Monthly Archives

June 2016

Friday’s 5 – 6-24-16

Dear Coastal,

Had a great Father’s Day this past Sunday!  Loved seeing so many guests!  Keep inviting!  Keep reaching out!  I just absolutely love it when people from our church come up to me and introduce their friends!  Loved Baby Dedication too!  It’s just so heart warming to see so many Parents make a commitment to raise their children to know the Lord (and the kids are all just so cute).

I guess the BIG NEWS right now is our new service times starting July 10th – 9:30am & 11:15am.  The truth is, no one likes change.  But I’m so proud of those of you who are willing to do anything short of sin to reach people (even change service times).  We say in our Membership Class, “One mark of maturity is being willing to set aside your personal preferences and your position for the purpose of the church.”  I like the way one of our members, Gigi Wasson, put it on my Facebook wall, “It’s not about us, it’s about reaching the unchurched!!!”  You’re right Gigi!  So, this Sunday we have our same 3 service schedule: 8:45am, 10:15am, 11:45am.  July 3rd there will be only 1 service: 10:15am.  And our new service times – 9:30am & 11:15am – start July 10th!

On a personal note, Janet and I had to make a quick emergency trip to Atlanta this week to see Janet’s Dad.  Janet’s Dad has been terminal for a while now (congestive heart failure, leukemia, COPD).  3 weeks ago they called in Hospice.  When Janet called to talk to her Dad on Father’s Day, we discovered that he had taken a turn for the worst.  We drove to Atlanta on Monday and came home Thursday.  He actually had a better rest of the week and Janet was able to have some good time visiting with him.  Please keep Janet, her Dad, and her family in your prayers.

Friday’s 5:

  1. Pre-register your child/children NOW for VBS! July 11-15, 6pm-8pm, 4 year olds – 5th Grade.  VBS is a life changing experience!  Remember, if you change a child’s life – you change the world!
  2. Friday Night FREE Family Movie Night, tonight, 7pm at the church.  We’ll be showing the classic “Finding Nemo.” Come to our new facility, bring lawn chairs or blankets, and watch the movie with your entire family on our Big Screens!  We’ll provide popcorn, nachos (plenty of nacho cheese), and hotdogs – all FREE!  And we’ll give away a few prizes!  It’s going to be awesome!.
  3. New to Coastal and would like to learn more about Pastor Chris and the church, discover how to get involved, and meet other new people?  Then join us for our next Newcomer’s Lunch this Sunday, June 26th, immediately following the 11:45am service (approx. 1pm).  Sign up online or respond to this email.
  4. On Wednesday, June 29th, we’re paying for anyone who wants to go see the newly released, “Finding Dory” at the 11:45am matinee show at the Citadel Mall Theater. Come to the Theater and pick up your FREE Ticket from Coastal!
  5. Our next BEACH BAPTISM is July 16th, 4pm at the Baptist Beach House right on Folly Beach (1017 W. Ashley St., near the Folly Beach County Park).  Sign up online, on your Connect Card or respond to this email if you are interested in getting Baptized!  Come out to Folly Beach for a church wide picnic, an afternoon of fun, and a great celebration!  We’re going to provide the meat, but we’re asking everyone else to bring drinks and a side to shaire.  Our Students will actually be at the Beach House for a Summer Beach Retreat, Friday Night, July 15th – Sunday, July 17th.  They will be leaving from the church immediately after the VBS Closing Program and returning after the 2nd service on Sunday, July 17th.

All In!

Pastor Chris

P.S. TEXT Giving (843-277-8337) or Online Giving are both great options over the Summer if you’re out of town!

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New Service Times!

Dear Coastal Family & Friends,

I’ve got an important announcement to make. Starting July 10th (in less than 3 weeks), we will go from having 3 Sunday Morning Worship Services to 2 – 9:30am & 11:15am! 

