For a while now, we’ve been praying about some possible next steps for our church as far as community outreach is concerned.  We’ve really felt like one of those next steps would be helping to transform a neighborhood right here in West Ashley – a place where we could dig in over time and make a real lasting IMPACT.  And then God opened a door for our involvement at “The Pink House” in the Ardmore Neighborhood.  The Pink House over the years has served as a community center of sorts – a lighthouse of help and hope in a neighborhood with great, great need.  

But here’s the reality – The Pink House needs some help.  The property has fallen into disrepair and needs a lot of TLC.  So join us this Saturday (tomorrow), 9am-1pm for a Yard Clean Up Project at the Pink House.  We’ll meet in the Coastal Welcome Center tomorrow morning at 9am.  We’re going to be doing some raking, laying down landscaping fabric, putting out mulch and pine straw.  We’re also going to haul away some old debris and wood.  The reality is this, the PINK House is not fully ready for larger scale outreach in the community (Neighborhood Tailgate Parties, VBS, etc).  There is work that needs to be accomplished in order to revitalize the grounds and to communicate to the neighborhood that the PINK House is up and running and that Coastal is here to minister to the community.  I hope you’ll consider joining us as we strive to be the hands and feet of Jesus where we live, work, parent, and play!  By the way, you can sign up right now for this project, and MANY OTHERS by going to:  www.coastalcommunitychurch.org/missions. 

And if you’re planning on coming to the church on Saturday for the Pink House Yard Clean Up, why not come early and help us set up Coastal Kidz at Orange Grove Middle School (right across the street from the church).  We’ll be there at 8am and be done in plenty of time to meet in the Welcome Center at 9am.  In fact, we’re there every Saturday morning during our Construction Project and would love for you to join us!

I hope your 40 Day Easter Fast has started off strong!  Remember the Easter Fast goes all the way until Good Friday, April 2nd.  Jesus said, “When you fast . . .”  In other words, Jesus meant for fasting to be a regular part of the Christian lifestyle.  Fasting is simply denying yourself something physical for a set period of time for the spiritual purpose of focusing on prayer, the Word, and your relationship with God.  Sometimes the first few days of a fast are the most difficult.  Satan will plant seeds in your mind that it’s really no big deal, no one will know if you really do it, or that it really doesn’t make any difference.  Remember, Satan is a liar and the Father of Lies!  Jesus promises in His Word that the Father will reward you!  How will He reward you?  I don’t know, but I know that He will!  So – keep it up and don’t give up!  What you are doing has eternal consequences, and God is using it to do a work in you.  But remember the focus is not on the actual thing you are giving up. It’s your relationship with God.   And to help you in that relationship, each Monday morning of the Fast we will send you a email that includes a themed devotional for the week and daily Scripture readings to guide your time.  I love you Coastal and I love being your Pastor!  Hope to see you over the weekend – serving on Saturday and worshipping on Sunday – in-person or online!

LIFE & LOVE!
Pastor Chris 

Here are this week’s “Friday 5”:

1. UPCOMING OUTREACH PROJECTS:
   PINK House –  The PINK House is a “community center” of sorts in the Ardmore subdivision in West Ashley.  We are going to be helping with a Yard Clean Up THIS Saturday (tomorrow), February 27th, 9am-1pm.   
   Tricounty Family Ministries –  We will be assisting with their Emergency Grocery Distribution, Wednesday, March 3rd, 9am-1pm.
   Saturday Serve –  The foundation of all of our serving opportunities at Coastal really starts with Saturday Serve – the first Saturday of every month.  The next Saturday Serve is Saturday, March 6th.  We meet in the Welcome Center/Cafe at 8:30am, project leaders make a “pitch” for their serving opportunity, and then we serve!  Make plans NOW to be there!
   Soldier’s Angels – We’ll be helping with the Veteran’s Mobile Food Distribution, Tuesday, March 9th, 8am-1pm.
   If you are interested in serving in any of these projects, you can sign up on your Connect Card this Sunday.  If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Chris Jones at 843-870-4613. 
2. Interested in officially making Coastal your church family by becoming a Member?  Our next Membership Class is Saturday morning, April 17th, 9:30am-12noon. You can respond to this email, sign up on our website, or sign up on your Connect Card on Sunday.  You can join us either in-person or online through Zoom.
3. Woohoo!  LIFE Groups have now officially started for this semester!  However, it’s not too late to join one!  Check out the 2021 WINTER/SPRING LIFE GROUP CATALOG and sign up today!  There are 2 ways to sign up for a LIFE Group, but you only have to sign up one time/one way.  You can sign up online from our website oron your Connect Card (in-person or online).  We have 23 different LIFE Groups this semester – online and/or in-person Groups, activity Groups, study Groups, and more!  There is something for EVERYONE!  Make sure you check out our catalog and sign up today!   After you sign up, your Group leader will contact you with all the information you need.  If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Scott Huff – 859-230-5129.
4. Easter Sunday is April 4th!  Coastal is having 6 Easter Services over 3 days this year:  Friday, April 2nd, 7pm (no Coastal Kidz);  Saturday, April 3rd, 4:30pm, 6pm;  Sunday, April 4th, 8:30am, 10am, 11:30am.  Start praying about who you’re going to invite and bring.  And with 6 services, keep in mind that it’s ALL HANDS ON DECK!  In other words, we need everyone serving and volunteering!  Check with your LIFE Team Leader and go ahead and sign up now!
5. If you’re fairly new to Coastal, a great next step is our Newcomers Reception.  Our next Newcomers Reception is Sunday, March 7th, in the Welcome Center immediately following the 11:15am service (at approximately 12:30pm).  This will also be available online!  This is a great way to learn more about Coastal, meet staff and key volunteers, as well as meet some other new people.  RSVP online or on your Connect Card.
   
   P.S. DON’T FORGET – we offer our Coastal Members and regular attendees free access to RightNow Media, an online church video library.  It’s just one of the many ways to express our generosity to our church family.  Essentially, RightNow Media is a Netflix for Bible studies with videos for kids, students, singles, parents and married couples by teachers like Dave Ramsey, John Piper, Max Lucado, Tim Tebow, and more. All the content can be accessed from any computer or smart television and through the RightNow Media app on a phone, tablet, Roku, Apple TV, etc.  If you haven’t already  done so, click here to set up your account! 

I want to let you know about a new opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus where we live, work, parent, and play that we’re very excited about!  We are beginning a ministry partnership with “The Pink House” in the Ardmore Neighborhood right here in West Ashley.  The Pink House over the years has served as a community center of sorts – a lighthouse of help and hope in a neighborhood with great need.   Ardmore has a host of social issues.  These issues include drugs, alcohol, gang activity, and struggling low income families.  There is a real opportunity for our church to make a lasting IMPACT right in our own backyard by serving those in need.  The possibilities for ministry and impact are unlimited!  In fact, this past week a team of volunteers from Coastal organized a free Clothing Distribution at the Pink House.  

But here’s the reality – The Pink House property has fallen into disrepair and needs a lot of TLC.  So to help create neighborhood goodwill and to literally prepare the soil for future ministry, Coastal is organizing a Yard Clean Up Project this Saturday, February 27^th from 9am until 1pm.  We’ll meet in the Coastal Welcome Center this Saturday at 9am.  We’re going to be doing some raking, laying down landscaping fabric, putting out mulch and pine straw.  We’re also going to haul away some old debris and wood left on the property from previous ministry.  The reality is this, the PINK House is not fully ready for larger scale outreach in the community (Neighborhood Tailgate Parties, VBS, etc).  There is work that needs to be accomplished in order to revitalize the grounds and to communicate to the neighborhood that the PINK House is up and running and that Coastal is here to minister to the community. 

So roll up your sleeves, grab your rakes, blowers, and other lawn equipment and join us this Saturday as we look to take these initial steps!  We’ll be done by 1pm so it won’t be a sacrifice of your entire Saturday.  Also, if you are professional landscaper and you’re willing to help with your time and equipment, we’d love to have you.  If you own an open-styled trailer and you are willing to sacrifice your time by helping to haul items to the Bees Ferry Landfill, we’d love to have you. 

You can sign up right now by going to:  www.coastalcommunitychurch.org/missions.  You can also contact our Outreach Pastor, Chris Jones by email with any questions at chrisjones@coastalcommunitychurch.org.

LIFE & LOVE!
Pastor Chris 

P.S. If you’re planning on coming to the church on Saturday for the Pink House Yard Clean Up, why not come early and help us set up Coastal Kidz at Orange Grove Middle School (right across the street from the church).  We’ll be there at 8am and be done in plenty of time to meet in the Welcome Center at 9am.  In fact, we’re there every Saturday morning during our Construction Project and would love for you to join us!

First of all, I just want to thank everyone for all the love expressed to me and Janet this past Sunday for our 34th Wedding Anniversary!  We had a great day!  We also had a great kick-off for our new series “To The Church.”  I’ll be honest with you, between the weather and the long holiday weekend I wasn’t expecting all the people and all the guests who showed up!  And I don’t think it was just the doughnuts or the giveaways (although that was a lot of fun).  I simply think it’s that we have a lot of people at Coastal who know why we do what we do and who are on mission – to share and experience the LIFE and LOVE of Jesus with Charleston and the world!  

Hopefully by now you’re aware that Coastal’s Annual 40 Day Easter Fast begins this Monday, February 22nd and goes through Good Friday, April 2nd!  The Easter Fast is where you choose to give up something, deny yourself something to focus on prayer, repentance, and your relationship with God.  It could be caffeine or sugar.  It could be social media or tv.  It could be time, where you get up 30 minutes earlier each day to read your Bible and pray. You decide.  If you are interested in participating, sign up on your Connect Card or respond to this email.  It’s a great opportunity to grow your faith.  And to help you in your journey, beginning this Monday, February 22nd, we will provide you with a weekly email that includes a themed devotional for the week and daily Scripture readings to guide your time.  I hope you’ll participate!  I love you Coastal and I love being your Pastor!  Hope to see you Sunday – in-person or online!

LIFE & LOVE!
Pastor Chris 

Here are this week’s “Friday 5”:

1. UPCOMING OUTREACH PROJECTS:
   Suburban Hotel Tailgate –  Let’s make an impact together by serving local veterans and persons transitioning from a local homeless shelter in Charleston into permanent housing at the Suburban Hotel in North Charleston!   Tomorrow, Saturday, February 20th, 10am-1pm meet at Coastal in the Welcome Center! This is a project that is suitable for the whole family.
   PINK House –  The PINK House is a “community center” of sorts in the Ardmore subdivision in West Ashley.  We are going to be helping with a Clothing Distribution tomorrow Saturday, February 20th, 10am-1pm and Yard Clean Up on next Saturday, February 27th, 9am-1pm.   
   Tricounty Family Ministries –  We will be assisting with their Emergency Grocery Distribution, Wednesday, March 3rd, 9am-1pm.
   If you are interested in serving in any of these projects, you can sign up on your Connect Card this Sunday.  If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Chris Jones at 843-870-4613.
2. Every week we rely on lots of volunteers to make Sunday mornings a welcoming experience for everyone who comes – our 1st Impressions Team. We are always looking to add new volunteers to the areas of: door holders, ushers, parking lot, golf carts, road crossing, and our cafe/coffee bar. If you are interested in serving in any of these areas please email Pastor Scott at scotth@coastalcommunitychurch.org and let him know!
3. Woohoo!  LIFE Groups have now officially started for this semester!  However, it’s not too late to join one!  Check out the 2021 WINTER/SPRING LIFE GROUP CATALOG and sign up today!  As always, there are 3 ways to sign up for a LIFE Group, but you only have to sign up one time/one way.  You can sign up online from our website, on your Connect Card (in-person or online), or at the LIFE Group Tables/Sign-up sheets in the back of the auditorium.  We have 23 different LIFE Groups this semester – online and/or in-person Groups, activity Groups, study Groups, and more!  There is something for EVERYONE!  Make sure you check out our catalog and sign up today!   After you sign up, your Group leader will contact you with all the information you need.  If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Scott Huff – 859-230-5129.
4. Easter Sunday is April 4th!  Coastal is having 6 Easter Services over 3 days this year:  Friday, April 2nd, 7pm (no Coastal Kidz);  Saturday, April 3rd, 4:30pm, 6pm;  Sunday, April 4th, 8:30am, 10am, 11:30am.  Start praying about who you’re going to invite and bring.  And with 6 services, keep in mind that it’s ALL HANDS ON DECK!  In other words, we need everyone serving and volunteering!  Check with your LIFE Team Leader and go ahead and sign up now!
5. If you’re fairly new to Coastal, a great next step is our Newcomers Reception.  Our next Newcomers Reception is Sunday, March 7th, in the Welcome Center immediately following the 11:15am service (at approximately 12:30pm).  This will also be available online!  This is a great way to learn more about Coastal, meet staff and key volunteers, as well as meet some other new people.  RSVP online or on your Connect Card.
   
   P.S. Coastal is 100% fully funded by the generous, consistent giving our our people.  We could not do what we do without you!  And whether we gather in-person or online, the ministry and impact of Coastal never ceases.  Your weekly gifts are a vital resource that allow us to continue the work that God has called us to do.  If you need us to mail you offering envelopes, step you through online giving, or TEXT Giving (text any amount to 843-277-8337), please respond to this email or call the church office (843-571-1777).  Thank you so much for your continued faithfulness!

I know I say this a lot, but I’m really pumped about this Sunday at Coastal!  First of all, this Sunday is Valentine’s Day and it’s mine and Janet’s 34th Wedding Anniversary!  Our first date was actually on Valentine’s Day and we got married one year later on Valentine’s Day.  I was 19 years old!  I’m also excited that we’ll be kicking off a brand new series called, “To The Church.”  Each week, as we prepare ourselves for Easter, we’ll be looking at Jesus’ letters to the 7 churches in Revelation 2 and 3 (see our new sermon series graphic above from our very own Jody Davis).  What you’ll quickly discover is that not only do these 7 letters have a lot to say to the church of today, but they also speak to you and me as individuals.  It’s going to be a powerful series!  And since we’re kicking it off on Valentine’s Day, we have a few special treats – FREE Krispy Kreme doughnuts in our Coastal Cafe and GIVEAWAYS at the end of each service (Gift Certificates for Halls Chophouse)!  Invite and bring a friend in-person OR online!  And if all of that were not enough LIFE GROUPS BEGIN THIS COMING WEEK (see below)!  There are so many great Groups. Check out the LIFE Group Catalog and sign up today!  I love you Coastal and I love being your Pastor!

LIFE & LOVE!
Pastor Chris 
(“Friend me” on Facebook if you haven’t already done so!)

Here are this week’s “Friday 5”:

1. UPCOMING OUTREACH PROJECTS:
   Lowcountry Orphan Relief –  Lowcountry Orphan Relief provides support services and aid to meet the needs of Lowcountry children identified as at-risk or suffering from abandonment, abuse and/or neglect. Coastal will be serving there TODAY, Friday, February 12th, 9am-11am. We meet at 1850 Truxton Ave in North Charleston.
   Tricounty Family Ministries –  We will be assisting with their Emergency Grocery Distribution, Wednesday, February 17th, 9am-1pm.
   Suburban Hotel Tailgate –  Let’s make an impact together by serving local veterans and persons transitioning from a local homeless shelter in Charleston into permanent housing at the Suburban Hotel in North Charleston!   Saturday, February 20th, 10am-1pm meet at Coastal in the Welcome Center! This is a project that is suitable for the whole family.
   PINK House –  The PINK House is a community center” of sorts in the Ardmore subdivision in West Ashley.  We are going to be helping with a Clothing Distribution on Saturday, February 20th, 10am-1pm.   
   If you are interested in serving in any of these projects, you can sign up on your Connect Card this Sunday.  If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Chris Jones at 843-870-4613.
2. Every week we rely on lots of volunteers to make Sunday mornings a welcoming experience for everyone who comes – our 1st Impressions Team. We are always looking to add new volunteers to the areas of: door holders, ushers, parking lot, golf carts, road crossing, and our cafe/coffee bar. If you are interested in serving in any of these areas please email Pastor Scott at scotth@coastalcommunitychurch.org and let him know!
3. OUR NEW 2021 WINTER/SPRING LIFE GROUP CATALOG IS NOW AVAILABLE!!  As always, there are 3 ways to sign up for a LIFE Group, but you only have to sign up one time/one way.  You can sign uponline from our website, on your Connect Card (in-person or online), or at the LIFE Group Tables/Sign-up sheets in the back of the auditorium.  We have 23 different LIFE Groups this semester – online and/or in-person Groups, activity Groups, study Groups, and more!  There is something for EVERYONE!  Make sure you check out our catalog and start signing up today!   Unless otherwise indicated in the catalog, all of our Groups begin the week of February 14th.  We were created for community, to do LIFE together!  We need this – YOU need this! If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Scott Huff – 859-230-5129.
4. We’re looking to build our Worship Team!  We are looking for gifted vocalists, musicians, and worship leaders to add to our ever-growing worship team!  So, if that describes you (or someone you know), if you love to worship and enjoy being a part of a team that grows together in their faith while leading others to worship, then we want to hear from you!  Respond to this email or reach out to our band director Christopher Rollins at chris@coastalcommunitychurch.org with your interest and any info that would be helpful for us to know about you and your talents.  Christopher will respond with the audition process and all the information you will need!
5. If you’re fairly new to Coastal, a great next step is our Newcomers Reception.  Our next Newcomers Reception is Sunday, March 7th, in the Welcome Center immediately following the 11:15am service (at approximately 12:30pm).  This will also be available online!  This is a great way to learn more about Coastal, meet staff and key volunteers, as well as meet some other new people.  RSVP online or on your Connect Card.
   
   P.S. Coastal’s Annual 40 Day Easter Fast begins Monday, February 22nd and goes through Good Friday, April 2nd!  The Easter Fast is where you choose to give up something, deny yourself something to focus on prayer, repentance, and your relationship with God.  It could be caffeine or sugar.  It could be social media or tv.  It could be time, where you get up 30 minutes earlier each day to read your Bible and pray. You decide.  If you are interested in participating, sign up on your Connect Card or respond to this email. 

There are so many exciting things happening on our physical campus right now!  As you can see from the picture above, they have now poured the concrete for the new addition to the front of our building.  This area will serve as the new “front door” of our church.  It will contain our Welcome Center, Cafe, Child Check-in, and Welcome & Guest area.  In the days ahead we should expect to see this area start to “go vertical.”  And then there are so many things that you can’t see yet.  For example, inside the “old building” they have already started to sheet rock the walls of the new classrooms, offices, and hallways.  Out back the concrete slab for the new addition (new Coastal Kidz classrooms) has been poured, the walls have been erected, and the trusses for the roof are being installed!  Be on the lookout for Facebook LIVE tours and updates!  Even if you haven’t joined us in-person on Sunday’s yet, drop by during the week to see all the progress!  And none of this would be possible without YOU and your generous, consistent giving!

I’ll be wrapping up our “This Is My Year” series this Sunday with, “This is my year to share my faith.”  I hope you’ll join us – in-person or online.  On Sunday, February 14th (Valentine’s Day and Janet’s and my 34th Wedding Anniversary!) I’m excited to announce that we’ll be kicking off a brand new series called, “To The Church.” Each week, leading up to Easter, we’ll be looking at Jesus’ letters to the 7 churches in Revelation 2 and 3.  What you’ll quickly discover is that not only do these letters have a lot to say to the church of today, but they also speak to you and me as individuals.  It’s going to be a powerful series!  And since we’re kicking it off on Valentine’s Day, we have a few special treats (and giveaways) during the service!  Don’t miss it!  This would be a great time for some of you to join us in-person.  Mask up and come to the 11:15am service! 

Not only are we kicking off a new series on Valentine’s Day, but that’s also the week that the new semester of LIFE Groups begin!  Check out all the different Groups and sign up today!  I love you Coastal and I love being your Pastor!

LIFE & LOVE!
Pastor Chris

Here are this week’s “Friday 5”:

1. UPCOMING OUTREACH PROJECTS:
   Saturday Serve –  The foundation of all of our serving opportunities at Coastal really starts with Saturday Serve – the first Saturday of every month.  The next Saturday Serve is THIS Saturday (tomorrow), February 6th.  We meet in the Welcome Center/Cafe at 8:30am, project leaders make a “pitch” for their serving opportunity, and then we serve!  Make plans NOW to be there!
   Soldier’s Angels – We’ll be helping with the Veteran’s Mobile Food Distribution, Tuesday, February 9th, 8am-1pm.
   Lowcountry Orphan Relief –  Lowcountry Orphan Relief provides support services and aid to meet the needs of Lowcountry children identified as at-risk or suffering from abandonment, abuse and/or neglect. Coastal will be serving there Friday, February 12th, 9am-11am. We meet at 1850 Truxton Ave in North Charleston.
   If you are interested in serving in any of these projects, you can sign up on your Connect Card this Sunday.  If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Chris Jones at 843-870-4613.
2. Every week we rely on lots of volunteers to make Sunday mornings a welcoming experience for everyone who comes. We are always looking to add new volunteers to the areas of: door holders, ushers, parking lot, golf carts, road crossing, and our cafe/coffee bar. If you are interested in serving in any of these areas please email Pastor Scott at scotth@coastalcommunitychurch.org and let him know!
3. OUR NEW 2021 WINTER/SPRING LIFE GROUP CATALOG IS NOW AVAILABLE!!  As always, there are 3 ways to sign up for a LIFE Group, but you only have to sign up one time/one way.  You can sign uponline from our website, on your Connect Card (in-person or online), or at the LIFE Group Tables/Sign-up sheets in the back of the auditorium.  We have 23 different LIFE Groups this semester – online and/or in-person Groups, activity Groups, study Groups, and more!  There is something for EVERYONE!  Make sure you check out our catalog and start signing up today!   Unless otherwise indicated in the catalog, all of our Groups begin the week of February 14th.  We were created for community, to do LIFE together!  We need this – YOU need this! If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Scott Huff – 859-230-5129.
4. We’re looking to build our Worship Team!  We are looking for gifted vocalists, musicians, and worship leaders to add to our ever-growing worship team!  So, if that describes you (or someone you know), if you love to worship and enjoy being a part of a team that grows together in their faith while leading others to worship, then we want to hear from you!  Respond to this email or reach out to our band director Christopher Rollins at chris@coastalcommunitychurch.org with your interest and any info that would be helpful for us to know about you and your talents.  Christopher will respond with the audition process and all the information you will need!
5. For our families joining Coastal online, did you know that we offer your children (Pre-School – 5th Grade) a complete online experience as well? On our website you can find supplemental resources for each week’s up-to-date curriculum, including: video lessons, worksheets for each respective age group and a YouTube playlist kids can sing along and worship to.  We pray the online programming for Coastal Kidz will help children feel blessed and included as they navigate through the curriculum and as they join alongside their parents during online services.  For more information, contact Janet Rollins via email at:  janet@coastalcommunitychurch.org.
   
   P.S. Coastal’s Annual 40 Day Easter Fast begins Monday, February 22nd and goes through Good Friday, April 2nd!  The Easter Fast is where you choose to give up something, deny yourself something to focus on prayer and your relationship with God.  It could be caffeine or sugar.  It could be social media or tv.  It could be time, where you get up 30 minutes earlier each day to read your Bible and pray. You decide.  If you are interested in participating, sign up on your Connect Card or respond to this email.  

Over the years we have been so very blessed at Coastal with an AMAZING Worship Team!  Worship is one of the essentials to our weekly experiences at Coastal and we are always looking for gifted vocalists, musicians, and worship leaders to add to our ever-growing worship team!  So, if that describes you (or someone you know), if you love to worship and enjoy being a part of a team that grows together in their faith while leading others to worship, then we want to hear from you!  Sometimes I think people mistakenly think that a certain ministry is “full” or doesn’t need anyone else.  That is not true of any of our ministries at Coastal – especially our Worship Team!  Please email our band director Christopher Rollins at chris@coastalcommunitychurch.org with your interest and any info that would be helpful for us to know about you and your talents.  Christopher will respond with the audition process and all the information you will need!

You should be receiving your 2020 Giving Statement from our church this week.  If you have any questions about your statement, please contact the office (843-571-1777) and speak with Ashley Hojnacki.  If you consider Coastal your church home or if you have been blessed by the ministry of our church, we want to encourage you to continue to be faithful with your generosity.  Whether you are worshipping online or in-person, you can give through our website, our App, or TEXT any amount to 843-277-8337. It’s simple, safe, secure, and convenient! Your generous consistent giving allows us to “share and experience the LIFE and LOVE of Jesus with Charleston and the world!”  Thank you so much for your faithfulness!

LIFE & LOVE!
Pastor Chris

Here are this week’s “Friday 5”:

1. UPCOMING OUTREACH PROJECTS:
   Tricounty Family Ministries –  We will be assisting with their Emergency Grocery Distribution, Wednesday, February 3rd, 9am-1pm.
   Saturday Serve –  The foundation of all of our serving opportunities at Coastal really starts with Saturday Serve – the first Saturday of every month.  The next Saturday Serve is Saturday, February 6th.  We meet in the Welcome Center/Cafe at 8:30am, project leaders make a “pitch” for their serving opportunity, and then we serve!  Make plans NOW to be there!
   Soldier’s Angels – We’ll be helping with the Veteran’s Mobile Food Distribution, Tuesday, February 9th, 8am-1pm.
   Lowcountry Orphan Relief –  Lowcountry Orphan Relief provides support services and aid to meet the needs of Lowcountry children identified as at-risk or suffering from abandonment, abuse and/or neglect. Coastal will be serving there Friday, February 12th, 9am-11am. We meet at 1850 Truxton Ave in North Charleston.
   If you are interested in serving in any of these projects, you can sign up on your Connect Card this Sunday.  If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Chris Jones at 843-870-4613. 
2. Attention all 6th-12th Graders!  Join us at Coastal for our WAVES Wednesday Small Group Nights at 6:30pm-8pm!  Food is provided.  Invite and bring your friends.  If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Ryan Spell at 843-442-8985.
3. OUR NEW 2021 WINTER/SPRING LIFE GROUP CATALOG IS NOW AVAILABLE!!  As always, there are 3 ways to sign up for a LIFE Group, but you only have to sign up one time/one way.  You can sign uponline from our website, on your Connect Card (in-person or online), or at the LIFE Group Tables/Sign-up sheets in the back of the auditorium.  We have 23 different LIFE Groups this semester – online and/or in-person Groups, activity Groups, study Groups, and more!  There is something for EVERYONE!  Make sure you check out our catalog and start signing up today!   Unless otherwise indicated in the catalog, all of our Groups begin the week of February 14th.  We were created for community, to do LIFE together!  We need this – YOU need this! If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Scott Huff – 859-230-5129.
4. DON’T FORGET – we offer our Coastal Members and regular attendees free access to RightNow Media, an online church video library.  It’s just one of the many ways to express our generosity to our church family.  Essentially, RightNow Media is a Netflix for Bible studies with videos for kids, students, singles, parents and married couples by teachers like Dave Ramsey, John Piper, Max Lucado, Tim Tebow, and more. All the content can be accessed from any computer or smart television and through the RightNow Media app on a phone, tablet, Roku, Apple TV, etc.  If you haven’t already  done so, click here to set up your account!
5. For our families joining Coastal online, did you know that we offer your children (Pre-School – 5th Grade) a complete online experience as well? On our website you can find supplemental resources for each week’s up-to-date curriculum, including: video lessons, worksheets for each respective age group and a YouTube playlist kids can sing along and worship to.  We pray the online programming for Coastal Kidz will help children feel blessed and included as they navigate through the curriculum and as they join alongside their parents during online services.  For more information, contact Janet Rollins via email at:  janet@coastalcommunitychurch.org.
   
   P.S. JOIN A LIFE TEAM!  One of the best ways to meet new people and grow in your faith at Coastal is to serve alongside others on a LIFE Team or Ministry.  There are so many places to start serving here at Coastal – our 1st Impressions Team, welcoming and greeting people as they come on our campus, loving and serving our children through our Coastal Kidz Children’s Ministry, and then there’s the Security Team, our Online Engagement Team, Student Ministry, our Worship Team, our Tech Team, Chair Set-up, Coastal Kidz Set-up, and more!  You can sign up for a LIFE Team this Sunday on your Connect Card or anytime on our website.  Sign up today and start serving! 

I personally gave my life to Jesus on June 11th, 1981.  I was 13 years old, getting ready to turn 14.  It was a Thursday night at Senior Week of Camp at Camp Edisto in Branchville, SC.  This Summer I will have been a Christian for 40 years!  One of the many things I’ve been thankful for over the years are all the teachers, preachers, and mature Christians that God put in my life who taught and discipled me.  One of the things I was taught early on is to pray for those who are in positions of authority – government leaders, the President, Senators, members of Congress, Judges, Mayors, City Council, Police, etc.  Even if I disagreed with their politics or policies, I was taught to pray for them and to honor the position.  Why?  Because in God’s word, 1 Timothy 2:1-3, it says this, “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.  This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.”  

What’s interesting is that Paul links praying for our leaders to our mission of sharing the good news of the Gospel.  In the past 40 years of being a Christian I have now had the honor of praying specifically for 6 Presidents and their families – Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump.  I have not always agreed with each of their policies or politics, but I have honored the position and prayed for the person and their families.  This past Wednesday, January 20th I began praying for my 7th President as a Christian – President Joseph Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris (the first woman – and woman of color – to hold this position).  I simply ask you to join me in continuing to pray for our leaders and our country.  Why?  Because God tells us to “so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.”  And because God “wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.”  And NOTHING is more important than that!

Right or Left, Conservative or Liberal, don’t ever let your politics and/or your passions supersede following God’s Word and living out the priority of sharing the Gospel.  If you do, you have allowed something in your life to become an idol.  And for those of you, every 4 years, who shout, “Not my President,” when your candidate loses, I’m pretty sure that Jesus also said that we are to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute you.  You see, either way, PRAY! 

LIFE & LOVE!
Pastor Chris

Here are this week’s “Friday 5”:

1. Upcoming Outreach Projects:
   Coastal is constantly and continually engaged in being the hands and feet of Jesus in our community.  Here are a few upcoming opportunities! 
   Lowcountry Orphan Relief –  Lowcountry Orphan Relief provides support services and aid to meet the needs of Lowcountry children identified as at-risk or suffering from abandonment, abuse and/or neglect. Coastal will be serving there TODAY, January 22nd, 9am-11am. We meet at 1850 Truxton Ave in North Charleston.
   Tricounty Family Ministries –  We will be assisting with their Emergency Grocery Distribution, Wednesday, February 3rd, 9am-1pm.
   Saturday Serve –  The foundation of all of our serving opportunities at Coastal really starts with Saturday Serve – the first Saturday of every month.  The next Saturday Serve is Saturday, February 6th.  We meet in the Welcome Center/Cafe at 8:30am, project leaders make a “pitch” for their serving opportunity, and then we serve!  Make plans NOW to be there!
   If you are interested in serving in any of these projects, you can sign up on your Connect Card this Sunday.  If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Chris Jones at 843-870-4613.
2. Attention all 6th-12th Graders!  Join us at Coastal for our WAVES Wednesday Nights at 6:30pm-8pm!  It is a great time to play games, meet new friends, hear a powerful, practical message from God’s Word, and have a great discussion in a small group of your peers.  If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Ryan Spell at 843-442-8985.
3. OUR NEW 2021 WINTER/SPRING LIFE GROUP CATALOG IS NOW AVAILABLE!!  As always, there are 3 ways to sign up for a LIFE Group, but you only have to sign up one time/one way.  You can sign uponline from our website, on your Connect Card (in-person or online), or at the LIFE Group Tables/Sign-up sheets in the back of the auditorium.  We have 23 different LIFE Groups this semester – online and/or in-person Groups, activity Groups, study Groups, and more!  There is something for EVERYONE!  Make sure you check out our catalog and start signing up today!   Unless otherwise indicated in the catalog, all of our Groups begin the week of February 14th.  We were created for community, to do LIFE together!  We need this – YOU need this! If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Scott Huff – 859-230-5129.
4. DON’T FORGET – we offer our Coastal Members and regular attendees free access to RightNow Media, an online church video library.  It’s just one of the many ways to express our generosity to our church family.  Essentially, RightNow Media is a Netflix for Bible studies with videos for kids, students, singles, parents and married couples by teachers like Dave Ramsey, John Piper, Max Lucado, Tim Tebow, and more. All the content can be accessed from any computer or smart television and through the RightNow Media app on a phone, tablet, Roku, Apple TV, etc.  If you haven’t already  done so, click here to set up your account!
5. Interested in officially making Coastal your church family by becoming a Member?  Our next Membership Class is THIS Monday night, January 25th, 6pm-8:30pm. You can respond to this email, sign up on our website, or sign up on your Connect Card on Sunday.  You can join us either in-person or online through Zoom.
   
   P.S. JOIN A LIFE TEAM!  One of the best ways to meet new people and grow in your faith at Coastal is to serve alongside others on a LIFE Team or Ministry.  There are so many places to start serving here at Coastal – our 1st Impressions Team, welcoming and greeting people as they come on our campus, loving and serving our children through our Coastal Kidz Children’s Ministry, and then there’s the Security Team, our Online Engagement Team, Student Ministry, our Worship Team, our Tech Team, Chair Set-up, Coastal Kidz Set-up, and more!  You can sign up for a LIFE Team this Sunday on your Connect Card or anytime on our website.  Sign up today and start serving!

DON’T MISS THIS SUNDAY!  Online or in-person, you are not going to want to miss everything that is gong to be happening at Coastal!  First of all, we’re going to be unveiling OUR BRAND NEW BOX TRUCK!  And let me tell you this, it is AWESOME!  We can’t wait to start using it in the community!  It’s going to be parked outside in front of our building AND for those of you watching online, don’t worry, I’m going to be doing my “pre-service show” from outside in front of the truck (plus we’ll show a picture of it during my sermon)!  That way everyone will be able to see it!   So make sure that if you’re watching online that you tune in 10 minutes before the service begins.  We would not have been able to purchase the truck without your generous giving toward our Christmas Offering.  And that’s another thing that’s happening this Sunday – at the beginning of my sermon, I’m going to announce our Christmas Offering total!  I can’t wait to share with you what God did through our church!!

And if all of that were not enough, OUR NEW 2021 WINTER/SPRING LIFE GROUP CATALOG IS NOW AVAILABLE!!  As always, there are 3 ways to sign up for a LIFE Group, but you only have to sign up one time/one way.  You can sign up online from our website, on your Connect Card (in-person or online), or at the LIFE Group Tables/Sign-up sheets in the back of the auditorium.  We have 23 different LIFE Groups this semester – online and/or in-person Groups, activity Groups, study Groups, and more!  There is something for EVERYONE!  Make sure you check out our catalog and start signing up today!   Unless otherwise indicated in the catalog, all of our Groups begin the week of February 14th.  We were created for community, to do LIFE together!  We need this – YOU need this!

