This Sunday, May 10th, is Mother’s Day! To make room for everyone we’re having 4 services: 8am, 9:30am, 11am, 12:30pm. We have a gift for all the women, fun giveaways at the end of each service, FREE Kona Ice for everyone, a Family Photo Booth, and Baby & Child Dedication during all 4 services! It’s a day filled with celebration, gratitude, and for some, a quiet mix of emotions. For many, it’s a day of joy. We honor the women who have loved, sacrificed, prayed, and given so much of themselves for others. Moms, your faithfulness matters more than you know. But for others, Mother’s Day can carry a weight – grief, disappointment, or discouragement. Some are missing their moms. Some are walking through strained relationships. Others are longing for something that hasn’t come.
That’s why this week’s message, “What Would Jesus Say to the Discouraged?”, feels especially timely. Because if we’re honest, discouragement touches all of us at different points. It can come from fatigue, from unmet expectations, from criticism, or simply from the wear and tear of life. Even the most faithful people in Scripture had moments where they felt like giving up.
So what would Jesus say to you, right in the middle of all of that? He wouldn’t ignore your pain. He wouldn’t minimize your struggle. And He certainly wouldn’t walk away. Instead, He would press in and draw near. He would remind you that you’re not alone. He would speak truth where lies have taken root in your mind. He would offer strength when yours is gone. And maybe, most importantly, He would call you not to give up. This Sunday, we’re going to lean into that together. Whether you’re coming encouraged or barely holding on, I believe Jesus has something personal to say to all of us.
So, I hope you’ll join us – and maybe bring someone who could use a little encouragement right now. I love you Coastal! I love being your Pastor! And I love what God has called us to do together!
With Much Love & Gratitude!
Pastor Chris
- UPCOMING OUTREACH PROJECTS:
Clothing Team: Come help sort & organize all the clothes we distribute! TODAY, Friday, May 8th; Monday, May 11th, 9:30am-11:30am. Meet at 2952 Old Pond Road on Johns Island.
NHC Fellowship & Activity: Those in skilled-nursing centers are arguably some of the most neglected people in our society. Many in these facilities rarely, if ever, receive visitors. The hope of this project is to send a reminder to the residents of the facility, in which we are serving, that they are not alone. This kid-friendly project will consist of loving on the staff and residents through words of encouragement, quality time and hot chocolate! This project is a great way to serve those who are always in need of a little extra love! TODAY, Friday, May 8th, 10am-12pm. Meet at: NHC Skilled Nursing Facility, 2230 Ashley Crossing Dr, Charleston, SC 29414.
2nd Saturday Meal: TOMORROW, Saturday, May 9th, 9am-11am. Come serve with us as we prepare a hot meal in the Coastal kitchen and then deliver those meals to one of our awesome ministry partners – organizations like Charleston Vets, S.C. Strong, Brighton Place, Joseph Floyd Manor and more!
Double Tailgate Day – Meeting Street & Joseph Floyd Manor: TOMORROW, Saturday, May 9th, 10:30am-1:30pm. Meet at the church and then pick which Tailgate you’d like to serve.
JFM Fellowship Activity & Devotion: A fun project for kids! We’ll serve at Joseph Floyd Manor (JFM), a public housing facility in Downtown Charleston, playing BINGO with the residents. Monday, May 11th, 2pm-3:30pm. Meet at JFM.
Soldier’s Angels: We’ll be helping with the Veteran’s Mobile Food Distribution, Tuesday, May 12th, 8am-12pm. Meet at 1113 Sam Rittenburg Blvd. (The Elks Lodge).
Brighton Place Fellowship Activity & Devotion: This project will allow us to spend some time with the residents and get to know them better through a lively game of Chair Volleyball, a meal, and devotion. Kid Friendly! Tuesday, May 12th, 1:30pm-3pm. Meet at: Brighton Place, 1429 Orleans Road.
Charleston Vets Tailgate: Charleston Vets is home to 35 struggling, local veterans who have sacrificed so much in service to our nation. Join us as we head out to connect with these veterans, share an evening meal, laugh alongside them, play some lively rounds of Bingo and share a devotion to help them grow closer to the Lord! Wednesday, May 13th, 6pm-8:30pm. Meet at Coastal.
The Market Sort & Stock at The Outpost: Coastal feeds an enormous amount of people. Come to the Outpost (1050 St. Andrews Blvd.) and help keep our Food Pantry organized (and have a lot of fun while you’re at it)! Thursday, May 14th, 11:30am-1pm.