Now that we’ve been in our new facility for 3 months, we’ve learned several things:

  1. While our church continues to grow and reach more and more new people, the vast majority of those poeple only come to the 1st or 2nd service.  This past Sunday, for example, we had 21 1st & 2nd Time Guest Connect Cards filled out – none of them from the 3rd service.  We had 310 people (not counting children) in the first two services and only 45 people in the 3rd.  In fact, only once since Easter have we had over 70 in the 3rd service and that was Mother’s Day.
  2. We’ve also learned that with the size of our new facility we have more than enough seating capacity to continue to grow and reach people.  We can easily seat 400+ people in our current facility.  You don’t start to feel full in a room until you hit 70-80% capacity.
  3. With the small size of the 3rd service, it’s been difficult to staff all of the volunteer positions necessary to run a service.  It’s also so small that it’s possible that a guest would feel uncomfortable.

I really believe that as we combine our services into 2 and change the times, it will increase the energy, excitement, and momentum in each of our services and our volunteers.  If you are wondering, the 9:30am & 11:15am times are the times that we used before when we used to have 2 services and they worked well.  It also increases the time between the two services to help with people and traffic flow.

However, here’s the truth, be prepared for change.  When we hit that maximum seating capacity in our 2 services, we will simply change our times again and add another service.  At Coastal we are constantly praying and evaluating what we do so that we can reach more and more people.  We are willing to set aside our own personal preferences (even service times) if it means we can accomplish our mission.

So, this Sunday, July 26th, we will have our same current 3 services (8:45am, 10:15am, 11:45am).  On July 3rd (4th of July Weekend), we will have only one service – 10:15am.  And then beginning July 10th we will move to our 9:30am & 11:15am service times.  If you volunteer on any of our Sunday morning LIFE Teams (1st Impressions, Security, Worship, Tech, Coastal Kidz, Cafe), be aware of the upcoming change on your calendar/schedule.  Then, help us spread the word!

It is such an honor to serve at a church that values change – not change for the sake of change, but change for the purpose of growth and reaching people.  I love you Coastal and I love what we get to do together!  I’m so thankful for this great tool that God provided that enables us to make this change and continue to grow!  I hope you are too.  Of course, as always, if you have any questions, please let me know.

All In,

Pastor Chris

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Friday Five – 6-17-16

Dear Coastal,

Most of you, at some point have heard my personal testimony, my story.  You’ve either heard it in a sermon or you’ve heard part of it at a Newcomer’s Lunch.  In fact, if we’re Facebook friends you might have read what I posted yesterday.  Yesterday was my 35th Birthday – no, not my physical birthday (although, I know I don’t look at day over 30 – haha), but my Spiritual Birthday, my Re-Birth!  That’s right 35 years ago, yesterday, I gave my life to Christ!  I actually had the honor of speaking at the same Camp yesterday, where I gave my life to Christ – same Camp, same ailse that I walked down, same night of the week.  To say that it was a humbling, overwhelming spiritual experience is an understatement.  35 years!  And it all started because a friend invited me to church!

Spend some time this weekend remembering your “Spiritual Birthday”.  When did you give your life to Christ?  What were the circumstances surrounding your “Birthday”?  And then, don’t ever forget, there are people all around you, who need to hear your story.  Open your eyes, open your heart, and then yes, open your mouth and invite someone to church.  You never know what a difference a simple invitation just might make.  That invitation, 35 years ago, literally changed my life forever and for all eternity.  And not just my life, but consequently the lives of countless others, yours in fact.  We are on a mission Coastal, all of us, to share and experience the LIFE of Jesus with the world around us.  We don’t just go to church, we ARE the church!  Be the church.  Be the hands and feet of Jesus where you work, where you live, and where you play.  Pray for people.  Serve them.  Love them.  Share your story.  Share your faith.  Invite them to Coastal.  And then leave the rest up to God.  We are not responsible for their response, but we ARE responsible for our witness and for the invitation.  Seriously, what’s the worst thing that could happen?  They say no?  Come on, don’t let a possible no, keep you from making the ask.  The truth is, they just might say yes!

And speaking of inviting someone, don’t miss Father’s Day, this Sunday, as another great opportunity to invite and bring someone to church!  It’s going to be awesome – child/baby dedication, gifts for all the men, Bar-b-que Sliders, and a Photo Booth for you and your family & friends!  And as always, there will be great worship, a great message, and a great experience for our children!  Don’t miss it!