LIFE & LOVE!
Pastor Chris

Here are this week’s “Friday 5”:

1. Upcoming Outreach Projects:
   Coastal is constantly and continually engaged in being the hands and feet of Jesus in our community.  Here are a few upcoming opportunities!
   Suburban Hotel Tailgate –  Let’s make an impact together by serving local veterans and persons transitioning from a local homeless shelter in Charleston into permanent housing at the Suburban Hotel in North Charleston!   Tomorrow, Saturday, January 16th, 10am-1pm meet at Coastal in the Welcome Center! This is a project that is suitable for the whole family.
   Tricounty Family Ministries –  We will be assisting with their Emergency Grocery Distribution, Wednesday, January 20th, 9am-1pm.
   Lowcountry Orphan Relief –  Lowcountry Orphan Relief provides support services and aid to meet the needs of Lowcountry children identified as at-risk or suffering from abandonment, abuse and/or neglect. Coastal will be serving there on Friday, January 22nd, 9am-11am. We meet at 1850 Truxton Ave in North Charleston.
   If you are interested in serving in any of these projects, you can sign up on your Connect Card this Sunday.  If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Chris Jones at 843-870-4613.
2. Don’t miss this Sunday – we will be announcing our final Christmas Offering total!  Our goal was $75,000.  The money will be used mainly for 3 projects: 1. We’re going to fully fund our 2 current monthly Tailgate Parties where we feed hundreds of people each month.  2. Purchasing “Box Truck”!  3. We’re going to purchase indoor and outdoor playground equipment for our new Children’s facility.  So get ready to celebrate what God did in our midst!
3. ATTENTION ALL LIFE GROUP LEADERS:  LIFE Group Leader Training will be Tuesday, January 19th, 6:30-8pm OR Saturday, January 23rd, 10-11:30am. (You just need to attend one.)  Both sessions will be offered online or in-person.  Please RSVP on your Connect Card.  If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Scott Huff – 859-230-5129.
4. DON’T FORGET – we offer our Coastal Members and regular attendees free access to RightNow Media, an online church video library.  It’s just one of the many ways to express our generosity to our church family.  Essentially, RightNow Media is a Netflix for Bible studies with videos for kids, students, singles, parents and married couples by teachers like Dave Ramsey, John Piper, Max Lucado, Tim Tebow, and more. All the content can be accessed from any computer or smart television and through the RightNow Media app on a phone, tablet, Roku, Apple TV, etc.  If you haven’t already  done so, click here to set up your account!
5. Interested in officially making Coastal your church family by becoming a Member?  Our next Membership Class is Monday night, January 25th, 6pm-8:30pm. You can respond to this email, sign up on our website, or sign up on your Connect Card on Sunday.  You can join us either in-person or online through Zoom.
   
   P.S. Start the New Year off right!  Don’t forget that simply because you are a part of the Coastal family, ALL of Dave Ramsey’s best selling resources and tools are available to you for FREE!  This includes 5 classes (Financial Peace, Legacy Journey, Smart Money Smart Kids, the Jump Start Course and a new Budgeting course), the Everydollar+ budgeting tool, and a host of other resources designed to help families track their progress through the baby steps. You have access to everything for an entire year at your own pace, on your own schedule.  Here’s the link:  https://www.financialpeace.com/hosts/coastalcommunity?pc=94671724.  Sign up today!  We want to be known as a generous church, and we also want to do everything we can to equip our church and community to experience true financial peace in these difficult times!  

First of all, let me just say that I am deeply troubled by what we’re all seeing unfold in our nation.  Honestly, I’m still processing it all, but my heart is broken.  I ask you to join me in praying for our nation.  But while I am troubled, I am not surprised, and more importantly, I am not without hope.  Why?  Because Romans 5:20 says, “But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant.”  You see, I still believe that the light shines brightest in the darkness.  And if we are going to heal, if we are going to overcome the divisive spirit in our land, I believe that we as followers of Jesus have to lead the way.  I’ve said it for years, and I believe it now more than ever, Jesus truly is the ONLY hope of this world – not a President, not a political party, not any policies.  This world is not our home and ultimately our only allegiance is to Jesus and His Kingdom.  Our collective mission is still the same – to share and experience the LIFE and LOVE of Jesus with Charleston and the world!  That’s all that matters, and that is what’s needed now more than ever before.

This Sunday, January 10th, we’re kicking off a new sermon series called, “This Is My Year.”  Each week we’re going to look at a different area of your life where if you will make a commitment to follow through, it will make a huge impact.  And this first area I want us to talk about is the most important one.  It’s the most important one because it affects every other area of your life – your health, your relationships, your finances, your family, everything.  We’re going to talk about your personal relationship with God, your spiritual life.  This is the foundation.  If this is out of whack, if this is out of alignment, nothing else in your life will line up or be all that it could be.  Everything else flows through this.  So, “2021, this is my year to take my next step spiritually.”  We talk a lot about next steps here at Coastal.  Why?  Because everyone has one.  No one has fully arrived.  No one is a  finished product.  We all have next steps to take.  So come this Sunday as we talk about what that looks like in your spiritual life.  And don’t forget that this Sunday we’re back to our 2 regular in-person services at 9:30am & 11:15am.  And as always, all of our services are available online.  If you are online don’t forget to jump on about 10 minutes earlier for our little “pre-show.”  

LIFE & LOVE!
Pastor Chris

Here are this week’s “Friday 5”:

1. Upcoming Outreach Projects:
   Coastal is constantly and continually engaged in being the hands and feet of Jesus in our community.  Here are a few upcoming opportunities! 
   Soldier’s Angels – We’ll be helping with the Veteran’s Mobile Food Distribution, Tuesday, January 12th, 8am-1pm.
   Suburban Hotel Tailgate –  Let’s make an impact together by serving local veterans and persons transitioning from a local homeless shelter in Charleston into permanent housing at the Suburban Hotel in North Charleston!   Saturday, January 16th, 10am-1pm meet at Coastal in the Welcome Center! This is a project that is suitable for the whole family.
   If you are interested in serving in any of these projects, you can sign up on your Connect Card this Sunday.  If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Chris Jones at 843-870-4613.
2. This is it!  This is the LAST WEEK to give toward our Annual Christmas Offering! Our goal is $75,000 (we will announce what we gave on the 17th)!  We are encouraging our entire Coastal family to give above and beyond their regular tithes and offering to this Offering.  To give, all you have to do is designate your gift “Christmas” on your check, offering envelope, card swiping “description”, online through Paypal, or TEXTing (843-277-8337).  You can give your gift  through TEXTing, our website, or our App. 
   
   So what are we going to do with that $75,000?  Mainly 3 things: 1. We’re going to fully fund our 2 current monthly Tailgate Parties where we feed hundreds of people each month.  2. We’re going to buy a “Box Truck”!  We’re super pumped about all the outreach possibilities of this truck – equipment and supply transportation for the tailgate parties, advertising for the church, disaster relief, community events, and more.   3. We’re going to purchase indoor and outdoor playground equipment for our new Children’s facility.  So, start praying about what you and your family can give toward this offering.  Remember, this offering should be over and above what you regularly give.  If you’re not regularly giving (weekly, monthly), use this time of year and this offering to start.  If you’re not tithing (10% of your gross income), step out in faith and start tithing.  Reaching this goal will be a celebration of what God can do through our church as together we stretch our faith.  Again, simply use the the keyword “Christmas” whenever and however you give toward the Christmas Offering.
3. ATTENTION ALL LIFE GROUP LEADERS:  LIFE Group Leader Training will be Tuesday, January 19th, 6:30-8pm OR Saturday, January 23rd, 10-11:30am. (You just need to attend one.)  Both sessions will be offered online or in-person.  Please RSVP on your Connect Card.  If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Scott Huff – 859-230-5129.
4. If you’re fairly new to Coastal, a great next step is our Newcomers Reception.  Our next Newcomers Reception is Sunday, January 10th, in the Welcome Center immediately following the 11:15am service (at approximately 12:30pm).  This will also be available online!  This is a great way to learn more about Coastal, meet staff and key volunteers, as well as meet some other new people.  RSVP online or on your Connect Card.
5. Interested in officially making Coastal your church family by becoming a Member?  Our next Membership Class is Monday night, January 25th, 6pm-8:30pm. You can respond to this email, sign up on our website, or sign up on your Connect Card on Sunday.  You can join us either in-person or online through Zoom.
   
   P.S. Start the New Year off right!  Don’t forget that simply because you are a part of the Coastal family, ALL of Dave Ramsey’s best selling resources and tools are available to you for FREE!  This includes 5 classes (Financial Peace, Legacy Journey, Smart Money Smart Kids, the Jump Start Course and a new Budgeting course), the Everydollar+ budgeting tool, and a host of other resources designed to help families track their progress through the baby steps. You have access to everything for an entire year at your own pace, on your own schedule.  Here’s the link:  https://www.financialpeace.com/hosts/coastalcommunity?pc=94671724.  Sign up today!  We want to be known as a generous church, and we also want to do everything we can to equip our church and community to experience true financial peace in these difficult times!   

Happy New Year everyone!  2021 is finally here!  But guess what?  Jesus is still on the throne, God is still in control, and our mission is still the same – “to share and experience the LIFE and LOVE of Jesus with Charleston and the world!” 

I sincerely hope you and your family have had a wonderful Christmas!  And let me say how awesome Christmas Eve was at Coastal, both in-person and online!  I want to thank all of our volunteers who served so joyfully!  We could not do what we do without you!  I especially want to thank all of our Tech Team & Worship Team who came very early and were here for all 3 services!  There was just something extra special this year, lighting candles and singing together.

For those of you who have had some time off from work this week, I hope you’ve been able to rest, refresh and enjoy spending time with family.  This is a great time of the year to reflect on 2020 (the good and the bad) and dream about 2021.  I’m sure many of you have a love/hate relationships with resolutions.  I get it.  I prefer the word goals.  Over the next several days, I would encourage you to set some goals for 2021 and share them with someone.  There is tremendous power in simply writing them down and then sharing them with someone else.  Categorize your goals – Faith, Family, Fitness, Finances, Friends.  Maybe you like these categories better:  Spiritual, Intellectual, Emotional, Physical, Marital, Parental, Social, Financial, Vocational.  I truly believe that 2021 is going to be a great year at Coastal!  

Well, to help us start off 2021 in the right way, on Sunday, January 10th, we’re kicking off a new sermon series called, “This Is My Year to. . .”  We already have a direction for the series, but I would love to hear how you would respond.  You know, “This is my year to get out of debt. This is my year to grow spiritually. This is my year to forgive. This is my year to lose weight/get healthy.” You get the idea.  So, if you don’t mind, reply to this email and let me know how you would respond.

And as you’re praying about goals and changes you want to make in 2021, can I encourage you to include making Coastal a priority? “This is my year to fall in love again with the local church!”  Jesus called the church His Body, His Bride.  Jesus died for the church.  Jesus started the church.  The church is the Family of God and the only thing that will last on into eternity.  The church is the hope of the world, and when done right, there is nothing greater or more powerful than the local church.  However, there is no perfect church – because the church is made up of people, you and me, and there are no perfect people.  Church attendance/involvement is just like any other habit – it’s easy to make excuses and get out of the habit (especially if you’re trying to stay engaged online).  So, my advice, make a commitment and push through.  If it’s been a while, get back in the habit this Sunday.  If you already attend regularly, maybe it’s time you started serving.  This Saturday, tomorrow at 8:30am, is the first Saturday Serve of the New Year!  I can’t think of a better way to start serving and to kick off the New Year than to come to Saturday Serve (see below).  Maybe this is the semester that you join a LIFE Group.  How does your giving reflect your commitment to the church?  Is it consistent?  Generous?  Maybe this is the year you officially become a Member of Coastal.  Our next Membership Class is Monday night, January 25th, 6-8:30pm.  And how about this – invite and bring someone with you to church (again, in-person OR online)!  You never know the power of a simple invitation.

Don’t forget that we’re only having ONE IN-PERSON SERVICE this Sunday, January 3rd at 9:30am (no 11:15am in-person service)!  However, as always, you can watch all of our services (9:30am, 11:15am, and 6pm) on our Facebook page, our YouTube channel, or at https://coastalcommchurch.churchonline.org.  

Happy New Year!
Pastor Chris

Here are this week’s “Friday 5”:

1. Upcoming Outreach Projects:
   Coastal is constantly and continually engaged in being the hands and feet of Jesus in our community.  Here are this week’s opportunities! 
   Saturday Serve –  The foundation of all of our serving opportunities at Coastal really starts with Saturday Serve – the first Saturday of every month.  The next Saturday Serve is Saturday, January 2nd.  We meet in the Welcome Center/Cafe at 8:30am, project leaders make a “pitch” for their serving opportunity, and then we serve!  Make plans NOW to be there!  I can’t think of a better way to kick off 2021!
   Tricounty Family Ministries –  We will be assisting with their Emergency Grocery Distribution, Wednesday, January 6th, 9am-1pm.
   Soldier’s Angels – We’ll be helping with the Veteran’s Mobile Food Distribution, Tuesday, January 12th, 8am-1pm.
   If you are interested in serving in any of these projects, you can sign up on your Connect Card this Sunday.  If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Chris Jones at 843-870-4613.
2. Our goal for our 8th Annual Christmas Offering is $75,000!  Now through the second Sunday of the New Year, January 10th (2 weeks), we are encouraging our entire Coastal family to give above and beyond their regular tithes and offering to this year’s Christmas Offering.  To give, all you have to do is designate your gift “Christmas” on your check, offering envelope, card swiping “description”, online through Paypal, or TEXTing (843-277-8337).  You can give your gift during these 2 weeks at any of our regular Sunday morning services or anytime through TEXTing, our website, or our App. 
   
   So what are we going to do with that $75,000?  Mainly 3 things: 1. We’re going to fully fund our 2 current monthly Tailgate Parties where we feed hundreds of people each month.  2. We’re going to buy a “Box Truck”!  We’re super pumped about all the outreach possibilities of this truck – equipment and supply transportation for the tailgate parties, advertising for the church, disaster relief, community events, and more.   3. We’re going to purchase indoor and outdoor playground equipment for our new Children’s facility.  So, start praying about what you and your family can give toward this offering.  Remember, this offering should be over and above what you regularly give.  If you’re not regularly giving (weekly, monthly), use this time of year and this offering to start.  If you’re not tithing (10% of your gross income), step out in faith and start tithing.  Reaching this goal will be a celebration of what God can do through our church as together we stretch our faith.  Again, simply use the the keyword “Christmas” whenever and however you give toward the Christmas Offering.
3. ATTENTION ALL LIFE GROUP LEADERS:  please turn in your Group Information by Monday, January 4, – study, day, time, location, style (in-person/online).  LIFE Group Leader Training will be Tuesday, January 19th, 6:30-8pm OR Saturday, January 23rd, 10-11:30am. (You just need to attend one.)  Both sessions will be offered online or in-person.  If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Scott Huff – 859-230-5129.
4. If you’re fairly new to Coastal, a great next step is our Newcomers Reception.  Our next Newcomers Reception is Sunday, January 10th, in the Welcome Center immediately following the 11:15am service (at approximately 12:30pm).  This will also be available online!  This is a great way to learn more about Coastal, meet staff and key volunteers, as well as meet some other new people.  RSVP online or on your Connect Card.
5. Okay Coastal, it’s time to show your generosity once again! Grab an ornament with a teacher wishlist item from a classroom over at Oakland Elementary School. There are books, supplies, small things, big things, and “dream items”! Drop off or ship your gifts to Coastal Community Church (456 Arlington Drive, Charleston, SC 29414) between now and early January.  Label items with the tag number. To claim a tag virtually, email rachel@coastalcommunitychurch.org.
   
   P.S. Start the New Year off right!  Don’t forget that simply because you are a part of the Coastal family, ALL of Dave Ramsey’s best selling resources and tools are available to you for FREE!  This includes 5 classes (Financial Peace, Legacy Journey, Smart Money Smart Kids, the Jump Start Course and a new Budgeting course), the Everydollar+ budgeting tool, and a host of other resources designed to help families track their progress through the baby steps. You have access to everything for an entire year at your own pace, on your own schedule.  Here’s the link:  https://www.financialpeace.com/hosts/coastalcommunity?pc=94671724.  Sign up today!  We want to be known as a generous church, and we also want to do everything we can to equip our church and community to experience true financial peace in these difficult times!

My wife Janet and I and all the Pastors & Staff at Coastal want to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas!  Instead of focusing on how this Christmas may or may not look a little different, or lamenting over how crazy 2020 has been – forget about all of that and simply be PRESENT, right here, right now, TODAY, and focus on the true meaning of Christmas.  

Luke 2:10-11, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.”

Read those words again slowly.  Let each phrase sink in.  Don’t be afraid!  What’s got you locked up in a prison of fear today?  “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”  Good News!  Get off social media, tune out the news and all the negativity of this world and remember that we have GOOD NEWS!  And Good News is always meant to be shared!  Great Joy!  “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  Savior.  Messiah.  Lord.  That’s what Christmas is all about – a Savior has been born, the Messiah, the Lord!  The question is . . . is He yours?  If He is, that’s all that matters today and every day!  Merry Christmas!

Don’t forget that there are NO IN-PERSON SERVICES this Sunday, December 27th!All of our services this Sunday, 9:30am, 11:15am, and 6pm, will be ONLINE ONLY!  As always,  you can watch all of our services on our Facebook page, our YouTube channel, or at https://coastalcommchurch.churchonline.org.  This would be a great week to really help us get the word out about our online services!  Check in on Facebook and share the service!  And also keep in mind that on Sunday, January 3rd, there will only be 1 in-person service, the 9:30am service.  But again, all other services will be online.

Merry Christmas!
Pastor Chris

Here are this week’s “Friday 5”:

1. Upcoming Outreach Projects:
   Coastal is constantly and continually engaged in being the hands and feet of Jesus in our community.  Here are this week’s opportunities! 
   Saturday Serve –  The foundation of all of our serving opportunities at Coastal really starts with Saturday Serve – the first Saturday of every month.  The next Saturday Serve is Saturday, January 2nd.  We meet in the Welcome Center/Cafe at 8:30am, project leaders make a “pitch” for their serving opportunity, and then we serve!  Make plans NOW to be there!  I can’t think of a better way to kick off 2021!
   If you are interested in serving in any of these projects, you can sign up on your Connect Card this Sunday.  If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Chris Jones at 843-870-4613.
2. Our goal for our 8th Annual Christmas Offering is $75,000!  Now through the second Sunday of the New Year, January 10th (3 weeks), we are encouraging our entire Coastal family to give above and beyond their regular tithes and offering to this year’s Christmas Offering.  To give, all you have to do is designate your gift “Christmas” on your check, offering envelope, card swiping “description”, online through Paypal, or TEXTing (843-277-8337).  You can give your gift during these 3 weeks at any of our regular Sunday morning services or anytime through TEXTing, our website, or our App. 
   
   So what are we going to do with that $75,000?  Mainly 3 things: 1. We’re going to fully fund our 2 current monthly Tailgate Parties where we feed hundreds of people each month.  2. We’re going to buy a “Box Truck”!  We’re super pumped about all the outreach possibilities of this truck – equipment and supply transportation for the tailgate parties, advertising for the church, disaster relief, community events, and more.   3. We’re going to purchase indoor and outdoor playground equipment for our new Children’s facility.  So, start praying about what you and your family can give toward this offering.  Remember, this offering should be over and above what you regularly give.  If you’re not regularly giving (weekly, monthly), use this time of year and this offering to start.  If you’re not tithing (10% of your gross income), step out in faith and start tithing.  Reaching this goal will be a celebration of what God can do through our church as together we stretch our faith.  Again, simply use the the keyword “Christmas” whenever and however you give toward the Christmas Offering.
3. We are preparing now for the next semester of LIFE Groups – Winter/Spring 2021!  If you are interested in leading or assisting a LIFE Group, please let us know.  If you have already connected with Pastor Scott about leading a Group, please turn in your Group Information – study, day, time, location, style (in-person/online).  LIFE Group Leader Training will be Tuesday, January 19th, 6:30-8pm OR Saturday, January 23rd, 10-11:30am. (You just need to attend one.)  Both sessions will be offered online or in-person.  If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Scott Huff – 859-230-5129.
4.  If you’re fairly new to Coastal, a great next step is our Newcomers Reception.  Our next Newcomers Reception is Sunday, January 10th, in the Welcome Center immediately following the 11:15am service (at approximately 12:30pm).  This will also be available online!  This is a great way to learn more about Coastal, meet staff and key volunteers, as well as meet some other new people.  RSVP online or on your Connect Card.
5. Okay Coastal, it’s time to show your generosity once again! Grab an ornament with a teacher wishlist item from a classroom over at Oakland Elementary School. There are books, supplies, small things, big things, and “dream items”! Drop off or ship your gifts to Coastal Community Church (456 Arlington Drive, Charleston, SC 29414) between now and early January.  Label items with the tag number. To claim a tag virtually, email rachel@coastalcommunitychurch.org.
   
   P.S. Start the New Year off right!  Don’t forget that simply because you are a part of the Coastal family, ALL of Dave Ramsey’s best selling resources and tools are available to you for FREE!  This includes 5 classes (Financial Peace, Legacy Journey, Smart Money Smart Kids, the Jump Start Course and a new Budgeting course), the Everydollar+ budgeting tool, and a host of other resources designed to help families track their progress through the baby steps. You have access to everything for an entire year at your own pace, on your own schedule.  Here’s the link:  https://www.financialpeace.com/hosts/coastalcommunity?pc=94671724.  Sign up today!  We want to be known as a generous church, and we also want to do everything we can to equip our church and community to experience true financial peace in these difficult times!  

I just wanted to personally invite you to attend one of our 3 Christmas Eve Services this Thursday at Coastal – in-person OR online!  Our service times are 3pm, 4:30pm, & 6pm.  This year’s services are not going to be a “big production.”  We’re going to sing some of your favorite Christmas songs, I’m going to share a message that God has laid on my heart, and we’re going to light candles to remember that Jesus is the Light of the World.  Simple.  The whole service will last under an hour.  But I promise you, it will be just what you need to start Christmas off right!  Nursery (Birth-2 year olds) will be provided at Coastal Kidz, which meets across the street from the church at Orange Grove Middle School, during all 3 services.  We’re inviting all other children to sit in the service with their family (an activity/treat bag will be provided for each child). 

Also, it’s not too late to invite a friend!  People expect to be invited to Christmas Eve services!  Call up that friend, reach out to someone on social media, and invite them to be your guest.  You never know the power of a simple invitation.  This could be the first day of the rest of their life with Jesus!  Can’t wait to see you and your guests in-person OR online!

Merry Christmas!
Pastor Chris

P.S.  Our entire offering on Christmas Eve is going toward our Annual Christmas Offering!  Our Christmas Offering helps to fund all of the community outreach we do here at Coastal.  As always, you can give through our website, our App, or TEXT any amount to 843-277-8337.

I just want to take a moment to share with you a couple of ways how your generosity makes an IMPACT in our community – ways that you might not even realize.  On Friday (yesterday) we were made aware of a need in our community at MUSC Children’s Hospital.  Normally, the Hospital takes drop off toy donations for the children who are staying at the Hospital during Christmas.  However, because of COVID, the decision was made not to do that this year, instead relying on online donations and orders.  They came up short.  So today our church gave $2,000 in gift cards to help purchase toys for the children staying in the Hospital over Christmas.   Here is part of the email we already got back from the Hospital:

• “Thank you so much for your extremely generous gift for the MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital.  We are so incredibly grateful for your willingness to help during this time of need.  Your gift of $2,000 in the form of gift cards will be a huge help in getting our patients toys during their stay in the hospital during the holidays.  I can not thank you enough for your generosity.  We are so incredibly grateful!” 

And then on Thursday of this week our church gave its annual t-shirt gift to all the students, faculty, and teachers at Oakland Elementary School – 685 t-shirts (over $4,600)!  Usually the entire school goes outside and forms a particular picture or sign and takes a big “family picture.”  This year because of COVID each classroom took a picture wearing their shirts holding up a letter that spelled out, “Proud to be an Oakland Orca” (see picture). Today on their last day of school before Christmas Break, I was overwhelmed with hundreds of handwritten thank you notes from the kids and teachers.  And by the way, those same children and teachers donated over 2700 canned goods and non-perishable food items to our Food Bank yesterday!

Coastal, these are just two examples of your generosity in action this week alone – not even counting everything that’s happening today with the Christmas Party at the Suburban Hotel or our Annual Christmas Offering. Now, if you feel led to help cover the cost of the gift to the Children’s Hospital or the t-shirts at Oakland – great – reach out to me and let me know OR better yet, simply give this weekend.  But just know that when I say, “It is the generous, consistent giving of our church that enables us to do everything we do,” I mean it.  Coastal, we are known as a generous church that is making an IMPACT in our community!

When I read 2 Corinthians 9:13-15, I can’t help but think of you, “As a result of your ministry, they will give glory to God. For your generosity to them and to all believers will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ. And they will pray for you with deep affection because of the overflowing grace God has given to you. Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!”  So, thank you Coastal!  Thank you for your continued generosity!  I am so proud to be your Pastor and to serve with you at a church like ours!

Merry Christmas!     

Pastor Chris

It’s here!  It’s here!  What’s here you say?  Our CHRISTMAS PARTY AT THE SUBURBAN HOTEL – this Saturday (TOMORROW), December 19th, 10am-1pm! I hope you are as excited as we are!  All the praying, planning, prepping, and giving have all come down to the actual event itself – where we get to be the hands and feet of Jesus for the people who call the Suburban Hotel home.  If you don’t know, the Suburban Hotel provides transitional housing for homeless Veterans and former residents of the 180 Place Homeless Shelter.  We’ve been serving there for the past 6 months, building a relationship with the residents.  I can’t thank Chris Jones and his amazing Volunteer Team enough for all of their hard work leading up to this weekend.

So, here’s how you can help at this point:

Packing Party:  TONIGHT at 6:30pm we’re meeting in the Welcome Center at Coastal. This will provide us the opportunity to pray together for Saturday and to make final preparations to ensure a smooth-running event. We’ll break down into several teams: Stocking packing, gift preparation, kitchen preparation, coffee bar staging, and equipment staging. Each team will be explained on Friday evening. Remember, many hands will make for quick work. So, if you can make it, we’d love for you to come.

Christmas at the Suburban:  On Saturday morning (TOMORROW), December 19th the church will be open at 8am. We’ll be setting up chairs for Sunday in the auditorium and setting up Coastal Kidz across the street at Orange Grove Middle School (both things have to happen each week).  We’ll need volunteers doing both.  If you are donating any food items, please bring them to the church between 8am-9am.  In fact, if you are volunteering for the event itself, please plan on being at the church by 9am. We’ll provide another briefing, pray and load everything for the trip to the Suburban. If you’ve ever been to a Saturday Serve – the format will be very similar. The plan/goal is to be at the Suburban between 10-10:15am setting up for the event.  The Suburban Hotel is located on Dorchester Road right across the road from the Harley Davidson dealership off of Hwy. 526.

Please have all donations for the stockings and gifts at the church by TODAY at 12noon. This will help with the staging for the Packing Party tonight. Also, be sure to wear your “Making an Impact” t-shirt on Saturday! We’re going to flood the Suburban with a sea of Coastal Blue! If you need a Coastal t-shirt, we’ll have them available on both Friday night and again on Saturday morning.  Children are more than welcome, and in fact, they are regularly with us on the Tailgates. If they are coming to serve, simply remember that they are your responsibility to watch them and keep them safe.

It’s going to be an amazing weekend!  Please continue to pray for people to not only see Jesus, but to come to know Him personally!  We as a church, can’t save anyone, but we know who can, and it’s our job to plant seeds and point people to Jesus. 

If you have any questions, please reach out to Chris Jones – (843) 870-4613. I can’t wait to see everyone over the weekend!

Merry Christmas!
Pastor Chris

Here are this week’s “Friday 5”:

1. Upcoming Outreach Projects:
   Coastal is constantly and continually engaged in being the hands and feet of Jesus in our community.  Here are this week’s opportunities! 
   Lowcountry Orphan Relief –  Lowcountry Orphan Relief provides support services and aid to meet the needs of Lowcountry children identified as at-risk or suffering from abandonment, abuse and/or neglect. Coastal has a long standing relationship with LOR and on Friday (TODAY), December 18th, 9am-11am we’re sending a team to build emergency care kits for children in the community. We meet at 1850 Truxton Ave in North Charleston.
   Saturday Serve –  The foundation of all of our serving opportunities at Coastal really starts with Saturday Serve – the first Saturday of every month.  The next Saturday Serve is Saturday, January 2nd.  We meet in the Welcome Center/Cafe at 8:30am, project leaders make a “pitch” for their serving opportunity, and then we serve!  Make plans NOW to be there!  I can’t think of a better way to kick off 2021!
   If you are interested in serving in any of these projects, you can sign up on your Connect Card this Sunday.  If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Chris Jones at 843-870-4613.  
2. Our goal for our 8th Annual Christmas Offering is $75,000!  Now through the second Sunday of the New Year, January 10th (4 weeks), we are encouraging our entire Coastal family to give above and beyond their regular tithes and offering to this year’s Christmas Offering.  To give, all you have to do is designate your gift “Christmas” on your check, offering envelope, card swiping “description”, online through Paypal, or TEXTing (843-277-8337).  You can give your gift during these 4 weeks at any of our regular Sunday morning services or anytime through TEXTing, our website, or our App.  You might also consider giving it all at once during one of our 3 Christmas Eve Services (Thursday, December 24th, 3pm, 4:30pm, & 6pm).  Our entire Christmas Eve offering will go toward our Annual Christmas Offering. 
   
   So what are we going to do with that $75,000?  Mainly 3 things: 1. We’re going to fully fund our 2 current monthly Tailgate Parties where we feed hundreds of people each month.  2. We’re going to buy a “Box Truck”!  We’re super pumped about all the outreach possibilities of this truck – equipment and supply transportation for the tailgate parties, advertising for the church, disaster relief, community events, and more.   3. We’re going to purchase indoor and outdoor playground equipment for our new Children’s facility.  So, start praying about what you and your family can give toward this offering.  Remember, this offering should be over and above what you regularly give.  If you’re not regularly giving (weekly, monthly), use this time of year and this offering to start.  If you’re not tithing (10% of your gross income), step out in faith and start tithing.  Reaching this goal will be a celebration of what God can do through our church as together we stretch our faith.  Again, simply use the the keyword “Christmas” whenever and however you give toward the Christmas Offering.
3. We are preparing now for the next semester of LIFE Groups – Winter/Spring 2021!  If you are interested in leading or assisting a LIFE Group, please let us know.  If you have already connected with Pastor Scott about leading a Group, please turn in your Group Information – study, day, time, location, style (in-person/online).  LIFE Group Leader Training will be Tuesday, January 19th, 6:30-8pm OR Saturday, January 23rd, 10-11:30am. (You just need to attend one.)  Both sessions will be offered online or in-person.  If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Scott Huff – 859-230-5129.
4. We’re having 3 special Family Christmas Eve services with nursery provided on Thursday, December 24th at 3pm, 4:30pm, and 6pm.  Coastal Volunteers make sure you reach out to your Ministry Team Leaders about signing up to serve.  Most importantly, be praying about who you will invite and bring.  Also, please make note that the Sunday after Christmas (December 27th), services will be online only – no in-person services.
5. Okay Coastal, it’s time to show your generosity once again! Grab an ornament with a teacher wishlist item from a classroom over at Oakland Elementary School. There are books, supplies, small things, big things, and “dream items”! Drop off or ship your gifts to Coastal Community Church (456 Arlington Drive, Charleston, SC 29414) over the next few weeks. Gifts can even be dropped off in early January.  Label items with the tag number. To claim a tag virtually, email rachel@coastalcommunitychurch.org.
   
   P.S. Don’t forget that simply because you are a part of the Coastal family, ALL of Dave Ramsey’s best selling resources and tools are available to you for FREE!  This includes 5 classes (Financial Peace, Legacy Journey, Smart Money Smart Kids, the Jump Start Course and a new Budgeting course), the Everydollar+ budgeting tool, and a host of other resources designed to help families track their progress through the baby steps. You have access to everything for an entire year at your own pace, on your own schedule.  Here’s the link:  https://www.financialpeace.com/hosts/coastalcommunity?pc=94671724.  Sign up today!  We want to be known as a generous church, and we also want to do everything we can to equip our church and community to experience true financial peace in these difficult times!

First of all, before I give you the details about this weekend, I want to brag on you for just a moment.  This past Sunday I told you that we still needed about $700 to purchase 70 more (100 total) Bus Passes to give away at the Christmas Party at the Suburban Hotel this Saturday.  Honestly, I made a pretty strong plea that we should have no problem reaching that goal by the end of services on Sunday and that we also needed personal hygiene items (soap, shampoo, deodorant, shaving supplies, etc).  Well, the generosity of our church never ceases to amaze me!  Coastal, you guys gave 4 times what we needed for the Bus Passes and personal hygiene items have been pouring in!  We literally have everything we need and more!  With the extra money that came in we’ll be able to get everything we need for Saturday, plus it will help purchase food for other Tailgate Parties there at the Suburban in the months ahead.

And let me just say this: that’s exactly what our Christmas Offering is all about – OUTREACH!  This year’s offering will help purchase food and supplies for both monthly Tailgate Parties, a wrapped box truck that will be used for both Tailgate Parties, community outreach, and disaster relief, and playground equipment for our new facility.  Our goal this year is BIG – our biggest ever – $75,000!  Honestly, at first I thought that might be too big of a number during a pandemic.  But get this, right now we are already over $46,000!  I believe that we can reach our goal and exceed it before January 10th (the last Sunday to give toward it).  This will be the last update on the number.  You’ll have to wait until after January 10th to hear the final number.  So pray about what God wants you to give and go for it!  Simply use the keyword “Christmas” however and whenever you give towards the Christmas Offering.

Now, back to the Christmas Party at the Suburban.  I’m hoping you are as excited as we are!  We’ve prayed, we’ve planned, we’ve given, and now get to experience the Lord’s hand at work in the lives of the people who call the Suburban home!

Here’s how you can help at this point:

Packing Party:

On Friday night, December 18th at 6:30pm we’re meeting in the Welcome Center at Coastal. This will provide us the opportunity to pray together for Saturday and to make final preparations to ensure a smooth-running event. We’ll break down into several teams: Stocking packing, gift preparation, kitchen preparation, coffee bar staging, and equipment staging. Each team will be explained on Friday evening. Remember, many hands will make for quick work. So, if you can make it, we’d love for you to come. 

Christmas at the Suburban:

On Saturday morning, December 19th the church will be open at 8am. We’ll be setting up chairs for Sunday in the auditorium and setting up Coastal Kidz across the street at Orange Grove Middle School (Both things have to happen each week).  We’ll need volunteers doing both.  If you are donating any food items, you can bring them to the church as early as 8am. However, we will need all food items at the church by 9am. In fact, if you are volunteering for the event itself, please plan on being at the church at 9am. We’ll provide another briefing, pray and load everything for the trip to the Suburban. If you’ve ever been to a Saturday Serve – the format will be very similar. The plan/goal is to be at the Suburban between 10-10:15am setting up for the event.

Please help us by having donations for the stockings and gifts at the church by Friday at 12noon. This will help with the staging for the Packing Party occurring on Friday night. Also, be sure to wear your “Making an Impact” t-shirt on Saturday! We’re going to flood the Suburban with a sea of Coastal Blue! If you need a Coastal t-shirt, we’ll have them available on both Friday night and again on Saturday morning. 

Children are more than welcome, and in fact, they are regularly with us on the Tailgates. If they are coming to serve, simply remember that they are your responsibility to watch them and keep them safe. 

It’s going to be an amazing weekend!  Please pray daily for this event – most importantly for people to not only see Jesus, but to come to know Him personally!  We as a church, can’t save anyone, but we know who can, and it’s our job to plant seeds and point people to Jesus. So, please pray in these final few days.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Chris Jones – (843) 870-4613. I am so thankful for Chris and his amazing team of volunteers who have laid all the ground work for this event.  I can’t wait to see everyone over the weekend! 

LIFE & LOVE,
Pastor Chris

Let me go ahead and cut to the chase.  If you want to make an IMPACT this Christmas, if you want a practical way to be the hands and feet of Jesus in our community. . . help us put on a huge Christmas Party for the residents of the Suburban Hotel, on Saturday, December 19th, 9am-1pm!  It’s going to be one of our biggest outreach events of the year for our church!  The Suburban Hotel provides transitional housing for homeless Veterans and former residents of the 180 Place Homeless Shelter.  We’ve been serving there for the past 6 months, building a relationship with the residents.  The Suburban Hotel is located on Dorchester Road right across the road from the Harley Davidson dealership off of Hwy. 526.We’re planning on serving a holiday meal with turkey and sides. We’re collecting items to build a personal care package for each resident that includes things like soap, shampoo, and other personal items. We are going to provide gifts (candles for the women and travel mugs for the men) to go along with those personal item care kits. We’re also going to provide a Christmas stocking stuffed full of fun and practical items. We’re going to have Christmas music, a tree, and even Santa might make an appearance!  This will be an event for the whole family! 

