Dear Coastal,
We had another person give their life to Jesus this past Sunday and 4 more people getting Baptized on January 7th! Woohoo! Keep it up Coastal! Keep praying, keep sharing, keep loving, serving, and inviting! Remember, we work like it all depends on us, pray like it all depends on God, walk by faith, trust God with the results, and celebrate the victory! Together we are making a dent in Hell! Jesus said, “I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.” We miss the emphasis of this verse in our English translations, because it sounds like we’re on the defensive. You know, “Jesus will build the church, and by His power, in the end, we’ll be able to withstand the beating we take from Satan.” But in the original language, we’re on the offensive, “Jesus will build the church and ultimately even hell itself won’t be able the withstand the butt-whupping WE’LL put on Satan!” The church is marching forward and even Hell can’t keep us out! That’s us Coastal – you and me – beating down the gates of hell, rescuing people, making an IMPACT, ONE life at a time!
It always bothers me when churches and Christians complain about people who only come to church on Christmas and Easter. Listen, that’s why we exist – to share and experience the LIFE and LOVE of Jesus with Charleston and world! If you know someone who might come to church because it’s Christmas (probably more people than you realize) invite them to Coastal! Becasue here’s what I guarantee you – we will lift up Jesus and we will share the good news of the Gospel!
So – you should know the drill by now – do whatever it takes and invite & bring someone to church with you this Christmas Eve! We’re having 2 Family Christmas Eve Services on Sunday night, December 24th, 5:30pm & 7pm! Nursery – 3year olds will be cared for in the Coastal Kidz Building, but all other children will be in the auditorium (there will be a “special guest” at the end of both services with giveaways). Come early. Park over at Oakland to make more room for guests (the further away you park, the better). Fill out your Connect Card (this encourages our Guests to do the same). Sit to the front & center of each section of the auditorium, making more room for others. And then most importantly, during the entire service, PRAY! Pray me, pray for my message, pray that all of it fits together and leads people to Jesus!
Remember, there will be NO SUNDAY MORNING SERVICES this Sunday – just our 2 Christmas Eve services at 5:30pm and 7pm. If you haven’t done so yet, please volunteer to serve in one of the two services.
Friday’s 5:
- There are just three weeks left to give your gift toward our Annual Christmas Offering (now through January 14th)! Remember, our entire offering on Christmas Eve will go toward the Christmas Offering. Right now, we’re at $25,000! I know that’s a long way from our goal, but it’s still worth celebrating! We can’t all give the same amount, but we can all make the same sacrifice and give something. Every gift counts – large and small! To give toward the Christmas Offering, simply designate your gift with the word “Christmas.” Remember this is above and beyond your regular giving. Our theme for 2018 is “IMPACT”. This offering simply enables our church to continue to make an IMPACT in our church, community, and world!
- If you are interested in leading, assisting, or hosting a LIFE Group in the new semester of 2018, please let us know now on your Connect Card or contact Pastor Scott at scottw@coastalcommunitychurch.org.
- Interested in going public with your faith through Baptism? Never been Baptized by immersion? Respond to this email, sign up online, or sign up on your Connect Card on Sunday to be Baptized on the first Sunday of the New Year – Sunday, January 7th.
- As we strive to create a safe, nurturing enviromment for worship, learning, and serving, we’re forming a Medical Response Team made up of qualified individuals who would be on call in case of an emergency during our services to administer CPR, use the defibrilllator, etc. until an ambulance arrived. If you are trained for such situations and are interested in joining this Team, you can respond to this email, call Janet Rollins directly at 843-442-8299, or email her at janet@coastalcommunitychurch.org.
- There will be a Security Team Meeting on Saturday morning, December 30th, 9am in the auditorium – and we’re serving you BREAKFAST! This meeting is for all current Team members and those interested in serving.
Merry Christmas!
P.S. Don’t forget that Coastal has a fully stocked Food Bank. If you or any one you know is in need (especially over the Holidays), please drop by and pick up some food. Spread the word!
