcome referrals from affiliates who know of missionaries associated with their home churches. Spread the word!
Chancel Flowers:Sign up on the calendar in the south wing of the chapel or contact Ginny Barnett by phone, 919-414-6832 or Penny Burrell at 919-539-5816.
Bereavement Notices:If you are a Chapel affiliate (you’ve attended services at least once) and would like to have an announcement sent to affiliates regarding a death in your family, please contactSandra Davis.
Library Hours:Sundays, 8:50 – 9:30 AM, and by request
Location: Fellowship Hall – 2nd Floor
Suggestions for additional book titles are welcome.
Please contact Karen Gavigan at:
gavigankw@gmail.comor 336-260-3297
Church Directory:You can be included in our online directory at any time. Email Karen Roberts at kroberts2665@gmail.com with your name(s), home/beach address (plus 2nd address, if you have one), email addresses), home/beach phone numbers), cell phone numbers), and a photo. Please make sure the photo is in landscape (horizontal) orientation and if you are a couple, please allow space between you, so it can be cropped for individual profile photos.
EAMC Emails:To continue receiving our newsletter and other announcements, remember to notify us if you change your email address. To prevent our email from being snagged by your spam folder, addnewsletter@eachapel.orgto your address book.