There are three links below. Each link will lead you to an area of need: the food, the gifts, or the stockings. Choose where you’d like to contribute, click on the link, choose the items you’d like to provide, and then sign-up!

To help with the Christmas meal click here:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4AADAD28A0FBC16-christmas

To help with the Christmas gifts click here:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E44ADAB2CA0F94-suburban

To help with the Christmas stockings click here:
https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/10c0c4cada929abf58-stockingsYou can also sign up on your Connect Card on Sunday or contact Pastor Chris Jones at 843-870-4613 for more details.  I love you Coastal and I love your heart for serving our community!  Thank you in advance for your generosity!

Merry Christmas!
Pastor Chris

Here are this week’s “Friday 5”:

1. Upcoming Outreach Projects:
   Coastal is constantly and continually engaged in being the hands and feet of Jesus in our community.  Here are this week’s opportunities! 
   Soldier’s Angels – We’ll be helping with the Veteran’s Mobile Food Distribution, (TODAY) Friday, December 11th, 8am-1pm.
   Tricounty Family Ministries –  We will be assisting with their Emergency Grocery Distribution, Wednesday, December 16th, 9am-12noon.
   Lowcountry Orphan Relief –  Lowcountry Orphan Relief provides support services and aid to meet the needs of Lowcountry children identified as at-risk or suffering from abandonment, abuse and/or neglect. Coastal has a long standing relationship with LOR and on Friday, December 18th, 9am-11am we’re sending a team to build emergency care kits for children in the community. We meet at 1850 Truxton Ave in North Charleston.
   If you are interested in serving in any of these projects, you can sign up on your Connect Card this Sunday.  If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Chris Jones at 843-870-4613. 
2. Our goal for our 8th Annual Christmas Offering is $75,000!  Now through the second Sunday of the New Year, January 10th (5 weeks), we are encouraging our entire Coastal family to give above and beyond their regular tithes and offering to this year’s Christmas Offering.  To give, all you have to do is designate your gift “Christmas” on your check, offering envelope, card swiping “description”, online through Paypal, or TEXTing (843-277-8337).  You can give your gift during these 5 weeks at any of our regular Sunday morning services or anytime through TEXTing, our website, or our App.  You might also consider giving it all at once during one of our 3 Christmas Eve Services (Thursday, December 24th, 3pm, 4:30pm, & 6pm).  Our entire Christmas Eve offering will go toward our Annual Christmas Offering. 
   
   So what are we going to do with that $75,000?  Mainly 3 things: 1. We’re going to fully fund our 2 current monthly Tailgate Parties where we feed hundreds of people each month.  2. We’re going to buy a “Box Truck”!  We’re super pumped about all the outreach possibilities of this truck – equipment and supply transportation for the tailgate parties, advertising for the church, disaster relief, community events, and more.   3. We’re going to purchase indoor and outdoor playground equipment for our new Children’s facility.  So, start praying about what you and your family can give toward this offering.  Remember, this offering should be over and above what you regularly give.  If you’re not regularly giving (weekly, monthly), use this time of year and this offering to start.  If you’re not tithing (10% of your gross income), step out in faith and start tithing.  Reaching this goal will be a celebration of what God can do through our church as together we stretch our faith.  Again, simply use the the keyword “Christmas” whenever and however you give toward the Christmas Offering. 
3. We are beginning to prepare for the next semester of LIFE Groups – Winter/Spring 2021!  If you are possibly interested in leading or assisting a LIFE Group in 2021, please let us know.  You don’t have to have it all figured out yet – study, day, time, location, style (in-person/online) – we’re just curious if you’re interested.  If you are, please reach out to Pastor Scott Huff or simply respond to this email.
4. We’re having 3 special Family Christmas Eve services with nursery provided on Thursday, December 24th at 3pm, 4:30pm, and 6pm.  Coastal Volunteers make sure you reach out to your Ministry Team Leaders about signing up to serve.  Most importantly, be praying about who you will invite and bring.  Also, please make note that the Sunday after Christmas (December 27th), services will be online only – no in-person services.
5. Okay Coastal, it’s time to show your generosity once again! Grab an ornament with a teacher wishlist item from a classroom over at Oakland Elementary School. There are books, supplies, small things, big things, and “dream items”! Drop off or ship your gifts to Coastal Community Church (456 Arlington Drive, Charleston, SC 29414) over the next few weeks. Label items with the tag number. To claim a tag virtually, email rachel@coastalcommunitychurch.org.
   
   P.S. DON’T FORGET – we offer our Coastal Members and regular attendees free access to RightNow Media, an online church video library.  It’s just one of the many ways to express our generosity to our church family.  Essentially, RightNow Media is a Netflix for Bible studies with videos for kids, students, singles, parents and married couples by teachers like Dave Ramsey, John Piper, Max Lucado, Tim Tebow, and more. All the content can be accessed from any computer or smart television and through the RightNow Media app on a phone, tablet, Roku, Apple TV, etc.  If you haven’t already  done so, click here to set up your account!

“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!”  If you happened to be at the church yesterday, you would have heard me singing those words loudly over and over again.  I’m a big believer in “the best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear!”  But can you believe that it’s now December and Christmas is exactly 3 weeks from today!!  Some of you are excited, but many of you are now panicking!  But the reason I kept singing that line is because we were decorating the church for Christmas!  I can’t wait for you to see it on Sunday!  Plus we’re kicking off our “Christmas at Coastal” series this Sunday!  The theme of this year’s Christmas series is one of hope.  Each week we’ll be looking at different people in the Christmas story and talking about how Jesus came to bring them hope.  This Sunday, I’ll be talking about an old couple that often gets overlooked in the Christmas story – Elizabeth and Zechariah.  If you’d like to prepare yourself for the message, go ahead and read Luke chapter 1.

By the way, this is a great time of the year to invite and bring someone to church – in-person OR online.  People are truly hurting and they are searching for help and hope.  They just need a simple invitation and nudge from you.

Speaking of help and hope, tomorrow, Saturday, December 5th, is one of my favorite days of the month – Saturday Serve!  We meet in the Welcome Center/Cafe at 8:30am, project leaders make a “pitch” for their serving opportunity, and then we go out and serve our community!  It’s that simple, and it doesn’t take the whole day.  Most projects are completed by 12noon.  Make plans, NOW to be there!  Consider that a “nudge” from me!

Merry Christmas!
Pastor Chris

Here are this week’s “Friday 5”:

1. Upcoming Outreach Projects:
   Coastal is constantly and continually engaged in being the hands and feet of Jesus in our community.  Here are this week’s opportunities! 
   Saturday Serve –  The foundation of all of our serving opportunities at Coastal really starts with Saturday Serve – the first Saturday of every month.  The next Saturday Serve is tomorrow, Saturday, December 5th.  
   Soldier’s Angels – We’ll be helping with the Veteran’s Mobile Food Distribution, Friday, December 11th, 8am-1pm.
   Tricounty Family Ministries –  We will be assisting with their Emergency Grocery Distribution, Wednesday, December 16th, 9am-12noon.
   Lowcountry Orphan Relief –  Lowcountry Orphan Relief provides support services and aid to meet the needs of Lowcountry children identified as at-risk or suffering from abandonment, abuse and/or neglect. Coastal has a long standing relationship with LOR and on Friday, December 18th, 9am-11am we’re sending a team to build emergency care kits for children in the community. We meet at 1850 Truxton Ave in North Charleston.
   If you are interested in serving in any of these projects, you can sign up on your Connect Card this Sunday.  If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Chris Jones at 843-870-4613. 
2. We recently announced our Annual Christmas Offering! Our goal is $75,000!  Now through the second Sunday of the New Year, January 10th (6 weeks), we are encouraging our entire Coastal family to give above and beyond their regular tithes and offering to this year’s Christmas Offering.  To give, all you have to do is designate your gift “Christmas” on your check, offering envelope, card swiping “description”, online through Paypal, or TEXTing (843-277-8337).  You can give your gift during these 6 weeks at any of our regular Sunday morning services or anytime through TEXTing, our website, or our App.  You might also consider giving it all at once during one of our 3 Christmas Eve Services (Thursday, December 24th, 3pm, 4:30pm, & 6pm).  Our entire Christmas Eve offering will go toward our Annual Christmas Offering. 
   
   So what are we going to do with that $75,000?  Mainly 3 things: 1. We’re going to fully fund our 2 current monthly Tailgate Parties where we feed hundreds of people each month.  2. We’re going to buy a “Box Truck”!  We’re super pumped about all the outreach possibilities of this truck – equipment and supply transportation for the tailgate parties, advertising for the church, disaster relief, community events, and more.   3. We’re going to purchase indoor and outdoor playground equipment for our new Children’s facility.  So, start praying about what you and your family can give toward this offering.  Remember, this offering should be over and above what you regularly give.  If you’re not regularly giving (weekly, monthly), use this time of year and this offering to start.  If you’re not tithing (10% of your gross income), step out in faith and start tithing.  Reaching this goal will be a celebration of what God can do through our church as together we stretch our faith.  Again, simply use the the keyword “Christmas” whenever and however you give toward the Christmas Offering.
3. We are beginning to prepare for the next semester of LIFE Groups – Winter/Spring 2021!  If you are possibly interested in leading or assisting a LIFE Group in 2021, please let us know.  You don’t have to have it all figured out yet – study, day, time, location, style (in-person/online) – we’re just curious if you’re interested.  If you are, please reach out to Pastor Scott Huff or simply respond to this email.
4. Our “Christmas at Coastal” series kicks off on Sunday, December 6th!  We’ll have 3 special Family Christmas Eve services with nursery provided on Thursday, December 24th at 3pm, 4:30pm, and 6pm.  Coastal Volunteers make sure you reach out to your Ministry Team Leaders about signing up to serve.  Most importantly, be praying about who you will invite and bring.  Also, please make note that the Sunday after Christmas (December 27th), services will be online only – no in-person services.
5. Christmas at the Suburban Hotel!  The Suburban Hotel provides transitional housing for homeless Veterans and former residents of the 180 Place Homeless Shelter.  On Saturday, December 19th, 9am-1pm, Coastal is going to throw an Outdoor Christmas Party & Traditional Holiday Meal for all the folks at the Suburban!  We’re planning on serving a holiday meal with turkey and sides. We’re collecting items to build a personal care package for each resident that includes things like soap, shampoo, and other personal items. We are going to provide gifts (candles for the women and travel mugs for the men) to go along with those personal item care kits. We’re also going to provide a Christmas stocking stuffed full of fun and practical items. We’re going to have Christmas music, a tree, and even Santa might make an appearance. 
   
   There are three links below. Each link will lead you to an area of need: the food, the gifts, or the stockings. Choose where you’d like to contribute, click on the link, choose the items you’d like to provide, then and sign-up!
   
   To help with the Christmas meal click here:
   https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4AADAD28A0FBC16-christmas
   
   To help with the Christmas gifts click here:
   https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E44ADAB2CA0F94-suburban
   
   To help with the Christmas stockings click here:
   https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/10c0c4cada929abf58-stockings
   
   You can also ign up on your Connect Card on Sunday or contact Pastor Chris Jones at 843-870-4613 for more details.

I hope you and your family truly had a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday!  Today is traditionally called “Black Friday.”  And then next week we have “Cyber Monday” and “Giving Tuesday”!  Regardless of what labels we assign these days, the reality is that more people will buy more STUFF online this weekend and over the next month than any other time of the year. That’s not a bad thing, BUT it isn’t eternal.  Our church exists to share and experience the LIFE and LOVE of Jesus with Charleston & the world – and that IS eternal!

So, while you’re shopping online today and over the next month, why not consider doing one of 2 things.  And here’s my CYBER OFFER: 100% of your investment will go to reaching people for Jesus!

1. Go here and give to God through the local church from our website. The investment is eternal.  It lasts way longer than a big screen, toy, or new shoes.
    
2. Many people give to Coastal with their smartphone through TEXTING!  After a one step, one time registration process (takes less than 2 minutes), you simply text any amount to 843-277-8337 and hit send.  GIVE IT A TRY!  You can give any amount, any where, any time, any place.  It is not billed to your phone.  It is through your Bank/Credit Card that you register.  It is simple, safe, and secure.

Today would be a great time to start giving toward our Christmas Offering – simply use the keyword “Christmas” (see below).  Each and every gift counts – small and large.  We can’t all give the same amount, but we can each sacrifice.  And when all of us do that together, that’s when God does a miracle.

As I look back over 2020, one of the Groups/Ministries that we started that I’m so very thankful for and excited about is our Grief Share Support Group (thanks Sue & Freeda)!  Well, there are several other Support Groups/Ministries that we’re interested in seeing established at Coastal.  Here are just a few:  Divorce Care.  Divorce Care is actually an established Ministry by the same folks who support Grief Share.  It is a recovery support group where you can find help and healing for the hurt of separation and divorce.  Celebrate Recovery.  Celebrate Recovery is a Christ-centered, 12 step recovery program for anyone struggling with hurt, pain or addiction of any kind.  Military Families.  We don’t have a name for this, but with our large number of Military families in Charleston we’d like to create a support group for families with a spouse that is on deployment. Foster/Adoption Family Support Ministry.  This might be a team of people who help organize help and support for Foster Families.  

Now, for any Ministry/Group to get started and to grow and thrive, there has to be both a need and it has to have a leader who feels called to lead.  Usually, it’s just a matter of timing.  So, if you would be interested in any of these Ministries and most importantly, if you might possibly feel called to lead one, please respond to this email and let’s dream a little bit and start a conversation. 

Happy Shopping (and Giving)!
Pastor Chris

Here are this week’s “Friday 5”:

1. Upcoming Outreach Projects:
   Coastal is constantly and continually engaged in being the hands and feet of Jesus in our community.  Here are this week’s opportunities! 
   Tricounty Family Ministries –  We will be assisting with their Emergency Grocery Distribution, Wednesday, December 2nd, from 9am until 12noon.
   Saturday Serve –  The foundation of all of our serving opportunities at Coastal really starts with Saturday Serve – the first Saturday of every month.  The next Saturday Serve is Saturday, December 5th.  We meet in the Welcome Center/Cafe at 8:30am, project leaders make a “pitch” for their serving opportunity, and then we serve!  Make plans NOW to be there!
   Soldier’s Angels – We’ll be helping with the Veteran’s Mobile Food Distribution, Friday, December 11th, 8am-1pm. 
   If you are interested in serving in any of these projects, you can sign up on your Connect Card this Sunday.  If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Chris Jones at 843-870-4613. 
2. We recently announced our Annual Christmas Offering! Our goal is $75,000!  Now through the second Sunday of the New Year, January 10th (7 weeks), we are encouraging our entire Coastal family to give above and beyond their regular tithes and offering to this year’s Christmas Offering.  To give, all you have to do is designate your gift “Christmas” on your check, offering envelope, card swiping “description”, online through Paypal, or TEXTing (843-277-8337).  You can give your gift during these 8 weeks at any of our regular Sunday morning services or anytime through TEXTing, our website, or our App.  You might also consider giving it all at once during one of our 3 Christmas Eve Services (Thursday, December 24th, 3pm, 4:30pm, & 6pm).  Our entire Christmas Eve offering will go toward our Annual Christmas Offering. 
   
   So what are we going to do with that $75,000?  Mainly 3 things: 1. We’re going to fully fund our 2 current monthly Tailgate Parties where we feed hundreds of people each month.  2. We’re going to buy a “Box Truck”!  We’re super pumped about all the outreach possibilities of this truck – equipment and supply transportation for the tailgate parties, advertising for the church, disaster relief, community events, and more.   3. We’re going to purchase indoor and outdoor playground equipment for our new Children’s facility.  So, start praying about what you and your family can give toward this offering.  Remember, this offering should be over and above what you regularly give.  If you’re not regularly giving (weekly, monthly), use this time of year and this offering to start.  If you’re not tithing (10% of your gross income), step out in faith and start tithing.  Reaching this goal will be a celebration of what God can do through our church as together we stretch our faith.  Again, simply use the the keyword “Christmas” whenever and however you give toward the Christmas Offering.
3. As we quickly approach the end of our Fall Semester of LIFE Groups, we are beginning to prepare for the next semester in the new year.  If you are possibly interested in leading or assisting a LIFE Group in 2021, please let us know.  You don’t have to have it all figured out yet – study, day, time, location, style (in-person/online) – we’re just curious if you’re interested.  If you are, please reach out to Pastor Scott Huff or simply respond to this email.
4. Our “Christmas at Coastal” series kicks off on Sunday, December 6th!  We’ll have 3 special Family Christmas Eve services with nursery provided on Thursday, December 24th at 3pm, 4:30pm, and 6pm.  Coastal Volunteers make sure you reach out to your Ministry Team Leaders about signing up to serve.  Most importantly, be praying about who you will invite and bring.  Also, please make note that the Sunday after Christmas (December 27th), services will be online only – no in-person services.
5. Christmas at the Suburban Hotel!  On Saturday, December 19th, 9am-1pm, Coastal is going to throw an Outdoor Christmas Party & Traditional Holiday Meal for all the folks at the Suburban!  We need your help to prepare, provide, and serve an outdoor meal for the transitional residents complete with a lit Christmas Tree, holiday music, wrapped gifts, and holiday themed blessing bags!  Sign up on your Connect Card on Sunday or contact Pastor Chris Jones at 843-870-4613 for more details.
   
   P.S. There is NO Coastal Kidz set up this Saturday (tomorrow) morning at 8:30am.  We were able to leave it all up this week!  However, we would LOVE for you to join us next Saturday!  If you are interested in being a part of the Coastal Kidz Set-Up Team, respond to this email or reach out to Janet Rollins at 843-442-8299 or just show up on a Saturday morning (but not tomorrow).  Volunteering even just once a month makes a huge IMPACT!

With all this talk of everyone’s Thanksgiving Dinner looking different this year, I thought I’d share a few ways you might try to “liven up” your gathering:

• When everyone goes around to say what they are thankful for, say, “I’m thankful I didn’t get caught,” and refuse to say anything more.
• Open the oven, shove a brick of velveeta into the turkey while it cooks. Tell mom it adds the coolest flavor.
• Suck your cranberry sauce loudly through a straw. 
• Hold your nose while you eat.
• Recite the tragic and abusive conditions known to exist at turkey farms.
• Mid-meal turn to mom and say, “See mom, I told you they wouldn’t notice, you were worried for nothing”.

If you have any other suggestions I’d love to hear them!  Okay, now that that’s out of the way, I just want to take a moment to wish you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving and tell you how very thankful I am for you and for the privilege and honor of being your Pastor.  Paul’s words in Philippians 1:3 are very real to me, “Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.”

Each year brings with it ups and downs, joys and sorrows, big & small changes – and 2020 has been no exception.  Through it all, it is my prayer that we are a grateful people and just a little bit more like Jesus.  It is my prayer, that in the midst of all the hustle and bustle of today and this weekend, that you will choose to see all the blessings in your life and be reminded that the greatest of those is that you belong to Jesus!  

Read Ephesians 1:3-8 and be reminded of just some of your blessings today: “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. 4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. 6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.  7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. 8 He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.”  

Whether you and your family are here in Charleston or out of town this weekend, I hope to see you at Coastal on Sunday – in-person or online!  However, remember we are only having 1 in-person service this Sunday – 9:30am.  As always, the service will be online at 9:30am, 11:15am, and 6pm. We kick off our “Christmas at Coastal” series on Sunday, December 6th.  Take advantage of this season and this series and invite your friends to church!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Pastor Chris

P.S. This weekend & the week ahead will see the largest traffic of onlline shopping of the year!  While you’re shopping, don’t forget that you can also GIVE ONLINE.  You can give through our website, our App, or TEXT any amount to 843-277-8337. It’s simple, safe, secure, and convenient!  This would be a great weekend to give to our Christmas Offering!  Simply use the keyword, “Christmas.”

Next week is THANKSGIVING! When I think about Thanksgiving, this one particular passage always comes to mind:  Luke 17:11-19, “As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. As he entered a village there, ten men with leprosy stood at a distance, crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”  He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.”  And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy. One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!”  He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine?  Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?”  And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.”

“Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine?” – piercing words from Jesus.  It’s sad to say, but sometimes it seems as though the statistics (1 out of 10) haven’t changed that much.  Which group would you be in?  Would you be with the nine, the majority, who wanted and received a great blessing from God, but refused to give Him thanks?  Or would you be like the one, who knew he had been greatly blessed, who recognized it came from the Lord, and who personally made the effort to give Him thanks?

There was an old chorus we used to sing years ago simply entitled, “Give Thanks.”  It went like this, “Give thanks with a grateful heart, Give thanks to the Holy One, Give thanks because He’s given Jesus Christ, His Son.  And now let the weak say, ‘I am strong’, Let the poor say, ‘I am rich, Because of what the Lord has done for us’, Give thanks.”

I can think of no greater reason to be thankful – “because He’s given Jesus Christ, His Son.”  How are you expressing your thanks?  I’m sure the nine lepers were glad they were healed, but remember, only one actually made a physical effort to express it.  When we gather together (online or in-person) to worship God on Sunday mornings and God asks, “Where are the others?  Weren’t they all blessed?” which group are you in?  When we remember the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf by taking the Lord’s Supper and God asks, “Where are the others?  Didn’t my Son die for them all?” which group are you in?  When we take up our offering to reach our community and world for Christ and God asks, “Where is the rest?  Haven’t they all been blessed?” which group are you in?  When ministry opportunities arise and God asks, “Where are the others?” which group are you in?  When God sees so many people who need someone to build a friendship with them, to reach out to them, to invite them to a church or a LIFE Group, and yet He sees only a very few doing it and He asks, “Where are the others?” which group are you in?

Let’s do our best to be in the group that expresses our thanks with every aspect of our lives.  And let’s be like the one who was healed who “fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done.“

Have a great Friday!  Hope to see you Sunday morning for worship, in-person or online, 9:30am & 11:15am!  Whether you are in-person or online don’t forget to “share” our services on Facebook.  And if you are online, don’t forget to join me about 10 minutes before the service for our little “pre-service show”!  Oh and speaking of Sunday services, there will only be one in-person service on Sunday, November 29th (the Sunday after Thanksgiving) at 9:30am.

Giving Thanks for You Always!
Pastor Chris

Here are this week’s “Friday 5”:

1. Upcoming Outreach Projects:
   Coastal is constantly and continually engaged in being the hands and feet of Jesus in our community.  Here are this week’s opportunities! 
   Lowcountry Orphan Relief –  Today Friday, November 20th from 9am-11am we’re sending a team to serve.  We meet at 1850 Truxton Ave in North Charleston.
   Suburban Hotel Tailgate –  Tomorrow, Saturday, November 21st from 10am-1pm we’re sending a Tailgate Team who will provide grilled burgers and hot dogs for those in need. We meet at Coastal in the Welcome Center! This is a project that is suitable for the whole family.
   Tricounty Family Ministries –  We will be assisting with a special Thanksgiving Meal Preparation and Distribution, Tuesday November 24th & Wednesday, November 25th, from 9am until 12noon.
   If you are interested in serving in any of these projects, you can sign up on your Connect Card this Sunday.  If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Chris Jones at 843-870-4613. 
2. We announced our Annual Christmas Offering last week! Our goal is $75,000!  Now through the second Sunday of the New Year, January 10th (8 weeks), we are encouraging our entire Coastal family to give above and beyond their regular tithes and offering to this year’s Christmas Offering.  To give, all you have to do is designate your gift “Christmas” on your check, offering envelope, card swiping “description”, online through Paypal, or TEXTing (843-277-8337).  You can give your gift during these 8 weeks at any of our regular Sunday morning services or anytime through TEXTing, our website, or our App.  You might also consider giving it all at once during one of our 3 Christmas Eve Services (Thursday, December 24th, 3pm, 4:30pm, & 6pm).  Our entire Christmas Eve offering will go toward our Annual Christmas Offering. |
   
   So what are we going to do with that $75,000?  Mainly 3 things: 1. We’re going to fully fund our 2 current monthly Tailgate Parties where we feed hundreds of people each month.  2. We’re going to buy a “Box Truck”!  We’re super pumped about all the outreach possibilities of this truck – equipment and supply transportation for the tailgate parties, advertising for the church, disaster relief, community events, and more.   3. We’re going to purchase indoor and outdoor playground equipment for our new Children’s facility.  So, start praying about what you and your family can give toward this offering.  Remember, this offering should be over and above what you regularly give.  If you’re not regularly giving (weekly, monthly), use this time of year and this offering to start.  If you’re not tithing (10% of your gross income), step out in faith and start tithing.  Reaching this goal will be a celebration of what God can do through our church as together we stretch our faith.  Again, simply use the the keyword “Christmas” whenever and however you give toward the Christmas Offering.
3. As we quickly approach the end of our Fall Semester of LIFE Groups, we are beginning to prepare for the next semester in the new year.  If you are possibly interested in leading or assisting a LIFE Group in 2021, please let us know.  You don’t have to have it all figured out yet – study, day, time, location, style (in-person/online) – we’re just curious if you’re interested.  If you are, please reach out to Pastor Scott Huff or simply respond to this email.
4. Our “Christmas at Coastal” series kicks off on Sunday, December 6th!  We’ll have 3 special Christmas Eve services on Thursday, December 24th at 3pm, 4:30pm, and 6pm.  Coastal Volunteers make sure you reach out to your Ministry Team Leaders about signing up to serve.  Most importantly, be praying about who you will invite and bring.  Also, please make note that the Sunday after Christmas (December 27th), services will be online only – no in-person services.
5. Christmas at the Suburban Hotel!  On Saturday, December 19th, 9am-1pm, Coastal is going to throw an Outdoor Christmas Party & Traditional Holiday Meal for all the folks at the Suburban!  We need your help to prepare, provide, and serve an outdoor meal for the transitional residents complete with a lit Christmas Tree, holiday music, wrapped gifts, and holiday themed blessing bags!  Sign up on your Connect Card on Sunday or contact Pastor Chris Jones at 843-870-4613 for more details.
   
   P.S. Don’t forget that during construction Coastal Kidz is meeting across the street (where most of you park) at Orange Grove Middle School! We set up Coastal Kidz every Saturday morning at 8:30am.  We would LOVE for you to join us!  If you are interested in being a part of the Coastal Kidz Set-Up Team, respond to this email or reach out to Janet Rollins at 843-442-8299 or just show up on Saturday morning.  Volunteering even just once a month makes a huge IMPACT!

Shoeboxes, Shoeboxes as far as the eye can see!  Don’t forget, all filled and completed shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child must be returned by this Sunday!  As you can see from the pictures, our OCC Team of Volunteers have been wrapping and packing all the shoeboxes and supplies that we already have on hand.  And whatever doesn’t get put in a shoebox HERE is going to be shipped to OCC and used as filler as they pack shoeboxes THERE!  In other words, we’re going to be a part of reaching thousands of children all around the world!  How exciting is that!  None of this would be possible without YOU and your generosity – the money you have given and all the toys and supplies you have donated this past year (plus all the shoeboxes you’ll be bringing this Sunday)!

And speaking of Christmas, I hope you saw my email this week about this year’s Annual Christmas Offering!  Our goal is big – $75,000!  But I believe that over the next 9 weeks, with God’s help, together we can reach it!  Beginning this Sunday, November 15th, through the second Sunday of the New Year, January 10th (9 weeks), we are encouraging our entire Coastal family to give above and beyond their regular tithes and offering to this year’s Christmas Offering.  To give, all you have to do is designate your gift “Christmas” on your check, offering envelope, card swiping “description”, online through Paypal, or TEXTing (843-277-8337).  You can give your gift during those 9 weeks (Nov. 15th – Jan. 10th) at any of our regular Sunday morning services or anytime through TEXTing, our website, or our App.  You might also consider giving it all at once during one of our 3 Christmas Eve Services (Thursday, December 24th, 3pm, 4:30pm, & 6pm).  Our entire Christmas Eve offering will go toward our Annual Christmas Offering. 

So what are we going to do with that $75,000?  Mainly 3 things: 1. We’re going to fully fund our 2 current monthly Tailgate Parties where we feed hundreds of people each month.  2. We’re going to buy a “Box Truck”!  We’re super pumped about all the outreach possibilities of this truck – equipment and supply transportation for the tailgate parties, advertising for the church, disaster relief, community events, and more.   3. We’re going to purchase indoor and outdoor playground equipment for our new Children’s facility. 

So, start praying about what you and your family can give toward this offering and maybe make an initial gift this weekend.  Remember, this offering should be over and above what you regularly give.  If you’re not regularly giving (weekly, monthly), use this time of year and this offering to start.  If you’re not tithing (10% of your gross income), step out in faith and start tithing.  Reaching this goal will be a celebration of what God can do through our church as together we stretch our faith.  Again, simply use the the keyword “Christmas” whenever and however you give toward the Christmas Offering. 

Have a great Friday!  Can’t wait to see you over the weekend – Saturday for Coastal Kidz setup at Orange Grove Middle School at 8:30am, Membership Class at the church (or Zoom – see below) on Saturday at 9am, or Sunday for worship in-person or online, 9:30am & 11:15am!  Oh and speaking of Sunday services, there will only be one in-person service on Sunday, November 29th (the Sunday after Thanksgiving) at 9:30am.

LIFE & LOVE!
Pastor Chris

Here are this week’s “Friday 5”:

1. Upcoming Outreach Projects:
   Coastal is constantly and continually engaged in being the hands and feet of Jesus in our community.  Here are this week’s opportunities! 
   Lowcountry Orphan Relief –  Lowcountry Orphan Relief provides support services and aid to meet the needs of Lowcountry children identified as at-risk or suffering from abandonment, abuse and/or neglect. Coastal has a long standing relationship with LOR, and next Friday, November 20th from 9am-11am we’re sending a team there to serve.  We meet at 1850 Truxton Ave in North Charleston.
   Suburban Hotel Tailgate –  Let’s make an impact together by serving local veterans and persons transitioning from a local homeless shelter in Charleston into permanent housing at the Suburban Hotel in North Charleston!   Next Saturday, November 21st from 10am-1pm we’re sending a Tailgate Team who will provide grilled burgers and hot dogs for those in need. We meet at Coastal in the Welcome Center! This is a project that is suitable for the whole family.
   If you are interested in serving in any of these projects, you can sign up on your Connect Card this Sunday.  If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Chris Jones at 843-870-4613.
2. Many of you might not be aware of this, but our church has a Grief Share Group that meets on Monday nights, 6:30pm at the church.  Grief Share is a support group for people who are grieving the loss of a loved one and need support, encouragement, and hope.  On Monday night, November 16th, 6:30pm-8:30pm  our group is hosting a “Surviving the Holidays” seminar.  This event will help you discover how to deal with emotions, give helpful tips on how to survive holiday social events, and discover hope for the future.  Contact Sue Muoio at s.muoio@outlook.com to RSVP or for more information or register at www.griefshare.org.  Spread the word – the Group and this event are open to the public!
3. As we quickly approach the end of our Fall Semester of LIFE Groups, we are beginning to prepare for the next semester in the new year.  If you are possibly interested in leading or assisting a LIFE Group in 2021, please let us know.  You don’t have to have it all figured out yet – study, day, time, location, style (in-person/online) – we’re just curious if you’re interested.  If you are, please reach out to Pastor Scott Huff or simply respond to this email.
4. Our “Christmas at Coastal” series kicks off on Sunday, December 6th!  We’ll have 3 special Christmas Eve services on Thursday, December 24th at 3pm, 4:30pm, and 6pm.  Coastal Volunteers make sure you reach out to your Ministry Team Leaders about signing up to serve.  Most importantly, be praying about who you will invite and bring.  Also, please make note that the Sunday after Christmas (December 27th), services will be online only – no in-person services.
5. Interested in officially making Coastal your church family by becoming a Member?  Our next Membership Class is THIS Saturday (tomorrow) morning, November 14th, 9am-11:30am. You can respond to this email or sign up on our website.  You can join us either in-person or online through Zoom.
   
   P.S. Christmas at the Suburban Hotel!  On Saturday, December 19th, 9am-1pm, Coastal is going to throw an Outdoor Christmas Party & Traditional Holiday Meal for all the folks at the Suburban!  We need your help to prepare, provide, and serve an outdoor meal for the transitional residents complete with a lit Christmas Tree, holiday music, wrapped gifts, and holiday themed blessing bags!  Sign up on your Connect Card on Sunday or contact Pastor Chris Jones at 843-870-4613 for more details.  

I am so excited to share with you our plans for our 8th Annual Christmas Offering!  Over the years, this offering has made a huge IMPACT on our ministry!  

For example, the Christmas Offering has enabled us to:

• fully fund our “Summer of IMPACT”
• complete a well for a community in Haiti 
• re-roof our entire building 
• renovate a home for a family on Wadmalaw Island
• fully fund our Summer VBS
• pay down the cost of Camp & the Winter Retreat for our Student Ministry
• pay for our Easter Outreach!
• pay for the Oakland Elementary School Annual T-Shirt  

God has used our church and the Christmas Offering to do all of that and so much more!   Well, beginning this Sunday, November 15th, through the second Sunday of the New Year, January 10th (9 weeks), we are encouraging our entire Coastal family to give above and beyond their regular tithes and offering to this year’s Christmas Offering.  To give, all you have to do is designate your gift “Christmas” on your check, offering envelope, card swiping “description”, online through Paypal, or TEXTing (843-277-8337).  You can give your gift during those 9 weeks (Nov. 15th – Jan. 10th) at any of our regular Sunday morning services or anytime through TEXTing, our website, or our App.  You might also consider giving it all at once during one of our 3 Christmas Eve Services (Thursday, December 24th, 3pm, 4:30pm, & 6pm).  Our entire Christmas Eve offering will go toward our Annual Christmas Offering.

Why a Special Offering?  It’s a way for us to grow in our faith and to prepare us for what God wants to do through our church in a bigger way in 2021.  It’s a way for us to sacrifice together as a church family and give generously.  Christmas is all about giving.  Many people, during this time of year, are in fact looking for opportunities to give.  And there is no better place to give than to your local church.

What is our goal and where is the money going?  Our overall goal is $75,000 – our largest Christmas Offering to date!  Is that a big goal?  Yes!  Can we reach it?  Absolutely!  As always, I am very excited about where this year’s money will be going and the potential Kingdom impact.  The money will be used for our Community Outreach & our Children’s Ministry.  Let me specifically explain each:

• Community Outreach.  This year I’m excited to announce that a bulk of the money given will go towards at least 2 specific Outreach Opportunities.  The first one is our monthly Tailgate Parties.  You might not know this, but Coastal now spends approximately $10,000 a year on food and supplies just for our 2 monthly Tailgate Parties where we feed and clothe the hurting and hungry of our community.  Your Christmas Offering will help to fully fund this project for the year.  The second outreach project is something brand new that we are VERY EXCITED about.  We’re going to buy a “Box Truck” (think large moving truck)!  Now why on earth does Coastal need a box truck?  In short, to further saturate our community with the love of Jesus.  A box truck allows us to safely move outreach equipment & supplies to the areas of our community where we serve.  Not only are we dependent upon volunteers for manpower to staff these Tailgating Parties, but we’re also dependent upon the use of our volunteer’s vehicles to move the equipment (tables, chairs, tents, grills, propane, and food).   A box truck would immediately alleviate our transportation concerns.  Secondly, the church having a box truck, wrapped with Coastal logo, would draw positive, public attention to the church.  In other words, people in the community would see the truck, the activities associated with it as we use it to serve the community, and be potentially drawn to the church for the first time.  Thirdly, the truck could be used for a wide range of community events and disaster relief.
   
• Our Children’s Ministry really needs no explanation.  Children are not the church of tomorrow.  They are the church of today!  When a church stops reaching the next generation for Christ, that church dies.  Specifically, we hope that this Christmas Offering will help purchase the indoor & outdoor playground equipment for our new facility!

We feel like all of these ministries/projects give our church an opportunity to make an eternal impact in our church and our community.

How much should you give?  Prayerfully consider giving a gift that will stretch your faith and include your whole family.  For some people, coming up with “extra” money is difficult.  We’ve learned that as we give, God provides.  Maybe you decide to give up eating out or buying coffee for 9 weeks and give that money to the Christmas Offering.  Maybe you sell something or have a yard sale.  For some people $1000 above your regular giving is a huge sacrifice.  For others, it’s not.  