Coffee & Doughnuts with the Vets at Patriot Villas: Join the team as we travel over to Patriot Villas, a veterans housing facility in North Charleston, to provide encouragement in the form of a fresh hot cup of Coastal coffee, a Krispy Kreme donut and community. We’ll spend the morning serving the veterans, fellowshipping, building relationships and thanking them for their service! Friday, May 15th, 8:30am-11:30am. Meet at Coastal.
Ronald McDonald House Meals that Heal – Breakfast: Ronald McDonald House provides a “Home-away-from-home” where families stay while their children undergo extensive medical treatment. The Meals that Heal program provides a much-needed support service to families taking care of their sick children, who often don’t have the time, funds, or energy to prepare a healthy, home-cooked meal. Ages 16+. Saturday, May 16th, 7:30am-9am. Meet at: 81 Gadsden St, Chas (Downtown Charleston).
Hollywood Free Laundry: Partnering alongside the owners of We-Fold-It, we are able to serve the community of Hollywood by getting to pay for their laundry! We will host a table with snacks, coffee and water for those who are waiting on their laundry, help people bring their laundry in and out of the facility, fold their laundry and use iPads to start the machines so that those we serve never have to open their wallets! Saturday, May 16th, 8am-11am. Meet at We-Fold-It Laundromat, 6310 SC-162 Unit D, Hollywood, SC 29449.
The Outpost Open House: Before we open it to the general public, we want to open it to you, our church family, to see and experience. So, on Friday, May 22nd, 6pm-8pm, we’re having an Open House at The Outpost (1050 St. Andrews Blvd). We’ll have a Tailgate outside with music, hamburgers & hotdogs. And then you’ll have a chance to tour The Outpost and see how our church will continue to be the hands, feet, and voice of Jesus right here in our community, where we live, work, parent, and play for years to come!
As always, if you are interested in serving in any of these projects, you can sign up on your Connect Card this Sunday or sign up now on our website. If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Chris Jones. - Do you go to church at Coastal Community Church? Do you have a “reasonably good” driving record? Do you typically get yourself to church without harming yourself or others? Haha – then you might be a good fit for the Sunday Van Drivers Team. The truth is, we are in desperate need of Sunday morning Van Drivers! Our Van Drivers pick up residents from several of the communities we serve, bring them to church, and then take them back (2 separate shifts – pick up leave at 8:30am, drop off immediately after 2nd service) using Coastal’s 15 passenger vans. If this is something you would be interested in, please reach out to Pastor Chris Jones and sign up at this link.
- Membership Class: Interested in officially making the Coastal church family, your church family? Our next Membership Class is Sunday, May 31st, from 5pm-8pm, in the Chapel. You can respond to this email, sign up on our website, or sign up on your Connect Card (let us know if you need childcare). Dinner & childcare provided!
- One of the ways our church marks the beginning of Summer every year is through something called Summer of IMPACT! If you are fairly new to Coastal, Summer of IMPACT is a month-long effort (the entire month of June) where we as a church saturate our community with the love of Jesus through simple acts of service. It’s basically what we normally do all throughout the year, but MULTIPLIED during the month of June! In fact, there are over 70 projects this year and there is something for everyone. You simply sign-up and then show-up. It’s that easy. Every project has a leader and every project is well-organized. All the projects are loaded on our website and you can start signing up TODAY!
- Mark your calendar for our next Coastal Night of Worship – Wednesday night, June 3rd, 6:30-8pm! Invite your friends and family to join us for a night of prayer, worship, and encouragement. RSVP now for childcare (birth-kindergarten) on your Connect Card.
P.S. We are planning our Annual BEACH BAPTISM out at Folly Beach County Park on Sunday, June 7th, at 5pm. You can sign up for it on our website. The only requirement for Baptism is that you have personally given your life to Jesus. Baptism is a public profession of your faith, and it’s a great celebration! It beautifully illustrates Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. If you’re unable to participate in our Beach Baptism, remember at Coastal we’re ready for you to get Baptized any service, any Sunday. If you are interested in getting Baptized, simply respond to this email, sign up on your Connect Card, or sign up on our website.
P.S.S. We’re currently in search of videographers for ongoing projects at Coastal. This person would help us on Sundays and other events as we continue to share what God is doing in and through our church. This role would support capturing and producing video content for our digital platforms, including social media and our website. If you are a videographer – or know someone who would be a great fit – we would love to connect. Feel free to reach out to Pastor Ryan Spell if you are interested.