Friday’s 5:

  1. The dates of VBS this year are July 11-15, 6pm-8pm, 4 year olds – 5th Grade.  Pre-register your child/children NOW!  VBS is a life changing experience!  Remember, if you change a child’s life – you change the world!
  2. Friday Night FREE Family Movie Night, Friday, June 24th, 7pm at the church.  We’ll be showing the classic “Finding Nemo.” Come to our new facility, bring lawn chairs or blankets, and watch the movie with your entire family on our Big Screens!  We’ll provide popcorn, nachos, and hotdogs – all FREE!  And we’ll give away a few prizes!  It’s going to be awesome!.
  3. New to Coastal and would like to learn more about Pastor Chris and the church, discover how to get involved, and meet other new people?  Then join us for our next Newcomer’s Lunch on Sunday, June 26th, immediately following the 11:45am service (approx. 1pm).  Sign up online, on your Connect Card or respond to this email.
  4. Not only at Coastal do we feed a lot of people on Sunday morning through our Cafe, but we feed a lot of people in our community throughout the week through our Food Pantry.  However, our Food Pantry is getting low.  If you would like to help us restock our Food Pantry and feed the hurting in our community simply drop off any non-perishable food items on Sunday morning or throughout the week.
  5. Our next BEACH BAPTISM is July 16th, 4pm at the Baptist Beach House right on Folly Beach (1017 W. Ashley St., near the Folly Beach County Park).  Sign up online, on your Connect Card or respond to this email if you are interested in getting Baptized!  Come out to Folly Beach for a church wide picnic, an afternoon of fun, and a great celebration!  We’re going to provide the meat, but we’re asking everyone else to bring drinks and a side to shaire.

All In!

Pastor Chris

P.S. Don’t forget, there will only be one service on Sunday, July 3rd, 10:15am.

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Friday’s Five – 6-10-16

Dear Coastal,

Well, other than my Bod4God walking group getting rained out on Monday, it looks like we had a great first week of our Summer Semester of LIFE Groups!  If you haven’t joined one yet, it’s not too late.  We have a wide variety of Groups!  I promise you’ll be glad you joined one!  (My Group will be meeting at Hampton Park on Monday night, 6:30pm for a fun night of exercise!)

I hope you enjoyed our “At the Movies!” kick-off this past Sunday!  This Sunday, we have a special guest speaker, Scott Huff, our former Youth Pastor!  Scott is a great communicator and great friend of mine and Coastal.  Don’t miss what God has to say through him.

And speaking of “At the Movies!”, don’t miss our Friday Night FREE Family Movie Night, tonight at 7pm at the church.  We’ll be showing the newly released “Zootopia.” (On Friday night, June 24th, at 7pm we’ll be showing the family classic, “Finding Nemo.”)  Come to our new facility, bring lawn chairs or blankets, and watch the movie with your entire family on our Big Screens!  We’ll provide popcorn, nachos, and hotdogs – all FREE!  And we’ll give away a few prizes!  It’s going to be awesome!

Take advantage of all of these opportunities to invite and bring your friends to Coastal!

Friday’s 5:

  1. The dates of VBS this year are July 11-15, 6pm-8pm, 4 year olds – 5th Grade.  Pre-register your child/children NOW!  VBS is a life changing experience!  Remember, if you change a child’s life – you change the world!
  2. You are not going to want to miss Father’s Day this year – June 19th!  We will be having another child/baby dedication.  We’ll be giving away a special gift to all men!  We’ll be giving away Bar-b-que Sliders!  And there will be an awesome Photo Booth for you and your family & friends to take pictures and have fun!  If you are interested in participating in the Baby Dedication, please sign up on your Connect Card or respond to this email.  Include your child’s full name and the service you will be attending.
  3. New to Coastal and would like to learn more about Pastor Chris and the church, discover how to get involved, and meet other new people?  Then join us for our next Newcomer’s Lunch on Sunday, June 26th, immediately following the 11:45am service (approx. 1pm).  Sign up online, on your Connect Card or respond to this email.
  4. Not only at Coastal do we feed a lot of people on Sunday morning through our Cafe, but we feed a lot of people in our community throughout the week through our Food Pantry.  However, our Food Pantry is getting low.  If you would like to help us restock our Food Pantry and feed the hurting in our community simply drop off any non-perishable food items on Sunday morning or throughout the week.
  5. Our next BEACH BAPTISM is July 16th, 4pm at the Baptist Beach House right on Folly Beach (1017 W. Ashley St., near the Folly Beach County Park).  Sign up online, on your Connect Card or respond to this email if you are interested in getting Baptized!  Come out to Folly Beach for a church wide picnic, an afternoon of fun, and a great celebration!