Maybe there is someone who might be willing to give a large matching gift this year.  Just like our “Daring Faith” Giving Campaign that has enabled us to build our new building and all the other Christmas Offerings we’ve done in the past, we can’t all give the same amount, but TOGETHER, we can ALL make a sacrifice.  That’s when God does a miracle, when together we ALL step out in faith.

Remember, this offering should be over and above what you regularly give.  If you’re not regularly giving (weekly, monthly), use this time of year to start.  If you’re not tithing (10% of your gross income), step out in faith and start tithing.  Reaching this goal will be a celebration of what God can do through us as together we stretch our faith.

Merry Christmas!
Pastor Chris Rollins

PS – If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.  The easiest and fastest way to give to the Christmas Offering is through TEXTing.  Simply TEXT any amount followed by the word “Christmas” to 843-277-8337 (Example:  “$100 Christmas”).  If you haven’t signed up for TEXT-to-Give it’s a quick, simple, and secure process!

A little exciting update on our building:  they have started digging the footings for the new building!  What are “footings” you ask?  Well, footings are an important part of the foundation of a new building (see picture above).  They are typically made of concrete with rebar reinforcement that has been poured into an excavated trench.  In fact, the concrete should be poured into the trench above by the time you read this email.  This particular footing is for the addition of the Coastal Kidz building across the back of our existing building.  The purpose of footings is to support the foundation.

All of this talk of footings reminds me of Psalm 40:1-2, “I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry.  He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.” (NIV)  The New English Translation of verse 2 says, “He placed my feet on a rock
and gave me secure footing.”  There is no doubt that the world in which we live is a slimy pit of mud and mire, and so many people today seem to be sinking deeper and faster.  They’ve lost their footing.  But the good news is that God has pulled us out of that mud and mire, cleaned us up, and set us on solid ground – the rock solid ground of Jesus Christ and His Word.  We have risen above the filth of this world, not by any goodness or righteousness of our own, but by the grace of God.  In fact, He heard our humble, repentant cries and lifted us out.  He saved us – He rescued us.

Open your ears and hearts this week to the cries of the world around you.  And before you sling the very mud that you yourself have been pulled up out of, try pointing people to the One and Only Savior who can rescue and save.  This is why I have found so much comfort and hope in the book of 1 Peter that we have been reading and preaching through.  I hope you have too.  This Sunday I’ll be talking about how to find healing from the hidden wounds and scars that we all experience in this world.  Ultimately, true healing comes the sacrificial love of Christ.  That’s what Peter was saying in 1 Peter 2:24, “He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right.  By his wounds you are healed.”  Did you hear that?  Jesus’ wounds heal your wounds.  I hope you’ll join us on Sunday – either in person on online.

As we quickly approach the end of our Fall Semester of LIFE Groups, we are beginning to prepare for the next semester in the new year.  If you are possibly interested in leading a LIFE Group in 2021, please let us know.  You don’t have to have it all figured out yet – study, day, time, location, style (in-person/online) – we’re just curious if you’re interested.  If you are, please reach out to Pastor Scott Huff or simply respond to this email.

LIFE & LOVE!
Pastor Chris

Here are this week’s “Friday 5”:

1. Upcoming Outreach Projects:
   Coastal is constantly and continually engaged in being the hands and feet of Jesus in our community.  Here are this week’s opportunities! 
   Saturday Serve –  The foundation of all of our serving opportunities at Coastal really starts with Saturday Serve – the first Saturday of every month.  The next Saturday Serve is THIS Saturday (tomorrow), November 7th.  We meet in the Welcome Center/Cafe at 8:30am, project leaders make a “pitch” for their serving opportunity, and then we serve!  Make plans NOW to be there!
   Blood Drive –  We’re serving our community by rolling up our sleeves! As part of our November 7th Saturday Serve, Coastal is hosting a blood drive from 8:30am-1:30pm at the church. You can easily sign up for a convenient time slot by clicking here: https://donate.thebloodconnection.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/152069. Every donor will receive a $20 gift card. You can use that gift card to meet your own needs or you can donate the gift card back to the church where we’ll use it to help struggling neighbors in our community. Let’s come together as a church and donate life! 
   If you are interested in serving in any of these projects, you can sign up on your Connect Card this Sunday.  If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Chris Jones at 843-870-4613. 
2. Many of you might not be aware of this, but our church has a Grief Share Group that meets on Monday nights, 6:30pm at the church.  Grief Share is a support group for people who are grieving the loss of a loved one and need support, encouragement, and hope.  On Monday night, November 16th, 6:30pm-8:30pm  our group is hosting a “Surviving the Holidays” seminar.  This event will help you discover how to deal with emotions, give helpful tips on how to survive holiday social events, and discover hope for the future.  Contact Sue Muoio at s.muoio@outlook.com to RSVP or for more information or register at www.griefshare.org.  Spread the word – the Group and this event are open to the public!
3. This is the last week to take home (or pickup) and fill Shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child!  They have to be brought back to the church between now and Sunday, November 15th.   This is a GREAT opportunity for you to teach your children about generosity, the true meaning of Christmas, and the love of Jesus.  You can go to OCC’s website for a great list of suggested gifts/items for the shoeboxes.  We believe that we still have an opportunity to pack hundreds and hundreds of shoeboxes and share the love of Jesus with children all around the world!  Pray about how many boxes your family would be willing to pack, step out in faith, grab a few shoeboxes on Sunday, and help us do just that!
4. If you’re fairly new to Coastal, a great next step is our Newcomers Reception.  Our next Newcomers Reception is THIS Sunday, November 8th, in the Welcome Center immediately following the 11:15am service (at approximately 12:30pm).  This will also be available online!  This is a great way to learn more about Coastal, meet staff and key volunteers, as well as meet some other new people. RSVP online or on your Connect Card.
5. Interested in officially making Coastal your church family by becoming a Member?  Our next Membership Class is NEXT Saturday morning, November 14th, 9am-11:30am. You can respond to this email or sign up on our website.  You can join us either in-person or online through Zoom.  
   
   P.S. Young Adult Gathering – TONIGHT, Friday, November 6th, 6:30pm-9:30pm at Coastal!   Join other young adults for a gathering at the church for volleyball, other games, food, and fellowship! Please invite any other young adults to join you who might enjoy connecting with other young adults in Charleston.  For more information, please reach out to Pastor Scott Huff. 

Well, this is my semi-annual reminder to change your clocks this weekend!  But don’t worry, this is the “good one” – haha – your clocks “Fall Back” one hour.  So even though it’s Halloween this Saturday night, you’ll have no excuse to miss church this Sunday!  And speaking of this Sunday, I’ll be in 1 Peter 3:13-22 in our “Hope In the Dark” series as we make our way through 1 Peter.  My message this Sunday is all about sharing your hope.  1 Peter 3:15 says this, “And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.”

For a lot of believers though, this is the sticking point.  “I just don’t know the Bible that well.  I’m not that quick on my feet.  I don’t think that fast.  If I go out there and try to share my hope, some skeptic is going to tie me in knots with some philosophical problem that I can’t answer.  Having hope is one thing, but sharing it and explaining it?  I don’t think so.”

This is the beauty of sharing your hope.  It’s YOUR hope.  It’s YOUR story.  That’s what a personal testimony is all about.  It’s your story of how you came to know Jesus and what a difference He’s made in your life.  Peter’s not saying, “Have a snappy rebuttal for every argument that can be tossed at you.”  No, he’s just saying, “Have a reason for your hope.  It’s your hope;  it’s your story.”

You and I don’t have to know all of the answers to make an IMPACT on people.  You just have to tell them how your life has been changed.  “This is who I was.  This is who I am.  And the difference is Jesus.”  If you are a follower of Jesus, you have a story to tell.  And God will use your story to make an IMPACT in the lives of the people around you.  Sure, there are going to be some that will have questions.  Sure, there will be some who will doubt.  There might even be a few Pharisees in your life who will want to argue with you about your story (see John 9).  But, some will be amazed.  Some will believe.

You see, your story really can change the world.  And if you have had an encounter with Jesus, you have a story to share.  So here’s a question for you:  Are you ready and willing to share your story of hope with the people that God has put in your life?  Share your story – share your hope!

LIFE & LOVE!
Pastor Chris

Here are this week’s “Friday 5”:

1. Upcoming Outreach Projects:
   Coastal is constantly and continually engaged in being the hands and feet of Jesus in our community.  Here are this week’s opportunities! 
   Tricounty Family Ministries –  We will be assisting with the Emergency Grocery Distribution Wednesday, November 4th, from 9am until 12:30pm.
   Saturday Serve –  The foundation of all of our serving opportunities at Coastal really starts with Saturday Serve – the first Saturday of every month.  The next Saturday Serve is Saturday, November 7th.  We meet in the Welcome Center/Cafe at 8:30am, project leaders make a “pitch” for their serving opportunity, and then we serve!  Make plans NOW to be there!
   Blood Drive –  We’re serving our community by rolling up our sleeves! As part of our November 7th Saturday Serve, Coastal is hosting a blood drive from 8:30am-1:30pm at the church. You can easily sign up for a convenient time slot by clicking here: https://donate.thebloodconnection.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/152069. Every donor will receive a $20 gift card. You can use that gift card to meet your own needs or you can donate the gift card back to the church where we’ll use it to help struggling neighbors in our community. Let’s come together as a church and donate life! 
   If you are interested in serving in any of these projects, you can sign up on your Connect Card this Sunday.  If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Chris Jones at 843-870-4613. 
2. Many of you might not be aware of this, but our church has a Grief Share Group that meets on Monday nights, 6:30pm at the church.  Grief Share is a support group for people who are grieving the loss of a loved one and need support, encouragement, and hope.  On Monday night, November 16th, 6:30pm-8:30pm  our group is hosting a “Surviving the Holidays” seminar.  This event will help you discover how to deal with emotions, give helpful tips on how to survive holiday social events, and discover hope for the future.  Contact Sue Muoio at s.muoio@outlook.com to RSVP or for more information or register at www.griefshare.org.  Spread the word – the Group and this event are open to the public!
3. One of our favorite missions that we support here at Coastal is Operation Christmas Child (OCC) – sharing the love of Jesus and the Good News of the Gospel through gifts & supplies in a simple shoebox.  What we are asking our church (YOU) is to simply pray and ask God how many shoeboxes He wants you to fill, take home the shoeboxes we provide, pack them as a family, and then bring back your completed boxes to the church between now and Sunday, November 15th.  There will be a table in the back of our auditorium with shoeboxes ready to take home each Sunday.  This would be a GREAT opportunity for you to teach your children about generosity, the true meaning of Christmas, and the love of Jesus.  You can go to OCC’s website for a great list of suggested gifts/items for the shoeboxes.  We believe that we still have an opportunity to pack hundreds and hundreds of shoeboxes and share the love of Jesus with children all around the world!  Pray about how many boxes your family would be willing to pack, step out in faith, grab a few shoeboxes on Sunday, and help us do just that!
4. If you’re fairly new to Coastal, a great next step is our Newcomers Reception.  Our next Newcomers Reception is Sunday, November 8th, in the Welcome Center immediately following the 11:15am service (at approximately 12:30pm).  This will also be available online!  This is a great way to learn more about Coastal, meet staff and key volunteers, as well as meet some other new people. RSVP online or on your Connect Card.
5. Interested in officially making Coastal your church family by becoming a Member?  Our next Membership Class is Saturday morning, November 14th, 9am-11:30am. You can respond to this email or sign up on our website.  You can join us either in-person or online through Zoom.  
   
   P.S. Young Adult Gathering – Friday, November 6th, 6:30pm-9:30pm at Coastal!   Join other young adults for a gathering at the church for volleyball, other games, food, and fellowship! Please invite any other young adults to join you who might enjoy connecting with other young adults in Charleston.  For more information, please reach out to Pastor Scott Huff.

Well, we’re getting real close to having all the inside demolition work done on our old facility!  There are still a few more projects to complete, but I think you’ll notice some progress on our campus this week.  In the next 10 months you’ll probably get sick of all of the building illustrations I’ll share, but with everything going on around here, it’s hard not to see the parallels.  To build something great, something strong, sometimes you’ve got get back to the foundation.  And to do that, you’ve got to do some demo work – you’ve got to be willing to tear some stuff out and throw some stuff away.  

Maybe at first you don’t notice the structural weakness; you can’t see how big the problem really is.  All you can see is a small crack in the wall, a water stain on the ceiling, a sag in the roof.  You hope if you just throw some paint on it, or hide it with some well placed furniture or pictures (or buy something online, or take a vacation), that the problem will just go away.  But as we all know, it doesn’t work that way in homes, cars, finances, or marriages.  And once you start pulling up that carpet, peaking behind that plumbing, going up in that attic (or having those hard conversations), you discover that the problem is bigger than you ever realized, and you can’t neglect it any longer.  You’ve got to do the hard and dirty demo work of getting back to the foundation.  But if you’ll put in the sweat equity and do the hard work, you’re able to move forward with confidence that the foundation is strong, the problem has been cleaned out, and the home, the relationship, or the marriage is stronger than ever!  

Maybe COVID-19 has revealed a weakness in your spiritual life, your marriage, or a relationship.  Don’t mask it.  Don’t conceal it.  Don’t neglect it.  Instead, confess it, repent of it. Cooperate with the Word of God and the Holy Spirit and do the hard work of cleaning up the mess.  But I promise you this: if you’ll build on the rock solid foundation of a personal and growing relationship with Jesus and put His words into practice, you’ll build something strong and beautiful that will last a lifetime and beyond!  It will truly be even better and stronger than before!

Jesus said it like this, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.  But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”     

Laying a Strong Foundation for Future Generations With You!
Pastor Chris

Here are this week’s “Friday 5”:

1. Upcoming Outreach Projects:
   Coastal is constantly and continually engaged in being the hands and feet of Jesus in our community.  Here are this week’s opportunities! 
   Tricounty Family Ministries –  We will be assisting with the Emergency Grocery Distribution Wednesday, November 4th, from 9am until 12:30pm.
   Saturday Serve –  The foundation of all of our serving opportunities at Coastal really starts with Saturday Serve – the first Saturday of every month.  The next Saturday Serve is Saturday, November 7th.  We meet in the Welcome Center/Cafe at 8:30am, project leaders make a “pitch” for their serving opportunity, and then we serve!  Make plans NOW to be there!
   Blood Drive –  We’re serving our community by rolling up our sleeves! As part of our November 7th Saturday Serve, Coastal is hosting a blood drive from 8:30am-1:30pm at the church. You can easily sign up for a convenient time slot by clicking here: https://donate.thebloodconnection.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/152069. Every donor will receive a $20 gift card. You can use that gift card to meet your own needs or you can donate the gift card back to the church where we’ll use it to help struggling neighbors in our community. Let’s come together as a church and donate life
   If you are interested in serving in any of these projects, you can sign up on your Connect Card this Sunday.  If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Chris Jones at 843-870-4613.
2. Not only has construction started, but our Coastal Kidz Children’s Ministry has gone portable!  During construction Coastal Kidz is meeting across the street (where most of you park) at Orange Grove Middle School! We set up Coastal Kidz every Saturday morning at 8:30am.  We would LOVE for you to join us!  If you are interested in being a part of the Coastal Kidz Set-Up Team, respond to this email or reach out to Janet Rollinsat 843-442-8299 or just show up on Saturday morning.
3. One of our favorite missions that we support here at Coastal is Operation Christmas Child (OCC) – sharing the love of Jesus and the Good News of the Gospel through gifts & supplies in a simple shoebox.  What we are asking our church (YOU) is to simply pray and ask God how many shoeboxes He wants you to fill, take home the shoeboxes we provide, pack them as a family, and then bring back your completed boxes to the church between now and Sunday, November 15th.  There will be a table in the back of our auditorium with shoeboxes ready to take home each Sunday.  This would be a GREAT opportunity for you to teach your children about generosity, the true meaning of Christmas, and the love of Jesus.  You can go to OCC’s website for a great list of suggested gifts/items for the shoeboxes.  We believe that we still have an opportunity to pack hundreds and hundreds of shoeboxes and share the love of Jesus with children all around the world!  Pray about how many boxes your family would be willing to pack, step out in faith, grab a few shoeboxes on Sunday, and help us do just that!
4. If you’re fairly new to Coastal, a great next step is our Newcomers Reception.  Our next Newcomers Reception is Sunday, November 8th, in the Welcome Center immediately following the 11:15am service (at approximately 12:30pm).  This will also be available online!  This is a great way to learn more about Coastal, meet staff and key volunteers, as well as meet some other new people.  Childcare provided.  RSVP online or on your Connect Card.
5. Interested in officially making Coastal your church family by becoming a Member?  Our next Membership Class is Saturday morning, November 14th, 9am-11:30am. You can respond to this email or sign up on our website.  You can join us either in-person or online through Zoom. 
   
   P.S. Many of you might not be aware of this, but our church has a Grief Share Group that meets on Monday nights, 6:30pm at the church.  Grief Share is a support group for people who are grieving the loss of a loved one and need support, encouragement, and hope.  On Monday night, November 16th, 6:30pm-8:30pm  our group is hosting a “Surviving the Holidays” seminar.  This event will help you discover how to deal with emotions, give helpful tips on how to survive holiday social events, and discover hope for the future.  Contact Sue Muoio at s.muoio@outlook.com to RSVP or for more information or register at www.griefshare.org.  Spread the word – the Group and this event are open to the public!  

This Sunday I’ll be in week 5 of our “Hope in the Dark” series.  And if you thought last week was intense as I talked about being faithful in suffering and submitting (the dreaded “S” word) to authority, just wait until this Sunday!  I’m in 1 Peter 3:1-7 where in part Peter says, “Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands. . . Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner.”  I’m pretty sure there are some women reading this who are worried that I’m going to say that in the original Greek language the word “submit” means “make me a sandwich.”  Don’t worry, it doesn’t mean that, and I won’t be saying that (not if I value my life at least – haha)!  But I will do my best to unpack this passage.  I hope I’ve peaked your interest and that you’ll either join us in person or tune in online.  The truth is families are hurting today, and just like in every area of life – God’s way works!  It’s actually kind of interesting that we’re in this particular passage, because I’ve had 3 weddings this week!!  The picture above was from one of them.  Can anyone guess where it’s at?  The first 5 people who respond with the correct answer will receive a card for a FREE ice cream from Baskin Robbins!  Now I’ll see who really reads this thing – haha! 

Last Sunday, we put our little “You’re Invited” cards in the bulletin, and I challenged our church to give them away to people and invite them to Coastal.  I even challenged you to leave them (with a generous tip) for your server at any restaurant you might go to.  I actually had two families either send me a picture or share a story about reaching out to their servers and leaving a generous tip!  Pretty cool!  Keep it up Coastal!  People are hurting, and it’s those small acts of kindness done consistently that still make the biggest IMPACT! 

Many of you might not be aware of this, but our church has a Grief Share Groupthat meets on Monday nights at the church, 6:30pm-8:30pm.  Grief Share is a support group for people who are grieving the loss of a loved one and need support, encouragement, and hope.  On Monday night, November 16th, 6:30pm-8:30pm  our group is hosting a “Surviving the Holidays” seminar.  This event will help you discover how to deal with emotions, give helpful tips on how to survive holiday social events, and discover hope for the future.  Contact Sue Muoio at s.muoio@outlook.com to RSVP or for more information or register at www.griefshare.org.  Spread the word – the Group and this event are open to the public!

LIFE & LOVE!
(We exist to share and experience the LIFE & LOVE of Jesus with Charleston & the world!) 

Pastor Chris

Here are this week’s “Friday 5”:

1. Upcoming Outreach Projects:
   Coastal is constantly and continually engaged in being the hands and feet of Jesus in our community.  Here are this week’s opportunities! 
   Suburban Hotel Tailgate –  Let’s make an impact together by serving local veterans and persons transitioning from a local homeless shelter in Charleston into permanent housing at the Suburban Hotel in North Charleston!   This Saturday (TOMORROW) from 10am until 1pm we’re sending a Tailgate Team who will provide grilled burgers and hot dogs for those in need. We meet at Coastal in the Welcome Center! This is a project that is suitable for the whole family.
   Tricounty Family Ministries –  We will be assisting with the Emergency Grocery Distribution Wednesday, October 21st, from 9am until 1pm.
   Lowcountry Orphan Relief –  Lowcountry Orphan Relief provides support services and aid to meet the needs of Lowcountry children identified as at-risk or suffering from abandonment, abuse and/or neglect. Coastal has a long standing relationship with LOR, and next Friday (we’re actually there today as well), October 23rd from 9am-11am we’re sending a team to build emergency care kits for children in the community.  We meet at 1850 Truxton Ave in North Charleston
   
   If you are interested in serving in any of these projects, you can sign up on your Connect Card this Sunday.  If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Chris Jones at 843-870-4613. 
2. Not only has construction started, but our Coastal Kidz Children’s Ministry has gone portable!  During construction Coastal Kidz will be meeting across the street (where most of you park) at Orange Grove Middle School! We will be setting up Coastal Kidz every Saturday morning at 8:30am.  We would LOVE for you to join us!  If you are interested in being a part of the Coastal Kidz Set-Up Team, respond to this email or reach out to Janet Rollins at 843-442-8299.
3. One of our favorite missions that we support here at Coastal is Operation Christmas Child (OCC) – sharing the love of Jesus and the Good News of the Gospel through gifts & supplies in a simple shoebox.  What we are asking our church (YOU) is to simply pray and ask God how many shoeboxes He wants you to fill, take home the shoeboxes we provide, pack them as a family, and then bring back your completed boxes to the church between now and Sunday, November 15th.  There will be a table in the back of our auditorium with shoeboxes ready to take home each Sunday.  This would be a GREAT opportunity for you to teach your children about generosity, the true meaning of Christmas, and the love of Jesus.  You can go to OCC’s website for a great list of suggested gifts/items for the shoeboxes.  We believe that we still have an opportunity to pack hundreds and hundreds of shoeboxes and share the love of Jesus with children all around the world!  Pray about how many boxes your family would be willing to pack, step out in faith, grab a few shoeboxes on Sunday, and help us do just that!
4. If you’re fairly new to Coastal, a great next step is our Newcomers Reception.  Our next Newcomers Reception is Sunday, November 8th, in the Welcome Center immediately following the 11:15am service (at approximately 12:30pm).  This will also be available online!  This is a great way to learn more about Coastal, meet staff and key volunteers, as well as meet some other new people.  Childcare provided.  RSVP online or on your Connect Card.
5. Interested in officially making Coastal your church family by becoming a Member?  Our next Membership Class is Saturday morning, November 14th, 9am-11:30am. You can respond to this email or sign up on our website.  You can join us either in-person or online through Zoom.
   
   P.S. This Sunday there will be a Volunteer Insert in the Bulletin for our 1st Impressions Team and our Security Team.  As more and more people make their way back to in-person worship, we’ve got to build back up our Volunteer Teams.  If you’ve served in the past, we need you!  If you’re new to Coastal, and haven’t started serving, we need you!  But let me be clear, we don’t need you simply because there are spots to fill.  We need you because Jesus said that you find LIFE by giving your LIFE away in service to others.  You see, YOU need it!  If you are interested and willing to serve, fill out the insert on Sunday or respond to this email.  You can also reach out to Chris Ranew  (706-941-2044) or Pastor Scott Huff (859-230-5129) if you’re interested in serving. 

This Sunday we’re in week 4 of our “Hope in the Dark” series.  I hope you’re enjoying this journey through 1 Peter.  The truth is, we all need hope.  Hope is one of those necessary elements of life.  I mean there are some things in life that you just can’t do without.  Or at least you can’t go very long without.  For instance, food.  How long can you live without food?  Some of you didn’t have breakfast, so you’re thinking in just about an hour or two you’re going to starve to death.  But, we know you can at least live 40 days without food.  Jesus Himself, and others fasted for 40 days from solid foods.  How about water?  How long can you last without water?  Studies show three days.  72 hours. We need water more than we need food, because our bodies are made up mostly of water.  How long can some of you live without your smart phone?  Not very long.  What about air?  How long can you live without breathing?  Your body can survive for eight minutes without oxygen.

But, let me ask you this, how long can you live without hope?  The answer is not one moment.  You can’t live without hope.  You need hope in order to cope with all that life throws at you.  Hope is not something you only need when you’re in trouble, or when you’re facing problems, or when you feel like you’re drowning.  You need hope every moment.  You need hope now.

Some of you are having a really tough year.  You lost a job.  Or maybe you’re struggling financially.  Some of you, you went through a breakup, or maybe you received a bad diagnosis at the doctor.  Or maybe in the last year you lost someone who you loved a great deal.  And you need hope.

And listen, the people in your life need hope too.  Because the people in your life who don’t know Jesus, you know what they’re placing their hope in?  They’re placing their hope in things that don’t last.  They’re placing their hope in their bank account, in their job, in their career, in a relationship.  In other words, they put their hope in things that are temporary.

We all need hope, but where do we find it?  Hope, real and lasting hope, can only be found in one place.  Hebrews 10:23, “Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.”  God is the ultimate source of our hope.  Not a Presidential candidate.  Not a bank account.  Not a job or a person.  God is the source of our hope.  And we, as the church, we are God’s chosen means of taking His hope to a lost and broken world.  We are the only organization that Jesus left behind to communicate God’s love to a world who desperately needs it.  And what that means is when we’re really being the church, when we’re doing what the church is supposed to do, the church is the hope of the world!  Who do you know in your life, in your circle of influence, where you live, work, parent, and play, who needs a shot of hope?  Share your story, share your faith, and invite them to a place – Coastal Community Church – where they will be introduced to the true Hope of this World!  See you Sunday – in-person and/or online!

LIFE & LOVE!
(We exist to share and experience the LIFE & LOVE of Jesus with Charleston & the world!) 

Pastor Chris

Here are this week’s “Friday 5”:

1. Upcoming Outreach Projects:
   Coastal is constantly and continually engaged in being the hands and feet of Jesus in our community.  Here are this week’s opportunities!
   Lowcountry Orphan Relief –  Lowcountry Orphan Relief provides support services and aid to meet the needs of Lowcountry children identified as at-risk or suffering from abandonment, abuse and/or neglect. Coastal has a long standing relationship with LOR and on Friday, October 16th from 9am- 11am we’re sending a team to build emergency care kits for children in the community. We meet at 1850 Truxton Ave in North Charleston.   
   Suburban Hotel Tailgate –  Let’s make an impact together by serving local veterans and persons transitioning from a local homeless shelter in Charleston into permanent housing at the Suburban Hotel in North Charleston! On October 17th from 10am until 1pm we’re sending a Tailgate Team who will provide grilled burgers and hot dogs for those in need. We meet at Coastal in the Welcome Center! This is a project that is suitable for the whole family.
   If you are interested in serving in any of these projects, you can sign up on your Connect Card this Sunday.  If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Chris Jones at 843-870-4613.
2. Not only has construction started, but our Coastal Kidz Children’s Ministry has gone portable!  During construction Coastal Kidz will be meeting across the street (where most of you park) at Orange Grove Middle School! We will be setting up Coastal Kidz every Saturday morning at 8:30am.  We would LOVE for you to join us!  If you are interested in being a part of the Coastal Kidz Set-Up Team, respond to this email or reach out to Janet Rollins at 843-442-8299.
3. One of our favorite missions that we support here at Coastal is Operation Christmas Child (OCC) – sharing the love of Jesus and the Good News of the Gospel through gifts & supplies in a simple shoebox.  What we are asking our church (YOU) is to simply pray and ask God how many shoeboxes He wants you to fill, take home the shoeboxes we provide, pack them as a family, and then bring back your completed boxes to the church between now and Sunday, November 15th.  There will be a table in the back of our auditorium with shoeboxes ready to take home each Sunday.  This would be a GREAT opportunity for you to teach your children about generosity, the true meaning of Christmas, and the love of Jesus.  You can go to OCC’s website for a great list of suggested gifts/items for the shoeboxes.  We believe that we still have an opportunity to pack hundreds and hundreds of shoeboxes and share the love of Jesus with children all around the world!  Pray about how many boxes your family would be willing to pack, step out in faith, grab a few shoeboxes on Sunday, and help us do just that!
4. If you’re fairly new to Coastal, a great next step is our Newcomers Reception.  Our next Newcomer’s Reception is Sunday, November 8th, in the Welcome Center immediately following the 11:15am service (at approximately 12:30pm).  This is a great way to learn more about Coastal, meet staff and key volunteers, as well as meet some other new people.  Childcare provided.  RSVP online or on your Connect Card.
5. Interested in officially making Coastal your church family by becoming a Member?  Our next Membership Class is Saturday morning, November 14th, 9am-11:30am. You can respond to this email or sign up on our website.  You can join us either in-person or online through Zoom.  
   
   P.S. This Sunday there will be a Volunteer Insert in the Bulletin for our 1st Impressions Team and our Security Team.  As more and more people make their way back to in-person worship, we’ve got to build back up our Volunteer Teams.  If you’ve served in the past, we need you!  If you’re new to Coastal, and haven’t started serving, we need you!  But let me be clear, we don’t need you simply because there are spots to fill.  We need you because Jesus said that you find LIFE by giving your LIFE away in service to others.  You see, YOU need it!  If you are interested and willing to serve, fill out the insert on Sunday or respond to this email.

Many of you probably didn’t know this, but when the sanctuary of our old building was originally built, the wooden ceiling with the large trusses with a cross carved out in the center, that ceiling went from one end of the building to the other end.  You just never saw it because it was always closed in.  Some of us were aware of it because we’ve been up in the attic.  Well, during demolition that beautiful ceiling has once again, after all these years (approximately 70 years), been “uncovered.”  In fact, if you look closely in the picture above you can see the large trusses still wrapped in the original brown paper that they were shipped in before construction back in the 1950’s!  In our new plans that space is going to be offices.  Here’s the exciting news. We’re working with our engineers and builder to leave a large portion of those ceilings open and exposed!  What a wonderful tribute to the history of this place!

You know our lives are kind of like that ceiling.  Our beauty and potential are sometimes hidden.  A few people have a seen a glimpse, but most people are unaware of what lies beneath.  But then God does His “demo” work in our hearts through His word, the Holy Spirit, and the Cross of Christ, and what God knew all along is finally revealed for all the world to see.  And that’s the journey, becoming more and more everyday as God already sees us and has seen us all along.  In fact, this Sunday I’ll be speaking about our true identity in Christ – what God says about us, who we really are.  And that’s what we need to be reminded of on a regular basis, especially in seasons of difficulty and pain and in a world of negativity like we all live in.  So I hope you’ll join us this Sunday for part 3 of “Hope in the Dark.”  Meditate on this verse as you prepare your hearts for Sunday, 1 Peter 2:9-10, “But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.”  

Don’t forget that starting this Sunday, both of our in-person services (9:30am & 11:15am) will have Coastal Kidz Children’s Ministry!  If you are interested in volunteering in Coastal Kidz in any capacity, please respond to this email or reach out to Janet Rollins at 843-442-8299.  Just like pre-COVID, our 9:30am service is definitely the larger service. If it doesn’t matter to you which service you attend, would you please consider coming to the 11:15am service.  It would help us to continue to spread people out. 

I mentioned last week that we now have a Sign Language Interpreter for the deaf and hard of hearing in our 9:30am service, in-person only.  Well beginning this Sunday, it will also be available ONLINE during the 9:30am service!  If you know of any individuals who would benefit from an interpreter, please help us spread the word!

LIFE & LOVE!
(We exist to share and experience the LIFE & LOVE of Jesus with Charleston & the world!) 

Pastor Chris

Here are this week’s “Friday 5”:

1. Upcoming Outreach Projects:
   Saturday Serve –  The foundation of all of our serving opportunities at Coastal really starts with Saturday Serve – the first Saturday of every month.  The next Saturday Serve is THIS Saturday (tomorrow), October 3rd.  We meet in the Welcome Center/Cafe, project leaders make a “pitch” for their serving opportunity, and then we serve!  Come and join us THIS Saturday!   
   Tricounty Family Ministries –  We will be assisting with the Emergency Grocery Distribution THIS Wednesday, October 7th, from 9am until 1pm.
   Soldier’s Angels – We’ll be helping with the Veteran’s Mobile Food Distribution NEXT Friday (1 week from today), October 9th, 8am-1pm.   If you are interested in serving in any of these projects or have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Chris Jones at 843-870-4613.
2. Not only has construction started, but our Coastal Kidz Children’s Ministry has gone portable!  During construction Coastal Kidz will be meeting across the street (where most of you park) at Orange Grove Middle School! We will be setting up Coastal Kidz every Saturday morning at 8:30am.  We would LOVE for you to join us!  If you are interested in being a part of the Coastal Kidz Set-Up Team, respond to this email or reach out to Janet Rollins at 843-442-8299.
3. One of our favorite missions that we support here at Coastal is Operation Christmas Child (OCC).  Well, because of COVID-19, OCC is going to look a little different this year at Coastal.  We will not be having our big “Wrapping & Packing Party.”  Instead our OCC Team here at Coastal and a few other volunteers will pack & wrap boxes with the current gifts/supplies we already have on hand (You can sign up on your Connect Card to be a part of that Team).  From this point forward, what we are asking our church is to simply take home the shoeboxes we provide and pack them as a family and then bring back your completed boxes to the church between now and Sunday, November 15th.  Weather permitting there will be a table right outside our building with shoeboxes ready to take home each Sunday.  This would be a GREAT opportunity for you to teach your children about generosity, the true meaning of Christmas, and the love of Jesus.  You can go to OCC’s website for a great list of suggested gifts/items for the shoeboxes.  Different is not bad.  We really believe that we still have an opportunity to pack hundreds and hundreds of shoeboxes and share the love of Jesus with children all around the world!  Pray about how many boxes your family would be willing to pack, step out in faith, grab a few shoeboxes on Sunday, and help us do just that!
4. LIFE Groups have started!!  But it’s still not too late to join one!  Go online right now and check out the Fall Semester LIFE Group Catalogand sign up for a Group today!  And yes, you can sign up for multiple groups.  There are a variety of groups (both in-person and/or online) on almost every day of the week.  YOU NEED THIS!  WE NEED THIS!  So check them out and join one today!
5. As a part of the series (“Hope in the Dark”), we’re providing a daily devotional (5 days a week) and a weekly memory verse for the duration of the series as we read, study, and pray through 1 Peter together as a church. If you haven’t already done so, sign up for the devotional (it will be emailed to you daily)!  I really believe this is going to be a great study and a great series for our church and our community!  As always, invite and bring a friend to Coastal – either in-person or online.
   
   P.S. Attention Ladies!  Have you ever walked through a season where you just felt stuck? You’re invited to an in-person watch party of the “Dare to Be” Women’s Event at the church THIS Sunday, October 4th at 8pm as Charlotte Gambill & Natalie Grant help us discover that God has already given us what we need to MOVE BEYOND!  And, guess what?  Our church has paid the ticket price for this event, so it’s FREE to you and anyone who wants to attend. Invite and bring a friend, a co-worker, a neighbor, or a family member that needs a moment to reconnect and recharge in an evening of worship and Bible Study lead by women, for women of all ages.  For more information or to RSVP, please reach out to Rachel Speer or Dawn Judd.

We just want to let everyone know that beginning THIS SUNDAY, October 4th, our Coastal Kidz Children’s Ministry (Birth-5th Grade) is available in BOTH MORNING SERVICES – 9:30am & 11:15am!  And of course, don’t forget that Coastal Kidz is now meeting across the street (conveniently where you park) at Orange Grove Middle School.  If you’re concerned at all about social distancing, the 11:15am service is definitely the better service to attend.  In fact, if it doesn’t matter to you, we’re encouraging you to come to  the 11:15am service to help alleviate the crowd in the 9:30am service.

One vitally important part of Coastal Kidz being portable right now during construction is our Coastal Kidz Set-up Team!  Each Saturday at 8:30am a group of volunteers meet at our storage container behind Orange Grove Middle School to unload and set-up all of our equipment.  It usually takes about 45 minutes.  And then every Sunday immediately after both services we take everything down and pack it back up.  WE NEED VOLUNTEERS FOR THIS MINISTRY!  If you are interested in serving in this Ministry, simply respond to this email or reach out to Janet Rollins at 843-442-8299.

Also, for those of you with children who are watching our Sunday Services online, please take advantage of Coastal Kidz Online!  In fact, I don’t know if you know this or not, but Coastal Kidz Online is updated each week with the same lesson our children are learning in-person.  So whether you’re at home, out of town, or sick, it’s a great way stay up with your child’s class and keep them engaged. 

LIFE & LOVE! 
Pastor Chris

P.S.  This Saturday our Coastal Kidz Set-up Team will be one of our Saturday ServeProjects!  So meet in the church Welcome Center this Saturday at 8:30am!

It’s been quite a whirlwind of a week around here at Coastal!  Hopefully, you’ve heard by now that construction has begun on our new facility!  And by construction, I mean interior demolition and outside site work.  It’s all so surreal watching the walls come down, thinking about all the memories and lives changed in these rooms.  However, it gets me excited thinking about the future, all the new memories that will be made, and lives that will be changed for generations to come!  And by the way, none of this could be done without YOU and your faithful generous giving! 

Not only has construction started, but our Coastal Kidz Children’s Ministry has gone portable!  During construction Coastal Kidz will be meeting across the street (where most of you park) at Orange Grove Middle School! We will be setting up Coastal Kidz every Saturday morning at 8:30am.  We would LOVE for you to join us!  If you are interested in being a part of the Coastal Kidz Set-Up Team,   respond to this email or reach out to Janet Rollins at 843-442-8299.

You might have noticed that we now have a Sign Language Interpreter for the deaf and hearing impaired in our 9:30am service!  Our interpreter is Marissa Py.  Marissa and her husband Jordan and their family have been coming to Coastal in person since the beginning of the Summer.  If you see her on Sunday, thank her for her ministry and welcome them to Coastal!  If you know of any individuals who would benefit from an interpreter, please help us spread the word!

Don’t forget that we now have both of our Sunday morning worship services (9:30am & 11:15am) open for in-person worship.  Our 9:30am service is the only service with Coastal Kidz Children’s Ministry, BUT we’re adding Coastal Kidz to the 11:15am service NEXT Sunday, October 4th.  If you are interested in volunteering in Coastal Kidz in any capacity, please respond to this email or reach out to Janet Rollins at 843-442-8299.  Just like pre-COVID, our 9:30am service is the larger service. If it doesn’t matter to you which service you attend, would you please consider coming to the 11:15am service.  It would help us to continue to spread people out. 

LIFE & LOVE!
(We exist to share and experience the LIFE & LOVE of Jesus with Charleston & the world!) 

Pastor Chris

Here are this week’s “Friday 5”:

1. Upcoming Outreach Projects:
   Saturday Serve –  The foundation of all of our serving opportunities at Coastal really starts with Saturday Serve – the first Saturday of every month.  The next Saturday Serve is NEXT Saturday, October 3rd.  We meet in the Welcome Center/Cafe, project leaders make a “pitch” for their serving opportunity, and then we serve!  Come and join us next Saturday!   
   Tricounty Family Ministries –  We will be assisting with the Emergency Grocery Distribution.on on Wednesday, October 7th, from 9am until 1pm.
   Soldier’s Angels – We’ll be helping with the Veteran’s Mobile Food Distribution on Friday, October 9th, 8am-1pm.   If you are interested in serving in any of these projects or have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Chris Jones at 843-870-4613.
2. We need your help! Our church is collecting new or used back packs, heavy duty bags, or small suit cases on wheels. We regularly help out Tricounty Family Ministries with their Wednesday meal distribution. If you have a car, you pretty much can take as much food as you can load into your vehicle. However, if you’re homeless and without a car, you can only take what you can carry. They are given grocery bags, but come on, have you seen grocery bags lately? Not very sturdy. This is a simple fix. So if you’ve got old gym bags, back packs, sturdy bags, or small suit cases on wheels laying around, bring them to church this Sunday, September 27th! We’ll have a tent & table to drop them off and we’ll take it from there! Thanks in advance for your generosity!
3. One of our favorite missions that we support here at Coastal is Operation Christmas Child (OCC).  Well, because of COVID-19, OCC is going to look a little different this year at Coastal.  We will not be having our big “Wrapping & Packing Party.”  Instead our OCC Team here at Coastal and a few other volunteers will pack & wrap boxes with the current gifts/supplies we already have on hand (You can sign up on your Connect Card to be a part of that Team).  From this point forward, what we are asking our church is to simply take home the shoeboxes we provide and pack them as a family and then bring back your completed boxes to the church between now and Sunday, November 15th.  Weather permitting there will be a table right outside our building with shoeboxes ready to take home each Sunday.  This would be a GREAT opportunity for you to teach your children about generosity, the true meaning of Christmas, and the love of Jesus.  You can go to OCC’s website for a great list of suggested gifts/items for the shoeboxes.  Different is not bad.  We really believe that we still have an opportunity to pack hundreds and hundreds of shoeboxes and share the love of Jesus with children all around the world!  Pray about how many boxes your family would be willing to pack, step out in faith, grab a few shoeboxes on Sunday, and help us do just that!
4. LIFE Groups have started!!  But it’s still not too late to join one!  Go online right now and check out the Fall Semester LIFE Group Catalogand sign up for a Group today!  And yes, you can sign up for multiple groups.  There are a variety of groups (both in-person and/or online) on almost every day of the week.  YOU NEED THIS!  WE NEED THIS!  So check them out and join one today!
5. As a part of the series (“Hope in the Dark”), we’re providing a daily devotional (5 days a week) and a weekly memory verse for the duration of the series as we read, study, and pray through 1 Peter together as a church. If you haven’t already done so, sign up for the devotional (it will be emailed to you daily)!  I really believe this is going to be a great study and a great series for our church and our community!  As always, invite and bring a friend to Coastal – either in-person or online.
   
   P.S. Attention Ladies!  Have you ever walked through a season where you just felt stuck? You’re invited to an in-person watch party of the “Dare to Be” Women’s Event on Sunday, October 4th at 8pm as Charlotte Gambill & Natalie Grant help us discover that God has already given us what we need to MOVE BEYOND!  And, guess what?  Our church has paid the ticket price for this event, so it’s FREE to you and anyone who wants to attend. Invite and bring a friend, a co-worker, a neighbor, or a family member that needs a moment to reconnect and recharge in an evening of worship and Bible Study lead by women, for women of all ages.  For more information or to RSVP, please reach out to Rachel Speer or Dawn Judd.

It’s been such an exciting and emotional week here at Coastal!  Our construction project has officially started!  This week and next week is all about site work and demolition – tearing down all the interior ceilings and walls of our existing Coastal Kidz Building and putting up all the silt fencing and tree barricades. You can go to my Facebook page for pictures!  It’s exciting because it’s something that we’ve prayed about, talked about, and planned for almost 2 years now!  It’s exciting because it’s always fun to see new construction!  It’s exciting because very few churches, organizations, or businesses would do what we’re doing on the heels of a national shutdown and during a pandemic!  But God is faithful, and this church is thriving!  It’s emotional because we’ve been in this current building for 16 years.  It’s emotional because of the miraculous way God provided our building in the first place (ask me that story).  It’s emotional because of the many memories and stories associated with the old building.  It’s emotional because I’m overwhelmed with gratitude when I think about the generosity and sacrificial giving of our church that makes this possible.  Here’s what I said to our onsite General Contractor this week, “This is personal for me.  I’m not some guy in a long line of Pastors hired and fired by a local church.  My wife and I started this church 30 years ago.  This is our Baby.  This is our family.”  That’s why it’s been an exciting and emotional week!

So here’s what I’m going to ask you to do this week to mark the beginning of this project and all the excitement that goes along with it.  I’m asking you to give.  I don’t care how much you give, just give something above and beyond your regular giving specifically toward this project, this week.  Many of you have already made a specific 3 year “Daring Faith” giving commitment above and beyond your regular giving.  Give something toward that commitment this week.  Again, the amount doesn’t matter – $1, $10, $100, $1000, $10,000 or more.  Your giving is a tangible way to give thanks to God, to express your excitement and support, and to walk and give by faith.  Here’s what I’ve learned over the past 30 years as your Pastor: when together the whole church gives and walks by faith, that’s when God shows up and does a miracle.  I know this is late notice.  I know I haven’t prepared you in advance for this.  But it’s just something I felt led by God to ask of you – to give.  DO NOT worry about the amount.  However you give – online, TEXT (843-277-8337), App, Offering Envelope, check – simply use the keyword “Daring Faith.”  If you’re TEXTing to give, “daringfaith” is all one word, no spaces.  

Don’t forget that we now have both of our Sunday morning worship services (9:30am & 11:15am) open for in-person worship.  However, our 9:30am service is the only service with Coastal Kidz Children’s Ministry (probably until sometime in October).  And speaking of Coastal Kidz, beginning THIS Sunday, September 20th, Coastal Kidz will be meeting across the street (where most of you park) at Orange Grove Middle School! We will be setting up Coastal Kidz tomorrow (Saturday) morning at 8:30am.  If you are interested in being a part of the Coastal Kidz Set-Up Team, respond to this email or reach out to Janet Rollins at 843-442-8299.

I love you Coastal and I love being your Pastor!  

Pastor Chris

Here are this week’s “Friday 5”:

1. Upcoming Outreach Projects:
   Sububan Hotel Tailgate  We’re sending a tailgating team to the Suburban Hotel in North Charleston on Saturday, 9/19 (tomorrow). We meet at Coastal at 10am. We will be serving hamburgers and hotdogs to veterans and those who are transitioning from One80 Place into permanent housing. Help us to establish relationships with people who have never experienced the love of the church or of Jesus. The project will be completed by 1pm.  
   Tricounty Family Ministries  Interested in helping families in need? We’re serving with Tricounty Family Ministries on Wednesday, September 23^rd from 9:00 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. We will be assisting with the Emergency Grocery Distribution. We will be assisting many of the same people we serve at the North Charleston Tailgate at Saturday Serve. Tricounty Family Ministries is an organization that desperately needs volunteers!  You can sign up for this project on your Connect Card on Sunday. 
   If you are interested in serving in either of these projects or have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Chris Jones at 843-870-4613.
2. Don’t forget that simply because you are a part of the Coastal family, ALL of Dave Ramsey’s best selling resources and tools are available to you FREE for 1 year!  This includes 5 classes (Financial Peace, Legacy Journey, Smart Money Smart Kids, the Jump Start Course and a new Budgeting course), the Everydollar+ budgeting tool, and a host of other resources designed to help families track their progress through the baby steps. You have access to everything for an entire year at your own pace, on your own schedule.  Here’s the link:  https://www.financialpeace.com/hosts/coastalcommunity?pc=94671724.  Sign up today!  We want to be known as a generous church, and we also want to do everything we can to equip our church and community to experience true financial peace in these difficult times! 
3. One of our favorite missions that we support here at Coastal is Operation Christmas Child (OCC).  Well, because of COVID-19, OCC is going to look a little different this year at Coastal.  We will not be having our big “Wrapping & Packing Party.”  Instead our OCC Team here at Coastal and a few other volunteers will pack & wrap boxes with the current gifts/supplies we already have on hand (you can sign up on your Connect Card to be a part of that Team).  From this point forward, what we are asking our church is to simply take home the shoeboxes we provide and pack them as a family and then bring back your completed boxes to the church between now and Sunday, November 15th.  Weather permitting there will be a table right outside our building with shoeboxes ready to take home each Sunday.  This would be a GREAT opportunity for you to teach your children about generosity, the true meaning of Christmas, and the love of Jesus.  You can go to OCC’s website for a great list of suggested gifts/items for the shoeboxes.  Different is not bad.  We really believe that we still have an opportunity to pack hundreds and hundreds of shoeboxes and share the love of Jesus with children all around the world!  Pray about how many boxes your family would be willing to pack, step out in faith, grab a few shoeboxes on Sunday, and help us do just that!
4. LIFE Groups start this coming week!!  If you haven’t already done so, go online right now and check out the Fall Semester LIFE Group Catalogand sign up for a Group today!  And yes, you can sign up for multiple groups.  There are a variety of groups (both in-person and/or online) on almost every day of the week.  YOU NEED THIS!  WE NEED THIS!  So check them out and starting signing up!
5. We begin a new series THIS Sunday, September 20th, called, “Hope in the Dark.”  We’ll be preaching through the book of 1 Peter.  As a part of the series, we’re going to provide a daily devotional (5 days a week) and a weekly memory verse for the duration of the series as we read, study, and pray through 1 Peter together as a church. If you haven’t already done so, sign up for the devotional (it will be emailed to you daily)!  I really believe this is going to be a great study and a great series for our church and our community!  As always, invite and bring a friend to Coastal – either in-person or online.
   
   P.S. Beginning this Sunday, and during the duration of our construction project, no one will be able to park or drive down the first drive (the old building) of our campus.  It will now be a “Construction Only” drive & parking.  Please park across the street at Orange Grove Middle School or even at Oakland Elementary School.

Well, I’ve got some exciting news to announce!  Late yesterday afternoon, I finally received the email I had been waiting on.  After much, much prayer and a long and sometimes difficult process, we are ready to start construction on our new facility!!  In fact, this next week will be our final week in our old building (Coastal Kidz & Offices) as we know it.  The pre-construction site work all begins next week (silt fencing, tree protection, barricades, etc).  And then the following week, the week of September 21st, the demolition begins!  All of which means that this Sunday, September 13th, is the last week of Coastal Kidz in our old building.  Beginning next Sunday, September 20th, Coastal Kidz will be meeting across the street (where most of you park) at Orange Grove Middle School.  We will be setting up Coastal Kidz next Saturday, September 19th, at 8:30am.  If you are interested in being a part of the Coastal Kidz Set-Up Team, respond to this email or reach out to Janet Rollinsat 843-442-8299.  This also means that all this next week our Pastors and Staff will be moving everything we are keeping in our old building into our old auditorium for temporary storage.  If you have some availability this week and would like to volunteer to help us in this process, simply respond to this email.  And if you are new to Coastal and have no idea what we’re about to do, please go to our Daring Faith page on our website.

Buildings are simply tools.  But I really believe that our new facility will serve as a beautiful symbol in our community that even during a season where it seems as if everything has been on hold, or worse, fading away or dying, that God is not finished with us. There is hope and new life!  Coastal we are here to stay, leaving a legacy for future generations!  Regardless of our circumstances, our mission has not changed – to share and experience the LIFE and LOVE of Jesus with Charleston and world!  And we will not be distracted or diverted from that mission!  This new facility is simply a tool to carry out that mission – a symbol of a growing church that chooses to keep walking by faith!

Don’t forget that starting THISSunday September 13thwe are opening up our 11:15am service for in-person worship along with our 9:30am service.  We’ve been monitoring our numbers and our capacity for social distancing in just the one in-person service at 9:30am.  As a result of that and a desire to help make people feel comfortable finding a seat, we are opening up the 11:15am service.  If you are concerned at all with being in a crowd or if this is your first time returning back to in-person worship, the 11:15am service would be the perfect service for you. 

However, for the month of September (13th, 20th, 27th) there will only be Coastal Kidz (our Children’s Ministry) in the 9:30am service.  As more and more people continue to return, including our volunteers, we’ll open up our Children’s Ministry for both services (hopefully in October).  Also, please keep in mind that our church will continue to follow the City of Charleston’s mask mandate. If you don’t have a mask, we will gladly provide one as you enter.  But most importantly, we will continue to show grace, kindness, and love to everyone.  As always, if you’re sick, immunocompromised, or caring for those who are, PLEASE stay home and watch our services online.

Don’t worry – we will continue to offer ALL of our services online at 9:30am, 11:15am, and 6pm.  If you miss a service, you can easily catch up on our Facebook page or our YouTube Channel.  But, and this is important – whether you’re in-person or online, stay ENGAGED!  We need each other now more than ever before.   And the best way to stay engaged is through our LIFE Groups.  If you haven’t already done so, go online right now and check out the Fall Semester LIFE Group Catalogand sign up for a Group today!  And yes, you can sign up for multiple groups.  There are a variety of groups (both in-person and/or online) on almost every day of the week.  Groups start in just one more week – the week of September 20th!  YOU NEED THIS!  WE NEED THIS!  So check them out and starting signing up!

LIFE & LOVE!
Pastor Chris

Here are this week’s “Friday 5”:

1. Upcoming Outreach Projects: Sign up on your Connect Card to help at Lowcountry Orphan Relief on Friday 9/18 from 9-11am or at the Suburban Hotel Tailgate on 9/19 from 10am-1pm.  Come make an IMPACT in our community by being the hands and feet of Jesus!  If you have any questions about these projects, please reach out to Pastor Chris Jones at 843-870-4613.
2. Don’t forget that simply because you are a part of the Coastal family, ALL of Dave Ramsey’s best selling resources and tools available to you FREE for 1 year!  This includes 5 classes (Financial Peace, Legacy Journey, Smart Money Smart Kids, the Jump Start Course and a new Budgeting course), the Everydollar+ budgeting tool, and a host of other resources designed to help families track their progress through the baby steps. You have access to everything for an entire year at your own pace, on your own schedule.  Here’s the link:  https://www.financialpeace.com/hosts/coastalcommunity?pc=94671724.  Sign up today!  We want to be known as a generous church, and we also want to do everything we can to equip our church and community to experience true financial peace in these difficult times!  
3. Waves Student Ministry (6th-12th Grade) is back!  The first three weeks of the month are going to be strictly small groups meeting at a couple of different locations. We are encouraging ALL students to jump in to one of these groups and starting connecting again with other students and leaders. As we begin to see which groups are working out best (time & location-wise) for students, we might combine and shift the groups. We will keep you updated weekly on what the groups are looking like and have even opened up a poll on our Waves Instagram to allow students to let us know which group they plan on attending. The groups are listed on our website and on WAVES Student Ministry Instagram.  On the 4^th week of the month we are going to have a semi-normal Wednesday meeting and all joining together for a time of fellowship and worship.  For more information or to answer any of your questions, please reach out to Pastor Ryan Spell at 843-442-8985.
4. Attention all Coastal women & friends: Chosen Women’s Conference is going VIRTUAL for the first time ever, and Coastal is hosting a watch party on Thursday, September 17 (7:00–9:00 pm) and Friday, September 18 (7–9:30 pm). What is Chosen? It’s a live-worship, guest-speaker, community-building, faith-strengthening event designed specifically to equip and empower women of all ages to walk in the freedom God has given us. 2020 guest speakers include Christine Caine, Irene Rollins and Wendy Perez. Tickets can be purchased at www.chosenwomensconference.com. RSVP for the Coastal Watch Party to Rachel Speer rachel@coastalcommunitychurch.org.
5. What’s your Next Step here at Coastal?  If you’re fairly new to Coastal, a great next step is our Newcomers Reception.  Our next Newcomer’s Reception is THIS Sunday, September 13th, in the Welcome Center immediately following the 11:15am service (at approximately 12:30pm).  This is a great way to learn more about Coastal, meet staff and key volunteers, as well as meet some other new people.  Childcare provided.  RSVP online or on your Connect Card.  Or maybe your next step is officially making Coastal your church family by becoming a Member.  Our next Membership Class is Monday evening, September 14th, 6pm-8:30pm. You can respond to this email or sign up on our website.  For both the Newcomer’s Reception and the Membership Class, you can join us either in-person or online through Zoom. 
   
   P.S. On Sunday, September 20th (next week), we kick off our new Fall Sermon Series called, “Hope in the Dark.”  We’ll be preaching through the book of 1 Peter.  As a part of the series, we’re going to provide a daily devotional (5 days a week) and a weekly memory verse for the duration of the series as we read, study, and pray through 1 Peter together as a church. If you haven’t already done so, sign up for the devotional (it will be emailed to you daily)!  I really believe this is going to be a great study and a great series for our church and our community!  As always, invite and bring a friend to Coastal – either in-person or online.

We announced it two weeks ago and now it’s here – your pathway to financial freedom!  Our church has purchased a site license for something called, “Dave Ramsey+”.  What that means is that starting today you have access to ALL of Dave Ramsey’s best selling resources and tools FREE for 1 year!  This includes 5 classes (Financial Peace, Legacy Journey, Smart Money Smart Kids, the Jump Start Course and a new Budgeting course), the Everydollar+ budgeting tool, and a host of other resources designed to help families track their progress through the baby steps.  If you were to sign up for this on your own it would cost $130.  NOT NOW!  All of that and more will be FREE for our entire church!  You’ll have access to everything for an entire year at your own pace, on your own schedule.  Simply go to this linkand sign up today!

We see this as an investment in you, your finances, and your future!  It’s also a way to practically express our generosity and love toward you and our community and to be a real source of help.  Think about it – what if you had gone into the “shutdown” debt free and with money in the bank?  What if you could have hope for your life, including your finances? That’s what Dave Ramsey+ is all about – giving you a plan and hope so you can experience financial peace.

I hope you’re as excited about this as I am.  And more importantly, I hope you’ll sign up and access the material.  We want to be known as a generous church and we also want to do everything we can to equip our church and community to experience true financial peace in these difficult times! 

Again, here is the link:  https://www.financialpeace.com/hosts/coastalcommunity?pc=94671724

I Love You & I Love Being Your Pastor!
Pastor Chris

P.S. We are offering a Dave Ramsey Financial Peace Virtual LIFE Group (sign up today!) this semester.  You’ll watch the videos on your own and then each week (Tuesday’s at 7pm) we’ll meet together on Zoom for discussion and accountability.  But this year, all the resources are FREE!  However, you don’t have to sign up for the Group to have access to all the material.

We have two more weeks in our “Summer Reading” sermon series – this Sunday and next Sunday.  And we’re closing it out with two great books – “Dream Big” by Bob Goff and “Parenting” by David Paul Tripp.  But on Sunday, September 20th, we kick off a new series that couldn’t come at a better time.  It’s called, “Hope in the Dark.”  We’re actually going to be preaching through the book of 1 Peter for this series.  The New Testament book of 1 Peter was written to Jewish Christians who had been driven out of Jerusalem by extreme persecution and now were scattered all over the world.  Throughout the Roman Empire, Christians were being tortured and killed for their faith.  To say that they were crushed, overwhelmed, and devastated would be an understatement.  So Peter wrote to these scattered, suffering Christians to try to give them hope and comfort, urging them to remain loyal to Jesus.  And it’s a message that could have easily been written for us today.  As the world in which we live seems to get darker and darker and more evil and opposed to Christianity, so many people today are feeling crushed and overwhelmed and have lost hope.  We need to be reminded that ultimately, this world is not our home, that we’re called to rise above this world and our circumstances, and that no one can steal our hope.  

Well, if any of that resonates with you, “Hope in the Dark” is going to be a powerful way to finish out 2020. As a part of the series, we’re going to provide a daily devotional (5 days a week) and a weekly memory verse for the duration of the series as we read, study, and pray through 1 Peter together as a church. In fact, you can sign up for the devotional (it will be emailed to you daily) today!  I really believe it’s going to be a great study and a great series for our church and our community!  As always, reach out to your “one”, your friends, neighbors, co-workers, people in your sphere of influence and invite them to Coastal.  People everywhere are looking for hope.  They are not going to find it in anything this world has to offer.  But hope has a name – Jesus!  And our mission is to point people to Him – to be ambassadors of hope! 

Only 2 more weeks until our LIFE Groups start!  If you haven’t done so already, go online and check out our Fall Semester LIFE Group Catalogand sign up today!  And yes, you can sign up for multiple groups.  There are a variety of groups (both in-person and/or online) on almost every day of the week.  Groups start the week of September 20th!

And don’t forget we only have 1 in-person service this Sunday, September 6th at 9:30am.  But beginning next Sunday, September 13th, there will be 2 in-person services – 9:30am and 11:15am.  Children’s Ministry will only be offered during the 9:30am service for right now.  As always, all services will continue to be online.  Have a great Labor Day Weekend!

LIFE & LOVE!
Pastor Chris

Here are this week’s “Friday 5”:

1. Saturday Serve is THIS Saturday (tomorrow), September 5th!  We meet at the church at 8:30am.  The leaders of the different service projects give a quick “pitch” of their project, we pray, and then we disburse to go serve!  It’s that simple.  You just show up, choose, and serve.  All projects are typically finished before lunchtime, so it’s not a sacrifice of your entire Saturday.  Come make an IMPACT in our community by being the hands and feet of Jesus!  If you have any questions about Saturday Serve or ideas for future projects, please reach out to Pastor Chris Jones at 843-870-4613.
2. Don’t forget to check your in-box on Tuesday, September 8th!  We will be sharing an access code that makes ALL of Dave Ramsey’s best selling resources and tools available to our entire church FREE for 1 year!  This includes 5 classes (Financial Peace, Legacy Journey, Smart Money Smart Kids, the Jump Start Course and a new Budgeting course), the Everydollar+ budgeting tool, and a host of other resources designed to help families track their progress through the baby steps. You’ll have access to everything for an entire year at your own pace, on your own schedule.  So be on the lookout for the link and access code this Tuesday, September 8th!  We want to be known as a generous church, and we also want to do everything we can to equip our church and community to experience true financial peace in these difficult times!  
3. Waves Student Ministry (6th-12th Grade) is back!  The first three weeks of the month are going to be strictly small groups meeting at a couple of different locations. We are encouraging ALL students to jump in to one of these groups and starting connecting again with other students and leaders. As we begin to see which groups are working out best (time & location-wise) for students, we might combine and shift the groups. We will keep you updated weekly on what the groups are looking like and have even opened up a poll on our Waves Instagram to allow students to let us know which group they plan on attending. The groups are listed on our website and instagram.  On the 4^th week of the month we are going to have a semi-normal Wednesday meeting and all joining together for a time of fellowship and worship. Our goal in all of this is to get back to large group gatherings on Wednesday nights. However, we do believe with so much still up in the air, especially with school starting back this coming week, that it would be best to maintain as much social distancing and precaution as we possibly can.  For more information or to answer any of your questions, please reach out to Pastor Ryan Spell at 843-442-8985.
4. Attention all Coastal women & friends: Chosen Women’s Conference is going VIRTUAL for the first time ever, and Coastal is hosting a watch party on Thursday, September 17 (7:00–9:00 pm) and Friday, September 18 (7–9:30 pm). What is Chosen? It’s a live-worship, guest-speaker, community-building, faith-strengthening event designed specifically to equip and empower women of all ages to walk in the freedom God has given us. 2020 guest speakers include Christine Caine, Irene Rollins and Wendy Perez. Tickets can be purchased at www.chosenwomensconference.com. RSVP for the Coastal Watch Party to Rachel Speer rachel@coastalcommunitychurch.org.
5. What’s your Next Step here at Coastal?  If you’re fairly new to Coastal, a great next step is our Newcomers Reception.  Our next Newcomer’s Reception is Sunday, September 13th, in the Welcome Center immediately following the 11:15am service (at approximately 12:30pm).  This is a great way to learn more about Coastal, meet staff and key volunteers, as well as meet some other new people.  Childcare provided.  RSVP online or on your Connect Card.  Or maybe your next step is officially making Coastal your church family by becoming a Member.  Our next Membership Class is Monday evening, September 14th, 6pm-8:30pm. You can respond to this email or sign up on our website.  For both the Newcomer’s Reception and the Membership Class, you can join us either in-person or online through Zoom.
   
   P.S. As always, there are lots of serving opportunities at Coastal:  On Wednesday, September 9^th Coastal will be serving with Tricounty Family Ministriesassisting with the Emergency Grocery Distribution from 9am-12:30pm.  On Friday, September 11th, 8am-1pm, Coastal will be sending a team to serve local veterans in need at the Soldiers Angels-Veteran Mobile Food Distribution.  You can sign-up for either opportunity on your Connect Card this Sunday or simply reach out to Pastor Chris Jones at chrisjones@coastalcommunitychurch.org for more info!

I hope you and your family are all having a great week and a great Friday!  I’ve had a little bit of a strange week – my wife Janet has been gone this week seeing her mom in North Georgia, so I’ve been “bach-ing” it.  She drives home today, so please keep her travels in your prayers.  Because of COVID-19 she hasn’t seen her mom since January.  I know there are so many of you who are or have been in that same boat.  Please know that you continue to be in our prayers!  And speaking of prayers, I can’t say enough good things about our online night of Prayer and Worship.  Our Worship Team, Tech Team, and Prayer Team all worked together to create a very powerful experience.  I hope you and your family were blessed.  And how about our Beach Baptism this past Sunday night (see picture above)?!  We baptized 8 people!

As always, there are so many great things happening at Coastal right now that I want to share with you!  First of all, our Fall Semester LIFE Group Catalog is now available!  For those of you who didn’t pick up a physical copy on Sunday, don’t worry.  We’ll be mailing one out this week.  But the easiest thing to do is simply go to our website, check out all the groups and sign up today!  And yes, you can sign up for multiple groups.  There are a variety of groups (both in-person and/or online) on almost every day of the week.  Groups start the week of September 20th!  YOU NEED THIS!  WE NEED THIS!  So check them out and starting signing up!

We had our Preconstruction Meeting this week with the City of Charleston for our new building!  In fact, this coming week we meet with the Project Manager with Hill Construction.  All of which means that site work will start soon (tree fencing, barricades, etc.), quickly followed by demolition and actually putting a big shovel in the ground!  Woohoo!  So exciting!  Trust me, we’ll be keeping you updated on everything that happens.  If you’ve forgotten what we’re doing or what you’ve been giving toward, go to our Daring Faith page on our website and check out the videos.  If you’d like to start giving toward this project and be a part of a move of God at our church and leave a legacy for future generations, simply use the key word, “daringfaith” (all one word if you’re TEXTing to give).

As school (whatever that might look like for you) gears up, you might be wondering what’s going on with our Waves Student Ministry (6th-12th Grade).  They will be kicking off the week following Labor Day, September 8th.  The first three weeks of the month our students will meet in small groups designed for their specific age and gender. The final week of the month they will all come together for a night of worship and fellowship. Even though the semester may not look like “normal,” we are excited about the opportunity for our students to grow both closer with each other and deeper in their faith. Individual groups and times are listed in our life group catalog and on our website.  If you have any questions about Student Ministry please reach out to Pastor Ryan Spell.

LIFE & LOVE!
Pastor Chris

Here are this week’s “Friday 5”:

1. Our next Saturday Serve is Saturday, September 5th!  We meet at the church at 8:30am.  The leaders of the different service projects give a quick “pitch” of their project, we pray, and then we disburse to go serve!  It’s that simple.  You just show up, choose, and serve.  All projects are typically finished before lunchtime, so it’s not a sacrifice of your entire Saturday.  Come make an IMPACT in our community by being the hands and feet of Jesus!  If you have any questions about Saturday Serve or ideas for future projects, please reach out to Pastor Chris Jones at 843-870-4613.
2. We just announced some exciting news this week!  Our church has decided to purchase a site license for something called, “Dave Ramsey+”.  What that means is that beginning Tuesday, September 8th, we will share an access code that makes ALL of Dave Ramsey’s best selling resources and tools available to our entire church FREE for 1 year!  This includes 5 classes (Financial Peace, Legacy Journey, Smart Money Smart Kids, the Jump Start Course and a new Budgeting course), the Everydollar+ budgeting tool, and a host of other resources designed to help families track their progress through the baby steps. You’ll have access to everything for an entire year at your own pace, on your own schedule.  So be on the lookout for the link and access code on September 8th!  We want to be known as a generous church, and we also want to do everything we can to equip our church and community to experience true financial peace in these difficult times! 
3. It’s hard to believe that it’s back – it’s time to start stacking and packing chairs after our service on Sunday and then setting them up again for church on Saturday mornings (tomorrow) at 9:30am.  It’s a great way to serve, meet some other people, and even get in some exercise.  If you’re looking for more of a “behind the scenes” way to do all those things and get involved at Coastal, this is it.  With approximately 10 people it only takes about 30 minutes.  Ken Bartlett leads this LIFE Team.  If you would like to be a part of this Team, you can respond to this email, reach out to Ken, or simply show up & serve and introduce yourself.  For the most part, this is a task that has to happen every Saturday.  But even if you can help only once a month, that makes a huge IMPACT!
4. It’s hard to believe that it’s back – it’s time to start stacking and packing chairs after our service on Sunday and then setting them up again for church on Saturday mornings (tomorrow) at 9:30am.  It’s a great way to serve, meet some other people, and even get in some exercise.  If you’re looking for more of a “behind the scenes” way to do all those things and get involved at Coastal, this is it.  With approximately 10 people it only takes about 30 minutes.  Ken Bartlett leads this LIFE Team.  If you would like to be a part of this Team, you can respond to this email, reach out to Ken, or simply show up & serve and introduce yourself.  For the most part, this is a task that has to happen every Saturday.  But even if you can help only once a month, that makes a huge IMPACT!
5. What’s your Next Step here at Coastal?  If you’re fairly new to Coastal, a great next step is our Newcomers Reception.  Our next Newcomer’s Reception is Sunday, September 13th, in the Welcome Center immediately following the 9:30am service (at approximately 10:45am).  This is a great way to learn more about Coastal, meet staff and key volunteers, as well as meet some other new people.  Childcare provided.  RSVP online or on your Connect Card.  Or maybe your next step is officially making Coastal your church family by becoming a Member.  Our next Membership Class is Monday evening, September 14th, 6pm-8:30pm. You can respond to this email or sign up on our website.  For both the Newcomer’s Reception and the Membership Class, you can join us either in-person or online through Zoom. 
   
   P.S. Our church is throwing an online virtual Baby Shower for Ashley Hojnacki THIS Sunday, August 30th at 6pm through all of our normal online platforms (church online, website, and facebook).  For those of you who don’t know, Ashley is our church’s Office Manager.  This is Ed & Ashley’s first child.  They are having a girl – Blake Rose.  Here is a link to their registry:  https://www.babylist.com/babyhojnacki.  Gifts can still be dropped off at the church this Sunday.

These are very difficult and stressful times to say the least.  People are fearful about the future and many people feel like they are hanging on by a thread.  One of the biggest fears people are facing right now is their finances.  Many people have lost jobs and are struggling to survive.  Even if you haven’t lost your job or are on the verge of losing your home, financial stress is typically huge for most people. However, that stress is multiplied exponentially right now.

At Coastal, WE WANT TO HELP!  I’ve got some exciting news to share with you!  Our church has decided to purchase a site license for something called, “Dave Ramsey+”.  What that means is that beginning Tuesday, September 8th, we will share an access code that makes ALL of Dave Ramsey’s best selling resources and tools available to our entire church FREE for 1 year (kind of like our access to Right Now Media)!  This includes 5 classes (Financial Peace, Legacy Journey, Smart Money Smart Kids, the Jump Start Course and a new Budgeting course), the Everydollar+ budgeting tool, and a host of other resources designed to help families track their progress through the baby steps.  If you were to sign up for this on your own it would cost $130.  NOT NOW!  All of that and more will be FREE for our entire church!  You’ll have access to everything for an entire year at your own pace, on your own schedule.

We see this as an investment in you, your finances, and your future!  It’s a way to practically express our generosity and love toward you and our community and to be a real source of help.  Think about it – what if you had gone into the “shutdown” debt free and with money in the bank?  What if you could have hope for your life, including your finances? That’s what Dave Ramsey+ is all about – giving you a plan and hope so you can experience financial peace.

By the way, we are offering a Dave Ramsey Financial Peace Virtual LIFE Group (sign up today!) this semester.  You’ll watch the videos on your own and then each week (Tuesday’s at 7pm) we’ll meet together on Zoom for discussion and accountability.  But this year, all the resources are FREE!  However, you don’t have to sign up for the Group to have access to all the material.  We will give you the link and make it available, starting Tuesday, September 8th (the day after Labor Day).  

So be on the lookout for the link and access code on September 8th!  I hope you’re as excited about this as I am.  And more importantly, I hope you’ll access the material.  We want to be known as a generous church and we also want to do everything we can to equip our church and community to experience true financial peace in these difficult times!  