All In!

Pastor Chris (friend me on Facebook)

P.S. Don’t ever think that Coastal has enough volunteers and that there isn’t a place for YOU to serve on one of our LIFE Teams!  We need YOU!  Whether it’s our Children’s Ministry, 1st Impressions, the Cafe, Security Team, Tech Booth – there is a place for YOU!  If you are interested in serving, respond to this email and WE WILL follow up.

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Friday’s Five – 6-3-16

Dear Coastal,

I’m excited about this coming week for a couple of reasons.  One: our Summer Semester of LIFE Groups starts!  Check out all the different LIFE Groups on our website or in your bulletin!  The Summer Semester is only 5 weeks long.  We have a wide variety of Groups!  I promise you’ll be glad you joined a LIFE Group!

Two:  we kick off a Summer Sermon Series tradition here at Coastal this Sunday – “At the Movies!”  It’s where we use current or popular movies that people are seeing and talking about as a hook to talk about spiritual truth!  All of our 1st Time Guests (your friends) get FREE Movie Tickets (and if your friend attends with you, come up to me and I’ll give you a FREE Movie Ticket as well)! We give away a bunch of gifts!  We even have freshly popped popcorn in all of our services!

And this year, since we have our new building, twice during the series we’re going to have a Friday Night FREE Family Movie Night.  On Friday night, June 10th, at 7pm we’ll be showing the newly released “Zootopia.” On Friday night, June 24th, at 7pm we’ll be showing the family classic, “Finding Nemo.”  Come to our new facility, bring lawn chairs or blankets, and watch the movie with your entire family on our Big Screens!  We’ll provide popcorn, nachos, and hotdogs – all FREE!  It’s going to be awesome!  During the last week of June we’re going to have our Annual FREE Family Movie Matinee at Citadel Mall Theater to watch the new “Finding Dory.”

Take advantage of all of these opportunities to invite and bring your friends to Coastal!

Friday’s 5:

  1. The dates of VBS this year are July 11-15, 6pm-8pm, 4 year olds – 5th Grade.  Check out the VBS Volunteer Insert in your Bulletin and sign up this weekend!  VBS is a life changing experience for our children and our volunteers!  Remember, if you change a child’s life – you change the world!
  2. Father’s Day is just around the corner – June 19th!  We will be having another child/baby dedication.  If you are interested in participating, please sign up on your Connect Card or respond to this email.  Include your child’s full name and the service you will be attending.
  3. New to Coastal and would like to learn more about Pastor Chris and the church, discover how to get involved, and meet other new people?  Then join us for our next Newcomer’s Lunch on Sunday, June 26th, immediately following the 11:45am service (approx. 1pm).  Sign up on your Connect Card or respond to this email.
  4. Not only at Coastal do we feed a lot of people on Sunday morning through our Cafe, but we feed a lot of people in our community throughout the week through our Food Pantry.  However, our Food Pantry is getting low.  If you would like to help us restock our Food Pantry and feed the hurting in our community simply drop off any non-perishable food items on Sunday morning or throughout the week.
  5. Our next BEACH BAPTISM is July 16th, 4pm at the Baptist Beach House right on Folly Beach (1017 W. Ashley St., near the Folly Beach County Park).  Fill out your Connect Card if you are interested in getting Baptized!  Come out to Folly Beach for a church wide picnic, an afternoon of fun, and a great celebration!

All In!

Pastor Chris (friend me on Facebook)

P.S. Did you know that Coastal has an App for your smart phone?  In fact, we’ve had one for a while now.  Go to your App Store (wherever you get apps) and search for Coastal Community Church of Charleston.  You’ll see our logo.  The App is FREE.  You’ll be able to keep up with all things Coastal, listen to messages, and even read the Word.  Download it today and help us spread the word!

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Online Connect Card

  • If this is your 1st or 2nd time joining us, we'd love to mail you a little more information about Coastal along with a thank you for tuning in today.