I Love You & I Love Being Your Pastor!
Pastor Chris

P.S.  If you are excited about this, I’d love to hear from you!  Simply respond to this email.

There are so many great things happening this weekend here at Coastal that I’m excited to share with you!  First of all, TONIGHT at 7:30pm we’re having our online night of prayer & worship!  Let me clarify, this is ONLINE ONLY.  The only people who will be “in-person” or in the building will be our Worship Team, Tech Team, several members of Prayer Team, and our Pastors.   For everyone else, this is an online service. Simply tune in to any of our normal online platforms (church online, facebook, YouTube) and engage with your church family.  Now, more than ever before, as we head into the Fall and a new school year and an election and so many unknowns and fears, we need to cry out to our God and depend on Him.  In fact, we’re encouraging you to leave a comment and submit your prayer requests online during the service.  Members of our Prayer Team will literally be on their knees praying for your prayer requests and you by name.  So join us tonight at 7:30pm!  It’s going to be a powerful night of worship and prayer!!

And then this Sunday, at 5pm out at Folly Beach County Park, we’re having our end of the Summer Beach Baptism!  Come out early and make it a fun day for your entire family!  If you are interested in being Baptized, simply respond to this email, sign up on your Connect Card, or go to our website and sign up online.  Even if you’re not being Baptized, make plans to come out to the beach with your friends and family and celebrate with those who are!  Especially for those of you who have not yet joined us “in-person”, this is a great way to fellowship outside and make it a fun day for the whole family!

Oh and one other big thing this weekend – our Fall Semester LIFE Group Catalogis now available online!  The physical catalog will be available in-person on Sunday, and we’ll also be mailing it out to everyone.  As always, there are multiple ways to sign up for a group (online, on your Connect Card, or at the LIFE Group Tables starting next Sunday), but you only have to sign up one time, one way.  And yes, you can sign up for multiple groups.  There are a variety of groups (both in-person and/or online) on almost every day of the week.  YOU NEED THIS!  WE NEED THIS!  We were made for community, for connections, to do LIFE with people.  And the primary way for that to happen at Coastal is through LIFE Teams (serving/volunteering) and LIFE Groups (relationships).  The majority of our LIFE Groups all begin the week of September 20th (one month away).  So check them all out this weekend and starting signing up!

LIFE & LOVE!
Pastor Chris

Here are this week’s “Friday 5”:

1. Coastal continues to serve and love our neighbors in the community.  Here are two opportunities next week where you can Make an Impact!  On Wednesday, August 26^th from 9:15am until 1pm, we’re partnering with Tricounty Family Ministriesassisting with their Emergency Grocery Distribution.  Many of Tricounty Family Ministries’ clients are the same people our church serves at the North Charleston Tailgate and our monthly Saturday Serve.  Also on Friday, August 28^th from 10am until 12noon, we’re teaming up again with Lowcountry Orphan Relief in their distribution center. You will have the opportunity to assist several local children in crisis situations. If you would like to join the team, sign up on your Connect Card this Sunday, respond to this email, or contact Pastor Chris Jones at chrisjones@coastalcommunitychurch.org.
2. Attention all LIFE Group Leaders, Assistants,& Hosts: LIFE Group Leader Training dates (online or in-person) are either (choose one): Tuesday, 8/25, 6pm-8pm OR Saturday, 8/29, 9-11am.  Please select a training date and sign up on your Connect Card on Sunday, respond to this email, or connect with Pastor Scott Huff.
3. It’s hard to believe that it’s back – it’s time to start stacking and packing chairs after our service on Sunday and then setting them up again for church on Saturday mornings at 9:30am.  Chair Set-up starts tomorrow (Saturday) at 9:30am!  It’s a great way to serve, meet some other people, and even get in some exercise.  If you’re looking for more of a “behind the scenes” way to do all those things and get involved at Coastal, this is it.  With approximately 10 people it only takes about 30 minutes.  Ken Bartlett leads this LIFE Team.  If you would like to be a part of this Team, you can respond to this email, reach out to Ken, or simply show up & serve and introduce yourself.  For the most part, this is a task that has to happen every Saturday.  But even if you can help only once a month, that makes a huge IMPACT!
4. Attention all Coastal women & friends: Chosen Women’s Conference is going VIRTUAL for the first time ever, and Coastal is hosting a watch party on Thursday, September 17 (7:00–9:00 pm) and Friday, September 18 (7–9:30 pm). What is Chosen? It’s a live-worship, guest-speaker, community-building, faith-strengthening event designed specifically to equip and empower women of all ages to walk in the freedom God has given us. 2020 guest speakers include Christine Caine, Irene Rollins and Wendy Perez. Tickets can be purchased at www.chosenwomensconference.com. RSVP for the Coastal Watch Party to Rachel Speer rachel@coastalcommunitychurch.org.
5. To build a stronger online community we are seeking volunteers to join the Online Engagement Team. This team of volunteers will connect with our online members and guests in the chat during the 9:30am, 11:15am, and 6:00pm services. Training will be provided. You’ll have the opportunity to choose the service time and the date to serve. You’ll also choose the platform to serve on. The main emphasis of the Online Engagement Team is to meet and greet those who are online, answer questions, and make those who are tuning in feel welcome.  It’s an easy and fun way to make an impact while serving here at Coastal (or while home during this season of social distancing). If you are interested in serving on this Team or have any questions, you can respond to this email or reach out to Chris Jones – 843-870-4613. 
   
   P.S. Our church is throwing an online virtual Baby Shower for Ashley Hojnacki on Sunday, August 30th at 6pm through all of our normal online platforms (church online, website, and facebook).  For those of you who don’t know, Ashley is our church’s Office Manager.  This is Ed & Ashley’s first child.  They are having a girl – Blake Rose.  Here is a link to their registry:  https://www.babylist.com/babyhojnacki.  Gifts can be sent to their home through their online registry or dropped off at the church between now and the shower. 

I’m really excited about our online night of prayer & worship next Friday night, August 21st, at 7:30pm!  Our staff, worship & tech team have all been working hard to make this an impactful evening. Simply tune in to any of our normal online platforms and engage with your church family.  Now, more than ever before, as we head into the Fall and a new school year and so many unknowns and fears, we need to cry out to our God and depend on Him.  So mark your calendars now and join your Coastal family online for worship and prayer next Friday night!!

On a personal note, our daughter Lydia and her husband Andrew have been in town this week!  They are both working remotely so they decided what better place to work than in Charleston with us!  They’ll be heading back to Tennessee tomorrow, but we’ve had a blast – laughing, grilling & cooking, and staying up late talking!  It’s been a reminder to me that while phone calls, FaceTime, and technology are all great, we also need in-person, face to face connections.  We were created for community, to do life with people.  

My encouragement to you in this difficult and stressful time is simple – leverage all the technology you can, but also seek out and cherish those face to face, in-person connections.  Like most things in life, it’s not either/or; it’s both/and.  If you are sick, immunocompromised, elderly, or caring for those who are, please continue to stay home, stay safe, and leverage all the technology you can, while seeking out and cherishing those small moments of personal, face to face interactions that you can.  We will continue to do our best to help you stay engaged.  

If you don’t fit into any of those categories and you’re going to work, taking your kids to daycare/camps and getting ready to take them to school, going to grocery stores, the beach, or eating in restaurants – you might need a gentle, loving, Pastoral nudge to get back in the habit and join us for in-person worship.  Like anything else in life, it’s easy to get out of the habit of going to church.  And yes, at Coastal we don’t just “go to church”, and no the church is not a building.  We don’t teach that and never have.  But the church is a body, and the church is called to gather or assemble and to do life with one another.  And just like an infant will experience “failure to thrive” without human contact and connections, so will followers of Jesus without community.  

So, if possible, mask up, be smart, and get back in the habit of gathering in-person for worship.  If for you it’s still not wise, stay engaged online and cherish those moments and people in your life where you can connect.  And no matter what, in-person OR online, as always at Coastal we will show love and grace to everyone, and do it all to the glory of God!  I love you, and I love what we get to do together!  I can’t wait to see you Sunday – online OR in-person!

LIFE & LOVE!
Pastor Chris

Here are this week’s “Friday 5”:

1. Tomorrow is “Saturation Saturday”!  The 3rd Saturday of every month we simply encourage everyone from Coastal to pray and come up with a tangible way to serve and love your neighbor.  If you’re looking for suggestions, we have a group serving at the Lowcountry Food Bank from 9am-12noon.  Also we are taking our “Tailgate Party” over to the Suburban Hotel on Dorchester Road to feed Veterans and 180Place transitional residents.  Meet at the church at 10am to prep.  If you are interested in being a part of either of these specific opportunities, reach out to Pastor Chris Jones – 843-870-4613.  But either way, find a way to be the hands and feet of Jesus!
2. Attention all LIFE Group Leaders:  Please turn in all of your LIFE Group details to Pastor Scott Huff at scotth@coastalcommunitychurch.org.  LIFE Group Leader Training Dates (online or in-person) are either (choose one): Tuesday, 8/25, 6pm-8pm OR Saturday, 8/29, 9-11am.  Please select a training date and sign up on your Connect Card on Sunday.
3. On Sunday, August 23rd, 5pm out at Folly Beach County Park, we’re having our end of the Summer Beach Baptism!  Come out early and make it a fun day for your entire family!  If you are interested in being Baptized, simply respond to this email, sign up on your connect card, or go to our website and sign up online.  Even if you’re not being Baptized, make plans to come out to the beach and celebrate with those who are!  Make it a fun day for the whole family!
4. Attention all Coastal women & friends: Chosen Women’s Conference is going VIRTUAL for the first time ever, and Coastal is hosting a watch party on Thursday, September 17 (7:00–9:00 pm) and Friday, September 18 (7–9:30 pm). What is Chosen? It’s a live-worship, guest-speaker, community-building, faith-strengthening event designed specifically to equip and empower women of all ages to walk in the freedom God has given us. 2020 guest speakers include Christine Caine, Irene Rollins and Wendy Perez. Tickets can be purchased at www.chosenwomensconference.com. RSVP for the Coastal Watch Party to Rachel Speer rachel@coastalcommunitychurch.org.
5. To build a stronger online community we are seeking volunteers to join the Online Engagement Team. This team of volunteers will connect with our online members and guests in the chat during the 9:30am, 11:15am, and 6:00pm services. Training will be provided. You’ll have the opportunity to choose the service time and the date to serve. You’ll also chose the platform to serve on. The main emphasis of the Online Engagement Team is to meet and greet those who are online, answer questions, and make those who are tuning in feel welcome.  It’s an easy and fun way to make an impact while serving here at Coastal (or while home during this season of social distancing). If you are interested in serving on this Team or have any questions, you can respond to this email or reach out to Chris Jones – 843-870-4613. 
   
   P.S. Our church is throwing a virtual Baby Shower for Ashley Hojnacki on Sunday, August 30th at 6pm.  We’ll give you the link and details soon.  For those of you who don’t know, Ashley is our church’s Office Manager.  This is Ed & Ashley’s first child.  They are having a girl – Blake Rose.  Here is a link to their registry:  https://www.babylist.com/babyhojnacki.

I love being a part of a church that values serving – being the hands and feet of Jesus in our community.  And this week there are multiple opportunities to serve!  We will be assisting Tricounty Family Ministries (TFM) with their Grocery Distribution tomorrow, Wednesday, August 12th, 9:45am-1pm.  TFM is a Christian, non-profit ministry providing food, clothing, medical care, counseling, job training & placement, shelter, financial assistance and other vital services to the less fortunate in the Tricounty area.  They are a one-stop shop for just about anything and everything a person might find themselves facing. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, their services have been greatly reduced. However, their Wednesday Emergency Grocery Distribution is one adaptation that has allowed them to continuously serve their clients’ need for food.  They have struggled in recent months to find volunteers. I can assure you, the staff of TFM are committed to their mission, and they are so grateful for the help we are providing.  Many of TFM clients are the same people we serve at the North Charleston Tailgate.  We’ll meet at TFM.  They are located at 2105 Cosgrove Ave. in North Charleston. 

And then this Friday, August 14th, 8am-1pm, we’ll be teaming up with the Veteran’s Administration and Soldiers’ Angels.  We will be preparing groceries for distribution and then loading them in the vehicle trunks of our local veteran heroes who need the food assistance for themselves and their families. These veterans are always grateful for Coastal being there consistently month after month.  The event is going to be held at the Elks Lodge in West Ashley (where we will meet), 1113 Sam Rittenberg Blvd.  Coastal has served on this project for the past seven months, and we’ve developed a strong relationship with this organization. This is an outdoor event that happens rain or shine so please dress accordingly.  Bottled water and snacks are provided by Soldiers’ Angels.

Be sure to wear your Coastal Making an Impact t-shirt for either of these events.  Although outside, both events require face coverings. If you are interested in being a part of either of these opportunities, or need a Coastal t-shirt, please respond to this email or reach out to Pastor Chris Jones (843) 870-4613.

This Saturday is “Saturation Saturday”!  Saturation Saturday is the 3rd Saturday of every month.  It’s an organic, church-wide effort of flooding our community with random acts of kindness.  It can be anything from restocking one of our 5 blessing boxes in the community, preparing lunch for a neighbor, purchasing a cup of coffee for a complete stranger, mowing the lawn of an elderly neighbor, or baking a batch of cookies for someone you know who is in a tough season. It can literally be any simple act of service and kindness.  You decide.  Pray about it – get creative!  The idea is to demonstrate the love of Jesus in a practical way.  It can be done alone, with your family, or even team up with another family!  And while you’re serving, wear your Coastal shirt (maybe you’ll see someone from Coastal wearing theirs).  If someone asks why you’re serving and what the meaning of the shirt is, you can simply answer, “LOVE!  We love Jesus and we love people!”  And then you can tell them about Coastal.  If you’re able, take a few pictures of whatever you decide to do and share them with us on Facebook and Instagram under #CCCSaturationSaturday.

And then of course you can always drop off non-perishable food during the week or on Sunday for our Food Bank.  You can also drop off supplies/gifts for Operation Christmas Child (the August gift is school supplies).  I love you Coastal, and I love what we get to do together – sharing and experiencing the LIFE & LOVE of Jesus with Charleston and the world! 

LIFE & LOVE!
Pastor Chris

P.S.  Janet and I will be back on Facebook LIVE this Wednesday evening (tomorrow night) at 8pm from my own personal Facebook page!  In fact, we have special guests – our daughter Lydia and her husband Andrew!  We’ll be cooking a meal (and giving it away to a lucky winner), talking about all things Coastal, and as always laughing and having fun!  We would love for you to join us!

I just wanted to remind you that here at Coastal we care deeply about you and whatever it is that you might be going through.  We also believe in the power of prayer.  Each Monday morning our Pastors and Staff take the time to read through each and every prayer request submitted and lift up our church in prayer.  Feel free to simply respond to this email and share any prayer requests that you might have.  On our website, if you scroll down on our Missions page, we also have a Get Help Form where you can request assistance picking up groceries, food, or urgent supplies, a Pastoral phone call, or prayer requests.  If you need anything, please let us know.  You are not alone!

I want to let you know about a new ministry that you might be interested in joining.  As Coastal’s online presence continues to grow, our church is reaching people online from literally all over the world. You can view our services on Church Online, Facebook and on our YouTube channel. Our church has invested time, energy and money to improve our online services.  I hope you’ve noticed the investment.

If you’ve attended an online service, you are likely aware of the chat that is available on each of the platforms we use to host our services on the web. Today, our church staff monitors the chat and engages online guests at the 9:30am, 11:15am, and 6:00pm services.  On any given Sunday, the chat is filled with people who call Coastal home, those who may be new to the area, families who are searching for a new church home, individuals who are unfamiliar with the Christian-faith, as well as those who are curious and seeking. It is a great opportunity for us to share Jesus with people who otherwise may never come to church or hear the message of salvation. This is why we need your help.

Currently, our online chat is managed by one person. To build a stronger online community we are seeking volunteers to build The Online Engagement Team. This team of volunteers will connect with our online members and guests in the chat during the 9:30am, 11:15am, and 6:00pm services. Training will be provided. You’ll have the opportunity to choose the service time and the date to serve. You’ll also chose the platform to serve on. The main emphasis of the Online Engagement Team is to meet and greet those who are online, answer questions, and make those who are tuning in feel welcome.  It’s an easy and fun way to make an impact while serving here at Coastal (or while home during this season of social distancing). If you are interested in serving on this Team or have any questions, you can respond to this email or reach out to Chris Jones – 843-870-4613. 

Speaking of being online, I want to thank so many of you for continuing to be faithful, consistent, and generous in your giving!  Coastal is 100% fully funded by the generous, consistent giving our our people.  We could not do what we do without you!  And whether we gather in-person or online, the ministry and impact of Coastal never ceases.  If anything, our outreach has increased!  Your weekly gifts are a vital resource that allows us to continue the work that God has called us to do.  When you continue to give during this crisis, your gifts allow us to maintain critical ministries that many depend on.    If you need us to mail you offering envelopes, step you through online giving, or TEXT Giving (text any amount to 843-277-8337), please respond to this email or call the church office (843-571-1777).  Thank you so much for your faithfulness!

LIFE & LOVE!
Pastor Chris

Here are this week’s “Friday 5”:

1. We have two great serving opportunities this coming week!  Coastal will be assisting Tricounty Family Ministries with their Grocery Distribution on Wednesday August 12th, 9:45am-1pm.  Many of Tricounty Family Ministries’ clients are the same people we serve at the North Charleston Tailgate.  And then on Friday, August 14th, 8am-1pm, Coastal is teaming up with the Veteran’s Administration and Soldiers’ Angels to supply local low-Income veteran families with food assistance at the mobile food distribution.  If you are interested in being a part of either of these opportunities, sign up on your Connect Card this Sunday (online or in-person) or reach out to Pastor Chris Jones.
2. Attention all LIFE Group Leaders:  Please turn in all of your LIFE Group details to Pastor Scott Huff at scotth@coastalcommunitychurch.org.  LIFE Group Leader Training Dates (online or in-person) are either (choose one): Tuesday, 8/25, 6pm-8pm OR Saturday, 8/29, 9-11am.  Please select a training date and sign up on your Connect Card on Sunday.   
3. On Sunday, August 23rd, 5pm out at Folly Beach County Park, we’re having our end of the Summer Beach Baptism!  Come out early and make it a fun day for your entire family!  If you are interested in being Baptized, simply respond to this email, sign up on your connect card, or go to our website and sign up online.  Even if you’re not being Baptized, make plans to come out to the beach and celebrate with those who are!  Make it a fun day for the whole family!
4. On Friday night, August 21st, at 7:30pm, Coastal is having an online night of worship & prayer!  Now, more than ever before, as we head into the Fall and a new school year and a divisive election and so many unknowns and fears, we need to cry out to our God and depend on Him.  So mark your calendars now and join your Coastal family online for worship and prayer!
5. The Operation Christmas Child “donation of the month” for August is school supplies!  So, while you’re picking up school supplies for your own children, pick up some extra for OCC!  We are also looking for people who might be able to temporarily store our shoeboxes (We are running out of storage space).  You can now drop off all OCC items at church on Sunday mornings or during the week. If you have any questions or would be willing to store shoeboxes, please reach out to Teresa Spell.
   
   P.S. Attention all Mother’s of Preschoolers:  MOPS is returning this Fall!  It will look a little different, but you’ll still experience the same great encouragement, inspiration, and support!  MOPS will meet once a month on Tuesday evenings, 6:30pm-8:30pm (no childcare).  There will be a MOPS Registration & Orientation Evening this Tuesday night, August 11th at 6:30pm.  The Fall MOPS meeting dates are:  Sept. 15th, Oct 13th, Nov 10th, Dec 12th.  If you have any questions or if you’d like to express your interest, please reach out to Morgan Wessel.

This Sunday, August 2nd, we kick off another favorite Summer Sermon Series tradition here at Coastal –“Summer Reading”!  “Summer Reading” is where we pick a group of books for you to read over the Summer, and then the subject matter of each of those books becomes the sermon topic for that particular Sunday.  Now before some of you freak out thinking that Pastor Chris has gone heretical and has thrown out the Bible and is now preaching from other books or encouraging you to read other books instead of the Bible, throw away your email and simmer down.  That’s not what we’re doing.  We’re not preaching from the books themselves.  If anything, I think you’ll discover that during this series you will find yourself compelled to go to scripture as we point people to the truth of His Word and a deeper relationship with God.  But each of these books is worth reading, and so I hope you’ll make a commitment to read at least a couple of them over the Summer.  After all:  Leaders are what?  Readers.  Retired Admiral James Stavridis of the US Navy once said this, “The single best way a leader can learn and grow is through reading.  So many of our best leaders develop and enhance their ability to lead through endless contact with books.”

Here is the Book List and the order in which we will be using them:

• Different by Chris Singleton (pick up your FREE copy at the church)
• Hope In The Dark by Craig Groschel
• Anxious for Nothing by Max Lucado
• Relationship Goals by Michael Todd
• Unexpected by Christine Caine
• Dream Big by Bob Goff
• Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Familyby Paul Tripp

This Sunday, I’ll be using the book “Different” to talk about what Jesus had to say about loving our neighbors.  One of the best tangible ways that our church loves its neighbors is through Saturday Serve.   Our next Saturday Serve is TOMORROW Saturday, August 1st!  We meet at the church at 8:30am.  The leaders of the different service projects give a quick “pitch” of their project, we pray, and then we disburse to go serve!  It’s that simply.  You just show up and choose.  All projects are typically finished before lunchtime, so it’s not a sacrifice of your entire Saturday.  Our typical opportunities include: The North Charleston Tailgate;  Coastal’s Sewing Project;  The Lowcountry Food Bank;  meals for Jenkins Orphanage and S.C. Strong;  Restock Coastal’s Blessing Boxes.  Come make an IMPACT in our community by being the hands and feet of Jesus!  If you have any questions about Saturday Serve or ideas for future projects, please reach out to Pastor Chris Jones at 843-870-4613.

I’ve got some exciting news to share with you!  We got our final approval from the City of Charleston on our new building project!  There are a few more small steps and then we get our Building Permit.  It is looking like we will begin construction in about 30 days!  As soon as we know the details, I’ll pass them along!  If you’re fairly new to Coastal and don’t know what we’re getting ready to build, please take the time to go to our Daring Faith page on our website and check out the fly through video.  Read through the page and discover how you and your family can help leave a legacy for future generations.  If you have any questions or would like to know how you and your family can be a part of supporting this project, please reach out to me.  These are exciting days at Coastal!  The best is yet to come!

LIFE & LOVE!
Pastor Chris

Here are this week’s “Friday 5”:

1. As soon as construction begins on our new facility, our Coastal Kidz Children’s Ministry will be GOING PORTABLE and meeting across the street at Orange Grove Middle School (where everyone parks).  One of the ways that you can help is to join a new Ministry Team called “Coastal Kidz Set-Up Team.”  Our Set-Up Team will be the ones who unload our trailer (located behind Orange Grove) and set up our Coastal Kidz Classrooms and environments on Saturday mornings, and then break down everything and load up the trailer after Sunday services are over.  If you are interested in serving on this team you can respond to this email or reach out to our Children’s Director, Janet Rollins – 843-442-8299.
2. We are in the process of planning for our Fall Semester of LIFE Groups.  If you are interested in possibly leading, assisting, or hosting a LIFE Group (in person or online), please sign up on your Connect Card on Sunday or respond to this email.  If you have any questions you can also reach out to Pastor Scott Huff at scotth@coastalcommunitychurch.org.  Our LIFE Group Leader TrainingDates (online or in-person) are either (choose one): Tuesday, 8/25, 6pm-8pm OR Saturday, 8/29, 9-11am. 
3. On Sunday, August 23rd, 5pm out at Folly Beach County Park, we’re having our end of the Summer Beach Baptism!  Come out early and make it a fun day for your entire family!  If you are interested in being Baptized, simply respond to this email, go to our website and sign up online.  Even if you’re not being Baptized, make plans to come out to the beach and celebrate with those who are!  Make it a fun day for the whole family!
4. On Friday night, August 21st, at 7:30pm, Coastal is having an online night of worship & prayer!  Now, more than ever before, as we head into the Fall and a new school year and a divisive election and so many unknowns and fears, we need to cry out to our God and depend on Him.  So mark your calendars now and join your Coastal family online for worship and prayer!
5. The Operation Christmas Child “donation of the month” for August is school supplies!  So, while you’re picking up school supplies for your own children, pick up some extra for OCC!  We are also looking for people who might be able to temporarily store our shoeboxes (we are running out of storage space).  You can now drop off all OCC items at church on Sunday mornings or during the week. If you have any questions or would be willing to store shoeboxes, please reach out to Teresa Spell.
   
   P.S. I just want to give you a heads up – our church is throwing a Baby Shower for Ashley Hojnacki on Sunday, August 30th (1 month away) at 6pm.  It will probably be a “virtual shower” of some sort, but we wanted to give you a heads up now.  We’ll give you the details as it gets closer.  For those of you who don’t know, Ashley is our church’s Office Manager.  This is Ed & Ashley’s first child.  They are having a girl – Blake Rose.  Here is a link to their registry:  https://www.babylist.com/babyhojnacki.  

This past Sunday we had some technical difficulties with our online service at 11:15am.  If that was the service you normally watch, we apologize for any inconvenience.  When you live by technology (which we all do right now), sometimes you also die by technology!  

However, I wanted to use this as an opportunity to let you know that you can check out our weekly online services in a variety of different ways.  You really should never have to worry about “missing” a service.  

You can watch a live re-broadcast of our service at multiple times through the week on our church online platform here:  https://coastalcommchurch.online.church.  Here you can fill out a connect card, take next steps and even chat with others watching the live re-broadcast.

You can also check our entire service on-demand (in other words, whenever you want to watch it) by checking out our youtube page here https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzMzJsfpk12DGAlysJaY_JQ.

Lastly you can check out just the message from each week by visiting the sermon videos page of our website here https://coastalcommunitychurch.org/video-archive/. 

So – if you missed this past Sunday’s message (or any message for that matter), go check it out!

Happy Monday!
Pastor Chris

P.S.  Janet and I will be hosting a “Story Time” on Facebook LIVE this Wednesday night at 7pm for you and your children (or children at heart)!  We’ll be reading the “Different” book by Chris Singleton (the first book in our “Summer Reading” series this Sunday)!  I hope you’ll join us!

We wrap up our “UNDIVIDED” series this coming Sunday.  I sincerely hope you’ve enjoyed this series.  I hope it’s been challenging, convicting, and encouraging.  Again, this is simply a start, part of an ongoing conversation, and a commitment not to remain silent, but to continue to speak out about sin and injustice and as always to point people to the love of Jesus and the hope of the Gospel.  This Sunday I’ll be talking about the third part of Micah 6:8, to “walk humbly with your God.”  I hope you’ll make every effort to join us either in-person (9:30am) or online (9:30am, 11:15am, 6pm) for our service.

Hopefully you’ve heard by now that this Sunday, July 26th, 9:15am-12noon, you are invited to our Coastal Kidz Children’s MinistryOPEN HOUSE at Orange Grove Middle School!  Yes, we are still having our 9:30am in-person worship service & Coastal Kidz just like normal on our campus.  The Open House will be going on before, during, and after the 9:30am service (again, from 9:15am until 12noon).  In fact, even if you haven’t yet joined us for in-person worship, feel free to drop by for the Open House.  We’ll be wearing masks and social distancing.  This is an opportunity for all Coastal parents and children to see what their classrooms and environments will look like when we begin construction on our new facility.

Now, one of the ways that you can help with this transition, is to join a brand new Ministry Team called “Coastal Kidz Set-Up Team.”  Our Set-Up Team will be the people who unload our trailer (located behind Orange Grove) and set up our Coastal Kidz Classrooms and environments on Saturday mornings (at 9am), and then help break down everything and load up the trailer after in-person services on Sunday are over.  We are having a Set-Up Team Orientation at Orange Grove Middle School THIS Saturday (TOMORROW), July 25, 8:00am – 11:00am, to learn and practice setting up and breaking down.  We’re going to set everything up on Saturday and then leave it up for the Open House on Sunday.  If you are interested in serving on this team you can respond to this email or reach out to Janet Rollins – 843-442-8299.

LIFE & LOVE!
Pastor Chris

Here are this week’s “Friday 5”:

1. Our “Summer Reading” series starts Sunday, August 2nd.  “Summer Reading” is another favorite Summer tradition here at Coastal where we pick a group of books for you to read over the Summer, and then the subject matter of each of those books becomes the sermon topic for that particular Sunday.  There is a very small number of the books available for purchase (at a discounted price) at the church.  Here are all the books and their Amazon link.  Don’t forget to come by the church and pick up a FREE copy of “Different.”  Happy Reading!
   
   Different by Chris Singleton (pick up your FREE copy at the church)
   Hope In The Dark by Craig Groschel Anxious for Nothing by Max Lucado
   Relationship Goals by Michael Todd
   Unexpected by Christine Caine
   Dream Big by Bob Goff
   Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family by Paul Tripp
2. I know it seems like a long way off, but we are in the process of thinking through and planning for ourFall Semester of LIFE Groups.  If you are interested in possibly leading, assisting, or hosting a LIFE Group (in person or online), please sign up on your Connect Card on Sunday or respond to this email.  If you have any questions you can also reach out to Pastor Scott Huff at scotth@coastalcommunitychurch.org.  
3. On Sunday, August 23rd, 5pm out at Folly Beach County Park, we’re having our end of the Summer Beach Baptism!  Come out early and make it a fun day for your entire family!  If you are interested in being Baptized, simply respond to this email, go to our website and sign up online.  Even if you’re not being Baptized, make plans to come out to the beach and celebrate with those who are!  Make it a fun day for the whole family!
4. Coastal has a new outreach opportunity as we team up with Tri-County Family Ministries in North Charleston. Their mission is to serve those in crisis with food, clothing, or shelter. They meet basic needs and work with their clients to understand the cause of the crisis in their lives and then open the doors to opportunities through an array of onsite programming and extensive referral networks. Coastal will be assisting with their Wednesday Grocery Distribution on Wednesdays, July 29th and August 12th from 9:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.  Many of Tricounty Family Ministries’ clients are the same people we serve at the North Charleston Tailgate.  If you are interested in being a part of this opportunity, sign up on your online Connect Card or reach out to Pastor Chris Jones.
5. The Operation Christmas Child “donation of the month” for July are new socks/t-shirts.  We are also in need of shoeboxes.  You can now drop off all OCC items at church on Sunday mornings or during the week. If you have any questions, please reach out to Teresa Spell.
   
   P.S. If you consider Coastal your church home or if you have been blessed by the ministry of our church, we want to encourage you to continue to be faithful with your generosity.  If you would like us to mail you offering envelopes or step you through online giving, please respond to this email or call the church office (843-571-1777).  Your weekly gifts are a vital resource that allows us to continue the work that God has called us to do. When you continue to give during this crisis, your gifts allow us to maintain critical ministries that many depend on.  Thank you so much for your faithfulness!

YOU ARE INVITED!!  This Sunday, July 26th, 9:15am-12noon, you are invited to our Coastal Kidz Children’s MinistryOPEN HOUSE at Orange Grove Middle School.  This is an opportunity for all Coastal parents and children to see what their classrooms and environments will look like when we begin construction on our new facility.

That’s right, if you haven’t heard, in the very near future we will begin a complete renovation and expansion of our current Coastal Kidz building, which was part of our Daring Faith Campaign last Fall!  During construction, Orange Grove Middle School, which is directly across the street from the church and where most of you park, has graciously agreed to let our Coastal Kidz Children’s Ministry meet there on Sunday mornings.

Now, one of the ways that you can help, is to join a brand new Ministry Team called “Coastal Kidz Set-Up Team.”  Our Set-Up Team will be the people who unload our trailer (located behind Orange Grove) and set up our Coastal Kidz Classrooms and environments on Saturday mornings (at 9am), and then help break down everything and load up the trailer after in-person services on Sunday are over.  We are having a Set-Up Team Orientation at Orange Grove Middle School THIS Saturday, July 25, 8:00am – 11:00am, to learn and practice setting up and breaking down.  We’re going to set everything up on Saturday and then leave it up for the Open House on Sunday.  If you are interested in serving on this team you can respond to this email or reach out to Janet Rollins – 843-442-8299.

So I hope you’ll join us for our Open House.  In fact, even if you haven’t yet joined us for in-person worship, feel free to drop by for the Open House.  We’ll be wearing masks and social distancing.  These are exciting times at Coastal and I can’t wait to announce a start date for construction (be on the lookout for that)!

I Love You & I Love Being Your Pastor!
Pastor Chris

We had a great kick-off to our “UNDIVIDED” series this past Sunday!  It’s so exciting and encouraging to know that there are 25+ churches in the Charleston community all talking about Gospel-driven racial reconciliation together!    This Sunday I’ll be talking about the second part of Micah 6:8, to “love mercy.”  I hope you’ll make every effort to join us either in-person (9:30am) or online (9:30am, 11:15am, 6pm) for our service.  By the way, it was great to see both our online & in-person numbers up this past week.  Whether you choose to join us in-person or watch us online, the key is intentional engagement.  If you’re watching online make sure you share the actual worship service post on Facebook.  Actually, you can even do that while you’re sitting in the auditorium waiting on the service to start.  It’s great free advertising, and you never know who might start watching.  Don’t forget that our YouTube channel is another great way to watch the service both live on Sunday and replayed during the week.  

This Saturday (tomorrow) is “Saturation Saturday”!  Saturation Saturday is the 3rd Saturday of every month.  It’s an organic, church-wide effort of flooding our community with random acts of kindness.  It can be anything from restocking our blessing boxes, preparing lunch for a neighbor, purchasing a cup of coffee for a complete stranger, mowing the lawn of an elderly neighbor, or baking a batch of cookies for someone you know who is in a tough season. It can literally be any simple act of service and kindness.  You decide.  Pray about it – get creative!  It was praying about Saturation Saturday that led me to the idea for our Saturday Grab & Go Meal Drive-Thru during the shutdown.  The idea is to demonstrate the love of Jesus in a practical way.  It can be done alone, with your family, or even team up with another family!  And while you’re serving, wear your Coastal shirt (maybe you’ll see someone from Coastal wearing theirs).  If someone asks why you’re serving and what the meaning of the shirt is, you can simply answer, “LOVE!  We love Jesus and we love people!”  And then you can tell them about Coastal.  If you’re able, take a few pictures of whatever you decide to do and share them with us on Facebook and Instagram under #CCCSaturationSaturday.

Coastal has a new outreach opportunity as we team up with Tri-County Family Ministries in North Charleston. Their mission is to serve those in crisis with food, clothing, or shelter. They meet basic needs and work with their clients to understand the cause of the crisis in their lives and then open the doors to opportunities through an array of onsite programming and extensive referral networks. Coastal will be assisting with their Wednesday Grocery Distribution on Wednesdays, July 22^nd, 29^th and August 5^th from 9:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.  Many of Tricounty Family Ministries’ clients are the same people we serve at the North Charleston Tailgate.  Sign up on your Connect Card for one or more of the opportunities.  If you are interested in being a part of this opportunity, sign up on your online Connect Card or reach out to Pastor Chris Jones.  

Coastal, this is what it’s all about, this is what we’re supposed to be doing – serving and loving our neighbors, being the hands and feet of Jesus in our community!  A lot of people today are making a lot of noise, but very few seem to be actually doing something.  That’s what I love about our church – compassion moved to action! 
 LIFE & LOVE!
Pastor Chris

Here are this week’s “Friday 5”:

1. Our “Summer Reading” series starts Sunday, August 2nd.  “Summer Reading” is another favorite Summer tradition here at Coastal where we pick a group of books for you to read over the Summer, and then the subject matter of each of those books becomes the sermon topic for that particular Sunday.  There will be a very small number of the books available for purchase (at a discounted price) at the church.  Here are all the books and their Amazon link.  Happy Reading!
   Different by Chris Singleton (pick up your FREE copy at the church)
   Hope In The Dark by Craig Groschel
   Anxious for Nothing by Max Lucado
   Relationship Goals by Michael Todd
   Unexpected by Christine Caine
   Dream Big by Bob Goff
   Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family by Paul Tripp
2. I know it seems like a long way off, but we are in the process of thinking through and planning for ourFall Semester of LIFE Groups.  If you are interested in possibly leading, assisting, or hosting a LIFE Group (in person or online), please sign up on your Connect Card on Sunday or respond to this email.  If you have any questions you can also reach out to Pastor Scott Huff at scotth@coastalcommunitychurch.org.  
3. On Sunday, July 26th, 9:15am-12noon, our Coastal Kidz Children’s Ministry is having an Open House at Orange Grove Middle School.  This is an opportunity for all Coastal parents and children to see what their classrooms and environments will look like when we begin construction on our new facility.
4. As soon as construction begins on our new facility, our Coastal Kidz Children’s Ministry will be GOING PORTABLE and meeting across the street at Orange Grove Middle School (where everyone parks).  One of the ways that you can help is to join a new Ministry Team called “Coastal Kidz Set-Up Team.”  Our Set-Up Team will be the ones who unload our trailer (located behind Orange Grove) and set up our Coastal Kidz Classrooms and environments on Saturday mornings, and then break down everything and load up the trailer after both services on Sunday are over. We are having a Set-Up Team Orientation at Orange Grove Middle School on Saturday, July 25, 8:00am – 11:00am, with Portable Church to learn and practice setting up and breaking down.  We’re going to set everything up on that Saturday, leave it up for the weekend and have an Open House on Sunday, July 26th after church for everyone to drop by and check it out. If you are interested in serving on this team you can respond to this email or sign up on your Connect Card on Sunday.
5. The Operation Christmas Child “donation of the month” for July are new socks/t-shirts.  We are also in need of shoeboxes.  You can now drop off all OCC items at church on Sunday mornings or during the week. If you have any questions, please reach out to Teresa Spell.
   
   P.S. Please keep in mind that our church is following the City of Charleston’s Mask Mandate. If you don’t have a mask, we will gladly provide one as you enter.  As always, if you’re sick, immuncompromised, or caring for those who are, PLEASE stay home and engage with our church online.

The pictures above are from this past Wednesday’s service project with Soldier’s Angels – where we help distribute food to local low income Veteran families.  And then after the event was over a group of volunteers from Coastal took some of the leftover food and literally hit the streets and gave the food away!  One week from today, Friday, July 17th, 9:30am-11:30am, Coastal will be serving with the Lowcountry Orphan Relief.  If you are interested in being a part of this opportunity, sign up on your online Connect Card or reach out to Pastor Chris Jones.  Coastal, this is what it’s all about, this is what we’re supposed to be doing.  A lot of people today are making a lot of noise, but very few seem to be actually doing something.  This Sunday I’ll be talking about justice.  In Micah 6:8 the word for justice literally mean to “do the right thing, compassion moved to action.”  That’s what I love about our church – compassion moved to action! 

Don’t forget that for the time being we are only having ONE in-person service at 9:30am.  We will continue to offer our services online at 9:30am, 11:15am, and 6:00pm.  We will closely monitor the situation and our capacity to offer social distancing in our auditorium.  In other words, as the numbers improve in our community (go down) and more and more people start returning to in-person worship (go up), we will open up the 11:15am service.  Also, keep in mind that our church will be following the City of Charleston’s mask mandate. If you don’t have a mask, we will gladly provide one as you enter.  As always, if you’re sick, immunocompromised, or caring for those who are, PLEASE stay home and engage with our church online.

And speaking of Sunday – this Sunday, along with 25 other churches in Charleston we are kicking off the 3 week “UNDIVIDED” series!  The theme verse for the whole series is Micah 6:8 (NLT), “No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”  This is what God expects of us and this what we’ll be talking about each week:  to do what is right (some translations say to “do justice”), to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God.  Don’t miss this series – EITHER in-person at 9:30am OR online at 9:30am, 11:15am, or 6pm.LIFE & LOVE!
Pastor Chris

Here are this week’s “Friday 5”:

1. Our “Summer Reading” series starts Sunday, August 2nd.  “Summer Reading” is another favorite Summer tradition here at Coastal where we pick a group of books for you to read over the Summer and then the subject matter of each of those books becomes the sermon topic for that particular Sunday.  There will be a very small number of the books available for purchase (at a discounted price) at the church beginning this Sunday, July 12th.  Here are all the books and their Amazon link.  Happy Reading! 

• Different by Chris Singleton (pick up your FREE copy at the church starting July 12th)
• Hope In The Dark by Craig Groschel
• Anxious for Nothing by Max Lucado
• Relationship Goals by Michael Todd
• Unexpected by Christine Caine
• Dream Big by Bob Goff
• Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family by Paul Tripp

2. I know it seems like a long way off, but we are in the process of thinking through and planning for ourFall Semester of LIFE Groups.  If you are interested in possibly leading, assisting, or hosting a LIFE Group (in person or online), please sign up on your Connect Card on Sunday or respond to this email.  If you have any questions you can also reach out to Pastor Scott Huff at scotth@coastalcommunitychurch.org.  

3. Interested in officially making Coastal your church family!  Our next Membership Class is tomorrow (Saturday) morning, 9am-11:30am.  You can either join us in-person or online through Zoom.  If you haven’t already registered, you can respond to this email or sign up on right now from our website.

4. At some point later this Summer our Coastal Kidz Children’s Ministry will be GOING PORTABLE and meeting across the street at Orange Grove Middle School (where everyone parks).  One of the ways that you can help is to join a new Ministry Team called “Coastal Kidz Set-Up Team.”  Our Set-Up Team will be the ones who unload our trailer (located behind Orange Grove) and set up our Coastal Kidz Classrooms and environments on Sunday mornings before church and then break down everything and load up the trailer after both services are over. If you are interested in serving on this team you can respond to this email or sign up on your Connect Card on Sunday.

5. The Operation Christmas Child “donation of the month” for July are new socks/t-shirts.  You can now drop off OCC items at church on Sunday mornings or during the week. If you have any questions, please reach out to Teresa Spell.

P.S. If you consider Coastal your church home or if you have been blessed by the ministry of our church, we want to encourage you to continue to be faithful with your generosity.  If you would like us to mail you offering envelopes or step you through online giving, please respond to this email or call the church office (843-571-1777).  Your weekly gifts are a vital resource that allows us to continue the work that God has called us to do. When you continue to give during this crisis, your gifts allow us to maintain critical ministries that many depend on.  Thank you so much for your faithfulness!

I hope you and your family had a great 4th of July weekend and your new week has started off well!  I just wanted to let you know about a couple of important things happening at Coastal.  First of all, in light of the rising number of COVID cases, more and more people are choosing to watch our services online instead of in-person – which we completely understand.  However, it is putting a strain on the volunteer base required to offer multiple in-person services each week.  Because of this, Coastal is going to provide ONE in-person service at 9:30am for right now.  We will continue to offer our service online at 9:30am, 11:15am, and 6:00pm.  We will closely monitor the situation and our capacity to offer social distancing in our auditorium.  In other words, as the numbers improve in our community (go down) and more and more people start returning to in-person worship (go up), we will open up the 11:15am service.  Also, keep in mind that our church will be following the City of Charleston’s mask mandate. If you don’t have a mask, we will gladly provide one as you enter.

But, and this is important – whatever you choose to do, don’t disengage from the church during this time!  We need each other now more than ever before.  As always, if you’re sick, immunocompromised, or caring for those who are, PLEASE stay home.  But don’t use staying home from church as an excuse not to tune in and watch our service each week.  It’s so easy, especially right now, to get out of the habit of corporate worship and fellowship.  “No one will know if I don’t tune in.  What does it really matter?  It’s just one week.”  And then one week becomes two, and two becomes four.  And now it’s a habit and you find yourself on the outside looking in, and you wonder how you ended up where you’re at.  

If you ARE going to watch from home, do more than just watch – ENGAGE.  What do I mean by that?  Decide in advance which service you are going attend and be prepared – get up early, get yourself (and your family) physically and mentally ready (much like you would do if you were coming in-person).  And then do the other things you would do in person: actually sing along with the songs, comment and chat with people online, give, take communion, fill out your Connect Card and share your prayer requests, next steps, and decisions.  Maybe your next step is to officially make Coastal your church home and become a Member. Our next Membership Class is this Saturday morning, July 11th, 9am-11:30am.  It’s going to be BOTH in-person AND online.  You can sign up right now from our website.  I would also encourage you to invite and bring your friends each Sunday!  How do you do that online you ask?  Share our services on Facebook.  Even if you are watching on another application like churchonline or YouTube, jump over to Facebook and share our service post.  It’s great free advertising!  Start an online Watch Party!  This is a great way to target and invite specific people that you are friends with on Facebook.

And then stay engaged by serving!  Even if you are not comfortable coming to our in-person services yet and serving on Sunday morning, there are always multiple opportunities to serve our community during the week.  Drop off non-perishable food during the week for our Food Bank (it’s really low right now).  You can even take food directly to one of our Community Blessing Boxes (contact Chris Jones for more info).  Drop off supplies for Operation Christmas Child (July is new t-shirts & socks month).   This Wednesday, July 8^th 8am-1pm, our church is teaming up with the Veteran’s Administration and Soldiers’ Angels to supply local low-Income veteran families with food assistance at the mobile food distribution.  And then on Friday, July 17th, 9:30am-11:30am, Coastal will be serving with the Lowcountry Orphan Relief.  If you are interested in either of these opportunities, reach out toPastor Chris Jones.  By the way, it is your consistent giving that enables our church to continue to provide our online services and everything it does in our community. You can give to our church through our website or simply text ANY amount to 843-277-8337.

You see, the church doesn’t slow down just because you’re watching our services from home.  But it’s up to you to stay focused and engaged.  Probably the best way to stay engaged is through our LIFE Groups.  Yes, our LIFE Groups are on Summer Break right now, but we are in the process of thinking through and planning out our Fall Semester.  It’s possible that our Groups will look a little different this Fall – probably a hybrid of what we did in the Spring.  I can see us having small in-person groups in homes, online groups, and a mix of both.  But here’s what I need you to do, make a commitment NOW to be a part of some kind of Group in the Fall.  And if you are willing to lead, co-lead, assist, or host a group, please respond to this email or reach out to Pastor Scott – we need you!  You get to be the pioneers!  You get to be on the front lines offering love, care, and hope!

I love you Coastal and I love what we get to do together – sharing and experiencing the LIFE & LOVE of Jesus with Charleston and the world!  And that never stops, no matter when or how we meet! 
 LIFE & LOVE!
Pastor Chris

P.S.  Janet and I will be back on Facebook LIVE this Wednesday evening at 8pm from my own personal Facebook page!  We’ll be cooking a meal (and giving it away to a lucky winner), talking about all things Coastal, and as always laughing and having fun!  We would love for you to join us!

First of all, I just want to thank everyone for all the love you’ve shown your Pastor this week!  It was one week ago yesterday that I had knee surgery, and I can’t thank everyone enough for all the prayers, messages, and phone calls!  My knee is feeling better and better each day.  Keep praying for my strength, healing, and recovery.  And then Wednesday was my Birthday (I turned 53), and I was overwhelmed by all the expressions of love!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!  Coastal is not just a church that I attend or a job where I work.  It’s a family I’m a part of!  I love you Coastal and I love being your Pastor!

Make sure you take a moment and watch the video above!  It’s a collection of just some of the pictures from this year’s Summer of IMPACT!  And while you’re at it, reach out to Chris Jones, our Outreach Pastor, and tell him what an awesome job he did of leading and organizing Summer of IMPACT.  I know what he’ll tell you – that it could not have been done (during a Pandemic no less) without all the awesome Project Leaders and Volunteers.  Continue to pray for all the seeds of love that were planted, that they will bear much fruit for years to come!

I have something very exciting to announce!  Immediately after our “UNDIVIDED” series (the 3 week series on Justice & Racial Reconciliation starting July 12th that we’re doing with 20+ churches in the Charleston area) we’ll be doing our “Summer Reading” series.  “Summer Reading” is another favorite Summer tradition here at Coastal.  It’s where we pick a group of books for you to read over the Summer and then the subject matter of each of those books becomes the sermon topic for that particular Sunday.  The first book that we are doing on August 2nd is a first for us at Coastal – we’re doing a Children’s Book, “Different” by Chris Singleton!  Chris came and spoke at our church this Summer, and we believe so strongly in Chris’s message and the message of this book that we decided to buy it as a gift for every family from Coastal!  Racism is TAUGHT, and so the best place to begin is with our children!  You can pick up your FREE copy at the church beginning July 12th.  Here is the list of the other books (and a link to purchase them) in the order that we’ll be using them.  There will be a very small number of the books available for purchase (at a discounted price) at the church beginning July 12th.  The series kicks off on August 2nd.  Happy Reading!

• Different by Chris Singleton (pick up your FREE copy at the church starting July 12th)
• Hope In The Dark by Craig Groschel
• Anxious for Nothing by Max Lucado
• Relationship Goals by Michael Todd
• Unexpected by Christine Caine
• Dream Big by Bob Goff
• Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Familyby Paul Tripp

LIFE & LOVE!
Pastor Chris

Here are this week’s “Friday 5”:

1. Coastal we need your HELP!  Because of the amount of food we are giving away each week through our Food Bank and Blessing Boxes, we are running low on non-perishable food supplies.  Items that we always need more of are:  pasta, rice, pasta sauce, canned fruit, canned pastas and canned protein (chicken, tuna, etc.).  You can bring your food donations to the church on Sundays or drop them off during the week.  Don’t forget that you can go directly to the Blessing Boxes themselves.  Their locations are:
   – 413 Geddes Avenue, Charleston
   – 928 Savage Road, Charlesto
   – 2758 East Surrey Drive, North Charleston
   – 1998 Hugo Avenue, North Charlesto
   – 1050 St. Andrews Blvd., Charleston 
   If you have any questions about the Blessing Boxes, please reach out to Chris Jones.
2. I know it seems like a long way off, but we are in the process of thinking through and planning for ourFall Semester of LIFE Groups.  If you are interested in possibly leading, assisting, or hosting a LIFE Group (in person or online), please sign up on your Connect Card on Sunday or respond to this email.  If you have any questions you can also reach out to Pastor Scott Huff at scotth@coastalcommunitychurch.org.
3. Even though Summer of IMPACT is over, loving and serving our community NEVER ends!  Here are two projects coming up where you can make an IMPACT:  On Wednesday, July 8^th 8am-1pm, Coastal is teaming up with the Veteran’s Administration and Soldiers’ Angels to supply local low-Income veteran families with food assistance at the mobile food distribution.  And then on Friday, July 17th, 9:30am-11:30am, Coastal will be serving with the Lowcountry Orphan Relief.  If you are interested in either of these opportunities, sign up on your online Connect Card or reach out to Pastor Chris Jones.
4. At some point later this Summer our Coastal Kidz Children’s Ministry will be GOING PORTABLE and meeting across the street at Orange Grove Middle School (where everyone parks).  One of the ways that you can help is to join a new Ministry Team called “Coastal Kidz Set-Up Team.”  Our Set-Up Team will be the ones who unload our trailer (located behind Orange Grove) and set up our Coastal Kidz Classrooms and environments on Sunday mornings before church and then break down everything and load up the trailer after both services are over. If you are interested in serving on this team you can respond to this email or sign up on your Connect Card on Sunday.
5. The Operation Christmas Child “donation of the month” for July are new socks/t-shirts.  You can now drop off OCC items at church on Sunday mornings or during the week. If you have any questions, please reach out to Teresa Spell.
   
   P.S. Interested in officially making Coastal your church family!  Sign up for the next Membership Class!  And for our next Membership Class, we’re going to do something we’ve never done before – we’re going to offer BOTH a virtual online & in-person Membership class simultaneously!  It’s going to be Saturday morning, July 11th, 9am-11:30am.  You can sign up on your Connect Card on Sundays or right now from our website.

First of all, I just want to thank everyone for all the prayers for my knee surgery yesterday!  If you didn’t see my Facebook post, I had surgery to repair a torn meniscus and ACL.  The surgery went great and now I’m home recovering!  The doctor said to stay off my knee for a couple of days and then not to do anything high impact for about 2 weeks until the sutures come out.  Then I should be good to go, back in the gym, and doing all the things that I enjoy!  So please keep praying for a speedy recovery!  Right now my plans are to be in church on Sunday.  The good news is that Pastor Scott was already scheduled to preach (that way I don’t have to walk up and down the steps of the stage).  

Make sure if you’re watching our services online that you tune in early – 9:15am & 11am – to watch our little “LIVE Pre Worship Service Show!”  We started it this past Sunday and already learned a few things to improve it for this week.  It’s our way to keep everyone online engaged and informed.  Each week we’ll introduce/interview someone from Coastal, let you know about upcoming events, and as always, have a lot of fun.

I’m really excited to tell you about our next sermon series after “At the Movies!”  On Sunday, July 12th, along with about 20+ churches in the Charleston area we’re going to be doing a 3 week series called, “UNDIVIDED.”  Each week we’re all going to be looking at a different part of Micah 6:8, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”  It’s going to be a great unifying series for the entire Charleston community as we listen & learn and continue the conversation about unity, racial harmony, and being a voice for the voiceless for the world around us.  As always – don’t miss it!

Thanks again for all the love – the texts, messages, and most importantly the prayers!  It all means so much to me and Janet! 

LIFE & LOVE!
Pastor Chris

Here are this week’s “Friday 5”:

1. One of the changes you’ve probably noticed since we opened up our building is that we are no longer handing out Bulletins (Announcement Sheet, Connect Card, Offering Envelope, etc.).  We put a Connect Card & Offering Envelope in the seat pocket of each chair.  However, the easiest way to stay connected, see all the announcements, listen to our messages, and fill out a Connect Card, is through our App.  Yes, if you didn’t already know it, Coastal has a FREE App you can download for your phone or mobile device.  Download it today from your App Store!  If you’re searching for it, make sure you search for “Coastal Community Church of Charleston or Coastal CC Charleston” (There are other Coastal Community Churches around the country).  If it’s been a while since you checked out the App, open it up!  We’ve updated it and made some improvements!
2. New to Coastal?  Join us THIS Saturday morning, June 27th, at 9am for an ONLINE Zoom Newcomers Meeting that we’re calling “Coffee with Coastal.”  Join us virtually from the comfort of your own home to learn more about Coastal, meet staff and key volunteers, as well as meet some other new people, and discover next steps.  RSVP online or on your Connect Card.  You can also simply respond to this email and let us know that you’ll be attending (we will send you the Zoom link).
3. Did you know that Coastal has a YouTube Channelwhere you can watch all of our past services – complete with worship & sermons?  Check it out and subscribe today!  Our YouTube Channel is going to be a great place to post new construction updates when our building gets started.
4. At some point later this Summer our Coastal Kidz Children’s Ministry will be GOING PORTABLE and meeting across the street at Orange Grove Middle School (where everyone parks).  One of the ways that you can help is to join a new Ministry Team called “Coastal Kidz Set-Up Team.”  Our Set-Up Team will be the ones who unload our trailer (located behind Orange Grove) and set up our Coastal Kidz Classrooms and environments on Sunday mornings before church and then break down everything and load up the trailer after both services are over. If you are interested in serving on this team you can respond to this email or sign up on your Connect Card on Sunday.
5. The Operation Christmas Child “donation of the month” for June are balls, soccer balls, pumps.  You can now drop off OCC items at church on Sunday mornings or during the week. If you have any questions, please reach out to Teresa Spell.
   
   P.S. Interested in officially making Coastal your church family!  Sign up for the next Membership Class!  And for our next Membership Class, we’re going to do something we’ve never done before – we’re going to offer BOTH a virtual online & in-person Membership class simultaneously!  It’s going to be Saturday morning, July 11th, 9am-11:30am.  You can sign up on your Connect Card on Sundays or right now from our website.

That’s right – this Sunday is Father’s Day!  We’re planning a very special day for Dads!  First of all, we’re in week 3 of our Summer Series, “At the Movies!” I’ll be using the movie “1917” as a hook to talk about the characteristics of a hero from the Bible – David. We have another Baptism in the 11:15am service (after Baptizing 25 people this past Sunday)! We’re also debuting a little live 10 minute pre-service “show” before each service on Sunday (tune in at 9:15am or 11am to watch it). And if all that weren’t enough, we have a fun gift for all the men on Sunday! You can choose from one of 3 Meat “Rubs” or Seasonings from one of my personal favorite BBQ companies – appropriately named “Meat Church”! And yes, we will be giving away some meat to 2 lucky winners after each service! Spread the word! Invite and bring someone to church this Father’s Day!

I know it probably seems like a long time since we’ve talked about Daring Faith & our new building project (check out this video to get a quick refresher of what we’re about to build).  Lots of things have been happening behind the scenes.  While the permitting process in Charleston is historically a painstakingly slow process, it has become exponentially slower during this pandemic.  However, it’s quite possible that we will finally have approval and break ground later this Summer.  Trust me, I’ll let you know as soon as we get the word.  Our Staff has been busy prepping our old building for demolition/construction (cleaning our offices, moving things into storage, clearing out attics, etc.).  You see when construction begins, we will lose access to our entire old building – offices & Coastal Kidz – for approximately 10 months.  That means that on Sunday morning our Coastal Kidz Children’s Ministry will be GOING PORTABLE and meeting across the street at Orange Grove Middle School.  Don’t worry, we’ve been working hard behind the scenes with a company called, “Portable Church” to make this move as smooth and easy as possible.  

One of the ways that you can help is to join a new Ministry Team called “Coastal Kidz Set-Up Team.”  Our Set-Up Team will be the ones who unload our trailer (located behind Orange Grove) and set up our Coastal Kidz Classrooms and environments on Sunday mornings before church (or possibly on Saturday mornings during chair set-up) and then break down everything and load up the trailer after both services are over.  We’ll have a “practice run” and Open House at least a week before the move officially takes place.  If you are interested in serving on this team you can respond to this email or sign up on your Connect Card on Sunday.

I would also encourage you to continue to give toward Daring Faith – our Giving Campaign that finances this entire project.  If you’re new to Coastal and have no idea what Daring Faith is all about you can check out our Daring Faith page on our website to learn all about it.  Whatever you are giving towards your “Daring Faith” commitment, please continue to mark it “DaringFaith.”  If you are using TEXT to Give remember that “DaringFaith” is all one word, no space.  You can separate your giving through check or PayPal on the memo (ex. $100 tithe, $100 Daring Faith).

These are exciting times at Coastal!  As the world seems to grow darker, it simply allows our light to shine brighter!  I truly believe that!  I love you Coastal, and I love being your Pastor!  Hold on to your fork – the best is yet to come!

LIFE & LOVE!
Pastor Chris

Here are this week’s “Friday 5”:

1. One of the changes you’ve probably noticed since we opened up our building is that we are no longer handing out Bulletins (Announcement Sheet, Connect Card, Offering Envelope, etc.).  We put a Connect Card & Offering Envelope in the seat pocket of each chair.  However, the easiest way to stay connected, see all the announcements, listen to our messages, and fill out a Connect Card, is through our App.  Yes, if you didn’t already know it, Coastal has a FREE App you can download for your phone or mobile device.  Download it today from your App Store!  If you’re searching for it, make sure you search for “Coastal Community Church of Charleston or Coastal CC Charleston” (There are other Coastal Community Churches around the country).  If it’s been a while since you checked out the App, open it up!  We’ve updated it and made some improvements!
2. New to Coastal?  Join us on Saturday morning, June 27th, at 9am for an ONLINE Zoom Newcomers Meeting that we’re calling “Coffee with Coastal.”  Join us virtually from the comfort of your own home to learn more about Coastal, meet staff and key volunteers, as well as meet some other new people, and discover next steps.  RSVP online or on your Connect Card.  You can also simply respond to this email and let us know that you’ll be attending (we will send you the Zoom link).
3. Did you know that Coastal has a YouTube Channelwhere you can watch all of our past services – complete with worship & sermons?  Check it out and subscribe today!  Our YouTube Channel is going to be a great place to post new construction updates when our building gets started.
4. TONIGHT, June 19th at 8:30pm we’re going to show a FREE movie on the lawn on a giant screen!  The movie we’re showing is the Disney/Pixar movie “Onward.”  Bring your blanket or lawn chairs and enjoy the evening with your family!  Bring your own drinks and snacks – the church will provide FREE hotdogs and Kona Ice (come out at 8pm to claim your spot and get your food)!
5. The Operation Christmas Child “donation of the month” are balls, soccer balls, pumps.  You can now drop off OCC items at church on Sunday mornings or during the week.  And make sure that you sign up for all the OCC events during “Summer of IMPACT”.  If you have any questions, please reach out to Teresa Spell.
   
   P.S. Interested in officially making Coastal your church family!  Sign up for the next Membership Class!  And for our next Membership Class, we’re going to do something we’ve never done before – we’re going to offer BOTH a virtual online & in-person Membership class simultaneously!  It’s going to be Saturday morning, July 11th, 9am-11:30am.  You can sign up on your Connect Card on Sundays or right now from our website.

It was so great seeing so many of you in person this past Sunday!  Somebody commented that even though some of the elements, extra steps, and procedures were different, it was just nice to have something in their life that was back to “normal.”  Now, I wouldn’t say it’s back to “normal” yet, but for me it was definitely nice preaching with people in the room and worshipping with my Coastal family!  I appreciate everyone being so flexible and gracious!  But again, there are many who are not quite ready for larger in-person gatherings yet.  We completely understand and will continue to do what we do online.  If you were there in-person on Sunday, you saw some of the improvements we’ve made to enhance our online capabilities (more cameras, better lighting, expanded Tech Booth).  By the way, all of those improvements cost money.  It is your consistent, generous giving that enables us to do everything we do.  So whether you’re with us in-person or online, I want to encourage you to continue to be faithful in your giving.

This Sunday at Coastal is going to be one of those powerful days!  For our “At the Movies” series we’re going to use the movie, “Just Mercy” to talk about racism.  Chris Singleton, whose mother, Sharonda Coleman Singleton, was murdered by Dylan Roof at Mother Emanuel AME Church here in Charleston on June 17th, 2015, will be our special guest speaker.  Spread the word!  Invite someone to attend (either online or in-person).  If you’re inviting guests, we would strongly encourage you to attend the 11:15am service as it is typically the smaller service.

As I said this past Sunday, the easiest, the simplest, and yet the most effective way to be God’s representatives in this world is through our service.  It’s our small acts of love and kindness, done consistently, over time that change the world.  And it’s then that we’re most like Jesus.  And right now, here at Coastal, we have an opportunity to unite together as one and make an IMPACT in our world through something we call Summer of IMPACT.  Click on this link: www.coastalcommunitychurch.org/outreach.  Take a look at all the opportunities. Find the project(s) that is right for you and sign up today!  Stop complaining about how terrible the world is and actually do something about it.  If you want to make a real difference in our community, this is it!  I truly believe that everyone who calls Coastal home can sign up for at least one event.  Do it today!

I love you Coastal!
Pastor Chris

Here are this week’s “Friday 5”:

1. THIS SUNDAY, June 14th, 5pm out at Folly Beach County Park (not The Pier) we’re having our Beach Baptism!  Come out early (traffic might be an issue) and make it a fun day for your entire family!  If you are interested in being Baptized, simply respond to this email, go to our website and sign up online, or sign up on your Online Connect Card on Sunday.  Even if you’re not being Baptized, come on out to the beach and celebrate with those who are!  (Please note – parking at the Park without a Gold Pass is $15)
2. New to Coastal?  Join us on Saturday morning, June 27th, at 9am for an ONLINE Zoom Newcomers Meeting that we’re calling “Coffee with Coastal.”  Join us virtually from the comfort of your own home to learn more about Coastal, meet staff and key volunteers, as well as meet some other new people, and discover next steps.  RSVP online or on your Connect Card.  You can also simply respond to this email and let us know that you’ll be attending (we will send you the Zoom link).
3. Did you know that Coastal has a YouTube Channelwhere you can watch all of our past services – complete with worship & sermons?  Check it out and subscribe today!  Our YouTube Channel is going to be a great place to post new construction updates when our building gets started.
4. On Friday night, June 19th at 8:30pm we’re going to show a FREE movie on the lawn on a giant screen!  The movie we’re showing is the Disney/Pixar movie “Onward.”  Bring your blanket or lawn chairs and enjoy the evening with your family!  Bring your own drinks and snacks – the church will provide FREE hotdogs and Kona Ice (come out at 8pm to claim your spot and get your food)!
5. The Operation Christmas Child “donation of the month” are balls, soccer balls, pumps.  You can now drop off OCC items at church on Sunday mornings or during the week.  And make sure that you sign up for all the OCC events during “Summer of IMPACT”.  If you have any questions, please reach out to Teresa Spell.
   
   P.S. Interested in officially making Coastal your church family!  Sign up for the next Membership Class!  And for our next Membership Class, we’re going to do something we’ve never done before – we’re going to offer BOTH a virtual online & in-person Membership class simultaneously!  It’s going to be Saturday morning, July 11th, 9am-11:30am.  You can sign up on your Connect Card on Sundays or right now from our website.

Hopefully, you’ve heard by now that starting THIS SUNDAY,June 7th, we’reopening up our campus again for in-person worship!  I hope you’re as excited about this as I am!  I can’t wait to see everyone!  The truth is, however, there are probably some who aren’t that excited about it.  I get it, I really do.  Some are cautious, nervous, scared, or maybe even upset.  And then there are those who are upset that we even shut down in the first place.  As you know, people are all over the spectrum on this issue, and everyone has experts on their side.  I learned a long time ago that you can’t please everyone.  My job as a leader is to prayerfully take it all in, listen to God, and to humbly, faithfully walk in the direction I believe He is leading.  My only request is that we all extend to one another the grace, kindness, and love that we hope to receive. And if we can all do that, we will stand out as a bright shining light in a very dark world.  That’s supposed to be the miracle of the church – that we love one another.  And that’s what makes Coastal so special!  So, join us in person this Sunday if you’re ready.  If not, join us online.  Either way – let’s love one another and the world around us!

And speaking of this Sunday, we’re also kicking off a new sermon series, a favorite Summer tradition here at Coastal – “At the Movies!”  “At the Movies” is where we use current or popular movies as a hook or a spring board to talk about spiritual truth.  And this year we’ll be using movies that you can watch from home on Amazon or Netflix.  In fact, instead of movie tickets, we’ll be giving away $5 Amazon Gift cards to all 1st time guests and the friend that invited them (YOU)!  This Sunday’s movie is, “Star Wars – the Rise of Skywalker,” and I’ll be talking about unity, something we all need to hear right now. 

And then on Sunday, June 14th we’re going to use the movie, “Just Mercy” to talk about racism.  In fact, get this, Warner Brothers, for the entire month of June, is offering the movie for FREE online wherever you rent or buy movies.  And I’m excited to announce that Chris Singleton will be speaking at Coastal on that day!  Chris Singleton was a professional baseball player in the Chicago Cubs organization (who played at Charleston Southern) and is an inspirational speaker who has been featured on ESPN’s E:60, Sports Illustrated magazine, and USA Today. Chris’ mother, Sharonda Coleman Singleton, was murdered along with eight other victims at Mother Emanuel AME Church here in Charleston on June 17th 2015 by a white male who wanted to start a race war in the United States. Chris inspired our city and the nation by forgiving the man who murdered his mother.  As you can see, it’s going to be a powerful day!  So start thinking and praying now about the people you’re going to invite!

I love you Coastal, and I can’t wait to see you BOTH online AND in-person this Sunday, June 7th!
Pastor Chris

Here are this week’s “Friday 5”:

1. On Sunday, June 14th, 5pm out at Folly Beach County Park we’re having our Beach Baptism!  Come out early (traffic might be an issue) and make it a fun day for your entire family!  If you are interested in being Baptized, simply respond to this email, go to our website and sign up online, or sign up on your Online Connect Card on Sunday.  Even if you’re not being Baptized, come on out to the beach and celebrate with those who are!
2. New to Coastal?  Join us on Saturday morning, June 27th, at 9am for an ONLINE Zoom Newcomers Meeting that we’re calling “Coffee with Coastal.”  Join us virtually from the comfort of your own home to learn more about Coastal, meet staff and key volunteers, as well as meet some other new people, and discover next steps.  RSVP online or on your Connect Card.  You can also simply respond to this email and let us know that you’ll be attending (we will send you the Zoom link).
3. Did you know that Coastal has a FREE App for your phone or mobile device? It’s an easy way to stay connected, see all the announcements, listen to or watch our messages, and fill out a Connect Card.  Download it today from your App Store!  If you’re searching for it, make sure you search for “Coastal Community Church of Charleston” or “Coastal CC Charleston” (There are other Coastal Community Churches around the country).  If it’s been a while since you checked out the App, open it up!  We’ve updated it and made some improvements for when we get back into the building and moving forward.
4. On Friday night, June 19th at 8:30pm we’re going to show a FREE movie on the lawn on a giant screen!  The movie we’re showing is the Disney/Pixar movie “Onward.”  Bring your blanket or lawn chairs and enjoy the evening with your family!  Bring your own drinks and snacks – the church will provide FREE hotdogs and Kona Ice!
5. Operation Christmas Child has grown so much at Coastal that it is now a YEARLONG Mission of our church!  Each month we will feature a “donation of the month” to help us better prepare for the thousands of boxes we will pack and wrap in the Fall.  This month (June) we are encouraging everyone to bring balls, soccer balls, pumps.  You can now drop off OCC items at church on Sunday mornings or during the week.  You can even pick up shoeboxes & wrapping paper to start wrapping shoeboxes.  If you have any questions, please reach out to Teresa Spell.
   
   P.S. Don’t let this June pass you by without signing up for Summer of IMPACT!  Click on this link: www.coastalcommunitychurch.org/outreach.  Take a look at all the opportunities. Find the project(s) that is right for you and sign up today. You can sign up for as many opportunities as you want. It’s easy to sign up, and it’s easy to serve. If you are looking to Make an Impact in our community, this is the way to do it!   Sign up and then show-up…it’s literally that easy.  In fact, we’d love for you to join us for Saturday Serve tomorrow at the church at 8:30am.  

Hopefully by now you’ve heard!  We will be gathering back in our church building for ourWorship Services and Coastal Kidz starting THIS SUNDAY, JUNE 7th at 9:30am and 11:15am (while continuing to offer our services online)!

We understand that there will be some who will prefer to still join us for worship from home, and we are excited to continue to provide excellent online worship experiences – 9:30am, 11:15am, and even 6pm.  In fact, for many that may temporarily be the best course of action.  We encourage those who are vulnerable because of pre-existing conditions or caring for those who are to continue to join us online.  We ask that anyone who feels sick or has shown any symptoms of sickness to please join us online.  But either way, in-person or online, we will extend love and grace to everyone and ask you to do the same.

For those who are returning to our building, our plan includes the following:

• All 1st Impressions Team Volunteers will be wearing masks and gloves.  We will have hand sanitizer and hand sanitizing stations throughout the building.  We will have masks and gloves for anyone who wants to wear one. 
• We will be asking our attendees to create space in our auditorium between families.  We will assist by spacing out our seating.
• We will be professionally sanitizing surfaces throughout the building, including our Coastal Kidz areas, under the guidance of CDC standards. 
• Initially (for the month of June), our Cafe will be closed, and the seating in our Welcome Center removed.  When it re-opens over the Summer it will be service only (no self-serve items).
• We have Pre-filled/Pre-Packaged individual communion cups that will be placed at the back of our chairs.  Cups contain both the juice and bread in a single two-part sealed container.  Communion participants peel back one seal to remove the bread and then a second seal for the juice.  We WILL be taking Communion this Sunday and would encourage you to join us online (go ahead and prepare the elements).  
• Connect Cards & Offering Envelopes will be placed in the backs of our chairs and can be turned in at the end of our service as people are exiting.  We will also make our Connect Card and Announcements available online through our App.  We will continue to encourage people to give online, through TEXTing (843-277-8337), or automate their giving through their Bank.
• We will also have contactless entry and exit of the building with our 1st Impression Team opening and closing doors.
• We will all enter the building through the same designated doors before the service and will exit only through all the doors after the service.  After each service is over, if you want to fellowship and connect with others, we’re encouraging everyone to do that outside so we can prep the building for the next service.

Many people have asked what will our Coastal Kidz Children’s Ministry look like?  Here are just a few of the procedures you can expect to see as well:

• All Coastal Kidz volunteers will wear masks and gloves.
• We will wipe down all chairs, tables, and toys after each service. We will minimize the number of toys in each room to help with this.
• At Child Check-in, volunteers will enter the information on the iPads for stickers.
• We will use non-contact thermometers to take the temperature at child checkin of all children admitted to Coastal Kidz and all Coastal Kidz volunteers.
• All children will either use hand sanitizer or wash their hands before entering the classroom. For smaller children, volunteers will help with this.
• We will space the chairs farther apart in the 1st – 5th grade class and try to keep the younger ones seated farther apart in the other classrooms.
• VIP (Volunteer Meeting) will be outside in the pergola (weather permitting) or in the new building.
• Our Coastal Kidz Online resources will continue to be made available.

For those of you who serve on Sunday mornings (Coastal Kidz, 1st Impressions, Security, Worship Team, Tech Team) please communicate with your Ministry Leader your availability and continue signing up for the month of June.

Coastal, I love you and I love being your Pastor!  I can’t wait to see everyone this Sunday – BOTH online AND in-person!!

LIFE & LOVE,
Pastor Chris

P.S.  We kick off “At the Movies” this Sunday!  Every 1st Time Guest and the person who invited them (you) will receive a $5 Amazon Gift Card (so you can purchase a movie rental – or anything else for that matter)!

There is no doubt that people today are hurting, hopeless, and scared.  What we’ve all seen on the news and social media is just a microcosm of how many people are feeling today.  So Coastal let’s DO something about it!  If you want to make a difference, if you want to change the world, it’s not going to happen by crafting the most shared or liked social media post.  Let me tell you where we can ALL start – SUMMER OF IMPACT!  Summer of IMPACT is all about serving and loving our neighbors, our community.  It’s a month long emphasis that kicks off every Summer at Coastal, and it literally starts today – June 1st!

Summer of IMPACT is where we as a church saturate our city with the love of Jesus through simple acts of service. One way we serve is through our partnerships with non-profit organizations all over Charleston (who need our help NOW more than ever).  We enjoy serving with the Lowcountry Food Bank, Soldiers Angels (Veteran food assistance), the Ronald McDonald House (MUSC housing for patient families), SC Strong (transitional assistance for those previously incarcerated), My Sisters House (shelter for abused women), and Lowcountry Orphan Relief.  We also have ongoing projects here at Coastal where we pack shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child, feed the homeless and hurting at the North Charleston Tailgate, restock our Blessing Boxes with non-perishable food and supplies, and many other projects.

There are opportunities nearly every day of the month.  You simply sign-up and then show-up.  It’s that simple!  Every project has a leader and every project is well-organized.  Click on this link: www.coastalcommunitychurch.org/outreach.  Take a look at all the opportunities.  Find the projects that are right for you and sign up today!

If you are looking to make an Impact in our community, if you want to “be” the change, this is the way to do it!  I truly believe that everyone who calls Coastal home can sign up for at least one event.  But here’s what I would also encourage you to do – invite friends, neighbors, family, and co-workers to join you!  You don’t have to be a member of Coastal to participate.  And get this, you don’t even have to be a believer to participate!  Truthfully, I think this is the best way we have to show people what a difference Jesus truly makes in our lives. So one last time – EVERYONE, GO TO THIS LINK AND SIGN UP TODAY!!
www.coastalcommunitychurch.org/outreach
If you have any questions about Summer of IMPACT and any of the projects, please reach out to Pastor Chris Jones – (843) 870-4613.

Sure, these are dark and evil times.  But it’s times like these where the light shines the brightest!  Coastal, that’s you and me!  Let’s be the light for all the world to see!

Shining With You!
Pastor Chris

P.S.  Tonight’s event “Sewing for Kids” has been postponed (it’s actually a weekly event) due to the County wide curfew.  Other evening events will be evaluated if the curfew continues.

We wrap up our “Women of the Word” series this Sunday.  As always, you’re not going to want to miss it!  Morgan Wessel is our speaker and Jennifer Schroder and Dawn Judd share their stories.  I can’t say enough good things about all the women from our church who participated in this series.  God has spoken through each of them.  I’m looking forward to hearing from more women from Coastal in the future.

And then on June 7th, not only will we be opening up our campus for in-person worship, but we’re also kicking off a new sermon series, a favorite Summer tradition here at Coastal – “At the Movies!”  The tagline this year is, “coming to a home near you!”  “At the Movies” is where we use current or popular movies, as a hook or a spring board to talk about spiritual truth.  And this year we’ll be using movies that you can watch from home on Amazon or Netflix.  In fact, instead of movie tickets, we’ll be giving away $5 Amazon Gift cards to all 1st time guests and the friend that invited them. 

Here are just a few exciting things that we’ve already got planned during this series:

• On Sunday, June 14th we’re going to use the movie, “Just Mercy” to talk about racism. And I’m excited to announce that Chris Singleton will be speaking at Coastal on that day! Chris Singleton is a professional baseball player in the Chicago Cubs organization (who played at Charleston Southern) as well as an inspirational speaker who has been featured on ESPN’s E:60, Sports Illustrated magazine, and USA Today. Chris’ mother, Sharonda Coleman Singleton, was murdered along with eight other victims at Mother Emanuel AME Church here in Charleston on June 17th 2015 by a white male who wanted to start a race war in the United States. Chris inspired his city and the nation by forgiving the man who murdered his mother and stating that “Love is stronger than hate.”  (Read my Facebook post.)
• On Sunday, June 14th, 5pm out at Folly Beach County Park we’re having our Beach Baptism!  Come out early (traffic might be an issue) and make it a fun day for your entire family!  If you are interested in being Baptized, simply respond to this email, go to our website and sign up online, or sign up on your Online Connect Card on Sunday.  Even if you’re not being Baptized, come on out to the beach and celebrate with those who are!  Make it a fun day for the whole family!
• On Friday night, June 19th at 8:30pm we’re going to show a FREE movie on the lawn on a giant screen!  The movie we’re showing is the Disney/Pixar movie “Onward.”  Bring your blanket or lawn chairs and enjoy the evening with your family!

As you can see, it’s going to be a great series and a great start to the Summer!  So start thinking about and praying for the people you’re going to be inviting to join us for this series!

I love you Coastal, and I can’t wait to see many of you in person on June 7th!
Pastor Chris

Here are this week’s “Friday 5”:

1. It’s hard to believe but this Saturday, May 30th, 11am-1pm, is the LAST WEEK (rain or shine) of our FREE “Grab & Go Meal Drive-Through.”  We have now given away over 7,000 meals!  This week’s menu: Chicken & Dumplings, Green Beans, Rolls, and Dessert – plus a free roll of toilet paper for every family!!  If you’re hungry, in need, or know someone who is, we’d love to help!  Feel free to pick up a box and deliver it to someone you know. It’s our way to love and serve our community! Help us spread the word!  At this point and at this scale, the BIGGEST WAY TO HELP is donating money. You can sponsor a meal by giving on our website: https://coastalcommunitychurch.org/give/ or simply text ANY amount to 843-277-8337 and use the key word “meals” (ex. $100 meals).  The Drive-Thru is also a great opportunity to drop off non-perishable food items for our Community Food Bank.  We also need DESSERTS – cookies, pre-packaged snacks, etc.  You can drop off desserts at the church on Saturday morning 8am-10am.
2. Summer of IMPACT is a month-long effort where we as a church saturate our city with the love of Jesus through simple acts of service. One way we serve is through our partnerships with non-profit organizations all over Charleston. We enjoy serving with the Lowcountry Food Bank, Soldiers Angels, the Ronald McDonald House and Lowcountry Orphan Relief. We also have ongoing projects here at Coastal where we pack shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child, feed the homeless and hurting at the North Charleston Tailgate and multiple other projects. There are opportunities nearly every day of the month. You simply sign-up and then show-up. Every project has a leader and every project is well-organized.  Click on this link: www.coastalcommunitychurch.org/outreach.  Take a look at all the opportunities. Find the project(s) that is right for you and sign up today. You can sign up for as many opportunities as you want. It’s easy to sign up, and it’s easy to serve. If you are looking to Make an Impact in our community, this is the way to do it!   Sign up and then show-up…it’s literally that easy.
3. Did you know that Coastal has a FREE App for your phone or mobile device? It’s an easy way to stay connected, see all the announcements, listen to or watch our messages, and fill out a Connect Card.  Download it today from your App Store!  If you’re searching for it, make sure you search for “Coastal Community Church of Charleston” or “Coastal CC Charleston” (There are other Coastal Community Churches around the country).  If it’s been a while since you checked out the App, open it up!  We’ve updated it and made some improvements for when we get back into the building and moving forward.
4. Attention all First Impressions Team Members:  We’re having a very important First Impressions Zoom Meeting that will walk you through the thought process as well as some responsibilities we will have as a team for gathering again beginning June 7th. Please plan to join us on either Sunday, May 31st OR Wednesday, June 3rd at 7:30pm. You do not need to join us for both of them, but please make it a point to attend one of them. The call should not last any longer than 20 minutes or so based on the conversation.  LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8896513365?pwd=TWxtRzFXYkxZU0IDWGhUR1pnS2QxUT09  ID: 889 651 3365  Password: chickfila
5. Many people have asked what will our Coastal Kidz Children’s Ministry look like on June 7th as we move back into our building?  Here are just a few of the procedures you can expect to see:One of the first things we are doing is having both buildings professionally cleaned. They will be performing a CDC certified disinfected cleaning of high touch traffic areas.
   – All Coastal Kidz volunteers will wear masks and gloves.
   – We will wipe down all chairs, tables, and toys after each service. We will minimize the number of toys in each room to help with this.
   – At Child Check-in, volunteers will enter the information on the iPads for stickers.
   – We will use non-contact thermometers to take the temperature at child checkin of all children admitted to Coastal Kidz and all Coastal Kidz volunteers.
   – All children will either use hand sanitizer or wash their hands before entering the classroom. For smaller children, volunteers will help with this.
   – We will space the chairs farther apart in the 1st – 5th grade class and try to keep the younger ones seated farther apart in the other classrooms.
   – VIP (Volunteer Meeting) will be outside in the pergola (weather permitting) or in the new building.
   For those of you who serve on Sunday mornings in Coastal Kidz please communicate with Janet Rollins on your availability in June and start signing up to serve.
   
   P.S. If you consider Coastal your church home or if you have been blessed by the ministry of our church, we want to encourage you to continue to be faithful with your generosity.  If you would like us to mail you offering envelopes or step you through online giving, please respond to this email or call the church office (843-571-1777).  Your weekly gifts are a vital resource that allows us to continue the work that God has called us to do. When you continue to give during this crisis, your gifts allow us to maintain critical ministries that many depend on.  Thank you so much for your faithfulness!

Just 2 more weeks until we’re back in our building for worship!  As we make preparations for opening back up on June 7th, one of the changes will be NOT handing out Bulletins (Announcement Sheet, Connect Card, Offering Envelope, etc.).  We will put a Connect Card & Offering Envelope in the seat pocket of each chair.  However, the easiest way to stay connected, see all the announcements, listen to our messages, and fill out a Connect Card, will be through our App.  Yes, if you didn’t already know it, Coastal has a FREE App you can download for your phone or mobile device.  Download it today from your App Store!  If you’re searching for it, make sure you search for “Coastal Community Church of Charleston or Coastal CC Charleston” (There are other Coastal Community Churches around the country).  If it’s been a while since you checked out the App, open it up!  We’ve updated it and made some improvements for when we get back into the building and moving forward.

Many people have asked what will our Coastal Kidz Children’s Ministry look like on June 7th as we move back into our building?  Here are just a few of the procedures you can expect to see:

• All Coastal Kidz volunteers will wear masks and gloves.
• We will wipe down all chairs, tables, and toys after each service. We will minimize the number of toys in each room to help with this.
• At Child Check-in, volunteers will enter the information on the iPads for stickers.
• We will use non-contact thermometers to take the temperature at child checkin of all children admitted to Coastal Kidz and all Coastal Kidz volunteers.
• All children will either use hand sanitizer or wash their hands before entering the classroom. For smaller children, volunteers will help with this.
• We will space the chairs farther apart in the 1st – 5th grade class and try to keep the younger ones seated farther apart in the other classrooms.
• VIP (Volunteer Meeting) will be outside in the pergola (weather permitting) or in the new building.

For those of you who serve on Sunday mornings (Coastal Kidz, 1st Impressions, Security, Worship Team, Tech Team) please communicate with your Ministry Leader your availability in June.  Be on the lookout for your Planning Center email and please start signing up for the month of June.

Now, for those of you who are sick, immune compromised, vulnerable, or care for those who are – or even if you’re just not ready on June 7th – please continue to watch our services online.  We live streamed our services way before COVID-19, and we will continue to do so long after.  In fact, we have invested thousands of dollars in improving and expanding our online services and capacity during this time.  I hope you have noticed and appreciated all of our efforts A huge shout out to our Tech Team, Worship Team, Pastor Ryan Spell, Christopher Rollins Jr., and Mark Crawford for all of their hard work).  

By the way, it is because of your consistent, generous giving that we are able to do everything we do at Coastal, including our online services.  If you would like to specifically help fund that expansion – cameras, lights, equipment, etc. – please let me know or simply continue to give above and beyond.

I Love You Coastal and I Love Being Your Pastor!  I can’t wait to see you soon!
Pastor Chris

Here are this week’s “Friday 5”:

1. This Saturday, May 23rd, 11am-1pm, will be week 10 of our FREE “Grab & Go Meal Drive-Through.”  We have now given away thousands and thousands of meals!  This week’s menu: PULLED PORK BBQ, Rice, Lima Beans, Cole Slaw, and dessert – plus a free roll of toilet paper for every family!!  If you’re hungry, in need, or know someone who is, we’d love to help!  Feel free to pick up a box and deliver it to someone you know. It’s our way to love and serve our community! Help us spread the word!  At this point and at this scale, the BIGGEST WAY TO HELP is donating money. You can sponsor a meal by giving on our website: https://coastalcommunitychurch.org/give/ or simply text ANY amount to 843-277-8337 and use the key word “meals” (ex. $100 meals).  The Drive-Thru is also a great opportunity to drop off non-perishable food items for our Community Food Bank.  We also need DESSERTS – cookies, pre-packaged snacks, etc.  You can drop off desserts at the church on Saturday morning 8am-10am.
2. Summer of IMPACT is a month-long effort where we as a church saturate our city with the love of Jesus through simple acts of service. One way we serve is through our partnerships with non-profit organizations all over Charleston. We enjoy serving with the Lowcountry Food Bank, Soldiers Angels, the Ronald McDonald House and Lowcountry Orphan Relief. We also have ongoing projects here at Coastal where we pack shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child, feed the homeless and hurting at the North Charleston Tailgate and multiple other projects. There are opportunities nearly every day of the month. You simply sign-up and then show-up. Every project has a leader and every project is well-organized.  Click on this link: www.coastalcommunitychurch.org/outreach.  Take a look at all the opportunities. Find the project(s) that is right for you and sign up today. You can sign up for as many opportunities as you want. It’s easy to sign up, and it’s easy to serve. If you are looking to Make an Impact in our community, this is the way to do it!   Sign up and then show-up…it’s literally that easy.
3. This coming Sunday, May 24th we’ll be taking Communion together online.  If you’re able to pick up some grape juice/wine and bread this week at your local store, great.  However, they are symbols, and you can use whatever you have available (water and crackers would work just fine).  We’ll also be making up some family “Communion Packets” (ziplock bags with small containers of juice and bread) that can be picked up this morning (Friday) at the church or tomorrow (Saturday) during the Grab & Go Meal Drive-Thru.
4. On Sunday, June 7th, we kick off one of our favorite sermon series traditions here at Coastal – “AT THE MOVIES”!  This year’s tagline is “Coming to a home near you!”  “At the Movies” is where we take current or popular movies and use them as a hook to talk about spiritual truth.  ALL 1st Time Guests (and the person who invited them – YOU) will receive a FREE $5 Amazon Gift Card to watch a movie at home on us (or just to apply to your Amazon Shopping cart – haha).  Start praying and inviting now!  
5. Sign up today for our Beach Baptism on Sunday, June 14th, 4pm out at Folly Beach County Park!  Come out early (traffic might be an issue) and make it a fun day for your entire family!  If you are interested in being Baptized, simply respond to this email, go to our website and sign up online, or sign up on your Online Connect Card on Sunday.  Even if you’re not being Baptized, come on out the beach and celebrate with those who are!  Make it a fun day for the whole family!
   
   P.S. If you consider Coastal your church home or if you have been blessed by the ministry of our church, we want to encourage you to continue to be faithful with your generosity.  If you would like us to mail you offering envelopes or step you through online giving, please respond to this email or call the church office (843-571-1777).  Your weekly gifts are a vital resource that allows us to continue the work that God has called us to do. When you continue to give during this crisis, your gifts allow us to maintain critical ministries that many depend on.  Thank you so much for your faithfulness!

Just in case you didn’t see my announcement on Wednesday, I want to repeat it here.  After weeks of prayerful consideration, and in conjunction with other local churches, we will be gathering in our church building for ourWorship Services and Coastal Kidz starting JUNE 7th at 9:30am and 11:15am (while continuing to offer our services online)!

This decision has not been made lightly.  It is also made with the understanding that this is an ever-evolving/changing situation. We will continue to monitor our area, listen to our Government and Health officials, and make decisions and alterations to our plans that are both wise and prudent for our church family and community.

We also understand that there will be some who will prefer to still join us for worship from home, and we are excited to continue to provide opportunities for meaningful online worship experiences.  In fact, for many that may temporarily be the best course of action.

For those who are returning to our building, our plan includes the following:

• We encourage everyone to follow CDC guidelines (and to follow the changes they make to those guidelines) with a common sense approach in all areas of your life, including church.
• We encourage those who are vulnerable because of pre-existing conditions or caring for those who are to continue to join us online.
• We ask that anyone who feels sick or has shown any symptoms of sickness to please join us online.
• We will be asking our attendees to create space in our auditorium between families.  We will assist by spacing out our seating.
• We will be sanitizing surfaces throughout the building, including our Coastal Kidz areas, under the guidance of CDC standards. 
• Initially (for the month of June), our Cafe will be closed, and the seating in our Welcome Center removed.  When it re-opens over the Summer it will be service only (no self-serve items).
• We have ordered Pre-filled/Pre-Packaged individual communion cups that will be placed at the back of our chairs.  Cups contain both the juice and bread in a single two-part container.  Communion participants peel back one seal to remove the bread and then a second seal for the juice.  
• Connect Cards & Offering Envelopes will be placed in the backs of our chairs and can be turned in at the end of our service as people are exiting.  We will also make our Connect Card and Announcements available online.  We will continue to encourage people to give online, through TEXTing, or automate their giving through their Bank.
• We will also have contactless entry and exit of the building with our 1st Impression Team opening and closing doors.

For those of you who serve on Sunday mornings (Coastal Kidz, 1st Impressions, Security, Worship Team, Tech Team, Prayer Team) please communicate with your Ministry Leader your availability in June.  Be on the lookout for your Planning Center email and start signing up for the month of June.

The new normal at church will temporarily look and feel a little different, but judging by how well all of you have risen to the occasion during this challenge, I have great confidence that Coastal Community Church will continue to accomplish our mission of “sharing and experiencing the LIFE & LOVE of Jesus with Charleston and the world.”  In these unprecedented times, we have seen God’s work not only continue, but advance in incredible ways. We have had the opportunity, literally, to preach the Word all over the world!  

And, while we remain deeply grateful for and committed to the technology that has allowed our church to continue to assemble online, we are excited about the opportunity to gather together in person on June 7th.  Whether you choose to join us for worship in-person or online, please know that together we are still the church.  And together we will walk this out with the grace, love, and kindness of true followers of Jesus!

I Love You Coastal and I Love Being Your Pastor!
Pastor Chris

Here are this week’s “Friday 5”:

1. This Saturday, May 16th, 11am-1pm, will be week 9 of our FREE “Grab & Go Meal Drive-Through.”  This week’s menu: FRIED PORKCHOP, Mac’n Cheese, Field Peas & Rice, and dessert – plus a free roll of toilet paper for every family!!  If you’re hungry, in need, or know someone who is, we’d love to help!  Feel free to pick up a box and deliver it to someone you know. It’s our way to love and serve our community! Help us spread the word!  At this point and at this scale, the BIGGEST WAY TO HELP is donating money. You can sponsor a meal by giving on our website: https://coastalcommunitychurch.org/give/ or simply text ANY amount to 843-277-8337 and use the key word “meals” (ex. $100 meals).  The Drive-Thru is also a great opportunity to drop off non-perishable food items for our Community Food Bank.  We also need DESSERTS – cookies, pre-packaged snacks, etc.  You can drop off desserts at the church on Saturday morning 8am-10am.
2. Summer of IMPACT is a month-long effort where we as a church saturate our city with the love of Jesus through simple acts of service. One way we serve is through our partnerships with non-profit organizations all over Charleston. We enjoy serving with the Lowcountry Food Bank, Soldiers Angels, the Ronald McDonald House and Lowcountry Orphan Relief. We also have ongoing projects here at Coastal where we pack shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child, feed the homeless and hurting at the North Charleston Tailgate and multiple other projects. There are opportunities nearly every day of the month. You simply sign-up and then show-up. Every project has a leader and every project is well-organized.  Click on this link: www.coastalcommunitychurch.org/outreach.  Take a look at all the opportunities. Find the project(s) that is right for you and sign up today. You can sign up for as many opportunities as you want. It’s easy to sign up, and it’s easy to serve. If you are looking to Make an Impact in our community, this is the way to do it!   Sign up and then show-up…it’s literally that easy.
3. In order for us to prepare for opening our Coastal Kidz classes on June 7th, our Coastal Kidz team needs to connect. We will have 2 very important Coastal Kidz Volunteer Zoom meetings: this Sunday, May 17, at 5:00PM and Monday, May 18, at 7:00PM. You just need to attend one. Here’s the link for our Zoom meetings:  https://zoom.us/j/4864196205.  The meeting should take less than an hour. We will discuss scheduling & safety procedures, plus a few things coming up in the future for Coastal Kidz.
4. Did you know that we have 5 Blessing Boxes in the community!  Consider choosing a Blessing Box as a family and restock it with non-perishable food, toiletries, and even notes & cards of encouragement. This can be done by going directly to the Blessing Box.  Here are the addresses to our Boxes:
   – 413 Geddes Avenue, Charleston
   – 928 Savage Road, Charleston
   – 2758 East Surrey Drive, North Charleston
   – 1998 Hugo Avenue, North Charleston
   – 1050 St. Andrews Blvd., Charleston
   If you have any questions about the Blessing Boxes, please reach out to Pastor Chris Jones.
5. Operation Christmas Child has grown so much at Coastal that it is now a YEARLONG Mission of our church!  Each month we will feature a “donation of the month” to help us better prepare for the thousands of boxes we will pack and wrap in the Fall.  This month (May) we are encouraging everyone to bring coloring books.  Even though our Sunday morning Services are online right now, you can still drop off OCC items during the week at the church.  You can even pick up shoeboxes & wrapping paper to start wrapping shoeboxes.  If you have any questions, please reach out to Teresa Spell.
   
   P.S. If you consider Coastal your church home or if you have been blessed by the ministry of our church, we want to encourage you to continue to be faithful with your generosity.  If you would like us to mail you offering envelopes or step you through online giving, please respond to this email or call the church office (843-571-1777).  Your weekly gifts are a vital resource that allows us to continue the work that God has called us to do. When you continue to give during this crisis, your gifts allow us to maintain critical ministries that many depend on.  Thank you so much for your faithfulness!

I’ve got some exciting news for you!  After weeks of prayerful consideration, and in conjunction with other local churches, we will be gathering in our church building for ourWorship Services and Coastal Kidz starting JUNE 7th at 9:30am and 11:15am (while continuing to offer our services online)!

This decision has not been made lightly.  It is also made with the understanding that this is an ever-evolving/changing situation. We will continue to monitor our area, listen to our Government and Health officials, and make decisions and alterations to our plans that are both wise and prudent for our church family and community.

We also understand that there will be some who will prefer to still join us for worship from home, and we are excited to continue to provide opportunities for meaningful online worship experiences.  In fact, for many that may temporarily be the best course of action.

For those who are returning to our building, our plan includes the following:

• We encourage everyone to follow CDC guidelines (and to follow the changes they make to those guidelines) with a common sense approach in all areas of your life, including church.
• We encourage those who are vulnerable because of pre-existing conditions or caring for those who are to continue to join us online.
• We ask that anyone who feels sick or has shown any symptoms of sickness to please join us online.
• We will be asking our attendees to create space in our auditorium between families.  We will assist by spacing out our seating.
• We will be sanitizing surfaces throughout the building, including our Coastal Kidz areas, under the guidance of CDC standards. 
• Initially (for the month of June), our Cafe will be closed, and the seating in our Welcome Center removed.  When it re-opens over the Summer it will be service only (no self-serve items).
• We have ordered Pre-filled/Pre-Packaged individual communion cups that will be placed at the back of our chairs.  Cups contain both the juice and bread in a single two-part container.  Communion participants peel back one seal to remove the bread and then a second seal for the juice.  
• Connect Cards & Offering Envelopes will be placed in the backs of our chairs and can be turned in at the end of our service as people are exiting.  We will also make our Connect Card and Announcements available online.  We will continue to encourage people to give online, through TEXTing, or automate their giving through their Bank.
• We will also have contactless entry and exit of the building with our 1st Impression Team opening and closing doors.

For those of you who serve on Sunday mornings (Coastal Kidz, 1st Impressions, Security, Worship Team, Tech Team, Prayer Team) please communicate with your Ministry Leader your availability in June.  Be on the lookout for your Planning Center email and start signing up for the month of June.

The new normal at church will temporarily look and feel a little different, but judging by how well all of you have risen to the occasion during this challenge, I have great confidence that Coastal Community Church will continue to accomplish our mission of “sharing and experiencing the LIFE & LOVE of Jesus with Charleston and the world.”  In these unprecedented times, we have seen God’s work not only continue, but advance in incredible ways. We have had the opportunity, literally, to preach the Word all over the world!  

And, while we remain deeply grateful for and committed to the technology that has allowed our church to continue to assemble online, we are excited about the opportunity to gather together in person on June 7th.  Whether you choose to join us for worship in-person or online, please know that together we are still the church.  And together we will walk this out with the grace, love, and kindness of true followers of Jesus!

I Love You Coastal and I Love Being Your Pastor!

LIFE & LOVE,
Pastor Chris

P.S.  Make sure you start signing up to serve for our “Summer of IMPACT” for the the month of June!  Check out the website and dates, look at your calendar, and start signing up for multiple events/days today!

Summer of IMPACT is just 3 weeks away – starting June 1st!  What is Summer of IMPACT you ask?  Summer of IMPACT is just like Saturday Serve – except that it’s for the entire month of June!  It’s our opportunity to make an IMPACT for Jesus where we live, work, and play – right here in Charleston.  That’s right, there are over a dozen different opportunities/organizations that we will be serving or partnering with multiple times over the month of June.  And just like Saturday Serve, we’re going to make it as easy as possible for you to sign up, show up, and serve.  There is a page on our website where you can literally go and see each project listed in chronological order, the day and time, and all the information you need.  You click a button to sign up and that’s it. 

Here’s what I want you to do:  First and foremost I want you to pray.  Pray that we will be the hands and feet of Jesus as together we serve our community.  Pray that lives will be changed and people will be drawn to Jesus.  And then, quite simply, I want you to sign up. Check out the website and dates, look at your calendar, and sign up for multiple events/days.  There are LOTS of days, times, and events to choose from – everything from serving our Veterans, feeding the homeless, helping the elderly, and much, much more, even opportunities for the whole family to do together!  I also want you to talk it up with your friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers and invite them to join you.  Even people who don’t go to church and don’t know the Lord are looking for ways to do something significant with their lives.  Leverage that God given desire and invite people to join you!  If you have any questions or if you would be willing to help lead one of these events, please contact Chris Jones at 843-870-4613 or jonescg73@gmail.com.  Join us in making this the best Summer ever!  

LIFE & LOVE,
Pastor Chris

Happy Mother’s Day!  I’m so excited about Mother’s Day this year at Coastal!  First of all, we kick off a brand new series today called, “Women of the Word”! Each week a different woman at Coastal, from a different season of their life, will be bringing the message. Each message will be on a different woman of the Bible.

Today’s speaker is Rachel Speer!  She is an Office Admin at Coastal, wife, mother of two teenagers (one about to go to college), LIFE Group Leader, and has served in various capacities at Coastal over the years. You’re going to be blessed by her message! Another highlight of this series is that each week we also have a powerful testimony from a woman at Coastal. This week’s testimony is from Kathy Beam. Kathy is a wife, mother of 4, and leads a Support Group here at Coastal. Kathy’s husband is an Elder at Coastal and together they lead our Cafe. Her story is one of beauty from brokenness. Even the sermon series graphic is from a woman at Coastal – our very own Jody Davis! I promise you’re going to be strengthened and encouraged today!

Join us for one of our 6 online services: 9:30am, 11:15am, 2pm, 4pm, 6pm, 8pm. You can watch our service on Facebook, but the best place to watch it is https://coastalcommchurch.churchonline.org, where you easily see the outline of the message, interact with others watching, fill out our Connect Card, Give, and share your Prayer Requests. If you have children, make sure you check out our Coastal Kidz online page – https://coastalcommunitychurch.org/connect/kids/.  Spread the word, invite a friend, start a watch or Zoom Party!  Post a picture of your experience!  If you are on Facebook, make sure you “share” our service.  It great free advertising!

And then this afternoon, from 3pm-5pm, we’re inviting everyone from Coastal to go on a fun Sunday afternoon ride over to the church for something we’re calling a Mother’s Day Drive Through Celebration!  Drive through our parking lot, and all the women of Coastal can pick up a special gift from the church, and then everyone in the car will receive a FREE cup of Baskin Robbins ICE CREAM!

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!
Pastor Chris

I know I must sound like a broken record, but it’s true – Coastal I am so blown away by your love, service, and generosity!  This past week we partnered with MUSC to provide lunch at the COVID-19 Testing Site & the Pediatric Ambulatory Clinic (about 160 employees).  Because we had to use a DHEC certified kitchen, the cost of both meals was around $1600 with a generous tip (obviously a lot more than if we could have done it ourselves).  But within days of announcing what we were going to do, several families had generously paid for both meals completely!  For tomorrow’s “Grab & Go Meal Drive-Thru” I announced that we are going to do Lasagna, and I needed help cooking them – 92 OF THEM!  I got volunteers to cook ALL 92 (don’t forget that they must be brought back to the church on Saturday morning from 8am-10am)!!  Janet and I don’t even have to cook any.  I could keep going and going.  It’s been that way every week for the last 8 weeks of this Pandemic!  Keep it up Coastal!  The seeds of love that we are planting are going to bear much fruit for years to come and on into eternity! 

This Sunday May 10th is MOTHER’S DAY!  I’m so excited about Mother’s Day this year!  Even though our services will be online, we’re going to go out of our way to make this Mother’s Day special.  First of all, we’re kicking off a new series called, “Women of the Word.”  Each week for 4 weeks we’re going to be looking at a different woman in the Bible, and the message is going to be delivered by 4 different women here at Coastal.  This Sunday, Rachel Speer will be speaking.  Even the graphic for the series was done by a woman from our church – Jody Davis.  We also have several women sharing their testimony during the series.  Spread the word and invite your friends to check us out online!

And then on Mother’s Day afternoon, 3pm-5pm, we’re inviting everyone from Coastal to go on a fun Sunday afternoon ride over to the church for something we’re calling a Mother’s Day Drive Through Celebration!  Drive through our parking lot, and all the women of Coastal can pick up a special gift from the church, and then everyone in the car will receive a FREE cup of Baskin Robbins ICE CREAM!  We’re also asking our kids & families to decorate a poster (“We love our MOM!”  “Happy Mother’s Day!”  “Our Mom is the Best” – you get the idea) that will line the drive of our parking lot.  Make it a fun project for your family – get creative! Posters must be returned to the church either today by 12noon or tomorrow during the Saturday “Grab & Go Meal Drive-Thru.”

LIFE & LOVE!
Pastor Chris

Here are this week’s “Friday 5”:

1. TODAY Friday, May 8th, 8am-2:30pm at the Elks Lodge on Sam Rittenburg Blvd., Coastal is teaming up with the Veteran’s Administration and Soldiers’ Angels to supply local low-Income veteran families with food assistance at the mobile food distribution.  Many of Charleston’s veterans rely on the food assistance provided by this event, and without volunteers these veterans would go without.  This project can support up to 40-volunteers.  Any time that you can volunteer would be great.  If you are interested in this event or have any questions, please contact Pastor Chris Jones, 843-870-4613.
2. This Saturday, May 9th, 11am-1pm, will be week 8 of our FREE “Grab & Go Meal Drive-Through.”  This week we are planning on feeding over 1,000 people in our community LASAGNA, Salad, Breadstick, and dessert – plus a free roll of toilet paper for every family!!  If you’re hungry, in need, or know someone who is, we’d love to help!  Feel free to pick up a box and deliver it to someone you know. It’s our way to love and serve our community! Help us spread the word!  At this point and at this scale, the BIGGEST WAY TO HELP is donating money. You can sponsor a meal by giving on our website: https://coastalcommunitychurch.org/give/ or simply text ANY amount to 843-277-8337 and use the key word “meals” (ex. $100 meals).  The Drive Through is also a great opportunity to drop off non-perishable food items for our Community Food Bank.
3. Teacher Appreciation Week at Oakland Elementary School is Monday, May 11th – Friday, May 15th.  Each year we go over the top to express our love and appreciation to the Teachers and Staff of Oakland.  And this year, in a time when they aren’t even expecting it, we want to shower these Teachers with love!  We have several special things planned (lunch, breakfast, gift cards, gifts), but one way that you and your family can help is writing handwritten thank you notes.  We need 75 of them!  You can pick up the note cards at the church, and we need them returned by this Friday, May 8.  Another way to help is through your generous giving!  All of our community outreach projects (this one included) are funded by your giving.  You can give through our website or simply text ANY amount to 843-277-8337.
4. Each Wednesday morning, Janet Rollins will be hosting an online Zoom meeting for Coastal Kidz!  There will be two 30 minute sessions:  9:00AM – Preschoolers ( 2 yr. olds – Kindergarten).  11:30AM – 1st-5th Graders.  Both Groups will participate in a Zoom “PET PARTY” this week!  To participate in any of our Coastal Kidz Zoom Connections, please go to https://zoom.us/j/4864196205 just a couple of minutes before your child’s scheduled time to join the meeting.  Parents, also don’t forget to take advantage of our Coastal Kidz online services/resources on our website! 
5. Operation Christmas Child has grown so much at Coastal that it is now a YEARLONG Mission of our church!  Each month we will feature a “donation of the month” to help us better prepare for the thousands of boxes we will pack and wrap in the Fall.  This month (May) we are encouraging everyone to bring coloring books.  Even though our Sunday morning Services are online right now, you can still drop off OCC items during the week at the church.  You can even pick up shoeboxes & wrapping paper to start wrapping shoeboxes.  If you have any questions, please reach out to Teresa Spell.
   
   P.S. The entire month of June is all about “Summer of IMPACT” at Coastal as we saturate Charleston with a variety of outreach projects.  From feeding the hungry, to sewing pillowcases for sick children, to ministering to the homeless – there is a serving opportunity nearly every day of the month!  Click on this link: https://coastalcommunitychurch.org/outreach/ to explore all of the different projects that are available this Summer and SIGN UP TODAY!